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90% of the world’s data was created in the past 12 months. Increasingly, the drive for better customer service is being driven by access, use and leverage of data.

Not surprisingly, data was among the key areas of focus at the recent launch of the NSW Government’s final update to its ICT Strategy by Victor Dominello, NSW Minister for Innovation and Better Regulation. The new NSW Data Analytics Centre (DAC) will, for the first time, create a central point for access to NSW Government data and interoperability standards, with the aim of using analytics to pinpoint challenges. A better understanding of what customers use and why, will help the Government make evidence based decisions for effective customer service.

The Australian government has rapidly increased the data sets – a tenfold increase to over 5000 data sets  (since 2013){1]– on the government portal data.gov.au. Almost 200,000 datasets from 170 organisations have been posted on data.gov alone[2].

Open data sets spur developers and businesses to think about opportunities to use data in useful ways for the community, allowing them to leverage data such as apps for public transport, crime logs, pollution readings, and property records. As an example, Garmin, a $7 billion company that makes navigation software and hardware, was built on free government data.

It’s not only improved services that can come from open data sets, but also greater government transparency and accountability. For example, the Government will be able to create a live public NSW Customer dashboard that will be used in NSW Government Cabinet meetings, informing Ministers of key measurements across, health, transport and other services.

Open data also provides an opportunity for data custodians (NSW Government agencies); coders; entrepreneurs; and private organisations to come together to solve real problems.

Up until now, the connection between those who can  identify a problem, and those who can solve that problem, was not always aligned. The era of open data changes all that.Another exciting initiative will be digitising  all physical licenses that  State Governments issue and manage including  driving, boating, fishing, gambling, responsible service of alcohol.

Combining data with digital licenses will provide improved services for customers,such as informing drivers of demerit point status before they embark on a long journey; or informing  people of catchment limits when they are  fishing in a particular area.

The  NSW Government will further build on its ICT strategy when it broadens its innovation agenda in 2016.

Salesforce is already partnering with NSW Government agencies, such as Service NSW, NSW Department of Family and Community Services and Transport NSW to deliver improved customer service, and we look forward to working with the NSW Government on the implementation of its ICT Strategy.

If you're interested in finding out more on how Salesforce works with the Public Sector click HERE


[1]http://www.malcolmturnbull.com.au/media/speech-to-the-locate-15-conference-the-power-of-open-data

Source, tenfold increase since the Federal Govt has been elected (2013-2015)

[2] The Economist, Open Government data: Out of the box, 21 November 2015