Computerworld magazine recognized the Louisiana Department of Social Services' (DSS) new food stamp fraud system for best business practices.

The "Best Practices in Business Intelligence Award" was presented to DSS at a conference recently in Palm Desert, California. The award recognizes case studies highlighting noteworthy solution implementation projects.

The Louisiana Department of Social Services created a Web-based reporting tool that can access food stamp transaction data, identify patterns, and display results in a variety of formats. The geographic map-based displays help detect fraud.

As a result, the department is able to improve efforts in maintaining program integrity for many programs, including the food stamp program. DSS also projects using this application with other programs as a powerful management tool in allocating public assistance to families who truly need this help.

DSS has been employing the system for about sixth months under the direction of H. Duane Fontenot, director of DSS's division of information services.

The Web-based system allows the state's 19 social services investigators to map transactional food-stamp data with geographic data about retailers to spot fraudulent activity. Transactions data is used to create maps that identify a store frequented by one or more food stamp recipients who do not live nearby. This helps the state quickly investigate fraud cases.

Fraud accounts for about 4 percent of the $700 million federally funded food stamp program, so cutting fraud could mean saving millions in federal funds, Fontenot said.