Public Innovation Lab – a peek behind the scenes at LowCode

Digital transformation is an ongoing process that affects all sectors of our society. The public sector is no exception. As part of this development, the Online Access Act (OZG) was introduced on 14 August 2017 to promote efficient digital administration and improve services for citizens. By 31 December 2022, all public authorities were required to offer their administrative services digitally as well. This was a significant milestone in driving forward digitalisation in the public sector1. Unfortunately, when implementing the OZG, the focus was placed on the digitalisation of applications and the provision of application portals. End-to-end digitalisation – that is, seamless communication between applicants and the administration, as well as digital case processing – was neglected.

It is therefore no surprise that, in many areas today, we tend to see a digital patchwork. Under the OZG, the public sector faces the challenge of integrating and further developing a heterogeneous portal and backend infrastructure in order to implement end-to-end, seamless digitalisation and thereby speed up administrative work.

The path to full implementation of the OZG is fraught with challenges. Even though the federal government now offers 97 of its 115 OZG services digitally, the ongoing revision of the OZG shows that there is still much work to be done to further ^{drive forward} the digitalisation of public administration1. In particular at local government level, which is faced with significantly more OZG services to provide than the federal government, the level of digitalisation has so far remained comparatively low – but the federal states, too, are still a long way from reaching their goal. On 24 May 2023, the Federal Government adopted a package for digital administration to ^create the legal framework for the further expansion of administrative digitalisation2.

The landscape of digital infrastructure in the public sector is complex. It comprises portals for citizen services, which serve as access points for public services; service accounts at federal and state level, which manage authentication and authorisation; and various form solutions that facilitate the exchange of information between citizens and public authorities. Added to this are solutions for budgeting, cash management and accounting, as well as e-payment systems for processing transactions. Furthermore, there are a multitude of specialist procedures for the digital processing of applications, a wide variety of e-file solutions for electronic document management, and over 375 central registers. All these elements must work together seamlessly to ensure that administrative processes run smoothly.

The culture at the operational level and the role of so-called ‘citizen developers’ are also undergoing significant change. This cultural shift towards a more open and innovative approach is essential for driving digitalisation in the public sector. Citizen developers – that is, staff without formal programming training – are gaining the ability, through low-code platforms, to play an active part in the development of digital solutions alongside the IT department. This not only fosters innovation but also creates a more inclusive and participatory environment within administrative structures. It is important here to establish joint governance between business and IT departments in order to prevent a proliferation of unmanaged applications.

The challenges and opportunities associated with these developments form the backdrop to the significance of our Public Innovation Lab, as well as to that of low-code technologies more generally. These technologies enable the faster and more effective implementation of digital solutions that can be seamlessly integrated into existing infrastructure. In the following article, we take a look behind the scenes at the Public Innovation Lab’s ‘Low-Code kitchen’ and examine how the use of low-code technology enables the end-to-end, seamless processing of administrative processes from front-end to back-end.

Low-code technology offers an efficient alternative to traditional development methods and is a key factor in rapid digitalisation. By ‘low-code’, we mean a method of application development that enables digital solutions to be created quickly and efficiently through graphical modelling, rather than conventional programming. This involves the use of a visual development environment in which applications are created by combining pre-built components and modules that can be arranged using a drag-and-drop function. Graphical modelling not only simplifies the development process but also makes it accessible to people without in-depth programming knowledge.

Low-code processes are essentially characterised by a high level of code abstraction and an intuitive, user-friendly interface. They enable agile and iterative development, allowing those involved to actively experiment, take control and see the impact of their decisions in real time. This encourages an exploratory approach and facilitates a better understanding of, as well as the continuous optimisation of, digitised processes throughout their development.

A key advantage of low-code technology is the ability to actively experiment and steer the process whilst digitising business processes. Stakeholders can quickly implement, test and, where necessary, adapt their ideas, leading to a better alignment between requirements and the solutions developed.

In terms of cost-effectiveness, it should be noted that using a low-code platform incurs licence fees. However, these platforms come with a wide range of tried-and-tested core functionalities that speed up the development process and eliminate the need to build features from scratch. This is offset by the reduced development and maintenance effort – as less code needs to be written and maintained – and the resulting faster implementation of projects. However, the exact cost-benefit analysis can only be quantified within the context of a specific project.

The introduction of low-code platforms in the public sector represents a significant step towards accelerating digitalisation and gives all public sector staff the opportunity to play an active and creative role in the digital transformation.

The Public Innovation Lab helps public authorities wishing to digitise and automate their administrative processes from start to finish, significantly reducing implementation times and genuinely enhancing their digital autonomy.

The challenges facing public administration are manifold. One of these is the seamless, end-to-end processing of cases from front-end to back-end, which is often hampered by a fragmented IT landscape and disconnected systems. There is also a lack of end-to-end case management capable of efficiently integrating queries and checks. These challenges can delay the processing of enquiries and cases, thereby also compromising the quality of service for citizens.

In the context of these challenges, the Public Innovation Lab (PIL) represents a significant step towards finding solutions. The PIL serves as a demonstrator, showing how end-to-end case management can be integrated into the existing public sector IT landscape without disregarding existing public sector solutions. Through the use of low-code technology, the PIL enables the development of bespoke solutions that facilitate end-to-end digitalisation and streamline the orchestration of all processes.

At the heart of the PIL lies the low-code approach, which enables the faster and more flexible development of solutions that meet the specific requirements of public administration. By demonstrating how end-to-end case management and the end-to-end processing of cases can be achieved, the PIL offers not only potential solutions but also a vision for more efficient and effective administrative work. The PIL serves as a demonstrator to show how end-to-end digitalisation can work using modern technologies and methods. The PIL can be seen as a basis for a co-creation or proof-of-concept format.

The solutions developed at the PIL demonstrate how existing systems and processes in public administration can be enhanced and optimised using new technologies. It is clear that integrating low-code technology into public authorities’ existing infrastructure can significantly improve the end-to-end flow and efficiency of administrative processes. This makes the PIL a key building block on the path to the full digitalisation of the public sector.

The metaphor of a kitchen aptly illustrates how low-code platforms accelerate the digitalisation of administrative processes. Much like a modern, well-equipped kitchen, low-code platforms – particularly the PEGA Infinity platform – enable the efficient and flexible preparation of digital ‘dishes’.

In the Public Innovation Lab’s ‘Low-Code Kitchen’, the PEGA Infinity platform is used as a kind of ‘high-tech hob’. By combining predefined ‘ingredients’ – the platform’s modules and functions – it enables the creation of bespoke solutions that meet the specific requirements of administrative processes.
The process begins with selecting the right ‘ingredients’, tailored to the needs of the respective administrative process. PEGA Infinity’s visual development environment facilitates the ‘preparation’ by providing an intuitive drag-and-drop interface that makes it easy to ‘combine’ the components into a functional application. This visual approach also enables citizen developers to play an active role in the ‘preparation’ of digital solutions, even if they have no formal programming training.

Just as in a well-organised kitchen, collaboration between the ‘chefs’ – the kitchen team (the developers and citizen developers), the service team (the administrative staff and advisers) and the guests (applicants) – is crucial to success. The use of low-code technology fosters collaboration and speeds up development, ultimately contributing to more efficient and effective administrative management – from simple finger food to a full menu featuring regional ingredients.

So imagine what dishes might appear on a menu and how we can translate these into the LowCode world. Finger food, for example, represents simple requests with a low level of automation. Stews are multi-stage processing workflows with a medium level of automation. Plate dishes are complex processes, sub-processes or co-signing procedures that involve a high degree of automation. In our Low-Code kitchen, we handle these dishes holistically, right through to a complete menu. The menu includes complex calculations, high levels of IT integration, complex business processes and a high degree of reusability. The ingredients range from process management, checklists, circulation procedures and approvals, federal multi-client capability, cloud and on-premises solutions, IT background integration, chatbots, application form modules, portals, BundID and state accounts, right through to e-payment, HKR and e-files, as well as Fit-Connect, XTA2 and DVDV. We’ll work with you to create menus tailored to your preferences, so there’s something to suit everyone’s taste.

The Public Innovation Lab’s ‘Low-Code Kitchen’ serves as a model demonstrating how the digitalisation of administrative processes can be accelerated and improved through the use of low-code platforms such as PEGA Infinity. It offers a practical and clear illustration of the benefits of low-code and shows how the challenges facing public administration can be addressed and overcome through the efficient ‘preparation’ of digital solutions.

Efforts to digitise the public sector are a dynamic and ongoing process that is constantly evolving to meet changing requirements and expectations. Low-code platforms and the Public Innovation Lab are key tools for supporting and accelerating this transformation. They offer not only technical solutions, but also a new way of thinking to help overcome the challenges of the digital age.

The experience gained from the Public Innovation Lab can provide valuable insights to facilitate the implementation of low-code platforms in other areas of public administration. The best practices and lessons learnt here can serve as a blueprint for future digitalisation projects, ensuring efficient and effective implementation.

Furthermore, low-code platforms and the insights gained from the Public Innovation Lab provide a solid foundation for a more inclusive and innovative administrative culture. By promoting collaboration and the involvement of citizen developers, a sustainable basis for continuous improvement and innovation is established.

Viewed in a broader context, the approaches and solutions developed at the Public Innovation Lab help to realise the vision of a fully digitalised, citizen-centred public administration. The future of digitalisation in the public sector looks promising, and low-code technology will undoubtedly play a key role in making this vision a reality.

The journey towards digitalisation in the public sector is both exciting and challenging. The combination of low-code technology and innovative approaches within the Public Innovation Lab sets out a clear path for accelerating and optimising digital transformation. By providing a platform for creative solutions and demonstrating the feasibility of end-to-end administrative processes, the Public Innovation Lab lays the foundations for efficient and effective digital administration.

The ‘Low-Code Kitchen’ is more than just a metaphor. It embodies the essence of agile and collaborative development, which is essential for meeting the requirements of a modern, citizen-centred public administration. The PEGA Infinity platform, as an example of low-code technology, provides a solid foundation for creating bespoke and sustainable digital solutions.

The future of digitalisation in the public sector looks promising. The ongoing efforts and innovations within the Public Innovation Lab, together with the integration of low-code platforms, provide a clear direction and a solid foundation for further progress. The involvement of citizen developers, the promotion of collaboration and the continuous improvement of digital infrastructure are key elements that will ensure the success of digital transformation in the public sector.

Through in-depth exploration and the application of low-code technologies, combined with an open and innovative administrative culture, the public sector can successfully navigate the digital transformation and achieve an efficient, effective and citizen-friendly administration. To achieve this, however, it is essential to clearly identify which platform solutions are best suited to which challenges, and central functions are needed to act as an orchestrator and system integrator, providing support on the journey towards a digital future.

So what are our key success factors in relation to this vision? Let’s summarise briefly:

• Comprehensive end-to-end digitalisation through the integration of input channels and interfaces
• A high degree of automation and optimisation through the centralised configuration of processes, business rules and data objects
• High implementation speed and flexibility thanks to the ‘factory and Lego-block principle’, and agile collaboration between business and IT departments
• High reusability and reduced complexity through the reuse of process flows and business rules in federated organisational structures
• High degree of administrative autonomy: even ‘citizen developers’ can create and customise processes, workflows and rules

Through our Public Innovation Lab and the Low-Code Kitchen, we aim to make the journey towards digitalisation in public administration tangible and interactive. We’ll show you how end-to-end OZG processes can be tested and simulated quickly and easily.