We sat down with Lauren Tombs from Methods to explore the critical considerations justice leaders face when implementing new technologies in their organisations. Here's what she had to say:
Avoid the temptation to adopt new technologies simply because they’re trending and stay focused on the real problems you're trying to solve. Start by understanding user needs, pain points and outcomes so that you can evaluate whether technology is the best option for achieving those outcomes.
A solution-first approach risks solving the wrong problem, not fully understanding the root causes, as well as wasted time and investment. By focusing decisions on delivering meaningful value to users, you’re more likely to deliver solutions that improve outcomes for the people who use and deliver justice services every day.
Buyers should go beyond cost and functionality and ask critical questions such as:
These questions would help ensure new technology suppliers aren’t just delivering software, but resilient, adaptable, and user-focused solutions that can evolve with justice sector needs.
A common mistake is ignoring data quality - poor data limits the impact of even the best technologies. Leaders should prioritise fixing data early on.
Another is digitising broken processes instead of redesigning them; technology should enable better services, not maintain outdated ways of working.
Take time to redesign and improve processes before implementing new solutions. Finally, without organisational buy-in, change can be difficult. Senior leaders must actively champion and support transformation to achieve lasting outcomes.
Further reading: Take a look at a few case studies of how the justice sector are successfully implementing new technologies