Article: How TechnologyOne and ServiceNow drive modernisation in Australia’s public sector

Authored by Adam Seeber, Domain Lead – Enterprise AI & ServiceNow at xAmplify

Australia’s public sector is entering a new phase of digital transformation. Many of the core systems that governments rely on were built decades ago and were never designed for the way services need to be delivered today. At the same time, citizens have grown used to seamless digital experiences in their everyday lives, from banking to shopping to booking travel, and they now expect the same ease and responsiveness from the government.

The Federal Government’s Data and Digital Government Strategy 2023–2030 sets a bold ambition that by the end of this decade, every Australian should have access to simple, secure, and connected digital services. The gap between that ambition and the reality on the ground, however, is widening as agencies struggle with unwieldy core platforms, bolted-on customisations and technology silos. Legacy systems are costly to run, hard to integrate, and frustrating for both staff and citizens. Meanwhile, well-meaning leaders are looking for technology solutions – data showing that spending on cloud and SaaS in Australia is growing with public-cloud spend in Australia projected to hit AUD 26.6 billion in 2025, with SaaS the largest category (~AUD 13 billion)

Many agencies are now looking to modernise their core platforms and ways of working, so they can deliver services more efficiently and stay aligned with rising citizen expectations, manage technical debt and improve agency efficiency.

When systems of work don’t keep up, the impact is felt by ordinary Australians. A parent applying for childcare support shouldn’t have to resubmit the same documents to different departments. A small business shouldn’t face weeks of delays to process a simple rates payment. A government worker shouldn’t be wasting hours on manual processes, where repetitive tasks can be streamlined and automated, allowing them to focus on value-add work. Every experience – whether a consumer or provider of government services – either erodes or strengthens confidence in public services.

How can agencies close that gap?

The journey often begins with strengthening the foundations and ensuring core functions such as finance, HR and payroll are accurate, reliable, and secure, because without that stability, the rest of the system will inevitably struggle.

At the same time, governments need to focus on the experience of the people who actually use those services. Citizens and staff should be able to interact with the government in ways that are straightforward and transparent, where progress can be tracked easily and information only needs to be provided once rather than repeated at every stage.

This is where we believe that TechnologyOne (TechOne) and ServiceNow come together to help agencies unlock new value. Each platform is strong on its own, but it is in combination that they deliver the greatest impact.

A large number of organisations will soon need to modernise their ERP platforms and TechOne offers a reliable, proven solution to help them do it.

TechOne is Australia’s largest SaaS ERP provider, with a long history of supporting government and education. Its platform unifies core functions such as finance, payroll, assets, supply chain and property within a single, consistent model that reduces much of the risk and complexity often seen in major transformation projects. The result is a trusted system of record or a single source of truth that gives agencies confidence in the accuracy and reliability of their operations while also simplifying downstream AI training and reducing reconciliation errors.

ServiceNow builds on that foundation by focusing on how people actually use and experience those systems. As the global leader in workflow automation and service delivery, it connects disparate processes, systems, teams and organisations, making it easier for staff to do their jobs and for citizens to engage through clear, intuitive portals. ServiceNow has become the dominant enterprise workflow engine by relentlessly focusing on delivering world-class centralised task management, workflow automation, and an engagement layer that rivals any enterprise platform. On top of that, it now layers AI and agentic capabilities to enable capabilities such as case summarisation, issue triage and proactive task automation, with AI Agents set to explode on the platform over the next few years – all with oversight and governance provided through its AI Control Tower.

What this means for agencies

When these platforms are connected, the impact is felt in very practical ways. A citizen lodging a request online can have it automatically routed to the right system, tracked from start to finish, and updated in real time without double-handling. A staff member raising a HR issue sees it resolved faster because workflows connect directly to payroll with approvals captured digitally.These are not abstract use cases but daily interactions that determine whether citizens feel frustrated or reassured by the government.

For agencies, this integration translates into fewer delays, reduced duplication, and greater visibility across systems. It builds confidence in the reliability of operations and in the trustworthiness of government services.

Of course, none of this matters if security is compromised. Australians expect their data to be safe, sovereign, and well-governed. Both TechOne and ServiceNow meet that expectation, with IRAP PROTECTED assessments and Australian-hosted data centres. This means that agencies no longer need to choose between modernisation and compliance.

What comes next

The next stage of transformation will be driven by AI and automation, but AI can only add real value when it’s built on reliable, integrated data and managed with the right guardrails. When platforms and systems are connected, AI’s potential becomes truly exponential, unlocking new insights, efficiencies and opportunities for smarter decision-making across government and businesses.

For Australia’s public sector, the challenge is bigger than technology alone. It is about delivering on national priorities at a time when digital skills are in short supply, citizen expectations are rising, and trust in public institutions must be protected.

Investing in connected platforms such as TechOne and ServiceNow gives agencies the ability to meet these pressures head-on. It allows them to provide services that feel human rather than bureaucratic, to free staff from repetitive tasks so their expertise is focused where it matters most, and to build systems resilient enough to evolve as citizen needs, technology, and security threats continue to change. With the right foundations, Australia can create public services that are simple, secure, and designed around citizens.