IT IS NOT really a scientific breakthrough, but it seems that I have found a correlation between red tape and customer relations management (CRM).
Red tape is a term that refers to excessive rules and requirements that have to be met before a permit or a document is issued. Even if the term is applicable to both private sector and public sector transactions, it seems that it is used more to refer to the latter.
The symbolism of the term originates from the use of real red tapes that were used to bind documents during the late 18thĀ century in England and the American colonies.
The so-called red tape somehow is still used today, in the form of red ribbons that are used to bind and seal legal documents.
There are many definitions of what bureaucratic red tape could mean, but the common denominator seems to be the excessive formality that is required that almost always results in slower processing or much more delayed fulfilment.
Whenever we mention the term excessive, what immediately comes to mind is that it is a relative term, relative of course to what could be lesser or simpler. Conversely, what also comes to mind is faster processing and quicker fulfilment. The bottom lines in all of these are customers that are customers that are more satisfied, and therefore happier. It is at this point where I think where the old paradigm of rules based processing would come into conflict with the customer driven practices of CRM.
In so many words, President Rodrigo Duterte has already decreed that government agencies should already reduce the documentary requirements that are now required when applying for permits, licenses or benefits.
President Duterte also said that he does not want applicants to be waiting in long queues, and that he wants applicants to be notified about the status of their applications within 72 hours.
We already know that Duterte is now fighting a war against crime and corruption, the former of course including drug dealing, being also a crime. Although he is not directly saying it, it appears that his directives pertaining to the cutting of red tape is already part of his war against corruption, because everyone already knows that it is extortion and bribery that delays most of the government transactions.
In simple terms, it could be said that red tape makes customers sad and good CRM makes customers happy. Although CRM is already a significant innovation by itself, I think what is even a more earth shaking paradigm shift is the growing understanding that the applicants of government transactions are actually the citizens, the customers, the taxpayers and the voters all rolled into one.
If these multiple roles are not enough to highlight their importance, I do not know what will. Among everyone else at this point in our history, it is perhaps Duterte who understands this most, because it is he who has experienced the phenomenon of being elected by the vast majority of the people, beating all other candidates who had more money and had more time to prepare.
It is significant to note that one of Duterteās first moves as soon as he assumed his office is to announce the activation of a 24/7 call center hotline that would be manned by at least 10 operators. He said that he has already chosen 8888 as the default number for the hotline.
Aside from that, he also announced the deployment of 911 as the emergency number, apparently similar to the system that he also deployed as Mayor of Davao City. It is very clear from all indications that 8888 will be the CRM number, and 911 will be the emergency number.
After all these years, it is only now that we are going to have a national emergency number that is easy to remember.
Duterteās directive to reduce the number of documentary requirements is really very welcome move, because in reality, there are really many requirements that are not really necessary.
Firstly, there are some requirements that are not really necessary, because these were probably born out of a punitive culture to make it difficult for applicants to get what they want, apart from making it hard for them to apply in order to create the conditions for corruption to happen.
Secondly, the same punitive culture places the burden of proof upon the applicants, even if the information that is required of them could already be found elsewhere in so many databases of several government agencies. If only the burden of proof is transferred to the government agencies concerned, then many ways could be found so that the databases could be accessed easily, thus also making it easy for applicants to get what they want.
I have no doubt in my mind that one of the best ways to shorten the waiting lines in government offices is to process applications online, and the only way to do that is to accept soft copies and/or images of the documentary requirements.
The problem with that, however, is that most government offices would always ask for hard copies of the documents, and obviously it is impossible to do that via online means. As provided for in the Electronic Commerce Act (ECA) however, electronic evidence is already admissible in all online transactions, with the added caveat that there is now supposed to be data parity between hard copies and soft copies in terms of admissibility.
It appears that many government employees who are tasked with the processing of applications would often refuse to accept soft copies, because of fears that the transactions would later be disallowed by the Commission on Audit (COA) and they could later on be made accountable and even be required to pay for penalties.
Since their fears are well founded, it may be a good idea to give them assurances that the government will help them in case they run into problems, in much the same way that Duterte gave assurances to the police that he will defend them in case they run into trouble in connection with their implementation of the anti-drug campaign. This is just one idea, but we need more ideas about how to cut red tape and improve CRM./PN
