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<br />I!I_C~ <br />To: Rod Visser, Interim County Manager <br />From: Todd Jones, Chief Information Officer <br />Date: 10/20/2006 <br />Re: Field Computer Assessment Tool <br />Rod, <br />During the August 31St Work Session at SHSC, you will recall that the Board asked for <br />Information Technologies (IT) to investigate an assessment tool to identify opportunities for <br />increasing staff efficiency using field computing. Certainly, a mechanism to assess ways in <br />which portable technology can improve customer service, increase staff productivity, and <br />reduce error rates serves as a critical component of making appropriate strategic technology <br />investments. . <br />Research into methodologies for assessing best applications of field technology reveals not <br />so much a tool in the traditional sense as it confirms the usefulness of following a standard <br />business analysis methodology. This methodology, which Orange County IT has been using <br />with success since the hiring of a formal Business Analyst in January of 2004, entails <br />extensive collaborative work with County departments. Specifically, the Business Analyst, <br />works with practitioners within each department to evaluate business processes and, to <br />identify opportunities for improving operations and effectively using appropriate technology <br />solutions. This evaluation includes an analysis of information flow, as information is gathered <br />and transmitted among citizens, Commissioners, staff, management, peer departments, state <br />and Federal agencies. From this data and workflow, the Business Analyst works with <br />departments to put together a model of current operations. <br />This resulting model is examined far automation and business process optimization <br />opportunities, including efficiencies gained from gathering and interpreting data in the field. <br />Once such automation opportunities are identified, IT and departmental staff determine <br />measurements of effciencies to be potentially realized through the implementation of field <br />technology. If the benefits are projected to be significant and can be supported by the <br />prevailing budget funding, the project is pursued. After implementation, customer feedback is <br />collected and efficiency measurements are obtained, to ensure the field technology has <br />fulfilled the goals set forth at the project's inception. <br />