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ConneCT Project Overview. State of Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS). October 2013. Challenges Triggered the Need for Change.
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ConneCT Project Overview State of ConnecticutDepartment of Social Services (DSS) October 2013
Challenges Triggered the Need for Change The Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS) faced a “perfect storm” of obstacles which impeded the department’s ability to serve its clients and adversely impacted standard of promptness and error rates. • Dated technology: • Eligibility Management System (EMS), deployed in 1989 • Maze of Independent Phone Systems • Reliance on case-worker interaction (via phone and in-person) • Use of paper and manual processing – copying, filing, storage/retrieval etc. • Unprecedented increase in public demand for services. • In 2012, DSS eligibility was at 2008 levels with a 33% increase in application volume. • DSS offices were receiving nearly 879,000 calls and process 3.7 million pieces of paper per month.
Achieving Incremental “Wins” for DSS and Connecticut • Reach & Impact: • Enables cross-agency collaboration and the ability to serve the “whole client”. Integrated Eligibility (Cross-Agency) Tier 4 • Reach & Impact: • Increased automation to improve service delivery to all DSS clients. • Reach & Impact: • New population of clients who purchase medical insurance or receive MAGI MA and/or CHIP. • New quasi-public agency. Integrated Eligibility (DSS) Tier 2 and 3 Reach and Impact • Reach & Impact: • New channels for DSS clients to get information. • New technology tools for DSS workers. Tier 1 Time These projects build on each successful milestone to increase reach and impact.
Modernization and ConneCT Initiation In order to remediate these issues, the Department conceived a modernization initiative and initiated the ConneCT project which sought to open new channels for clients to interact with DSS and help workers maximize efficiency through the use of modern technology tools. • Seven (7) functional releases across multiple technologies • Focused on “quick wins” without additional investments in old technologies or wholesale replacement. • Creation of reusable services that could be used across platforms and as a framework for the future. Web Services • Pre-Screening • Client Accounts • Online Application • Change Reporting • Redetermination Telephony Services • Interactive Voice Response (IVR) System • Benefit Center / Call Center System Document Management • Scanning/Indexing • Document Repository • Workflow • Verification Request Gen • Reporting 7 Functional Releases Designed, Developed and Implemented in Parallel
Building a Technological Framework for the Future Extensible technical products support DSS now and in the future.
ConneCT Telephony – Legacy Operational Model Legacy Office Structure (12 Offices) Case Worker # Local Phone # Case Worker # Case Worker # Case Worker # Back Office Front Office Case Worker # • Key Challenges: • Multiple phone platforms/systems across offices • 12 different office phone numbers • Hundreds of Individual Worker Extensions • Clients Served by Only One Worker • Inconsistent Service by Phone Across Workers and Offices • Lack of visibility and reporting of worker status/activity and wait times
ConneCT Telephony – Benefit Center Model Benefit Center Office 3 Benefit Center Office 2 Benefit Center Office 1 • Key Features: • Web Services Make Legacy Data Available for Self Service • Benefit Centers are Redundant • Licenses Float Between Offices • Remote Agent Capability. Service Group Service Group Service Group + 9 Non-Benefit Center Offices Benefit Group Benefit Group Benefit Group ProcessingGroup ProcessingGroup ProcessingGroup ProcessingGroup Service Group State-Wide IVR One Phone #: 1-855-6-CONNECT Automated Self-Service EMS Legacy System
ConneCT Telephony – Functional Overview Worker Portal EMS Legacy System Benefit Center Worker and Supervisors Benefit Center Console (Avaya) ConneCT Screen Pop Benefit Center Phone (VoIP) Benefit Center Screen Pop Tells the Worker Who is Calling and Why Office Wall BoardsDisplay Agent Status and Max Call Wait Time (Configurable)
ConneCT Document Management and Workflow – Business Overview Benefit Center - Bridgeport Service Group Office Mail &Drop-Offs BenefitGroup ProcessingGroup Central Scanning DSS Offices Central Mail Central Fax Benefit Center - New Britain Service Group BenefitGroup ProcessingGroup Document Capture & Indexing Benefit Center - Waterbury Content Repository Service Group Create Workflow Task For Processing BenefitGroup ProcessingGroup
ConneCT Document Management and Workflow – DSS Worker View ConneCT Worker Portal EMS Eligibility System Client Accounts DSS ProcessingWorkers
ConneCT Document Management and Workflow – ConneCT Worker Portal – A Closer Look…
ConneCT Document Management and Workflow – Streamlined “FastLink” Cover Sheets
ConneCT Document Management and Workflow – Enabling Real-Time Document Tracking
ConneCT – Key Lessons Learned Technology: • Requires coordination of multiple technical stakeholders (telephony vendor, network provider, data center, local offices etc.) • Dual monitors provide a good user experience in a multi-system environment. • Network needs to be tested and bandwidth expanded to accommodate both voice and data needs. • Ongoing user maintenance must be planned for and executed to be effective post go-live. Business: • Physical space needs to be evaluated and changed as required. • HR and labor relations should be engaged early to define role changes (if any). • Detailed implementation (both business and technical) planning helps achieve a smooth go-live. • Maximum benefit achieved through “task-based” operational model. • Expectations around operational performance (such as average client wait-time) must be set and managers must manage using the data.
ConneCT – Results and Impact While recently implemented, ConneCT has already started to make a significant impact: • 26,000+ Online Accounts Created • 40,000+ IVR Accounts Created • 75,000 Calls Answered by the Benefit Center • 14,000 Interviews Conducted via Phone • Average Wait Time is ~12 Minutes • ~1M Legacy and New Documents Committed into FileNet (Doc Mgmt) “This series of technological improvements will gradually change the service landscape at DSS for the benefit of Connecticut residents, the agency’s dedicated staff, and taxpayers in general. We are literally taking an agency from obsolescence in terms of overwhelmed phones and laborious paper processing into the modern age of business systems.” -Governor Dannel Malloy