CGI enhances Virginia Performance, Service Delivery through Reengineering of Tax Administration

"With this project, we anticipate reaching our goal of becoming the leading revenue agency and delivering superb customer-centric services to our citizens. Our key business objective is to leverage technology and reengineer processes to provide all taxpayers with the right information to file their taxes appropriately and pay them in a timely, efficient manner."

Kenneth Thorson, Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Taxation

The Client
Launched in 1998, VATAX's ongoing Partnership Project with CGI is a comprehensive reengineering and modernization program that includes electronic tax filing, a state of the art integrated revenue management system, and organizational development and change management.

The Virginia Partnership Project is the largest and most comprehensive public private partnership ever undertaken by a state revenue agency and has significantly enhanced VATAX's ability to provide quick, accurate, and comprehensive customer service.

The Challenge
In the mid-1990s, officials at VATAX recognized the need to improve customer service and bolster operational efficiency, but lacked the funding and experience needed to leverage enabling technologies. Complex tax laws, a growing taxpayer base, demands for better customer service, budget cuts, and outmoded technology only added to the set of challenges the agency faced.

To address these rising demands, VATAX needed a complete replacement of its aging legacy system and improvement in its business processes.

The Strategy
VATAX joined forces with CGI to embark on a cutting edge, public private relationship called the Virginia Partnership Project. Offering large scale systems integration skills, CGI helped VATAX create a long term vision for modernizing and reshaping every aspect of its tax and revenue management - from processing and customer service to auditing and collections.

Through business process reengineering, organizational improvements, and the use of a full range of digital technologies, CGI has enabled VATAX to deliver enhanced service to its customers. Several key components of the initiative include:

• VATAX Online - a comprehensive suite of electronic customer service tools, including iFILE that provides the ability to file returns; iREG for businesses to register; and a policy database for citizens, practitioners, and others to access
• A "single view" of the taxpayer - thanks to a key partnership between Siebel Systems, and VATAX that led to the integration of industry leading CRM applications into VATAX call centers, representatives can track all contacts with taxpayers, including calls, correspondence, and e mail
• A new collection system - automatically sends out correspondence, establishes payment plans, generates liens and lien releases, manages bankruptcy cases, and prioritizing the handling of delinquent tax accounts
• A modern remittance, data entry, and imaging solution - streamlines the processing of paperwork to speed up refund payments and other customer transactions.

The Results
Since its launch in July 1998, the Virginia Partnership Project has helped VATAX officials and Virginia taxpayers realize the true power and value of digital government. Benefits include:

• An easy, fast, convenient, and secure electronic tax filling alternative for businesses and individual taxpayers
• Drastic improvements in taxpayer satisfaction, due to faster delivery of refunds and more efficient resolution of taxpayer questions and concerns
• An efficient, paperless environment that reduces data collection costs and improves operations.

During the past five years, the Partnership Project has received numerous industry awards. Among them, the International Association of Business Communicators granted five 2004 Gold Quill awards for the project's Tax Amnesty Campaign, where CGI was asked to assist VATAX in its goal to increase revenues by $48.5 million. Final results secured well over $90 million in additional revenue for the Commonwealth.