Municipalities and cities have plenty of information in their own systems and openly available. Information is available about where residents live, their age, their income level and wealth, their education, what do they do for a living and how they move around and use services. We also have access to information about their health, illnesses, lifestyles and hobbies. Naturally, the data of individual residents is not monitored, nor is this even possible within the limits permitted by data protection, but increasing information opens up a whole range of opportunities.
Do we use this information to organise our services? Partly yes, but there is still plenty of room for improvement.
When it comes to data analysis, artificial intelligence creates a major new opportunity and improves future prediction. Extensive data resources can be exploited when you know how to discuss with artificial intelligence and ask it the right questions. Artificial intelligence will be our colleague in the future, whether we want it or not, and it will improve productivity.
Information can also be used to target our services. Wellbeing services counties in particular have great opportunities when it comes to preventing diseases and providing timely advice or treatment.
Before taking the office of mayor, I worked for Finland’s largest retail company. My work experience has taught me that a company’s operations are based, and to a large extent, on data management and connecting data for work processes.
A company’s profitability starts with the service network, i.e. where to start new business and where to leave. A successful retail venue network requires good data management, a well-functioning process and numerous specialists from the first phase of planning to detailed implementation. In municipalities, the service network, and most importantly the school network, contain similar elements.
It is important that everyone has the same view of the situation. Good policy preparations use information from different sources as much as possible.
Demographic data and forecasts, i.e. growing and declining regions, are taken into account when setting up a retail venue. Information on competitors, geospatial data and maps, planning and upcoming infrastructure projects are also available for our use. We also have available records of customer data and the purchasing power of the region as well as migration patterns.
In retail, customer data provides information about which products you should sell and at what price. Municipal services, of course, also include values other than just maximising sales and financial profit. Emotions, values and many other human factors influence the decision on the location and quality of services.
Municipalities and wellbeing services counties still have a lot to learn about how the private sector produces services and streamlines processes. When financial resources are limited, it is worth making the most of them.
At its best, knowledge-based management improves democracy as it grants us access to information and the ability to make decisions based on a wide range of data. However, it should also be noted that, when it comes to cities, these things are often complex, and misused or misinterpreted data can also lead to suboptimal decisions.
Efficient operations ensure the best possible utilisation of tax assets. Tax hikes are justified in certain situations, but they cannot be used as the basis of the provision of public services. The ageing population and falling birth rates mean that there are fewer working-age tax payers. In the short term, immigration cannot be used to improve the situation, although its impact will be greater in the future.
It is important that everyone has the same view of the situation. Good policy preparations use information from different sources as much as possible. This provides a strong basis for reliable and consistent decision-making.
Decision-making also involves feelings and intuition, which must also be allowed. Good decisions are made in an atmosphere of trust, a compromise between comprehensive knowledge, humane values and strategic reasoning.
