João Pessoa City Hall has begun its digital transformation, replacing isolated systems with a centralized and agile platform using Oracle APEX, modernizing operations and improving services offered to the public.
Business challenges
The municipality of João Pessoa offers services and social programs for more than 800,000 citizens in the capital of Paraíba, Brazil. Traditionally, applications and databases were developed independently, which led to difficulties in maintenance, standardization, and, more importantly, in technological governance. Legacy platforms lacked integration, negatively impacting work efficiency and the quality of services citizens received.
To support the municipality’s digital transformation strategy, it was necessary to improve the responsiveness of citizen services through a unified, agile, low-code system capable of integrating with existing systems.
Among all other platforms on the market, Oracle APEX was the logical choice due to its superior robustness, scalability, and support as part of the Oracle AI Database.
Why did João Pessoa City Hall choose Oracle APEX?
Oracle APEX was chosen by João Pessoa for its speed, agility, and native integration with Oracle AI Database.
Their technical team was able to successfully combine front-end, back-end, and database layers into a single environment. Moreover, the low learning curve made development cycles much shorter than before.
Other low-code vendors were not considered, since APEX offered native integration with Oracle AI Database already in use, eliminating the need for additional tools and resulting in direct cost savings.
“Oracle APEX was chosen for its ease of development and native integration with Oracle AI Database, opening the door to development cycles with faster delivery than any other option available.”
— Daniel Azevedo de Oliveira Maia, Director of Development, João Pessoa City Hall
Results
Oracle APEX helps the municipality of João Pessoa offer greater agility in services provided to citizens by reducing application development time by 65%.
By adopting Oracle APEX, João Pessoa City Hall cut application development time by 65%, allowing a secure and robust solution to be in production in less than eight months. This speed so far has enabled the city to address citizens’ needs more quickly and become more efficient operationally.
One example is the modernization of PROCON processes, where research time was shortened from hours to approximately 45 minutes per request. This optimization allowed researchers to focus on strategic initiatives while improving both the speed and quality of results.
Another example of management simplification is the social benefits distribution system, which has seen improvements in data visualization and a 30% reduction in the average benefit approval cycle. As a result, public administrators can now focus on improved insights to inform their policy choices.
Building on these operational enhancements, City Hall reduced the need for print server licenses by implementing JasperReports via an external API. This not only reduced costs but also increased control over dynamic PDF reporting. The Municipal Civil Guard (GCM) implemented a new centralized process that eliminated rework and in-person activities.
In addition, the adoption of Oracle APEX has driven a continuous 40% decrease in paper consumption, improved data retrieval and analysis across departments, and even improved communication among teams. Reporting times have also dropped from five days to just two, representing a 60% cut in the time required to deliver results, making the process more effective.
About the customer
The municipality of João Pessoa manages public services, social programs, and infrastructure that benefits over 800,000 residents. To increase digital access for all citizens, streamline operations, and lower operating costs, the city has been gradually replacing outdated systems with flexible, integrated platforms.
Product list
Oracle APEX, Oracle AI Database