With the completion of this first phase, dubbed Planned Reengineering for Information Services Management, or PRISM, Arlington county employees will be able to perform many tasks online, access critical information more quickly, and reduce their reliance on paper record-keeping. The county is realizing substantial processing efficiencies, and has also laid the foundation for an integrated system that may eventually include direct delivery of citizen services.
"Arlington is a world class community of educated constituents who expect the best, most efficient services from their government," said Jack Belcher, chief information officer for Arlington county. "Our goal is to use well-considered technology investments to achieve better service for our residents and businesses in the community. The PRISM system, implemented with the help of BearingPoint, will be transformational in enabling us to satisfy the goal of anytime, anywhere access to government services."
Under a contract awarded in March 2005, BearingPoint worked closely with the Department of Management and Finance, the Human Resources Department, and the Department of Technology Services (DTS) to design and implement a new financial and human resource management system powered by Oracle's E-Business Suite.
The new system will provide operational improvements for management of human resources, payroll, employee benefits, purchasing, payables, assets, budgeting, and general accounting. An area of focus for the project was self- service applications, which allow employees and managers from across the county -- with appropriate oversight and controls in place -- to process many day-to-day business functions that were previously paper-driven. Employees can change their address or dependent information, and enroll in benefits, online. Managers will have easier access to critical business information for better decision making, including real-time access to their budgets and actual expenses, employee salary information and much more. Employees with the proper authority can also requisition goods and services online.
