Author: Fergal Coleman
Interoperability of systems is a key to success in local government. With myriad systems in every council, unless you have interoperability you cannot deliver better services. Some providers provide "Walled Gardens", saying their system offers every function you need to run your council. Their offering is designed to not allow you to connect to other systems. This is done by:
- offering no APIs (the mechanism by which you connect systems),
- making it prohibitively expensive to access their APIs,
- being deliberately difficult to work with when integration is required, or
- a combination of the three.
In today's fast moving world, we don't believe one system can run any organisation, let alone a council which offers 100+ different services. Every council CIO, IT manager must demand interoperability in any system they procure.
So what is Interoperability?
Interoperability in Australian local government systems refers to the ability of different software applications, databases, and technology platforms to seamlessly exchange, interpret, and use data across departmental boundaries and external stakeholders. It enables councils to break down information silos between core systems like asset management, finance, planning, customer service, community engagement and more, while maintaining the data integrity and security standards required for government operations.
What does good Interoperability mean for Local Government? What does good look like?
- Unified Citizen Experience - Residents can interact with council through any channel (web, phone, in-person) and staff have complete visibility of all previous interactions, requests, and transactions regardless of which system originally captured the information
- Real-time Data Synchronisation - Changes in one system automatically flow to all connected systems without manual intervention - for example, a new development application updates planning, rates, waste management, and asset systems simultaneously
- Standards-Based Integration - Systems communicate using open standards and APIs rather than proprietary formats, enabling councils to add or replace individual components or systems without disrupting the entire ecosystem
- Cross-Functional Workflows - Business processes can span multiple systems seamlessly - such as a tree removal request triggering workflows in customer service, traffic management, and community notification systems
- Consolidated Reporting and Analytics - Data from all systems can be combined for comprehensive reporting, with councils able to generate insights across traditionally siloed areas like correlating asset conditions with maintenance costs and community complaints
- External Stakeholder Connectivity - Smooth data exchange with state government agencies, utilities, emergency services, and contractors without manual data entry or file transfers - e.g. If the community log a request on the council website to fix a pothole on a State maintained road, the request is sent directly to the State Government agency (e.g. VicRoads)
- Mobile and Field Integration - Field workers can access and update any system from mobile devices, with offline capability and automatic synchronisation when connected
5 Reasons to Never Buy a Non-Interoperable System Ever Again
- Escalating Hidden Costs Non-interoperable systems create massive ongoing costs through duplicate data entry, manual reconciliation processes, custom point-to-point integrations, and the need for additional staff to manage data transfers. What sometimes seems like a lower upfront cost, becomes a financial burden that compounds annually.
- Degraded Citizen Service Without interoperability, residents experience frustrating interactions where they must provide the same information multiple times, wait longer for service delivery, and deal with council staff who lack complete information. This directly impacts community satisfaction and trust in local government.
- Increased Compliance and Audit Risk Data inconsistencies between siloed systems create serious risks for statutory reporting, grant acquittals, and regulatory compliance. When financial, asset, and operational data don't align across systems, councils face audit findings, potential penalties, and reputational damage.
- Vendor Lock-in and Limited Innovation Non-interoperable systems trap councils with single vendors who can dictate terms, pricing, and upgrade cycles. Without the ability to integrate best-of-breed solutions, councils miss out on innovations and must accept whatever functionality their monolithic vendor provides, regardless of whether it meets their needs.
- Inability to Leverage Modern Technologies AI, machine learning, IoT sensors, and predictive analytics all require access to integrated data from multiple sources. Non-interoperable systems prevent councils from adopting these transformative technologies, leaving them increasingly behind community expectations and unable to deliver smart city initiatives or data-driven decision making. The cost of poor interoperability isn't just technical - it fundamentally limits a council's ability to serve its community effectively and adapt to changing needs.
Symphony3 helps councils to get the most from interoperable systems, allowing them to deliver better services for their communities, while maximising tax payers dollars. Get in touch to find out how we can help you.