The consequences of using outdated software

To function efficiently, regulatory agencies rely upon the quality of their software and the reliability of their software vendors. Bad things happen when agency officials choose the wrong vendor or rely upon a state IT department that fails to keep software up to date.

Common problems include:

• Vendor goes out of business, rendering software unstable.
• Overwhelmed state IT can’t fix software problems promptly.
• Inadequate role-based security places sensitive data at risk.
• Failure to adopt browser-based software limits ability to work remotely.

While updating outdated software may seem risky, the alternative is usually worse, as Oregon’s unemployment department recently discovered. Like those in many states, the department relies upon old and inflexible software. Much of Oregon’s claims-processing system was built in the 1990s, according to The Oregonian, and some components date back to 1985. When the state was flooded recently with coronavirus-related unemployment claims, the system proved incapable of handling the work.

Trust your vendor to provide and maintain current software

Choose a vendor with ample experience at meeting the unique needs of regulatory agencies. Just a few of the features that make software easy to use and prepared to meet today’s unique challenges:

Browser-based software:

Look for a vendor that supports all the top browsers, including Chrome, Firefox and Edge; that frees employees from a specific desktop computer, making remote work possible when the need arises.

Role-based security:

Restrict access to sensitive data to those who need it.  Easily create security groups with carefully delimited viewing, creation and deleting rights.

Flexibility built in:

Look for a solution that offers a highly flexible and scalable platform to support your current requirements and grow with you as your agency’s needs and technology change.

Government experts:

Choose a vendor with experience, along with an extensive list of best practices, to help your agency work the way you want.

Features to look for:

Some key features to look for in a system include:

• Offers fully configurable role-based security.
• Maintains encrypted data in the database.
• Includes scalability to support future growth.
• Offers project management services.