Calls for open partnership to digitise Government services at Atos & IoD digital transformation roundtable

London, 5 July 2018

Institute of Directors (IoD) and Atos, a global leader in digital transformation, today co-hosted a roundtable discussion involving Cabinet Office Minister Oliver Dowden CBE MP, on how a better understanding and open partnership between the Government, industry, and SMEs could significantly improve and innovate Government departments and services.

The event brought together senior business, political and think tank representatives to share insights and ideas on whether digital transformation can help solve the productivity puzzle and what more could be done to provide innovative and digital public services that match the high quality experience of the commercial digital world many UK citizens now experience.

The discussion centred around how Government can develop an open digital transformation partnership with industry to achieve better outcomes and increased productivity across Whitehall departments.

Edwin Morgan, Director of Policy at the Institute of Directors: “Though improvements have been made, the evidence suggests that businesses still feel the public sector can and should do more when compared against the innovation we’ve seen from companies. Our members are both providers and users of government digital services and they are very keen that the Government utilises private sector experience that exists in companies small and large.

“The gains could be not only better and more cost-efficient services, but also reduced time wasted on form-filling for companies. Raising the UK’s productivity is the driving force behind the Government’s economic policy, so we would encourage closer partnership with the private sector to improve their digital offering. This could make life easier for small firms in particular, freeing up time for our members to spend improving their businesses,” added Edwin.

Kulveer Ranger, Vice President, Strategy and Communications, Atos UK & Ireland said: “The core theme of the discussion with the Minister was the need for a new open partnership with Government – and more importantly, helping Government procurement to grasp the opportunity of digital transformation and innovation for the benefit of citizens, and to deliver improved productivity and value for the taxpayer.”

The roundtable comes after a survey of nearly 1,000 business leaders by the IoD, supported by Atos, concluded overwhelmingly the public sector is poorly equipped to take advantage of changes due to technological advances.

The report also found six in ten company directors believe the Government does not make good enough use of private sector expertise and that government digital services are worse than those run by private sector.

While over half of business leaders did, however, report that they had noticed a positive impact since the launch of the Government Digital Service (GDS) in 2011, around half said a new model is needed for engagement with SMEs and larger technology partners.

About the IoD

The Institute of Directors is a non-party political organisation, founded in 1903, with approximately 30,000 members. Membership includes directors from right across the business spectrum – from media to manufacturing, professional services to the public and voluntary sectors. Members include CEOs of large corporations as well as entrepreneurial directors of start-up companies. The IoD was granted a Royal Charter in 1906, instructing it to “represent the interests of members and of the business community to government and in the public arena, and to encourage and foster a climate favourable to entrepreneurial activity and wealth creation.” The Charter also tasks the Institute with promoting “for the public benefit high levels of skill, knowledge, professional competence and integrity on the part of directors”, which the IoD seeks to achieve through its training courses and publications on corporate governance.

About Atos

Atos is a global leader in digital transformation with approximately 100,000 employees in 73 countries and annual revenue of around € 12 billion. The European number one in Big Data, Cybersecurity, High Performance Computing and Digital Workplace, The Group provides Cloud services, Infrastructure & Data Management, Business & Platform solutions, as well as transactional services through Worldline, the European leader in the payment industry. With its cutting-edge technologies, digital expertise and industry knowledge, Atos supports the digital transformation of its clients across various business sectors: Defense, Financial Services, Health, Manufacturing, Media, Energy & Utilities, Public sector, Retail, Telecommunications and Transportation. The Group is the Worldwide Information Technology Partner for the Olympic & Paralympic Games and operates under the brands Atos, Atos Consulting, Atos Worldgrid, Bull, Canopy, Unify and Worldline. Atos SE (Societas Europaea) is listed on the CAC40 Paris stock index.

Press contact:

Adam Fisher – adam.fisher@atos.net – +44 7989 145 665