Orange County NC Website
14 <br />SECTION 3: SERVICE ALIGNED IT INVESTMENT STRATEGY <br />The Vision <br />The technology vision for Orange County capitalizes on the benefits derived from strategic technology <br />planning and investment, both for internal departments and external customers. The vision is aligned <br />with Commissioners' and staff goals, objectives, and strategies in an effort to stay focused on service <br />aligned investments. In the service aligned investment model, IT investments are driven by citizen <br />and departmental needs and focus on agility in the provision of services. Success in this service - <br />aligned model is dependent on a clear understanding of County priorities and how business is <br />conducted by County departments and the citizens who interact with those departments. <br />In order to facilitate this understanding, the County IT Department needs to establish Business <br />Relationship Manager roles within its department. In order to establish these critical roles, additional <br />IT staff are required to ensure that service levels do not deteriorate as the Business Relationship <br />Managers work with departments to gather mission - critical knowledge. The Business Relationship <br />Managers work closely with departments, developing knowledge and understanding of their business <br />processes, objectives and technology needs. By employing strong business skills to support equally <br />strong technical capabilities, the IT department can achieve a holistic understanding of how services <br />are consumed by the business, how IT's actions affect departmental productivity, and how to provide <br />innovative solutions. The IT Department can review and enhance its service offerings and capacity <br />using these resources. <br />Furthermore, it is critical that strategic technology planning become an integral part of each <br />department's annual planning process, as well as a key component in the long -range planning of the <br />County. It is important to note that this strategic technology plan is not limited to technological <br />infrastructure, hardware, and software, but rather, encompasses all strategic information <br />management functions. Therefore, the strategic technology vision for Orange County includes: <br />• The adoption of a strategic technology investment strategy that aligns functional County <br />Commissioners' and departmental goals, objectives, and needs with technological solutions. <br />In essence, the business of government will become enabled by technology instead of <br />technology driving the business changes. <br />• Build upon and extend the utilization of performance metrics and customer service <br />commitment to ascertain progress. <br />• Utilize IT service management as a mechanism to provide superior, equitable customer service <br />and problem resolution. <br />• Enterprise approaches to strategic IT investments are also central to leveraging economies of <br />scale and holistic solutions. <br />• Provide County residents and staff with more convenient, open access to information in order <br />to facilitate decision - making. <br />12 <br />