With so much to do in so little time, local governments typically don’t prioritize the optimization of its office. Your work environment may not be as dysfunctional as, say, the Pawnee, Indiana Parks and Recreation Department, but we’re willing to bet there’s room for improvement. That’s where Amazon Alexa comes in. 

This sleek and smart device has the power to save you time, decrease expensive manpower, and cut utility costs with just a few words: “Hey Alexa…”. You may feel irked by the idea of inviting a tiny talking robot into your workplace, but trust us, once you’ve experienced the convenience of Alexa, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without her…him…it?

1) Safety First

Young drivers can turn your city into a very dangerous place, not to mention expensive for people on the roadways with accidents being so costly. But, not with Alexa. Utah was one of the first states to embrace Amazon Alexa to enhance government services, and in a very creative way to boot. The Beehive state is using the platform to educate residents practicing for their driver’s license exams. Alexa can quiz students on state driving rules using Utah’s award-winning innovation. 

2) Reduce Staffing Costs with a Tiny Personal Assistant Who Doesn’t Need Benefits

Humans are great and all, but they’re constantly making mistakes, requiring money, and requesting time off. Not Alexa! With a one-time initial investment, this handy little desktop accessory will make sure you never miss an appointment. You can sync up your Google calendar, and with a simple voice command, Alexa will read you the list of the day’s appointments and activities. You’ll want to have your Alexa assistant around when preparing for face-to-face interactions, too. “Alexa, what is Mayor Johnson’s name?” For the sixth time, it’s Wanda. 

3) Cut Office Utility Costs

Phil from accounting is constantly forgetting to turn off the lights in the break room. We know we know, he does good work, so you have to keep him around. But, you don’t have to live with his absent mindedness. Alexa can do everything from turn off Phil’s forgotten lights to lowering the temperature on the thermostat when everyone’s out of the office. It’s obvious you’re tired of reprimanding Phil, so next time, just ask Alexa to do it. 

Bonus Benefit: Happier residents, healthier economies

An informed community is a happy community. A happy community is a healthy community, and healthy communities spend money. With Alexa app development, local governments in places like Mississippi and Georgia are making information easily accessible for their municipalities. For example, residents can turn to Alexa for details like school taxes and vehicle registration in their county. With all the info they need, community members can quickly and conveniently pay their bills and still have time to hit up the local mall (AKA the pitiful conglomeration of Shoe Carnival, Hot Topic, and Aeropostale).

Let’s face it, Amazon is likely going to take over the world one day, so you may as well jump on the bandwagon. And with Sunflower Lab’s Alexa programming skills, local governments can use voice-enabled solutions that save time, save money on payroll, and save on the utility bill. Who knows? Maybe Alexa will even save you enough money to carve out room in the budget to fill that pesky pothole everyone’s been complaining about… or install that basketball hoop you’ve always wanted.