Government Technology - July 2008 - (Page H2)

Better Service and Lower Costs Give Citizens More Waiting times for the public have dropped from 40-60 minutes to 10-15 minutes, thanks to documents moving through the system electronically instead of manually. And when it comes to helping applicants for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, for example, case workers can find needed documents instantly instead of waiting one or two days for a file to arrive from the central storage facility. A dual-monitor system allows the case worker and the applicant to see the same documents simultaneously. The applicant can see what the case worker is typing. E-signatures are used, so signed documents don’t need to be printed and copied. The result is a quicker, more efficient appointment. Integration with eCAF, the electronic Common Application Form required for nearly all JFS clients, is also smoother. Reviewing and verifying documents is much faster, and eCAF documentation can be shared with other agencies much more easily. Kevin F. Callaghan, records manager of the Clerk of Courts, said OnBase is working very well for both the county and the case workers. “They love the way they’re able to pull up the files when they need to, and they’re able to serve their clients much better,” he said. “So we’ve had a reduction in costs, and an increase in service. I think that’s a huge success story.” With lower costs, the county can re-allocate funds to other important activities. customization. It’s a long list, but the county found everything it needed with OnBase. The county’s enterprise-wide approach has led to numerous cost reductions. When it was discovered that nine departments were planning to buy their own imaging systems, the county saved money by consolidating the effort. If separate systems had been purchased, the county would have spent around $5 million. By getting one system for all departments to share, the county spent approximately $750,000. With less need for paper, much money has been saved on storage space. The county destroyed 5,469 boxes of paper records, and no longer needs a building it had been using to store paper documents. OnBase allows the county to be more efficient on storage while still complying with document retention requirements. More Scanning, Less Cost Working across departmental lines inspired county leaders to create the Imaging Advisory Group (IAG). The group fosters clear communication among departments. “If we did not communicate with each other, we would get on a path of taking two steps forward and one step back,” said J. Bernie Quilter, clerk of courts and leader of the IAG. “I had to ensure we consolidated and increased efficiency to contain costs across the county.” By working with Lott Industries, an employer of people with developmental disabilities, the county finds significant savings in document scanning. The typical providers would have cost 9-15 cents per image. By working with Lott Industries, the county scans images for around 6 cents per image. “Our partnership with Lott Industries has far exceeded our initial hopes for success,” said Quilter. The county has scanned 11 million images in the last two years. The project has been so efficient the county plans to add even more personnel for scanning. The county is also working on integrating OnBase with its GIS. That will allow JFS and other agencies to have increased access to information. For example, JFS, the courts and the Board of Elections could all quickly verify whether a given address is indeed an actual address. It’s another example of ECM allowing more departments to share information quickly and easily. The future looks bright for even more efficient uses of OnBase in Lucas County. The county will continue to seek new ways to leverage its comprehensive ECM. That’s good news for case workers, numerous county departments and the public. Enterprise-wide, Web-based, Open Architecture: The Right Solution In Lucas County, documents can be shared with other departments, other counties, the state and the public. OnBase also helps the county set up optimum work processes and fine-tune those over time. Lucas County chose OnBase for numerous reasons. First, it wanted a truly enterprise-wide solution that allows easy document-sharing across departmental lines. Second, it wanted open architecture for increased flexibility with collaboration and maintenance. The county sought a Web-based approach, for easy maintenance of computers residing within dozens of agencies. The county was also impressed with the security features, which keep sensitive data safe yet still allow access for specific people or agencies when needed. OnBase’s redaction capabilities were also an important factor for the county. The county also needed maximum ability for out-of-the-box usage, with little For additional information visit www.onbase.com/government This Government Technology Solution Spotlight was sponsored by Hyland Software © 2008 e.Republic Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA. http://www.onbase.com/government http://www.onbase.com/government

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Government Technology - July 2008

Government Technology - July 2008 Point of View The Last Mile Big Picture On the Scene Four Questions for ... Generation 2.0 at Work Dangerous Convenience Tainted Justice? Are You Ready? E-Discovery Basics Smart Docs Advanced Math Online Video Blues Spectrum Personal Computing Products signal:noise

Government Technology - July 2008

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