Why Government should buy from SMEs

June 17, 2015   |   Digital Marketing
Nudge Digital
Nudge Digital

Tuesday next week (23.06) Nudge are exhibiting at the Public Sector Show in London. We had the chance to talk to them beforehand about how SMEs and public sector organisations can benefit from each other. It?s our first big show and we?re ready and excited to be there. You can find us on stand 101, but for now check out the interview they did with us below.

 

 

Are SME digital service providers the agile choice in the Digital Marketplace?

Cybercrime, asbestos in the workplace, electric vehicles, and accessible council and college websites don?t really have anything in common except that one particular digital agency, Nudge Digital, has delivered successful creative digital solutions for them for a range of public sector clients.

We caught up with Jason Wilkes, Director at Nudge, exhibiting in the SME Zone at this year?s Public Sector show, about how using the Government?s G-Cloud Digital Marketplace can yield great results for both; public sector organisations and SMEs service providers.

           

This will be Nudge?s first time at the Public Sector Show. Tell us a bit about the kinds of Public Sector organisations you?ve worked with and what you?ve got planned for the show?

JW: We?ve worked with many different Public Sector clients such as the Home Office, the Department of Health, the NHS, the Health and Safety Executive and the Cabinet Office. The public sector really is something we are starting to get to know really well. Every project is different and we invest heavily in capturing not just client requirements but the end user needs as well. With a strong focus on user experience we create digital solutions, websites and apps that people not only can use, but really want to use. This year?s Public Sector show has come at a great time for Nudge. We know Public Sector organisations and departments are investing heavily in digitising their services and making them more accessible to the public. We want to highlight an approach that makes that not only possible, but really effective. It?s simply called a user-centric approach for effective procurement.  

 

Is there one example of work you?ve done, where the benefits of G-Cloud Digital Marketplace has been best felt by you and the client?

JW: Yes definitely, one of our highest profile clients is HM Government?s Home Office for the Cyber Street website. As a Crown Commercial Service Supplier, we were invited through G-Cloud to respond to the tender from the Home Office. The transparency of services that G-Cloud provides really helped them to easily access, understand and procure services from the right kind of digital agency. It worked out great for both the Home Office and us. We?ve been able to quickly turn things around, work to extremely tight deadlines and pull out all of the the stops when needed. Ultimately the taxpayer benefits too, as time is saved and a cost effective solution is delivered. For Nudge projects like Cyber Street, procured through G-Cloud, have helped us really grow as a small entrepreneurial business and we?re going from strength to strength. Our team grew by 50% in the last year and our revenues have nearly doubled in the last two.

 

What would you say to Public Sector organisations and other SME digital and IT service providers about working together?

JW:  Procurement needn?t be a barrier. Quite the opposite, G-Cloud and Digital Marketplace challenge traditional ways of engaging with potential agencies and buying digital services. They encourage open markets and provide simpler forms of contracts. This has allowed SMEs to compete alongside larger suppliers and has delivered tangible savings for the taxpayer. Public sector buyers can be confident that they buy what they need. For agile, fast to respond and creative SMEs this means they can win more work, understand public sector needs and deliver innovative solutions that drive results. It?s a win-win-win.

 

What does the digital future hold for the Public Sector and where will Nudge feature?

JW: Looking at some of the trends in digital, apps will potentially play a big role for the public sector. App usage makes up 89% of time spent on mobile and it?s an ideal tool to engage with citizens. Apps can simplify processes and provide people with an easy way to interact and transact. In the last couple of years the number of governments offering public services via mobile apps has doubled. We want to work with organisations, who share our passion for continuing to making digital user experiences for public services the best they can be.

 

Finally what would be the key messages you would want visitors at the Public Sector show to take away?

JW: If you?re an advocate of user-centric design, which most will be following GDS standards, then we suggest you give a lot more focus to the planning part of your project. Maybe even have a separate RFP for just research, insight, planning and design. This will give you the opportunity to really gain a deep understanding of who your users are and what they need. This way the end result is something they?ll actually want to use. Then, by the time you send out the RFP for the development, you?re a lot closer to knowing exactly what kind of digital solution is needed and how big the budget should be. SMEs are a great for this type of agile and creative approach. You?ll save money and get better results!  


 

Jason and the Nudge Digital team are exhibiting on stand 101 at the Public Sector Show. Stop by for some Fresh Digital Thinking!

 

 

Thanks again for the interview guys!