How to reduce bureaucracy in government in 2025

Shrinking budgets and outdated processes are putting a strain on government services. Add in rising expectations from consumers for faster and more transparent communication, and it’s clear that the drag of bureaucracy is becoming more than just an inconvenience for government entities.

The good news is that solutions like AI and automation tools provide new opportunities for agencies to modernise services and be more responsive to people’s needs.

In this guide, we’ll explore why bureaucracy is so persistent in government, why it’s posing a problem, and how technology can help.

• What is bureaucracy?
• Why bureaucracy persists in government
• 5 strategies to reduce bureaucracy in government
• How AI and automation reduce bureaucracy
• Is AI safe to use in government service?
• Real-world examples
• FAQs

Bureaucracy is a system of government in which non-elected officials make key decisions rather than representatives of the people or the people themselves. The term is synonymous with the rules and regulations governments use to keep their decision-making consistent and accountable.

While bureaucracy can be important for fairness and transparency, it can also create unnecessary red tape, transforming simple processes and decisions into complex and lengthy procedures.

This often translates to delays and inefficiencies, impacting everything from lawmaking and policy implementation to the everyday public services that Australia’s citizens rely on.

Government IT workers recognise that customers’ expectations are changing. According to our Connected Government Report, 83% say they must do more to address changing customer expectations; however, moving away from rigid systems isn’t easy.

The problem? Procedures designed to ensure fairness also slow change, creating several barriers that prevent governments from adapting quickly to citizens’ needs.

• Outdated systems: Replacing legacy IT often comes with a high price tag, and building a consensus on the correct digital transformation solution can be challenging. This leaves government agencies stuck with outdated tools that can’t keep up with citizens’ expectations.
• Process complexity: Simple tasks like renewing a license or accessing public records can become unnecessarily complicated when there are layers of approvals and compliance requirements to navigate.
• Siloed data: Unifying data across a government is no small task. Information often ends up trapped in departments, leading to duplicated steps, redundancies, delays and missed opportunities to serve citizens and respond to their needs more effectively.

Nearly three-quarters of people have said they’ve run into problems using digital government services in the last two years. Until we can overcome these hurdles, change will be a challenge, and bureaucracy will continue to be a source of frustration for them.

So, what can government entities do?

Thankfully, technology offers practical ways to speed up core processes and deliver faster, simpler services. In this section, we’ll share five essential strategies to reduce bureaucracy and deliver better outcomes for staff and citizens:

• Streamline service delivery with digital workflows
• Connect systems and teams through a unified platform
• Empower citizens through self-service and proactive communication
• Turn data into action with AI and analytics
• Enable smarter work with automation and workflow intelligence

Let’s break down each of these one by one.

Outdated technology is one of the biggest drags on efficient service delivery. Paper-heavy workflows can result in bottlenecks that turn simple tasks into complex ordeals, frustrating both government teams and the citizens they serve.

The best place to start here is to look for ways to remove paper trails and modernise core processes. Examples include:

• Digitising forms and documents to help information flow smoothly through systems
• Automating key processes, such as sending approvals and follow-up emails
• Standardising workflows across departments to reduce duplication and inconsistencies

One way to standardise your digital systems is to leverage an integrated case management system (ICMS). This lets you centralise every process and handle them consistently across departments without having to rely on manual handoffs or disconnected tools.

Salesforce’s Public Sector Solutions provide a centralised platform to manage citizen requests and government workflows. We can help you serve constituents faster and respond to citizen needs with agility. Watch the demo to learn more.

Data silos slow decision-making, lead to duplicated information, and create fragmented experiences for citizens. This problem can become especially pronounced in governments, where there are often dozens of departments working independently.

Breaking down these barriers begins with unifying data on a single, centralised platform. Solutions such as Data Cloud help government entities gain a 360-degree view of all citizen interactions, allowing them to provide faster, more personal and more efficient services.

In addition, open data is also a precursor to innovation. A staggering 96% of government IT leaders agree that trusted data is more important than ever. Centralising information creates a single source of truth that boosts confidence in everything from high-level decision-making to your teams’ day-to-day tasks.

Citizens today want convenience and accessibility, but these can be difficult to deliver when bureaucratic processes are involved. Fortunately, technology can help with this, too.

Artificial intelligence (AI) agents can help governments provide always-on support to citizens, reducing wait times while freeing up more time for teams to focus on innovation. Here are some of the ways your agency could use AI agents to build more efficient service:

• Create self-service portals where citizens can find information for themselves
• Develop AI-powered chatbots to answer common questions in context
• Enable AI agents to triage requests, reducing reliance on call centres
• Automate alerts and real-time updates to keep citizens informed without the need for manual input

Our Connected Government Report reveals that 71% of citizens are comfortable getting information from GenAI chatbots, and 30% prefer it over humans if it’s faster. When government agencies embrace AI services, it isn’t just a way of saving resources; it can actively help them meet citizen expectations.

Ready to get started? See how Agentforce can help your government agency build and deploy trusted AI models to accelerate workflows and improve citizen experiences.

Data is fundamental to reducing bureaucracy. It supports real-time decision-making, improves policy outcomes and helps entities deliver services that meet and exceed citizens’ expectations.

But the data you possess is only as useful as the intelligence you can derive from it. AI and analytics are the keys to turning raw information into insights that inform strategies.

For instance, you could use AI analytics to:

• Build interactive dashboards that let teams monitor key performance indicators (KPIs), identify bottlenecks and adjust strategies when needed
• Develop AI predictive analytics to forecast what citizens will need ahead of time and provide proactive support
• Enable AI-powered insights to allocate resources efficiently and optimise workflows, making day-to-day processes more efficient

Remember that these opportunities depend on standardised, high-quality data – 86% of IT leaders emphasise the importance of data quality in AI success.

Tools like Salesforce’s Tableau and CRM Analytics can help ensure you have high-quality data by unifying, cleansing and drawing insights from all of your data across departments, turning data into intelligence that you can use to create better outcomes for citizens and communities.

Over half of government staff say they spend time toggling between different screens to resolve issues for the people they serve, with 63% reporting that they need enhanced digital workplace tools and technologies to be more effective.

Smart work solutions can speed up processes and free up staff time, leading to a better overall standard of service. There are various tools that can help with this, such as:

• Flow Orchestration to streamline multi-step workflows that require input from several people across various departments or time zones
• Slack integrations and automated alerts to keep internal teams aligned and informed, reducing miscommunications that can lead to delays
• Mobile apps and dashboards to give frontline teams more autonomy to use data for day-to-day decision-making
• Mulesoft Automation and Service Cloud, which allow you to automate repetitive tasks like travel approvals, onboarding forms, and case handoffs, freeing up time for high-value work

All of these tools can help staff work faster while also improving job satisfaction, creating a motivated workforce focused on serving citizens rather than being bogged down by repetitive admin tasks.

Public sector agencies are constantly hindered by outdated paper- and people-based processes. These create bottlenecks and lead to frustration for citizens.

The core selling point of AI for government agencies is its ability to cut red tape and turn complex multi-step procedures into simple tasks, speeding up service delivery while improving outcomes for citizens. Here’s how this looks in practice:

In a nutshell, automating routine tasks with AI helps governments reduce unnecessary bureaucracy while improving the quality of their service.

It’s a fair assumption that the regulatory oversight of bureaucracy would be at odds with artificial intelligence, but this isn’t the case. When used responsibly, AI can be trustworthy and reliable, even within industries that need to meet stringent compliance benchmarks.

The key is to ensure AI is explainable, rigorously tested so it’s free from bias, and grounded in trusted, high-quality data relevant to the context of the agency using it. This means using data that has been carefully selected for its quality, interoperability, and integrity to make sure the AI solution is modelled on fair, ethical information.

At Salesforce, we take a forward-thinking approach to public sector AI applications. Our Einstein Trust Layer offers built-in security and governance to ensure all AI models are auditable, explainable, and aligned with our own trusted AI principles, along with government compliance standards, such as IRAP and ISO. Read more about how our secure AI architecture works.

Using technology to improve governance and eliminate bureaucracy isn’t a theoretical concept. Government agencies in Australia are already putting AI and automation into action to drive digital transformation.

In Victoria, for instance, the local government recently extended its State Purchase Contract with Salesforce, setting up a Centre of Excellence to speed up procurement and digital access to resources. This means all government employees can access strategic services, such as training materials and knowledge bases, to find the information they need in less time.

As part of this arrangement, Salesforce is also providing free licenses to Victoria’s 79 specialist public schools for students with a specific disability, helping teachers with student management, assessments, and progress monitoring.

In New South Wales, the government is backing several key projects , such as Live NSW. This initiative provides access to NSW government data, supporting more efficient delivery of infrastructure, while also facilitating better emergency planning.

Another project, Asset AI, will use sensors and AI to monitor road conditions, helping councils fix issues considerably faster.