Over the past year, the state of Tennessee has been conducting a top-to-bottom review to thoroughly analyze operational and organizational efficiency. Previously, Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam tasked each of the state’s departments to focus on accomplishing their core missions while streamlining overall costs.
Through this comprehensive efficiency review, 22 state departments have taken important initial steps towards meeting these goals, while establishing a culture of customer service, efficiency and effectiveness.
In this report, Deltek would like to highlight some of the information technology-related initiatives associated with this efficiency review. Below are some of the notable initiatives/recommendations associated with the various departments:
Agriculture:
· Improve the Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program application process and outreach. The goal is to make the application process easier by providing an online application and increasing automation and outreach efforts. Online applications will ensure forms have all required information, which in turn will speed up the process.This initiative is ongoing.
Children’s Services:
· Build a human resource development system which recruits, trains, and supports a qualified, high-performing workforce. Increased effectiveness and efficiency in this area can save the department an estimated $4.2 million annually. This initiative is ongoing.
Commerce & Insurance:
· The department will streamline and simplify licensing processes across all of its divisions to consolidate common functions, develop modern digital infrastructure, and improve speed to market. Significant examples of this include utilization of System Electronic Rate Form Filings (SERFF) and State-Based Systems (SBS) agent licensing, expansion of existing online licensing and renewal functions, and implementation of modernized telecommunications infrastructure.This recommendation has been completed.
· Deploy efficient communications using an integrated voice over internet phone (VoIP) system to monitor call volumes and allow for quality assurance review of customer interactions and maximize the use of Blackberries, wireless hand held devices, tablets and bar-coding for field operations.This recommendation has been completed.
Education:
· Provide real-time student performance data for teachers by building an early warning data system, which will use several research-based indicators to provide teachers and school leaders with detailed data on students at risk of falling behind academically or dropping out of school. This initiative is ongoing.
· Build and use a P-20 data system to inform policy decisions in education and across state government. The P-20 data system is an opportunity to link important databases across agencies in order to inform policy decisions. The Department of Education is already partnering with the Tennessee Higher Education Commission to build the system, and to ensure that it can connect academic achievement data from pre-K through 12th grade with data on post-secondary education as well. This initiative is ongoing.
Environment & Conservation:
· Study the department’s ability to use technology to increase efficiency and improve customer service by offering customers the option to use the internet for billing, paying fees, booking state services, as well as submitting permit applications, reporting, and license renewals. This initiative is ongoing.
Finance & Administration:
· Replace the state’s voice systems with a comprehensive, centralized IP-based solution to reduce costs and provide better service with projected savings of $70 million over ten years. This initiative is ongoing.
· Proceed with the Customer-Focused Government recommendation to consolidate hardware and software procurement. This effort will involve the consolidation and standardization of procurement of workstation hardware (i.e., laptops, desktops, and printers) and office automation software across the executive branch. It is projected to have an annual savings of $4.2 million. This initiative is ongoing.
General Services:
· Increased utilization of green technology to provide energy efficient solutions for government owned property will potentially yield $245,000 in annual efficiencies. This initiative is ongoing.
· The Central Procurement Office will engage a strategic sourcing vendor to support its mission of savings creation. On average, states realize 15%-20% savings when contracts are strategically sourced. Additional initiatives are to streamline procurement methods and standardize procurement thresholds, allowing the Central Procurement Office to focus on more strategic, high dollar initiatives. This initiative is ongoing.
· Adopt a software solution to improve the visibility of state contracts. Software solutions will enhance user capabilities in searching for contracts and specific items. Legislation has been proposed that would equip the state to leverage the volume of contracts and reduce overall costs to the departments. This initiative is ongoing.
Labor & Workforce Development:
· Implemented an Interactive Voice Response System (IVR) to increase self-service options for Unemployment Insurance (UI) claimants. Increased automation allows The Department of Labor and Workforce to process UI claims in a more efficient and accurate manner. The UI Claims Center receives anywhere from 5,000 to 70,000 call attempts to the center each day. In 2011, the Claim Center received over 2 million call attempts. This IVR automation effort will increase efficiencies by allowing claimants to perform simple functions via the IVR system, thereby eliminating the need for a costly overflow call center. This will save the department $100,000 per month or $1.2 million annually. This recommendation has been completed.
· Creation of a Jobs Clearinghouse to provide one comprehensive resource for career opportunities in Tennessee. One stop shopping would allow job seekers to distribute a resume while simultaneously “crawling” websites for employment opportunities. The Jobs Clearinghouse would also increase the ability of employers to identify qualified applicants, while providing immediate access to vital labor market information on the current and future economic landscape of Tennessee. The system is currently in a pilot stage in Middle Tennessee and scheduled to go live statewide in February 2012.
Safety & Homeland Security:
· Update technology at Driver Service Centers. Improvements to technology will enable Driver Services to serve customers more effectively and efficiently. The department will move to “paperless” transactions with the implementation of a new contract for issuing driver licenses. The most significant upgrade to division technology will come in the replacement of the current driver license software system. The current system was built in 1978 and has been modified and "patched" numerous times over the past 30 years to accommodate changes to law and policy. The new system will be faster, more flexible, and far better able to serve citizens.This initiative is ongoing.
· Install and implement a new communications system. This communications system will ensure that state troopers are armed with the latest technology in order to perform their duties effectively and efficiently. It will also bring THP into compliance with new FCC regulations and will vastly improve troopers’ ability to communicate while on the road.This initiative is ongoing.