Evaluation of New
Integrated System Solutions
NCAS is a typical business
data processing legacy application. It provides administrative support
for accounting and materials management functionality. Today, State
and local governments face financial constraints, rising service expectations
on the part of the public, and calls for better government at lower cost.
In an effort to respond to these challenges, government leaders have begun
a process of reinvention. Comprehensive data processing support oriented
towards user needs, with improved flexibility and scalability promise to
minimize cost, improve quality and provide decisive advantages in the public
sector. The OSC, rising to this challenge, will explore its options to
provide NCAS users with an integrated systems solution. Expansion to a
newer NCAS Initiative will be evaluated along with the current Enterprise
Resource Planning Initiative (ERP) at the Department of Transportation
and the Department of Community Colleges System Offices. An integrated
systems solution includes the following application components, each of
which covers certain key processes and business models.
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Budget & Financial Management:
This area covers budget management, financial accounting and cash management/banking.
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Business Support: This
area covers the functionality needed to generate analyses across multiple
organizational entities and support decision-making processes with accurate,
up-to-date information.
-
Human Resource Management:
This area covers all aspects of human resource management from personnel
administration, to organizational and position planning, to recruitment
and promotions.
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Material and Services Business
Support: This area covers the procurement and management of materials
and services.
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Records Management: This
area covers electronic files and processing folders, automated workflow,
electronic workflow, digital signatures as well as information retrieval.
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Manufacturing: This area
covers special functionality that is unique to DOC's enterprise operations.
Some examples are process tracking, cost recalculation, order entry, and
tracking.
The following is a detailed
review of each of the areas outlined above.
Budget & Financial
Management
Defining budgets is one
of the central tasks performed by public administrations. The following
functionality and capability is required to define, manage, and settle
budgets.
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Modify previous year’s budget
by raising or lowering values;
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Copy continuation budget from
the previous year or period;
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Perform current and historical
analyses;
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Keep different budget versions;
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Meet essential fiscal accounting
requirements imposed by legislation and accounting standards;
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Budget and cost processes, products,
and services;
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Analyze profitability at various
levels of detail and in various areas;
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Prepare financial statements;
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Monitor accounts receivable
and accounts payable; and
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Link accounts receivable and
accounts payable to automatic payment and debiting systems.
Business Support
The following functionality
and capability is needed to be able to support detailed planning and monitoring
of costs.
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Manage liquidity, investment
portfolios, and risk;
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Manage loans and money market
transactions;
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Track and direct flow of capital
spending;
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Connect investment planning
with project management functionality;
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Link functions such as quotations,
cost estimates, capacity planning, execution and settlement with financial
accounting and budget management;
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Manage and administer real estate
transactions; and
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Manage and process trip expenses.
Human Resource Management
The following functionality
and capability is needed to be able to manage human resources, one of the
biggest items in the public sector budget.
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Link personnel budgets to work
areas and employees;
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Fund and plan work areas in
accordance with budget allowances and restrictions;
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Map organizational structure
showing organizational units, work areas, tasks, and salaried employees;
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Manage open positions/requisitions,
applicant screening, selection and hiring, correspondence, reporting, and
cost analysis;
-
Assign employees to specific
organization codes, regions, departments, projects, groups, and subgroups;
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Evaluate data related to employee
working hours;
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Model career opportunities for
employees;
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Append education and training
requirements to career models or individual profiles;
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Manage collective benefit agreements;
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Manage all aspects of payroll
and pension accounting; and
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Calculate supplementary benefits
to public employees and workers.
Material and Services
Business Support
The following functionality
is needed to accelerate and simplify the procurement and management of
materials and services.
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End-to-end processes of the
entire range of tasks: planning material requirements, purchasing, inventory
management, verification of quantity and volume of deliveries, and accuracy
of invoices;
-
Integrate above tasks with budget
and financial management; and
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Manage facilities by planning
and controlling deadlines, costs, budgets and quality.
Records Management
The following functionality
is needed to provide a new dimension of speed and transparency to data
processing.
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Eliminate paper based transactions
by electronically transporting documents;
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Electronically store, manage
and convey documents;
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Implement electronic approval
procedures;
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Implement a network of communication
flows that include e-mail functionality, multimedia capabilities, and integration
with the internet and intranet;
-
Locate information and documents
needed for transaction processing or for answering inquiries; and
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Implement electronic signatures
while ensuring a high level of security.
Figure 21 is the NCAS business
model and systems solution map for State Government.