Digital Transformation in Bureaucracy Is Not Just About Creating Many Applications

The South Tangerang City Government (Pemkot Tangsel) is changing the success indicators for digital transformation within its bureaucracy. Going forward, the effectiveness of digitalisation will no longer be measured by the quantity of applications created by each agency, but by the integration of systems capable of delivering faster, more transparent, and efficient public services. Head of the Communication and Informatics Agency (Diskominfo) of South Tangerang City, TB Asep Nurdin, emphasised that technology must be positioned as a problem-solving instrument, not merely an administrative project that potentially confuses the public. Asep explained that government apparatus are now required not only to understand the technical aspects of digital on paper, but must be adept at responding to real needs on the ground. Therefore, a change in mindset is the primary foundation being pushed by the South Tangerang City Government. Internally, the South Tangerang Diskominfo continues to strengthen strategic competencies including cybersecurity for protecting sensitive citizen data, accountable data governance, ethical utilisation of artificial intelligence (AI), and the reinforcement of digital ethics and digital culture among the apparatus. “Apparatus must not be trapped in rigid administrative routines. Our mindset must first be changed. Digitalisation must enter into the way we think, the way we make decisions, and the way we provide services to the public,” Asep said in a statement on Monday (15/6/2026). As a concrete step to address overlapping official applications, the South Tangerang City Government is now optimising the Tangsel ONE platform. This super app integrates dozens of services from various Regional Apparatus Organisations (OPD) into a single gateway that can be accessed independently by citizens without convoluted face-to-face bureaucracy. Asep assessed that the success of this transformation vision is ultimately not determined by how sophisticated the hardware purchased through the regional budget is, but by the capacity of leaders at every agency level to execute change. Through the ecosystem integration step via Tangsel ONE and the enhancement of human resources’ digital skills, the South Tangerang City Government aims to create a governance system that is more responsive to the dynamics of public needs. “A successful digital transformation is one whose benefits can be directly felt by the public in the palm of their hands. The service becomes simpler, integrated, and of high quality,” concluded Asep.