Converging GenAI with CRM can help governments deliver better outcomes

As the interface between governments and citizens, customer relationship management (CRM) platforms can make or break a citizen’s experience and trust of their governments.

CRM platforms are platforms used by government agencies to deliver public services, as well as to facilitate transactions among businesses, says Capgemini’s Executive Vice President and Managing Director of Southeast Asia, Wendy Koh.  

Capgemini is a global business and technology transformation leader. With Singapore as one of its focused markets in Asia-Pacific, the company currently services key public sector clients in the defence, manpower, transport and community sectors.

Koh makes the case that Generative AI (GenAI) can help agencies reap the most out of their CRM platforms – through personalisation, convenience and responsiveness.

A 360 view of citizens

One of the main painpoints faced by citizens and governments alike is data silos across different agencies, says Koh.

“The government’s data of its citizens are everywhere across various departments, so it is a struggle to connect all of these data into a more unified view of the citizens,” she adds.

This hinders the government’s ability to provide more personalised services and effective analysis for policy decisions.

For the citizens, it can be a frustrating process when they get referred from one department to another.

GenAI can help enable governments to put citizens at the centre of public service delivery, through its ability to assess, customise and compile information and services around the user’s requests.

The technology works best to scale up the performance of self-service channels, such as chatbots that some agencies are already using it, Koh shares.

Capgemini’s report on the top industry use cases for GenAI, published in July 2024, highlighted that most of the organisations surveyed agreed that AI agents will drive higher levels of automation in workflows (71 per cent).

Koh adds that some of the more advanced proof-of-concepts (POCs) she has worked on for the public sector include using GenAI to do a sentiment analysis of its citizen responses collected through the chatbots.   

The agencies would then use the results to develop more relevant and better responses.

In a culturally diverse region like Southeast Asia, GenAI can also play a critical role in helping governments to customise its policy communications for different ethnic groups, she adds.

Security by design, citizen communications, and internal training

Amidst public sector concerns around citizen data privacy, cybersecurity, as well as internal AI talent gap, Capgemini’s engagement with its public sector clients extends beyond software development.

“Ethics, privacy, security, and transparency are all part of how we are engaging our public sector clients,” Koh emphasises.

She also underlines the importance of working with its clients on user or citizen communications around the above-mentioned concerns.

On the AI talent gap in the public sector, Capgemini’s digital learning platform, Data and AI campus, is accessible to both its internal staff and its clients, Koh notes.

“Technology like GenAI is so new and as it continues to evolve, learning is a continuous journey,” she says.

Capgemini also has a “Reinventing work” programme, where they work with clients around specific needs and tailor programmes to help them adapt their organisational elements amidst the digital transformation.

These elements range from work models, workforce training to human resources.

Global market research firm, Forrester, recently recognised Capgemini as a leader in the Forrester Wave™: AI services, Q2 2024 ‘leader’ receiving the highest scores possible in the criteria of vision, community, and innovation.

It was recognised for its “integrated change management approach to AI” and “helping clients in adopting and running a business on AI.”

Emerging trends

Using technology to improve efficiency of public services will continue to be a trend among governments in Southeast Asia, says Koh, especially when it comes to automating repetitive tasks.

As Singapore continues to lead as the world’s best place to do business, this is set to accelerate the digital transformation of CRM platforms in Singapore, Koh adds.

“The public sector will play an important role to help Singapore maintain that status.

“This will become a driver of GenAI in CRM applications to provide more efficient and effective services for businesses to set up and operate in Singapore.”

Capgemini's July 2024 report also found that 74 per cent of organisations in Singapore believe GenAI has the potential to fundamentally shift business strategy, the highest globally and a significant increase from 29 per cent in 2023.

However, government technology currently is still centred around the agency’s needs, processes, information and services, rather than the citizen’s experience, she says.

Increasingly, Koh is seeing its public sector clients taking on more of a “moments that matter” approach around the citizens, which refers to customising information and services to the citizen based on the life stage they are currently at.

In using GenAI for customer experiences, Capgemini’s research found that consumers now expect more sophisticated, natural, and personalised customer experiences that only GenAI can enable.

LifeSG platform by GovTech Singapore is an example of a superapp that allows citizens to register their child’s birth, make end-of-life plans, pay parking fines and more.

GovTech had to carefully curate relevant government services to “help citizens during their key moments of life and the in-betweens”, GovTech’s Gabriyel Wong previously told GovInsider.

Another emerging trend is tapping on GenAI to deliver policy-making insights – beyond just using it in the self-service interface.

Capgemini’s recent report “Turbocharging software with GenAI” found that 72 per cent of organisations in Singapore have not implemented a governance framework for GenAI.

“Project Moonshot shows once again our government’s foresight in AI governance. Moving forward, AI providers, users and regulators need to collaborate ever more closely together to minimise the risks of potential AI misuse,” Koh says.

“More informed decision-making translates to personalised information and services that are of interest to citizens,” she explains.

If you are interested to find out more about Capgemini’s GenAI or CRM solutions, you can contact their SEA team at contactsea@capgemini.com