Missouri Public Service Commission
Electronic Filing & Information System
a Case Study for Business Process Management
Todd Craig, CIO
Missouri Public Service Commission
Overview of MPSC
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MPSC is a quasi-judicial, regulatory agency that
regulates publicly owned utility companies rates
and services
There are approximately MPSC staff members
Over 1000 utilities operating in Missouri
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Electric, Gas, Telecom, Water, Sewer
Some large (AT&T, SBC, AmerenUE), some mediumsized, other are small
Serving over 5M residents/potential ratepayers
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Why Did We Need Change?
More Work
More Utilities
Have
Generated
900
800
700
600
1800
1600
1400
1200
500
1000
400
800
300
600
200
400
100
Number of Orders
200
0
1992
1993
1994
Number of Utilities
FTE
1995
1996
1997
Headcount vs. Number of Utilities
Same or
Decreased
Staff Size
Using Antiquated
Computer Systems
Number of Tariffs Filed
0
1992
Number of Cases
1993
1994
FTE
1995
1996
1997
Work
Overload
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Compelling Issues

No centralized file/data repository
Same data stored in many sub-systems, Including legacy
mainframe systems, local computers, Access databases, etc.
Inefficient and difficult to maintain.

Multiple internal systems to handle paper-based
documents
Tariffs, case filings, withdrawals/ substitution, comments on
rulemakings, motions to intervene, applications, complaints,
inquiries, outage reports, faxes, etc. Inefficient and difficult to
maintain. Manual entry into these systems causing long cycle
times.

Paper-based case and tariff information
Mounds and stacks of paper filings checked in and out from the
records room, printed out in multiple copies, stored all over the
MPSC - accounting for millions of redundant paper-based
documents being stored contributing to long cycle times and
inefficiencies.
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Requirements

Systems that had to be integrated:
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Docket/case management system
Tariff system
Utility system
Consumer services system
Data request management
Resource library
Collaborative case management between legal,
technical, services and administration (required
business process redesign).
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Requirements (continued)
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Must provide secure access to required
information for MPSC staff, utility companies,
interveners, stakeholders and ratepayers.
Must satisfy the State of Missouri eGovernment
initiatives – efforts led by the Office of Information
Technology (OIT) and the Information Technology
Advisory Board (ITAB).
Must allow MPSC to operate more effectively and
efficiently while reducing the cost of doing
business with MPSC.
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Challenges

Over 9M pages of documents on file; with an estimated 1.2M
pages added per year

Over 1,000 rolls of microfilm; 12,000 microfiche
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Poor search capabilities; difficulty sharing information internally

Docket and consumer legacy systems date back to 1979

Manual entries into multiple legacy systems and filing multiple
copies of documents creating long cycle times
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No integration of documents to dockets, data request to cases

Metrics and reports system difficult to manage when they existed
at all
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Ratepayers had poor and inconvenient access to MPSC for
complaints, information and education
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Solution Overview
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Electronic Filing & Information System (EFIS)
One common system for the needs
of many initiatives…
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A web based application for:
 Electronic filing, tariffs and registration
 Imaging with OCR
 Automated workflow
 Centralized file repository
 Full text search engine
 Special publishing needs (appellate filings)
 Consumer complaint management
 Performance metrics and reports
 Resource library
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System Architecture
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EFIS is deployed using FileNet’s Business Process
Management (BPM) solution with a customized
front-end tailored for the MPSC business processes
The system uses FileNet’s eProcess to interface
between the customized front-end and FileNet’s
Content Services for the committal and retrieval of
documents
FileNet’s eProcess WorkFlo is used for automation
of the MPSC’s business processes
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System Architecture
EFIS consists of a central repository for documents
(paper scanned and OCR’d or electronically committed)
and structured data supporting two related applications,
the Case Management System (CMS) and the Customer
Quality System (CQS).
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Before & After
• Identified in 1998:
• December, 2002:
• 158 business processes
• 60 business processes
• 35 business processes
intersecting to the docket
system
• all 60 business processes
intersect with EFIS
•64 applications in use
•20 independent databases
• 9.2M pages of paper stored
• 4.6M pages stored
redundantly
• 1.2M pages expected to be
added annually
• 10 applications in use
• 6 database repositories
• 5M pages of paper stored
• 1.5M pages stored
redundantly
• only 50K pages added as
of December, 2002
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Strategic Benefits

Improvements to MPSC business processes lower
the cycle time that in turn lowers the cost of doing
business with MPSC
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Utility companies save time and money with the ability
to do business with MPSC through EFIS

Legislators, policy makers and constituents know
more about utility rates and issues with easy to
access information through EFIS
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Return On Investment (ROI)
Estimated annual savings over $2.6M!
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Postage and delivery services
Printing and document fees
Productivity savings*
Total estimated savings
$140,000
$126,000
$2,407,000
$2,673,000
*Time savings of 2 hours per employee per day realized in many
departments. (Estimates provided by the Project Oversight and MPSC
Administration)
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Collateral Savings

Recent Example:

Southwestern Bell Corporation has stated:
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In one (1) month they have saved 40 staff hours
In one (1) month they have saved 4,440 pages of paper
In one (1) month they have saved in postage and courier
fees
Similar statements have been made by Sprint,
AmerenUE, Missouri American Water and many law
firms who represent utility companies
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The Winners Are…
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MPSC
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Utilities & Interveners
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Enjoy secure and efficient interaction with MPSC
Receive faster, better quality decisions
Save money by reduced cost of doing business
with MPSC
Ratepayers
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Effective business processes to help mitigate the
increasing work load
Ready for the new challenges of regulation
Obtain access to information giving them the
ability to make educated decisions regarding
utility services
Easy access to the MPSC Consumer Services and
information regarding utility services
State of Missouri

Provides cost effective services to its residents
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Questions?
Thank You!
Visit the Missouri Public Service Commission web at:
http://www.psc.mo.gov
Or contact:
Todd Craig, CIO
Missouri Public Service Commission
todd.craig@psc.mo.gov
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