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Assessor

’

_’

s Office

_{s Office}

Workflow Systems

John Ragan John Ragan Consultant

Consultant -- Colorado Colorado CustomWare

CustomWare, Inc., Inc. Retired Assessor

Retired Assessor –– City and County City and County of Denver

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.

(4)

John Ragan

20 years with the Denver Assessor

’

s

Office

Manager of Personal Property

Assessments, Deputy Assessor and

Assessor

Previously with the University of

Denver, and the Federal Reserve Bank

(5)

Automated Workflow Basics

““Taking a manual process and applying Taking a manual process and applying

technology to it in a way that reduces costs

and increases speed, reliability and

accuracy

accuracy…”…”

““A software tool which allows the A software tool which allows the

organization to develop and manage

business processes

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More specifically

…

_…

Electronic workflow systems are

rules

-

_-

based electronic document

_{based electronic document}

routing systems that enable users

to process work more efficiently

and more accurately than with

paper processing.

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Evolution of workflow products

Workflow products have evolved from Workflow products have evolved from

diverse origins, such as document imaging

systems, document management systems,

etc, or from vendors of other types of

automated systems who saw the need to

enhance those systems with a workflow

function.

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Workflow diagram

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Sources for workflow systems

…

_…

Vendors who also provide

valuation software systems

Vendors who specialize in

workflow systems which can be

integrated into the valuation

system already in use at an

assessor

’

s office

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Case study in Denver

Modest beginningsModest beginnings

Wanted Clerk and Recorder to scan deeds and Wanted Clerk and Recorder to scan deeds and route those images electronically to our

route those images electronically to our

Ownership Change staff.

CAMA, personal property valuation, and CAMA, personal property valuation, and

administrative software systems already in place

Aligned our needs with goal of city managers for Aligned our needs with goal of city managers for a citywide document imaging and workflow

a citywide document imaging and workflow

system; offered to be the pilot program.

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Denver

…

_…

First intraFirst intra--office workflow step: problem office workflow step: problem

deeds

First problem discovered: employees First problem discovered: employees

forwarding work anonymously

Personal property section joins the Personal property section joins the

workflow (already were using online

filings)

Scan personal property declarations, route Scan personal property declarations, route

the images to the queues of staff members

for processing.

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Scanning, routing, working

…

_…

Scan deeds or personal property Scan deeds or personal property

declarations

Route the images of those documentsRoute the images of those documents

Enable employees to do their work by Enable employees to do their work by

viewing the document images

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Broader uses

…

_…

Not just scanning and routing deeds and Not just scanning and routing deeds and declarations:

declarations:

*creating packets for field work

*generating e

*generating e--mailsmails *time study

*time study

*workflow initiated for one department by

another (i.e., a valuation correction in the

assessor

assessor’’s office causes workflow into treasurers office causes workflow into treasurer’’s s office where a refund is generated)

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Appeals processingAppeals processing

Online appeals routed to appropriate Online appeals routed to appropriate

individuals

Highly automated appeals workflow Highly automated appeals workflow

(Harris County Appraisal District

(Harris County Appraisal District’’s online s online appeals and automated responses with

appeals and automated responses with

calculated offers of adjusted values)

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Shared Databases

In addition to using images of documents, In addition to using images of documents,

skip the document and use shared

databases (Service Oriented Architecture)

An example from Denver: Title companies An example from Denver: Title companies

will electronically route information from

their databases directly to the Assessor

their databases directly to the Assessor’’s s Office, bypassing the need for the Clerk

Office, bypassing the need for the Clerk

and Recorder to scan the deeds.

(16)

“

Ammunition

”

-

Obtaining budget

approval

Arguments, strategies, etc, which can be used Arguments, strategies, etc, which can be used

when seeking budget approval for a when seeking budget approval for a

workflow system: workflow system:

““Upgrade to existing systemUpgrade to existing system””

Possible lower cost if you are an early user of Possible lower cost if you are an early user of

the software. the software.

Other city/county offices can use the same Other city/county offices can use the same

system. system.

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“

Ammunition

_Ammunition

”

_”

cont

_cont

’

_’

d

_d

Productivity enhancement study showing benefits Productivity enhancement study showing benefits

of eliminating manual procedures.

Savings on archival/retrieval costs for offSavings on archival/retrieval costs for off--site site

storage of documents.

New legislation which can be cited as reason for New legislation which can be cited as reason for

acquiring new systems (new valuation tables,

complicated exemptions, appeals procedures, etc)

Shift in any existing responsibilities from state to Shift in any existing responsibilities from state to

local

Newly elected officials or new I.T. directors who Newly elected officials or new I.T. directors who

want system improvements or consolidated

databases, workflow systems, etc.

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“

Ammunition

_Ammunition

”

_”

cont

_cont

’

_’

d

_d

Old system is close to obsolete, hard to service, etc, Old system is close to obsolete, hard to service, etc,

and there are significant dangers that would be faced

if the system failed.

Improvement in service by completing tasks more Improvement in service by completing tasks more

quickly (timely ownership changes, for example)

The importance of I.T. support: Assessor should The importance of I.T. support: Assessor should

fully educate their I.T. leaders

By partnering with I.T., assessors can get in the By partnering with I.T., assessors can get in the

queue for limited resources and have another

champion in the budget request process.

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The more the C.I.O. knows, the better the The more the C.I.O. knows, the better the

initial estimates will be for the project, initial estimates will be for the project,

reducing possible cost overruns and delays. reducing possible cost overruns and delays.

From the vendor side: Does the vendor have From the vendor side: Does the vendor have

any flexibility in pricing to help the city or any flexibility in pricing to help the city or

county stay within their budget? county stay within their budget?

(20)

Questions to ask regarding a proposed

automated workflow project

automated workflow project……

Have you conducted a thorough study of your business processes, Have you conducted a thorough study of your business processes,

streamlining them and making them consistent? If you have, are y

streamlining them and making them consistent? If you have, are you ou

thoroughly convinced that your new procedures are exactly what y

thoroughly convinced that your new procedures are exactly what you ou

want to automate?

Has your city or county implemented automated workflow and Has your city or county implemented automated workflow and

integrated it with applications in other departments, or is this

integrated it with applications in other departments, or is this the first the first

time?

If you previously implemented automated workflow elsewhere If you previously implemented automated workflow elsewhere

successfully, can you tap into the internal expert that led the

successfully, can you tap into the internal expert that led the initiative, initiative,

and learn from his or her successes and failures?

If this is the first time, do you have highly skilled IT staff tIf this is the first time, do you have highly skilled IT staff that hat

understand the complexities of system integration and workflow d

understand the complexities of system integration and workflow design, esign,

and who know the vendor

and who know the vendor’’s product at the necessary level of detail? s product at the necessary level of detail?

Do you have the IT resources necessary to handle the workflow Do you have the IT resources necessary to handle the workflow

implementation and integration, as well as the design review, in

implementation and integration, as well as the design review, interviews terviews

and testing with key staff, and training, in addition to their c

and testing with key staff, and training, in addition to their current job urrent job

requirements?

Are you flexible with regard to the project completion date? Is Are you flexible with regard to the project completion date? Is it it

acceptable for the project to be slowed by other priorities or d

acceptable for the project to be slowed by other priorities or design flaws esign flaws

that are discovered during the process?

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Your employees

Employee response to implementation of Employee response to implementation of

workflow can vary (by age group, or by

tenure, technical sophistication, etc)

Involve employees, or representatives from Involve employees, or representatives from

employee groups, when holding planning

meetings for the workflow system

(22)

Information sources

San Diego County AssessorSan Diego County Assessor’’s Office Project Case s Office Project Case

Study:

http://www.ecmconnection.com/downloads/detail http://www.ecmconnection.com/downloads/detail

.aspx?docid=a78900ce

.aspx?docid=a78900ce--f5abf5ab--49094909--a2dda2dd--0324094664d40324094664d4

Solano County Budget Proposal and Justifications: Solano County Budget Proposal and Justifications:

http://www.solanocounty.com/propbudget/pdf/U http://www.solanocounty.com/propbudget/pdf/U

1140.pdf 1140.pdf

Article on workflow basics and functions: Article on workflow basics and functions:

http://www.gonzobanker.com/article.aspx?Article=246 http://www.gonzobanker.com/article.aspx?Article=246

Workflow Management Coalition: Workflow Management Coalition:

http://

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