The Law on Improving Online Access to Administrative Services (online access law – OZG) is to be implemented by 2022. And the challenge to the federal government, states and local governments is a major one, since they are expected to offer all administrative services digitally through administrative portals. The goal: To allow citizens and companies to easily and securely use administrative services online 24 hours a day, with no media disruptions. This is an important step for advancing digitization of all administrative processes in Germany.
Axians Infoma’s mission is using integrated solutions to contribute to the success of the citizen portal, in accordance with its mission of “Making digitization a reality for citizens and administrations”. To do so, we must enhance the acceptance among both citizens and all administrative processors through added value, thanks to faster and more streamlined processes. The electronic delivery of assessments, online processing of banking information with SEPA mandates or direct online access to upcoming advance tax payments could be strong arguments for citizens to enjoy efficient use of the portal. Administrations also benefit in this respect from consistent processes without media disruptions.
By 2020, Axians Infoma plans to offer several expansions for integrating OZG processes as part of the digital agenda. Connections will be provided to citizen portals not only for the business transactions described in the OZG, but also for citizen financial services as well. The goal is to process citizen transactions entirely without paper. Axians Infoma is convinced that future administrative processes will become even more open and networked, in order to equip both citizens and administrations for the future.
Online meter-management is already usable, for instance. Citizens can use mobile devices like tablets or smartphones to record and transmit water meter readings online. Administrations then process online meter readings entirely automatically, without external interfaces. In addition, staged mail deliveries for requests/payment cards are also possible. This means the entire process can be handled digitally.
The ePayment Manager, which is also already available, allows for fast and secure online payment processes. This means citizens receive convenient service, while administrations enjoy an enormous increase in efficiency. The module, which is integrated into Infoma newsystem, supports both electronic payments, for instance for resident parking permits and civil register information, as well as classic paper-based administrative processes such as invoices, dunning, or notifications.
Paperless processing of tax assessments in combination with the electronic file are also available without direct citizen contact, and as a supplementary solution to the OZG and digital processes. Infoma newsystem supports the automatic processing of all transactions, delivered electronically to the Finance department. These data do not require any manual input until the time of the creation of the assessment and are automatically included in the electronic file.
The examples show how digitization can already add value for citizens and administrations today. Axians Infoma intends to use these and many future modules to make digitization a reality for both citizens and administrations.