Case Study - State of Delaware Office of Pensions

CherryRoad Technologies' recommendations help the Delaware Pension Office prepare itself for the transformation to a Web-enabled environment, saving hundreds of thousands of dollars in the process.

Challenge:	To manage an overwhelming volume of complex data, prepare for future expansion with fixed resources and improve customer satisfaction.
Solution:	CherryRoad Technologies assessed Delaware's Pension Office business and provided 40 detailed, strategic recommendations to streamline processes and better utilize technology, specifically the Internet.
Features:	A blueprint for implementing many streamlined transaction processes, a strategy to move these processes to the Web, many enhanced business practices throughout the Pension Office and identification of enabling technologies for each situation.
Benefits:	Simplified business processes that eliminate redundancy, reduce manual transactions with increased efficiency, realign accountability for data integrity and significantly reduce the number of forms required.

Delaware's Pension Office Business Processes Needed an Update

With only 50 full-time employees at the Pension Office and no plan to increase staff, the volume and manual nature of the existing business were overwhelming. Some of the Delaware Pension Office's procedures had been in place for over 20 years and management wanted to incorporate best practices while getting away from "that's the way we always did it." They also wanted to move their processes to the Internet, but were not sure where to start. CherryRoad recommended that management perform a business assessment, utilizing our proven assessment and redesign methodologies and web strategy expertise to evaluate the effectiveness of the Office of Pension's processes and its readiness to move to the Web.

Increasing Efficiency and Improving Service to Pension Customers

CherryRoad performed a detailed assessment of the Delaware Pension Office's business in the areas of employee administration, retiree maintenance, refunds and data collection. Objectives of the assessment were to identify productivity improvements, operating inefficiencies and cost-saving opportunities. We also determined which of its processes could benefit from utilizing available technology, relying on our depth of experience in this field. This included better utilizing their ERP system, imaging, Intranet/Internet capabilities, workflow and other enablers. Our approach included interviews, brainstorming with management, process walk-throughs, transaction testing, cost/benefit analyses and change management considerations. CherryRoad worked with the Pension Office management to envision the future of their business. We then provided 40 strategic recommendations including quick hits to improve productivity, short-term actions to enhance existing processes while establishing a platform for change, and long-term initiatives aligned with Delaware's envisioned future and objectives.

A Single Recommendation Provides a 300 percent ROI

Among the 40 recommendations were steps to realign data verification and integrity at the source, automated and more effective data collection and input processes, and a significant reduction in the number of forms used (from 69 to 11). Many improvements required no investment, just a change in methods. During CherryRoad Technologies' assessment process, we recommended eliminating a redundant audit of data that was already being performed at other state agencies. This recommendation alone will provide a return on investment on the project of over 300 percent. Says John McCartney, strategic information systems manager for the State of Delaware's Office of Pensions, "We can't say enough about our partnership with CherryRoad Technologies. Their technical expertise, integrity and ability to truly listen and react to our needs helped make this project a tremendous success."

The CherryRoad Advantage

CherryRoad Technologies practical, proven approach to problem solving and our commitment to open communication helps our relationships with clients grow. Our recommended improvements will increase efficiency throughout the pension administration department. We're now in Phase 2 of our strategic plan for Delaware's Pension Office, where we've developed an integrated Web strategy, which incorporated a customer survey to better understand what the constituents want. The results of this phase will further enhance and expand the services provided to customers and the options they have to access them. The Pension Office can now manage its entire operation more effectively and is poised for the desired expansion of service offerings, which is helping to restore the public's belief in government that works.