ICT modernization at CBR: shorter lead times and lower costs
"The services of CBR's Medical and Punitive Measures Division and its ICT department need to be substantially improved."
So judged the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment in 2011. But what specifically needed to be improved? In the case of the Medical and Punitive Measures Division (the division of CBR that investigates driving fitness; medical and claims), this concerned the excessively long turnaround times and high costs of service provision. "It was said: intervention is needed," explains Erik van Zegveld, partner and management consultant at Highberg. "The Driving Ability Division needs to be redesigned and the ICT landscape modernized, as it was very outdated."
Paper forms
One of the biggest stumbling blocks is the paper form people get when they want to apply for a Personal Declaration. Van Zegveld: "On this form there are ten questions about various conditions that must be truthfully filled in with 'yes' or 'no'. If you answer 'no' ten times, you are fit to drive. If there is a 'yes', you often need a follow-up appointment with, for example, a neurologist, physiotherapist or ophthalmologist.
These referrals are difficult because the information used to determine which specialist to refer someone to is very limited. As a result, people are sometimes not referred directly to the right specialist and have to go back again. In a digital portal, if you get a 'yes' you can immediately display sub-questions, which allows you to gather additional information and thus make faster and better decisions."
The momentum
The processes need a shake-up, was the ministry's assessment years ago. To achieve that, the Driving Fitness at the Wheel program was set up in 2012. The idea of this program: look at the business case, what is going wrong, examine what new processes are needed and convert these processes to technology. Van Zegveld: "A lot of time went into that. You could say: too much time. When I was hired as program manager at the end of 2014, the global processes had only just been completed. My intention: get the momentum going. The program had to get out of the design phase and focus on building and preparing for the transition."
From design phase to going live
In addition to shorter processing times and lower costs for citizens, it also means an upcoming reorganization within the division. As program manager, Erik van Zegveld has taken the program from the design phase to the eve of the first go live. For this purpose, detailed process and information designs were delivered, an organization and formation report and a corresponding Works Council advisory request. In addition, a request for proposal including program requirements and project start architecture were described, a procurement process was completed for a system integrator, and a scrum-based working method was set up for the build phase.
Erik got the program that had somewhat stalled back on track and off the ground. "What is interesting about this program is not only the improvement of the internal processes based on digitization and LEAN, but also the optimization in the chain based on these concepts. Specifically: the interaction with general practitioners, specialists, police and judiciary."
Would you like to know more about this assignment? If so, please contact Erik van Zegveld without obligation.
