Open definition
Open specification is a tool that allows a city to find a possible solution to a known challenge together with companies and educational institutions. This way, the expertise of various specialists can be included in the problem-solving process. This helps to find the best possible solutions and to use tax money effectively. For companies, this process offers an improved view of the city’s needs and a better chance of finding new contacts.
Openness enables future procurements
Open specification may refer to a market dialogue preceding public procurement. If a city wants to use the results of a specification process in its future procurements, the procedure must take into account the principles of openness and non-discrimination as required by the Public Procurement Act.
Therefore, participation in the specification process has not been limited. All invitations to workshops or cooperation are made public. Open information exchange between the participants is encouraged, whilst acknowledging privacy issues and the confidentiality of business information. The information accumulated in the specification process is public, and the results are made available to everyone.
City Developer’s Quick Guide into the World of IoT
A description of the Smart City IoT model arose from the ideas and needs related to the analytics, data transfer and sensoring in the different units of the city and its affiliates. These ideas and requirements were aimed at boosting the city’s operations and services while cutting down costs. The project was implemented in 2018 in collaboration between the city and approximately 100 business and educational institution representatives, observing the process for open specification.
The resulting guide responds to the city’s needs while also taking into account the needs of businesses as well as research and educational organisations. The City Developer’s Quick Guide into the World of IoT seeks to facilitate the opening up and licensing of data in a user-specific manner and to distribute the data to companies, educational institutions and partners for the purposes of promoting business or conducting research, for example.
Kotidigi home and remote care services
Kotidigi is an integration platform that combines home and remote care services and technology solutions. The groundwork for its procurement was laid through open specification. The specification process was carried through by over 50 companies in spring 2017, led by the City of Tampere and FinnMedi Oy. The platform was procured using the innovation partnership procedure permitted by the new Procurement Act. In the procedure, FinnMedi helped companies network and form clusters during the procurement process.
The platform procurement was based on the notion that, in order to improve the quality of healthcare and social services and to strengthen clients’ rights to self-determination, services need to be produced increasingly in home environments. Furthermore, the platform enables a lower number of institutional care days as it allows for the monitoring of clients’ conditions and adds to their sense of safety.
