Digital transformation can unlock a wealth of opportunities for regulatory agencies and also improve the way that licensees and citizens access government services. But modernizing legacy IT is an enormous undertaking, and agencies will likely have to overcome several challenges throughout their digital transformation journey.
Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) Secretary Dan Hereth experienced these challenges firsthand while spearheading his agency’s transition to a new licensing system and helping the state navigate its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the opioid crisis, and ongoing labor shortages across key sectors.
Secretary Hereth recently joined Paul Leavoy on Ascend Radio to discuss DSPS’ digital transformation journey, including how they got started and secured buy-in from key stakeholders, as well as the technical, process, and people challenges they encountered along the way.
- Licensing challenges unique to the state of Wisconsin.
- Strategies for a more seamless deployment of new technologies.
- How Wisconsin is addressing labor shortages through licensing reform, inter-state collaboration, and new technologies.
- How DSPS measures success to ensure it is delivering improved public protection to citizens.
- What Secretary Hereth learned during his agency’s technology modernization efforts, including what went well and what he would do differently next time.
- The role of AI in regulation today as well as future opportunities, and more.
For more information on how DSPS is tackling digital transformation and improving licensing in the State of Wisconsin, check out these resources:
- “How DSPS is catching up with Wisconsin’s licensing backlog” (PBS Wisconsin)
- “Wisconsin and Michigan licensing agencies partner to improve data sharing” (Ascend Magazine)
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