In this interview, Fabasoft 4teamwork Managing Director Pascal Habegger explains why the new generation of OneGov GEVER is setting new standards in digital business administration in Switzerland.
Pascal, 4teamwork, which you co-founded in 2003, has been part of the Fabasoft Group as Fabasoft 4teamwork AG since 2022. How did this come about and why did you decide on a strategic partnership with Fabasoft?
Pascal Habegger: I was looking for a suitable strategic partner to support my company in taking our existing main products to a new level from a technological, functional and sales perspective. The Fabasoft PROCECO Cloud (formerly Fabasoft Cloud), the technological basis of the Fabasoft PROCECO ecosystem, offers completely new possibilities in terms of the development of our products. Fabasoft has been very well established in the German-speaking countries for several decades in the field of process-controlled file management and can also help us a great deal in technical terms.
What synergies result from the cooperation between Fabasoft and 4teamwork?
Pascal Habegger: The know-how available in each company, coupled with Fabasoft's expertise and state-of-the-art technology, results in a win-win situation for all partners. When developing new solutions, 4teamwork benefits on the one hand from Fabasoft's many years of experience in the field of cloud-native technology and on the other hand from the many secure basic functionalities of the Fabasoft PROCECO ecosystem and thus from a significantly accelerated time-to-market. In addition, the professional operation of the software products in the individual Fabasoft Cloud locations in Switzerland, Germany and Austria and the numerous international certifications – especially with regard to data protection and IT security – are very helpful to us. The high market penetration in the German-speaking countries and Fabasoft's excellent network also result in major advantages in terms of sales and customer acquisition for our products. Following the launch of Boards on Fabasoft PROCECO, our software for digital meeting management, in August 2023, we have now also developed the new OneGov GEVER generation in the Fabasoft PROCECO ecosystem.
What is OneGov GEVER and where is it used?
Pascal Habegger: OneGov GEVER is a solution developed in Switzerland for efficient business administration in cantons, municipalities and administration-related organizations. The term GEVER is an abbreviation for digital business administration in Switzerland; in Germany the term "E-Akte" is used, in Austria the term "ELAK", the electronic file. Thousands of users in Switzerland have been using OneGov GEVER, which is available in the official languages German and French, for more than 15 years, for example in the cantons of Aargau, St. Gallen and Zug as well as in many municipalities and cities. Now, with the new generation of OneGov GEVER, we have arrived in the future of digital business management.
You keep talking about the new generation of OneGov GEVER: what's new and what sets the software apart from other digital business management tools?
Pascal Habegger: For the first time, OneGov GEVER is designed as a cloud-native application, i.e. it runs in the Fabasoft PROCECO ecosystem based on the Fabasoft PROCECO Cloud (formerly Fabasoft Cloud). It therefore meets requirements such as high availability with low maintenance and operating costs, simple scalability and – thanks to the Swiss data location – maximum IT security standards. This is confirmed by numerous internationally recognized certifications, such as the C5 attestation pursuant to the requirements of the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) and, in particular, the EU Cloud Code of Conduct according to Level 3. In addition, OneGov GEVER combines proven strengths and innovative features such as processes, automation and AI-supported functions, setting new standards in digital business administration.
How does the software contribute to the optimization of business processes and what are the advantages of OneGov GEVER for public administration on the one hand and for companies and the population on the other?
Pascal Habegger: The new product generation of OneGov GEVER facilitates the daily work of administrative staff and shortens the processing time of dossiers thanks to the aforementioned AI-supported process automation. In particular, the automatic assignment of incoming documents and the generation of process proposals are essential prerequisites for overcoming growing challenges such as the shortage of skilled workers in public administration. This intelligent automation relieves employees of repetitive tasks. In addition, individual processes can be designed efficiently with the graphical BPMN editor, even without programming knowledge. Low-code/no-code functionalities enable the simple creation of forms and the independent addition of metadata fields. Overall, accelerated administrative processes that meet maximum quality and security standards contribute to greater proximity to citizens and increase customer satisfaction at the same time.
“OneGov GEVER new” is part of the Fabasoft PROCECO ecosystem, which includes many other software products. Can these products be combined?
Pascal Habegger: Yes, of course. The new generation of OneGov GEVER and all other solutions are based on the infrastructure of the Fabasoft PROCECO ecosystem, which offers a common user interface and the numerous basic functionalities already mentioned. In addition to secure, traceable data exchange across organizational and national borders, this also includes automated checking and approval processes, including electronic signatures. All to-dos are clearly displayed in the worklist and those responsible receive reminders of open tasks and deadlines. The way in which the individual PROCECO solutions work together is demonstrated, for example, by the agreement of a strategic partnership. Fabasoft Boards, the software for digital meeting management, is used for management-level decisions, while Fabasoft Contracts is required for the necessary contracts. Then, the Fabasoft Talents digital personnel file helps to speed up HR processes and Fabasoft Xpublisher improves communication. This shows that all the solutions combined in the Fabasoft PROCECO ecosystem are perfectly selected and can be seamlessly integrated.
What trends are emerging in Switzerland in the area of digital business management over the next few years?
Pascal Habegger: More and more public administrations will rely on cloud products and replace their existing on-premises installations. I am convinced that this trend will intensify in the coming months and years – with OneGov GEVER, we have the ideal answer for the secure operation of a GEVER application from the certified Swiss cloud. The use of processes, automation and, above all, applied AI will play an increasingly important role in GEVER systems in order to counteract the worsening shortage of skilled workers. OneGov GEVER benefits enormously from the Fabasoft PROCECO ecosystem in these areas, which is why we will be integrating supporting functions into the product very quickly.
What's next for OneGov GEVER and what are Fabasoft 4teamwork's plans for the future?
Pascal Habegger: The new OneGov GEVER generation is a milestone for our customers. We have taken advantage of the opportunities offered by our strategic partnership with Fabasoft and used our expertise, many years of experience and in-depth market knowledge to create this powerful software for digital business administration. This provides our customers with a smart tool for the successful digital transformation of public administration, which we will continue to drive forward together.
