In this shifting landscape, selecting a technology partner is not merely a procurement exercise, but a strategic decision of monumental importance. When considering vendors, it is critical to not simply have an overview of a platform’s capabilities, but to know if those who built it truly understand the sector in which you operate.
In this blog, we compare and contrast the pitfalls of selecting a generalist solution with the benefits that can only come from working with a specialist technology partner. But more than this, we’ll explore why — for any council serious about meeting the challenges of a digital future — it pays to select a vendor with deep knowledge and experience of the wider public sector.
Generic solutions versus specialist knowledge
From retail to finance, many technology vendors serve a wide range of industries. While their platforms may be powerful, the technology they provide is akin to a blank canvas, thus forcing your internal teams to spend valuable time, effort, and resources on adapting a generic solution to meet the highly specific demands of public service delivery. This approach introduces several significant risks.
For example, generalist providers often lack the nuanced understanding of legislative requirements, security protocols, and community dynamics that define local government. By contrast, a partner with a proven track record within the sector has already navigated these complexities. What’s more, they bring not just the right tech, but a wealth of institutional knowledge that accelerates progress, reduces risk, and ensures your investment delivers tangible value for your community.
Consider: The consequences of misaligned priorities
As we mentioned, generalist vendors offer their tech to multiple sectors and therefore, must cater to the needs of their most profitable customers. This often means their product development is driven by trends in commercial industries — not the evolving legislative landscape of UK local government. By choosing a generalist provider, you may find yourself waiting for critical features related to, say, new compliance standards while the vendor prioritises e-commerce integrations or other commercially focused updates. Remember, their roadmap is not your roadmap and this a fundamental misalignment that can hinder your organisation’s strategic goals.
Consider: The hidden costs of customisation
While the initial licence fee of a one-size-fits-all platform may seem attractive, it often masks the true total cost of ownership. After all, these solutions rarely meet the stringent requirements of local government right out of the box. Simply put — before they can even be implemented by your organisation — your teams will need to invest heavily in customisation, configuration, and development to build the workflows, forms, and integrations necessary for service delivery. This not only consumes budget but also diverts skilled staff from higher-value strategic work, turning what initially appears to be a cost-effective solution into a drain on resources.
Consider: Compliance and security as an afterthought
For local authorities, compliance with standards like WCAG for accessibility and robust data security protocols is not optional, but an absolute requirement. Sector-agnostic vendors may treat these as “add-on” features or configurable settings that you are responsible for implementing correctly. A specialist partner, however, builds these requirements into the core of their platform. They understand the legislative context and, therefore, design their solutions to be compliant, thus reducing your risk profile and providing peace of mind for your organisation’s data protection officers and leadership teams.
Consider: The strategic advantage of a public sector specialist
Partnering with a vendor that lives and breathes local government changes the dynamic from a simple customer-supplier relationship to a strategic partnership. These organisations understand that success is measured not by the number of software licences sold, but by improved community outcomes and operational efficiencies.
Consider: Purpose-built solutions based on sector experience
A specialist vendor like Granicus offers solutions that are purpose-built for government. Workflows for common processes such as council tax, resident communications, and service requests are refined based on experience with hundreds of other councils. This means you are not starting from scratch. Instead, you are implementing a platform that incorporates best practices from across the sector, allowing you to launch new digital services faster and more effectively. This approach minimises the need for bespoke development and frees your team to focus on service improvement and innovation.
Consider: The benefits of deep integration and a unified view
Local government services are deeply interconnected. For example, a resident who subscribes to a newsletter may also need to report a missed bin collection or apply for a parking permit. A specialist vendor understands this interconnectedness. Granicus, for example, built the Government Experience Cloud to unify communications, web experience, and service delivery into a single platform. This provides a holistic view of resident interactions, breaking down the data silos that often exist between departments. This integrated data empowers your organisation to make smarter, evidence-based decisions, to anticipate resident needs, and to deliver a more cohesive and personalised experience.
Consider: A partnership that will achieve outcomes
A true public sector partner understands that your success metrics are their success metrics. They are invested in helping you increase service adoption, reduce inbound calls, and enhance community engagement. Their expertise extends beyond the technology itself to encompass strategic guidance on how to drive traffic to digital services and communicate effectively with residents. This partnership approach ensures that your technology investment translates into measurable return on investment, both in financial savings and improved public satisfaction.
Invest in experience to build a resilient future
In a time of profound change for local government, the margin for error in technology procurement is smaller than ever. The allure of a seemingly inexpensive, generic platform can be tempting, but it often leads to hidden costs, compliance risks, and ultimately, a failure to deliver meaningful outcomes.
It takes more than just software to build a resilient and responsive council; rather, you need a partner with a deep and unwavering focus on the public sector and its specific needs. By choosing a vendor with verified experience, a purpose-built platform, and a shared commitment to your mission, you are not just buying technology; you are investing in a strategic asset that will empower you to effectively serve your community for years to come.
