At Granicus, we believe that now is the time to bridge that gap, starting with common sense upgrades rather than a complete technology overhaul. Upgrades that meet citizens where they are, and lay the foundation for smarter, more self-sufficient service delivery.
The cost of sticking with paper
Let’s be real. Paper isn’t just old-fashioned, it’s absurdly expensive. Every letter sent, every form printed, every notice mailed comes with costs that, individually, might seem trivial, but collectively snowball. Paper also results in huge inefficiencies.
In my recent conversation with Lucas Hunziker, host of the Government Technology Insider Podcast, where I was joined by my Granicus colleague Luke Norris, we noted the hidden costs of paper are significant:
These numbers add up fast.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce reported that manual processes cost the federal government $40 billion annually, wasting 10.5 billion hours on information collection. That’s not just a financial burden; it’s a burden on citizens’ lives. It’s the difference between getting timely emergency aid or facing critical delays. It’s the difference between completing a compliance process easily or falling into costly appeals and requalification cycles. Simply put, sticking with paper is a disservice to citizens and to operational efficiency.
Digital notifications: small shift, big win
One of the easiest, most accessible first steps toward a digital-first government is upgrading how we communicate.
Automated, proactive notifications like texts, emails, and app alerts, can cut through confusion and make government interactions intuitive rather than frustrating. These notifications provide real-time updates about things that matter: application statuses, important deadlines, public safety alerts.
We all know the power of a well-timed notification. Think about tracking your pizza delivery or receiving a gate change text from your airline. Those small nudges remove friction, save time, and build trust. There’s no reason government communications can’t feel just as seamless. In fact, they must.
When government agencies prioritize secure, timely, automated notifications, they:
- Slash call center volume and costs.
- Reduce paper mailing expenses.
- Improve compliance rates.
- Build citizen confidence in government processes.
- Empower people to act at the right time, without having to navigate endless bureaucratic hurdles.
Take Sarasota County in Florida, for example. By modernizing its public notice system from printed newspaper notifications to an online notification platform, they cut costs by 50% while dramatically improving transparency.
Notifications as part of a bigger digital-first strategy
It’s important to understand that notifications aren’t a “bolt-on.” They are a crucial part of an integrated digital strategy.
Proactive communication works best when it’s tied to self-service portals, automation, and intelligent workflows. If I’m guided every step of the way, from receiving a reminder about a deadline to clicking through a digital form to submitting my application, I’m far less likely to need to call someone, mail something, or miss a requirement.
At Granicus, we see this every day. Agencies already have an enormous amount of technology, websites, tools, and databases. But technology alone isn’t the answer. It’s about applying strategy to that technology: innovating the way we use it, connecting the data, and focusing relentlessly on the user experience.
When you start designing communications with the citizen’s journey in mind, you shift from one-off notices to holistic service delivery. Notifications become the friendly guideposts along that journey, keeping people informed, engaged, and empowered.
Citizen-centric means efficiency-centric
Here’s the good news: What’s good for citizens is good for government operations, too.
Reducing paper doesn’t just save money, it reduces errors. Helping people self-serve online doesn’t just make citizens happier, it frees up valuable government staff time. Providing reminders doesn’t just boost compliance, it prevents costly downstream processes like appeals, corrections, and re-qualifications.
The big leap: Building for the future
The future of government service delivery will be powered not just by digital forms and notifications, but by smarter, AI-enabled workflows that allow caseworkers and agency staff to focus on discretion and decision-making — the human touch that technology can’t replace.
We should be striving toward a future where technology removes the repetitive, paper-heavy, error-prone tasks, freeing up time and energy for government workers to focus on complex, value-driven services that make a real difference in people’s lives.
But to get there, we must first take the obvious, common-sense steps that are right in front of us.
Build trust
At the heart of digital-first government transformation is a simple but powerful idea: building trust.
When government communicates clearly, delivers services seamlessly, and respects citizens’ time and attention, it rebuilds public trust in its institutions. It shows that government can be as responsive, helpful, and human-centered as the best private sector experiences we rely on every day.
Digital-first isn’t just a technology project, it’s a mindset shift. It’s a commitment to treating citizens not as obstacles to be managed, but as partners to be empowered. And that starts with common sense: better communication, smarter notifications, less paper, and a whole lot more empathy.
The Promise of a Digital-First Government podcast
You can find out more about the possibilities of digital-first government communication and how it can affect the costs and operation of government by listening to the Government Technology Insider Podcast, on, “The Promise of a Digital-First Government,” below.
