When expertise retires: Why administrations need an automation strategy

A cantonal specialist office had planned ahead: the processing of their extensive image material was carried out through an automated process. Then the person who had developed it retired – without a structured handover. Documentation was missing, there were various versions, and the processing ran on a single local computer. One day the process came to a halt, and no one knew why. How the workflow was put back into operation can be read in the success story of the Canton of Bern. The case highlights a risk that affects every process: it depends on one person instead of being anchored in the organization. In this article, we show you what the current research reveals about process automation in administration and what three building blocks a strategy consists of that can withstand personnel changes.

The Business Process Management Study 2025 by ZHAW and BOC Group surveyed 299 organizations in the DACH region. The largest group among them comes from the public services sector (20%). The results are particularly significant for administrations:

• High Expectations: 84% of public service providers expect that software for process management (BPM) will become more important in the next five years. This is the highest value of all sectors – and no one expects a loss of importance.
• Low Starting Point: 16% of public service providers have no support for process execution through automation. In the financial sector, it is 8%.
• Traditional Control: 70% of public service providers manage their processes using stored work instructions and templates.
• Cost Efficiency as a Driver: Across all sectors, «cost efficiency and economy» is the strongest influencing factor on the process management strategy (3.98 on a scale of 1 to 5).

Administrations, therefore, expect a lot from automation but often start from a lower base. It is all the more important that the initial projects are sustainable – professionally, economically, and beyond the next legislative period.

An automation strategy is more than a list of planned projects. It defines the rules by which an administration decides on automation and how it operates automated processes permanently.

1. A target image with measurable benefits

The study partners cite a clear business case with measurable goals as one of two prerequisites for successful process digitization. In administration, this means: For each project, it is defined in advance which key figure should improve – for example, the processing time of a building application, the number of inquiries per application, or the effort per relocation notification. Where a service mandate exists, these key figures can be directly linked to its performance goals. This turns an investment into a verifiable contribution to economic efficiency.

2. A fixed evaluation framework for all offices

Which project is implemented first should not depend on which office submits it. A fixed evaluation framework sets criteria and weighting once and applies them to each new project. In addition to effort and benefit, other criteria in administration include: data protection, connection to the business administration (GEVER), and compliance with eCH standards. How such an evaluation is structured in terms of cost and benefit is shown in the article «Automation Strategy: The Art of Prioritization». The advantage for administrations: Decisions become comprehensible and can be justified equally to all parties involved.

3. A secured operation

The example from the beginning shows what happens when an automation strategy is missing. It clarifies from the start who operates automated processes, how they are documented, and who understands them in an emergency. This also includes regular impact assessments: The study notes that organizations are increasingly establishing key figures and regular reviews to make the effectiveness of their process management measurable.

Only when these three building blocks are in place does the question of the appropriate software arise. Which criteria count in this regard can be read in the article «Process Automation: How to Find the Ideal System».

A clear automation strategy is the key to ensuring that automation in administration has a lasting impact – and does not come to a halt with the next retirement. Measurable goals, a standardized evaluation framework, and secured operations turn individual projects into a manageable program. This way, every investment can be justified and its benefits demonstrated.