Sept. 24, 2007
County advances to next stage in transforming business operations to offer more effective services
With the approval and release of funding today, King County is moving forward in developing a new business model that will deliver efficiencies within the county and more effective services to county residents.
The county's Accountable Business Transformation Program (ABT Program) is developing this model that offers new business processes for financial, human resources, payroll, benefits and budget operations. The model is comprised of best operating practices from public and private organizations nationwide and will provide customers and county staff with improved access to timely, accurate and useful information.
"The ABT Program is important and a top priority," said County Executive Ron Sims who is also the ABT Program's Executive Sponsor. "By changing and better integrating the county's business processes, we will be more efficient and more effective in all that we do. From the reduction of the duplication of work, to increased access to valued information, we'll be better able to serve all those who do business with King County from individual residents to the federal government."
The county currently uses two accounting and financial reporting systems, and two human resource/payroll systems. The four separate systems perform central financial and human resource functions for the county, but are not well integrated and do not work together efficiently.
ABT Program goals include adopting business processes that conform to best practices and facilitating this adoption by migrating the four systems into two integrated ones (Oracle and PeopleSoft) as well as introducing a new budget process and system.
This is a complex multi-year effort with five phases that will align and modernize the county's core business areas:
1. Business case – completed;
2. High Level Business Plan – completed;
3. High Level Business Design – scheduled for completion in 2007;
4. Detailed Implementation Plan and Cost Benefit Analysis – scheduled for completion in June 2008; and
5. Phased implementation and migration to new processes and systems – to be determined.
The earliest the county will begin migration to the new business model is late 2008.
The County Council reviewed the High Level Business Plan along with an appropriation request of approximately $5 million to complete the ABT Program planning effort. With the council's approval today, the ABT Program team is advancing to the High Level Business Design and the Detailed Implementation Plan which outlines the schedule by which agencies will begin performing new business processes and using new systems.
"The next phase for our ABT Program Team is to develop the "how" and "when" the county will be implementing the new business processes." said Caroline Whalen, ABT Deputy Program Sponsor. "The methodical approach used during this phase will enable us to be successful with this large scale countywide effort."