Digital Innovation Collaborative Exchange

Who we are and what we do

The Digital Innovation Collaborative Exchange (DICE) is a regional effort to bring reliable, affordable digital services to local governments in Southwest Michigan. Built through an intergovernmental partnership between Van Buren and St. Joseph Counties, DICE was created to help rural communities modernize their operations in a way that makes sense: first by simplifying their systems, then by using technology to improve them.

Our Services

AI & Workflow Automation

Augmenting capabilities, increasing efficiencies.

Digital Comms & Web Development

Clear, accessible, and AI-ready.

Data Analytics & GIS

Turning local data into actionable insight.

Shared Productivity Tools

Simple apps that make government easier for staff and residents alike.

The Challenge vs. The Solution

Local governments across Michigan are facing more digital demands without the staff, funding, or tools to keep up. Offices are left juggling outdated systems, duplicating work, or spending heavily on outside vendors. New technologies like AI and automation offer potential, but without a clear strategy, they risk reinforcing the same broken processes that caused the problem in the first place.

Current Challenges

The Rural Tech Deficit
Local governments face increasing digital demands but lack the staff, funding, and technical expertise to keep up. This creates a widening gap between well-funded urban centers and smaller communities, hurting local economic competitiveness and leaving public servants struggling with outdated, manual workflows.

The Vendor Trap
Traditional government software is frequently overbuilt for rural needs, priced for urban budgets, and closed-source. These legacy systems trap local governments in multi-year contracts, forcing public servants to contort their unique workflows to fit the vendor’s rigid platform, which stifles internal innovation.

The Danger of Unchecked AI
Without a coordinated strategy, the rapid rise of AI presents massive risks to local government. The greatest dangers are using expensive technology to permanently lock in inefficient legacy workflows, and over-trusting generic AI tools that hallucinate, which presents an existential threat to public trust.

Our Solutions

A Shared Digital Public Utility
DICE operates as a shared digital services department, pooling resources across municipalities through an interlocal agreement. By sharing development expenses and technical staff, small jurisdictions gain access to advanced digital capabilities and a pipeline of university-trained talent they could never afford alone.

Subtraction & MicroTools
DICE champions “Subtraction Before Automation,” fixing broken processes before applying technology. Instead of selling massive platforms, DICE deploys publicly-owned “MicroTools”—lightweight, modular solutions tailored to local ordinances. These tools cost a fraction of enterprise software, integrate seamlessly, and eliminate vendor lock-in completely.

AI with Integrity and Human Oversight
DICE enforces the “Human Judgment Rule,” ensuring AI only assists while a human always holds final authority. DICE prioritizes factual clarity over flattery and actively trains public servants to spot AI bias, treating AI literacy as a civic duty rather than a magic cost-cutter

Our Case Studies

Real change is measured in hours saved, dollars preserved, and residents better served. Our case studies show how shared digital tools turn everyday government challenges into practical, lasting solutions.

View Our Case Studies

AI & Communications

Marty AI – A Chatbot that’s making a difference

Data Analytics

Finding (and fixing) inefficiencies in government programs

Automation

Improving Human Resources workflows

Web Design

Websites as a digital asset

AI Policy & Training

Leading digital innovation

AI Integration

Augmenting staff capabilities

Join the Work

Whether you are a local government, a regional partner, a funder, or an interested peer from another region, there is a place for you in the DICE ecosystem. Local units can explore our tools as subscribers, pilot partners, or policy advisors. Regional and institutional partners can align with us to reduce infrastructure fragmentation through collaborative training and evaluation. For funders, strategic investment in our foundational R&D will exponentially increase the speed and reach of these benefits across dozens of local units. If you are watching from afar, let’s talk because the DICE model is designed to be replicated and improved through multi-regional coordination to shape the future of public-sector technology.

Get in Touch