Adobe’s latest study has found that only 14% of Australian Government agencies have entirely digitised their document processes, with the majority still using a hybrid approach of paper-based and digital documents. 

The ‘Digital Trust in Australia: Reduce Security Risks and Deliver Superior Citizen Experiences with Digital Document Processes’ explored opportunities and challenges the agencies faced with their digital transformation journeys, including digital document processes and e-signatures. 

In that study, which was conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Adobe, it was found that while the pandemic forced agencies to accelerate their digital initiatives, most are still at the beginning stages of their digital transformation. 

Respondents of the study felt that the agencies were underutilising digital document process solutions, with 68% mentioning that lack of technology and tools impacted employee productivity. 

58% of the respondents also stated that their agency had difficulty maintaining security and confidentiality with the right people having access to specific documentation. 

“One of the biggest challenges government agencies faces is the challenge of expanding digital services while preserving citizen trust,” Adobe Director of Digital Media B2B Strategy & GTM, Asia Pacific Chandra Sinnathamby said. 

“This calls for the adoption of solutions that easily digitise workflow processes while ensuring cyber resiliency. Digital adoption can meet the need for mobility, scalability, and auditability in government agencies. Hence, it is crucial for government agencies to develop a humanised approach to digital transformation.” 

Although most agencies have not yet entirely digitised their document processes, there are plans to increase investment toward the digitisation of documentation. 

This will allow the improvement of the use of data for decision-making, accelerate the response to market change, shift towards becoming a digital government for IT modernisation, and improve overall risk management, including data security and privacy. 

The study claimed that these increased investments will accelerate the shift to e-services and help the agencies catch up with digital-leader agencies in other countries. 

Agencies were recommended to look at digital document process solutions as general-purpose technologies on the way to a bigger transformation agenda. The study stated that it will help in achieving key objectives such as improving data-driven policy making, enabling self-sovereign identities (SSI), and strengthening security and compliance. 

The key steps to deploying a digital approach are phased as government agencies are moving to modernize legacy technologies and adopt cloud-based approach. 

“To continue to create trust among parties and to support compliance, it is important government agencies are collaborating with partners that offer identity authentication and signature services,” Director Sinnathamby said. 

“This is the best way to future-proof an agency with more interactive documents infused with structured data for the long run.” 

Source: Adobe Press Release. Content has been edited for style and length

Eliza Sayon

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Eliza is a content producer and editor at Public Spectrum. She is an experienced writer on topics related to the government and to the public, as well as stories that uplift and improve the community.

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