Improving business processes in Missouri with Real-Time Administrative System

"The successful implementation of CGI-AMS's Advantage® enterprise solution for the State of Missouri marks the completion of the largest full functioning statewide enterprise resource planning system in the nation."

The Client
Over several decades, the state of Missouri had developed a patchwork of centralized budget, payroll and financial systems that could not communicate with each other or with any of the financial systems run by the state's many agencies and departments. As a result, Missouri had no consistent statewide data or reporting capabilities and its incompatible and outdated systems could no longer support the state's mission, values or goals. Missouri required a comprehensive enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution that would provide an integrated and streamlined computing environment; improved efficiency and customer service, access to real-time information, enhanced strategic decision making, automated report generation, improved data integrity and eliminate manual, paper-based procedures.

The Challenge
In 1997, after issuing a Request for Proposal to several IT providers, the state of Missouri selected CGI-AMS as its partner to replace its antiquated legacy infrastructure with a fully integrated, real-time administrative system across three branches of government and 32 state departments and agencies.

Known as the Statewide Advantage for Missouri project (SAM II), this ERP system would leverage CGI-AMS's government-focused Advantage® suite of HR/payroll, accounting, budget planning, purchasing and Web-based solutions that boast the kind of rich functionality needed to support that state's long-term goal of being an efficient, streamlined, enterprise operation. Implementation would be carried out in two phases, beginning with financial, purchasing and budgeting functions followed by human resources and payroll functions.

The Strategy
The project kicked off with the development of an execution strategy that defined the scope and approach for implementing all components of the system. Imposing not only technological challenges, but a complete cultural shift as well, the new system required standardization across the government. CGI-AMS collaborated with each agency to determine its unique requirements and identify best practices in business areas, including budgeting and grants processing. During this analysis phase, CGI-AMS trained project staff on all software modules and produced business scenarios outlining the state's business requirements for the system. The development of standard policies and processes enabled agencies to agree to fixed overarching principles, such as minimized paper processing, maximized workflow, and compliance with state budgeting requirements.

To help users acclimate to a completely new way of doing business, CGI-AMS also offered change management expertise and an extensive training program on computer operations and the various ERP applications. With a combination of workshops, hands-on training, computer-based training and "train-the-trainer" approach, CGI-AMS enabled all of the state's 13,000 financial, budgeting, purchasing and payroll employees to be operating on the new system. The CGI-AMS team also created two data warehouses for human resources and financial information.

The Technology

• The Technology
• DB2, Oracle
• MV, AIX
• COBOL, GUI development tool, ETL tools
• Advantage® suite of software solutions for an integrated, real-time ERP system for accounts payable/receivable; fixed asset accounting; grants and project accounting; budget preparation and control; purchasing and human resources and payroll functions
• Data warehouse functionality for human resources and financial information
• SNA Network environment, TCP/IP

The Results
Full implementation (phase I and II) of SAM II was finalized in 2001, marking the completion of the largest full functioning statewide enterprise resource planning system in the nation. In that year, SAM II processed more than 1.5 million checks and electronic fund transfer payments for purchase orders totalling $474 million and $17 billion in cash receipt payments. The online bidding system has decreased state postage costs by 25% and printing costs by 50%. The system allows Missouri to effectively direct financial, purchasing and budgeting functions across all branches of government and to manage the personnel and payroll processes for over 65,000 state government employees.

With over 9,000 users, SAM II increases efficiency and decreases costs with improved financial and HR operations using streamlined processes and enterprise-wide standards. The system offers a host of benefits including online access to reports and critical financial and personnel data, new cash management capabilities, including ability to track spending and schedule payments; simplified HR-related accounting processes and compliance with statewide HR guidelines; and online bidding system for soliciting, evaluating and awarding contracts. Moreover, the system enhances decision-making capability with access to more timely accurate information, improves customer service and fiscal responsibility.

SAM II continues to deliver incremental and long-term results as the state and agency financial management organizations extend the use of the system's capabilities to reengineer business processes, eliminate redundant legacy systems and improve data management using the SAM II data warehouses.