In recent years, the term “single window” has been conceptually and operationally adopted by various public entities to concentrate the application of multiple procedures in a single common front. When one says conceptual, It means the optimistic view of this effort to provide a better service to citizens. However, a significant gap exists between a single window and a window for processes and services. 

Operationally, this is an instance that groups together all the different procedures citizens can carry out before the public administration. For example, it has been created to streamline paperwork, payments, official procedures and monitoring permits, resources, services, accreditations and applications, among many others. This prevents citizens from being affected by the complex organic structures, the hierarchy and the bureaucracy of its processes, and the physical distance between instances.

In theory, the single window solves a major management problem for public entities and citizens. But the reality is that this term –coined and popularised as a political value– the only thing it has achieved is to concentrate in a single point all the information that any person requires to carry out a procedure. Still, it is not capable of carrying it out itself.

In its service exercise, the public administration must demand high standards of operation and continuous improvement, which is becoming more feasible through the adoption and integration of technology. Thus, each organisation can go far beyond the adoption of terms and the generation of partial benefits to innovate how it currently operates since the real needs imply breaking paradigms, creating solutions in the full extension of the word and making its management an unparalleled job, with simple, efficient and transparent processes.

Disruptive changes in the management of public entities

Through technological development, conceptualising a model that adds actual value to citizens is not only possible: it is essential to support the current pace of life and encourage users to be active entities of technology.

A window of processes and services is much more than a data concentrator. Such a model allows users to access all the information and obtain value from it, with autonomous procedures, application schemes and online monitoring of their status and resolution, even from mobile devices. With this, they avoid –partially or totally– travelling to the different instances to make their request, reducing time in the processes, transfer expenses and security risks.

In this sense, security is an essential element in the formula; therefore, for those procedures that require authentication or authorisation mechanisms, elements already used in countless solutions and systems are integrated, such as digital signatures and data encryption, to guarantee the security of the applicant’s information.

Overall positive result

A change of such magnitudes can generate jealousy in the benefit created-received for all the parties involved. However, integrating new technologies in public administration usually benefits the internal operation to a greater extent, but this is not always visible.

For the entities that today provide this service, the migration from a traditional one-stop-shop model towards a vision of processes and services will provide a largely positive result within the organisation since the actual operation and human effort will be radically impacted by the automation of processes, which citizens will carry out from the comfort of their homes, offices or other spaces with internet access. Thus, human capital and efforts can be redirected towards substantive activities that reinforce its reason for being.

A window of this type should offer procedures for citizens and the organisation’s interior. For example, imagine the advantages of streamlining the internal procedures of your workers and thus avoiding unproductive operations and transfers, even to the deconcentration of the operation itself in the case of entities that, due to their functional activity, may require it.

Let’s emphasise something important: a model of these magnitudes has information in real-time to know the entire universe of procedures in progress, the current status of each one of them, the actions they require and the value of the information in the cloud for decision-making. of strategic decisions of each organism.

In conclusion, being connected is a comprehensive term that acquires greater weight when talking about the operation and management of public administration. Connecting is being in the cloud, operating with the best technology, streamlining and making efficient the way we operate day by day. Being connected allows us to make solutions and systems integrations of high value, to achieve natural, effective and innovative processes in favour of citizens and public administration.