Working in government IT isn’t glamorous, but it’s incredibly rewarding. At Putnam County, I’ve spent the last few years automating processes that were done on paper or through clunky legacy systems.
The Reality of Government Tech
Many government offices still rely on systems from the 1990s. Spreadsheets, printed forms, manual data entry — you name it. The challenge isn’t just technical; it’s cultural. People have done things the same way for decades, and change can be intimidating.
Where I Started
When I joined as a System Analyst, I spent my first few months just observing. What processes took the most time? Where did errors happen most often? What did people complain about?
The answers pointed me toward automation opportunities:
- Permit applications were processed manually, taking 2-3 days
- Internal forms required multiple approvals via physical signature
- Public records were difficult to search and retrieve
Building Solutions
Instead of pushing for expensive enterprise software, I started small. Python scripts to parse data. A simple web interface for internal forms. Automated email reminders for pending approvals.
The key was solving one real problem at a time.
Results That Matter
The permit system went from 2-3 days to same-day processing. Form approvals that took a week now happen in hours. And perhaps most importantly, staff embraced the changes because they saw the time savings immediately.
What I Learned
Government tech modernization isn’t about cutting-edge frameworks. It’s about:
- Listening first — Understand the actual problem before coding
- Starting small — Prove value with a single process before expanding
- Training matters — Even the best system fails without user buy-in
- Document everything — Future staff need to maintain what you build
The satisfaction of knowing your code helps constituents get services faster? That’s worth more than any tech startup valuation.
Have a government tech challenge? Reach out — I love chatting about automation possibilities.