In Kobe City, which is working to realize a smart city, as part of creating an environment for smart administrative procedures, they have developed a system that can automatically review applications by matching the smart application system "e-KOBE" with resident information held by the local government. As the data integration platform that bridges this online application window with various systems on the city hall and private cloud, they are utilizing DataSpider Servista (EAI/ETL tool), which enables no-code development and boasts a wealth of experience.
Customer Issues
We want to develop a versatile system that can automatically review applications by matching various application information from residents with data within the government office.
Benefits of implementation
As the foundation for automated review
Running costs and
Reduction of outsourcing costs Achieve
As a general-purpose data integration platform
Creating an environment that is easy to expand
Success
As a stable foundation,
When new development occurs
Reducing the burden This also contributes to
The goal is to move towards a more general-purpose system for automating the review of application information, which currently incurs significant overhead costs.
Kobe City, a designated city in Hyogo Prefecture with a population of approximately 1.5 million, is currently promoting DX (Digital Transformation) initiatives as a "Kobe Smart City," based on three pillars: "Smart City," "Business Reform Utilizing Digital Technology," and "EBPM (Evidence-Based Policy Making)." As part of this effort, the city is working to create an environment for a smart local government by streamlining administrative procedures, and the foundation for this is the electronic application platform "e-KOBE."
This system allows for the submission of various administrative procedures via the internet and is utilized as infrastructure that enables over 500 types of electronic applications for individuals and businesses.
However, because applications are accepted not only online but also through various means such as in person at the counter and by mail, back-office operations have become complicated, and creating an environment to reduce the workload has become a major challenge. "A system for automatically reviewing online application data by matching it with resident information stored within the office had been built on a proof-of-concept basis. However, the initial and running costs were high, so there was a need to create a cost-effective system that could be used more broadly," recalls Shuhei Kayamoto, Administrative Online Transformation Section, Digital Strategy Department, Planning and Coordination Bureau.
DataSpider Servista also attracted attention from the perspective of system standardization.
data integration mechanism, which can be used universally, including the automated review of submitted information, required the creation of an environment that could be deployed on the LGWAN-connected network, so that it could be used in the alpha model environment of the three-tier separation, which is the standard approach to information security in local governments. Specifically, the bidding process required a mechanism that could integrate with cloud storage such as Amazon S3. "We clearly specified governance requirements, such as detailed permission settings, and requested an environment that could perform automated reviews on the LGWAN-connected network."
On the other hand, they also had in mind the Digital Agency's efforts to unify and standardize mission-critical business systems for local governments. "We wanted a data integration platform that could flexibly adapt to environmental changes so that we could respond to the system standardization efforts. We also looked for something that was suitable for us, including the track record of other local governments," said Kayamoto. Regarding DataSpider Servista in particular, "We evaluated it based on its track record, taking into account the cases of other local governments as well as the fact that many private companies have been able to implement it in-house. It also has many functionalities, and we thought it could be used as a general-purpose system."
The system's effectiveness stems from its ability to reduce running costs through a versatile design, and it is highly regarded as a stable foundation.
Currently, DataSpider Servista is used to match internal data when performing automated reviews of applications for tax payment certificates such as municipal tax and applications for free cancer screening vouchers via e-KOBE. There are approximately 5,000 electronic applications for income and tax certificates per year, and DataSpider Servista supports data integration necessary for the automated reviews required in these applications.
Regarding applications for tax certificate issuance, the application data on e-KOBE is retrieved using a Web API, and then compared with the minimum necessary information for review, such as resident registration records and tax data stored in Amazon S3. If there is matching data, the application data is saved in a processed form to the city-wide file server. DataSpider Servista is utilized for this data integration, and Mr. Kayamoto explains, "The Citizen Tax Planning Division can check the application status and the individuals concerned in a list by checking the file server."
Regarding applications for free cancer screening vouchers, the matching is done using Excel files. The results of the automated review are checked on a file server, and the free vouchers are then mailed to those who need them. "While tax certificates and other documents require official seal processing, and free screening vouchers need to be mailed, the process from application to automated review can be automated using DataSpider Servista," explains Kayamoto.
This automated review system eliminates the need to search for applicants, shortens the time required to issue certificates, and allows for a list of reviewed applications to be viewed at a glance, leading to increased operational efficiency. "With the existing automated review system, we had to outsource operation and maintenance, which resulted in inflated running costs. By internalizing this with DataSpider Servista, these costs have been reduced to zero, which has definitely led to cost savings," says Kayamoto. The issuance of free cancer screening vouchers was previously outsourced, so this has also helped reduce outsourcing costs. "This time, we migrated existing operations to a new environment, but the biggest benefit is that DataSpider Servista has led to a reduction in new development costs," says Kayamoto.
Regarding DataSpider Servista, Masayuki Sakane, a digitalization specialist in the department, evaluates it as being more stable compared to other automation mechanisms such as RPA. "data integration using DataSpider Servista, which utilizes the adapters and APIs that are included as standard, is undoubtedly stable. It is always running stably, and it is also highly convenient, with a superior user interface compared to other products." Of course, since APIs cannot be used with all mechanisms, Sakane says that it is ideal to use it in conjunction with RPA and switch between them depending on the interface.
We expect its use as data integration platform to expand.
Looking ahead, they are considering deploying DataSpider Servista, currently located on the LGWAN-connected network, to the personal identification number utilization network to enable direct data integration with mission-critical system, core system. Furthermore, given that various application procedures using e-KOBE are conducted in addition to tax certificate issuance applications, they are also considering applying the automated review flow they have developed. "We want to further expand DataSpider Servista implementation know-how into a general-purpose automated review mechanism," they said regarding future plans.
Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture
- Name of municipality: Kobe City, Digital Strategy Department
- LocationLocation: 6-5-1 Kano-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture
- Job Description: Standardization of mission-critical business systems, social security and tax number system (My Number system), streamlining of administrative procedures, business reform utilizing ICT, etc.
- The content of this case study is current as of the time of the interview. The content of this case study may change without notice.