Saving Public Services with ServiceNow

Public services are struggling – and everyone knows it. 

If something doesn’t change soon, the little trust citizens have in government will be buried under a mass of technical debt and paper-based services that serve no one. But there is hope for a better way. 

Public services should work as well as the private ones we use every day. Better, even, given they’re critical to our day-to-day lives. But too often they fail to deliver, resulting in long delays, frustration and quickly fading faith that the people in charge know what they’re doing.

I’ve spent over a decade helping public sector organisations tackle these challenges with ServiceNow and I’ve seen what’s possible when the right platform, partner, and mindset come together.

That’s why I know that change is possible and there’s a better way forward. ServiceNow is the platform to transform public services – and now is exactly the right time to make it happen.

Why public sector transformation keeps failing (and how to fix it)

Let’s be honest: transformation in government is hard. It’s not just the tech – it’s the red tape, the culture, the legacy estate. Departments are often stuck on the hamster wheel of their day-to-day activity, mired in internal politics, budget cuts and a tendency towards supporting the status quo.

Long-term civil servants don’t expect digital transformation initiatives to succeed because they’ve been burned by failed implementations in the past. They’ve simply stopped believing transformation is possible. 

And it’s not hard to see why. The average government department uses over 350 applications. Many of these are decades old, built on bespoke infrastructure, and maintained by teams with niche skills. 

Half of government IT budgets go toward keeping these systems alive¹. That’s not transformation – it’s survival.

And the cost isn’t just financial. Staff lose up to five hours a week² navigating inefficient processes and switching between multiple platforms. Citizens face long wait times, confusing forms, and inconsistent service. In fact, almost half (47%) of services offered by central government still rely on non-digital methods like phone calls and paper forms³. 

And when these patchwork systems fail, it’s not just inconvenient, it’s costly, inefficient, and erodes public trust.

I’ve seen the same story play out again and again, people with good intentions blocked by bad systems. But when you get the right people, data, and workflows in place, things change and change fast.

What happens if nothing changes?

The cost of doing nothing is huge. Technical debt compounds. Inefficiencies grow. And the weakest link in your chain drags everything down. 

I’ve seen government departments with 20-year-old apps still running critical services. That’s a massive risk, not resilience.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. By having the right data and workflows in place, the difference between who wins and who loses can be night and day.

Take DVSA. When COVID hit, they needed to send all their service desk staff home. That meant no phone access and no ability to quickly route calls. We helped them launch live chat in 48 hours using ServiceNow. 

The entire service went virtual overnight. That wasn’t a miracle, it was preparation meeting opportunity – the right workflows, data and partner already in place. And that’s exactly the kind of agility and resilience the public sector needs.

Contrast that with another agency that couldn’t adapt. They kept their contact centre open and faced repeated COVID outbreaks, disrupting service and frequently making headlines for all the wrong reasons.

The difference between DVSA and the other agency wasn’t luck. It was readiness. One had a platform and a partner ready to act. The other didn’t – and paid the price.

ServiceNow: The AI platform for public sector transformation

ServiceNow is the AI platform for public sector transformation. Accurate data, automated workflows, and AI agents working together, that’s where the magic happens. Momentum builds, and impact compounds. 

It’s no longer 1 + 1 + 1 = 3. It’s 1 + 1 + 1 = 10 (or even 100). That’s the multiplier effect we’re seeing across our public sector clients.

According to research by the Alan Turing Institute, central government conducts 1 billion citizen-facing transactions per year across 400 government services⁴. Of those one billion, 143 million are repetitive transactions and a whopping 84% could be automated.

And this isn’t theory; it’s being tested right now. A joint research project into ServiceNow’s potential for the UK public sector revealed that AI-powered triaging could handle 320 million GP calls annually, saving £1.2 billion⁵. HMRC could cut customer wait times by 80%. 

These aren’t small wins, it’s true transformation.

Six ways ServiceNow is fixing public sector inefficiency

Public sector organisations face mounting pressure to deliver more with less. Budget cuts, legacy systems, and rising citizen expectations mean that efficiency isn’t just desirable, it’s essential. 

Below, I’ll outline where we’re seeing ServiceNow making a real impact in the public sector:

1. Security operations (SecOps)

Cyber security is a frontline priority. With increasing threats and sensitive citizen data at stake, public sector organisations need proactive, automated security responses.

ServiceNow’s Security Operations suite enables real-time threat detection, incident response, and vulnerability management. 

This is about more than just protection – it’s about building real resilience to ensure service continuity and build public trust.

2. Integrated risk management (IRM)

Governance, risk, and compliance are a necessity in any organisation, but in government, they’re critical. 

ServiceNow’s IRM tools help track, assess, and mitigate risks across your operations. Whether it’s regulatory compliance or operational continuity, IRM ensures that public services are delivered safely and reliably.

When the unexpected hits – be it a pandemic or a system outage – IRM is what keeps services running.

3. Hardware and software asset management (HAM/SAM)

Many departments still rely on spreadsheets or siloed systems to manage their IT assets. That leads to overspending, underutilisation, and security gaps. 

ServiceNow’s asset management solutions provide a single source of truth for hardware and software, enabling better procurement decisions, lifecycle tracking, and cost control.

In some of our client projects, we’ve seen government agencies cut their asset waste by double digits simply by switching from spreadsheets to using ServiceNow.

4. Joiner, mover, leaver (JML) workflows

Onboarding and offboarding staff in the public sector can be painfully slow. 

In one case with a client of ours, new employees were waiting up to eight weeks for a laptop. That’s eight weeks of lost productivity. 

With ServiceNow, we helped reduce that to a few days. JML workflows automate permissions, equipment provisioning, and access controls, ensuring staff are ready to work from day one.

5. Citizen-facing services

From booking driving tests to accessing healthcare, citizens interact with government services every day. 

ServiceNow’s Customer Service Management (CSM) suite transforms these experiences. With intuitive portals, mobile apps, and live chat capabilities, departments can deliver faster, more user-friendly services around the clock.

We’ve helped departments turn clunky paper forms into sleek mobile apps. Citizens and staff take notice, and satisfaction improves across the board. 

6. Platform consolidation

As I mentioned earlier, the average public sector organisation uses hundreds of applications, many of which duplicate functionality or require costly maintenance. 

ServiceNow enables departments to consolidate these into a single, unified platform. That means fewer systems to manage, lower costs, and better data visibility. 

We’ve worked with government clients to consolidate hundreds of legacy apps into simple catalogue items. Booking a desk, a meeting room, or a parking space? No longer separate systems – just one platform, one experience. That’s real efficiency.

Building the future of public services

Transformation isn’t about flashy tech. It’s about outcomes. 

It’s about giving citizens services they trust and staff tools that work. It’s about solving problems, not patching them. 

Public service isn’t in a great place, but there’s a real opportunity (and ambition) to change that. With ServiceNow, we’re helping the UK public sector realise that opportunity to move faster, work smarter, and deliver better outcomes for everyone.

Why FlyForm?

As an Elite ServiceNow Partner, we’ve been part of the public sector transformation story for more than a decade. We’ve seen the pitfalls up close, and the wins when transformation is done right.

We’re security-cleared, UK-based, and ready to help you shape the future of public service with ServiceNow. 

The opportunity is here. The tools exist. You know what needs to change, we know how. Don't keep kicking that stone down the road – book a demo with us today and let’s turn will into action.

References

1. Central Digital and Data Office, Organising for digital delivery, 2021
2. UK Public Sector Efficiency Survey, Appian, 2025
3. State of Digital Government Review, Jan 2025
4. The Alan Turing Institute: AI for bureaucratic productivity, 2024
5. Social Market Foundation and ServiceNow, 2024