What does your role as head of public sector involve?
While securing business growth in terms of market share and revenue is an integral driver of this role, equally important is customer retention. This can only be achieved by ensuring that SAS continues to deliver value to both existing and new customers. What I have found different at SAS than at other software companies I have worked with is that there is far less focus on quarterly numbers and much more on customer retention and value, with much more of the revenues being ploughed back into development and innovation.
SAS has some incredibly advanced technologies and much of my time is currently spent gaining a better understanding of how they can be applied to maximum benefit of the UK public sector. Visiting customers and partners and engaging with the market analyst and commentators is a major part of this exercise so that I understand firsthand the challenges and business issues they face.
What's your professional background?
A sales and marketing career spanning more than 25 years selling into public sector. I have worked with the major players in the IT industry from ICL and BT in my early days to companies like Oracle, Cognos and SAP. I have worked in the UK but also had the advantage of global and EMEA market development roles which permitted a much broader understanding of the issues that face governments today.
What would transform the public sector's reputation for lack of innovation?
I think innovation is always a difficult call for public sector as they have the dilemma that they are guardians of the public purse and cannot be seen to waste money. Having said that I have seen really exciting examples of innovation and application of technology over the years. Most recently with SAS where we are actively involved in a number of projects addressing the issues around fraud. This is an area where the UK are seen as one of the countries setting the standard. I don't think ideas are limited but perhaps the lack of flexibility in the business models and practices should be looked at. Take for example the shift to mobile marketing and mobile wallets which could bring as many advantages to the public sector as to retail and banking. Much of the business value is being realized as the programme develops but this would struggle to get off the ground in the public sector domain.
Innovation often come from smaller companies and some of these companies still feel daunted by the prospect of getting engaged with the public sector because of the length of the sales cycle and the lack of empowerment to take small risks.
What is the biggest challenge facing the public sector and how can it be overcome?
Budget continues to be an ongoing challenge with little immediate change in sight. In these situations the traditional response has been to cut costs and ultimately this leads to cutting services. The focus needs to be on avoiding unnecessary spend and waste and taking a more intelligent approach to their business. Using tools like predictive analytics from SAS organisations gain far better insight into the problems with their operations and the behavior of their citizens.
What is the value of analytics for public sector organisations?
The public sector need to embrace the data that they have available and turn it into information and that information into knowledge. Analytics will enable the public sector to make the right decisions at the right time for the right people. Being able to use advance analytics to forecast demand is key to planning service delivery, resource and budgets.
How can information, data sharing and knowledge in government be improved?
By first integrating the massive amounts of information housed in multiple disparate systems, SAS provides intelligent insight to support real-time decision making. SAS is being used from fighting crime to fighting cancer, detecting fraud to detecting over fishing, all through operational investigation, detection, and anticipation of adverse activities and other threats.
Using operational solutions, decision makers — from executives to front-line officers - have information about events, intelligence and cases that is presented in a meaningful format. This information allows departments, fusion centres and other public practitioners to establish a robust, intelligence-led framework that supports innovative efforts to reduce crime, increase public safety, improve service delivery and citizen experience or improve the health of the nation. The solution also protects the security of intelligence and sources, reducing the risk of security or compliance breaches.
What is your biggest career achievement?
Still enjoying my work and getting huge satisfaction out of what I do for a living even after all these years. There are many people who have been mentors and helped me throughout my career but the real inspiration comes from the new generations who continue to challenge the status quo and push the envelope. They provide the stimulus to create new ideas and ways of working.
What is your leadership style?
Collaborative and inclusive.
What do you do to relax in your spare time?
I really enjoy my home in Chichester as it provides everything from coastal walks to sailing or golf and we're really lucky with some of the dining experiences you can find in this corner of West Sussex.
Elaine Drummond is head of public sector at SAS UK
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