CASE 3: GovNet –Original to the Next Generation (Dale’s #3 with Tony’s #4)
Problem
Original: The U. S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) was challenged
with a major issue: financial staff not being able to obtain financial and accounting
reports on a timely basis. This was a process issue. Very fast printers printed reports on
large hard copy sheets. Each page or sheet was attached by perforations. High stacks of
a paper would get printed out with multiple reports being contiguously printed using the
same box of paper. People had to go through these stacks, identify an individual report,
and burst it (separate it from the stack by tearing along the perforated edges). Each report
had to be identified with the user and their location. Each of the reports had to be
distributed manually. This would entail someone go around with a mail cart if they were
in the same building or had to be mailed. More often than not, it would take days.
Next Generation: A data archive was needed, that was user friendly, and would supply all
required legacy data due to initiative within DHHS to move to new accounting system
and processes. In addition, as initiative grew (UFMS) it was discovered that their would
be a major need for a secure reporting repository that could deliver reports in a timely
fashion across the web to a vastly distributive, geographic and business user group.
Solution
Original: Starry Associates, Inc. identified this as an opportunity to assist government in
solving this problem. We designed and developed a web-based solution so that the users
can access the reports from their computer. The users can view the report on the screen
and then print it from a printer located by or near them if they desire. This became
another commercial of-the-shelf (COTS) software called Gov.net®. This was first
implemented for the Program Support Center (PSC) and later for the Division of
Information Systems & Technology (DIST). Gov.net® contains substantial security
measures to ensure that each user gains access to only that portion of the data they are
given authorization to view. We trained the users and also trained trainers so they can
continue to perform the training for new users.
Next Generation: Upon identification of business need, developed a small prototype
system and presented potential options in a working environment to major decision
makers and their business user groups. From ‘go forward’ point of demonstration,
develop full requirements analysis and proposal/project plan and secured required
funding and authorization. Developed the system, which has become a full DATA
REPOSITORY, DATA WAREHOUSE, and REPORT REPOSITORY, in phases that
allowed for the implementation of critical legacy data segments and queries, legacy data
reports required for reconciliation after conversion of UFMS, and specific UFMS
production reports (including Discover Reports) that UFMS was not capable of
delivering.
Outcome
Original: Gov.net® was an immediate success! The return on investment was three
months. In fact within the first year, HHS realized a savings of $1 million. It enabled the
customers to acquire the daily, weekly, monthly, and year-end reports within one to two
days after the reporting period closed instead of the usual five to ten days. Starry
Associates, Inc. assisted the client in becoming successful in the operational requirement
of providing system user’s their appropriate reports promptly. Several of our PSC clients
and our staff received government recognition awards.
Next Generation: The System continues to expand exponentially, including the future
support of IHS conversion. They system has been received with WOW and outstanding
accolades regarding performance, functionality, and versatility, and has met the needs of
the department for a Full Data Warehouse Solution, that was timely and under budget. In
addition, the system has been developed to allow full Web based access, which has
allowed a major business initiative of reviewing data, anywhere, any form, any system,
and any time, in a secured environment.
GovNet-NG currently supports data archive from the legacy system (14 years of
documents, approximately 18 million archived documents.
GovNet-NG response time to stored queries is under 2 seconds.
GovNet-NG ad-hoc queries are generated for parameters is usually less than 20 seconds.
GovNet-NG is totally web based.
GovNet-NG saved the department over 19 million dollars from inception to
implementation (original RFP by BP was 20 Million to develop data ware house, we
accomplished under a million).
GovNet-NG was delivered with 1 year as a fully production system (Original RFP project
3 plus years by BP).
GovNet-NG system is being expanded by 66% to support IHS totally transparent to
organizations.
GovNet-NG is being expanded to support most of the UFMS production reporting needs
to keep production system free from caned report cycles.