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Starry Associates' web-enabled system addresses the need for a data and report repository offering a complete, accurate, and customized
inquiries and reports. Without compromising security, GovNet-NGŪ's report repository allows client users to access previously downloaded
reports from a proprietary server and search, print, or download reports to their PC in real-time fashion. The benefits of GovNet-NGŪ are
focused on eliminating the time and money consuming aspects of traditional financial report creation and distribution. GovNet-NGŪ's data
repository provides a configurable infrastructure to implement archive and production data storage. The system provides read-only,
inquiry functionality into the data marts.
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| Problem: |
The U. S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) was challenged with a major issue: financial staff not being able to
obtain financial and accounting reports on a timely basis. This was a process issue. Very fast printers printed reports on large hard
copy sheets. Each page or sheet was attached by perforations. High stacks of a paper would get printed out with multiple reports being
contiguously printed using the same box of paper. People had to go through these stacks, identify an individual report, and burst it
(separate it from the stack by tearing along the perforated edges). Each report had to be identified with the user and their location.
Each of the reports had to be distributed manually. This would entail someone go around with a mail cart if they were in the same
building or had to be mailed. More often than not, it would take days.
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| Next Generation: |
A data archive was needed, that was user friendly, and would supply all required legacy data due to initiative within
DHHS to move to new accounting system and processes. In addition, as initiative grew (UFMS) it was discovered that their would be a major
need for a secure reporting repository that could deliver reports in a timely fashion across the web to a vastly distributive, geographic
and business user group.
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| Solution: |
Starry Associates, Inc. identified this as an opportunity to assist government in solving this problem. We designed and
developed a web-based solution so that the users can access the reports from their computer. The users can view the report on the screen
and then print it from a printer located by or near them if they desire. This became another commercial of-the-shelf (COTS) software
called Gov.net®. This was first implemented for the Program Support Center (PSC) and later for the Division of Information Systems &
Technology (DIST). Gov.net® contains substantial security measures to ensure that each user gains access to only that portion of the
data they are given authorization to view. We trained the users and also trained trainers so they can continue to perform the training
for new users.
Upon identification of business need, developed a small prototype system and presented potential options in a working
environment to major decision makers and their business user groups. From 'go forward' point of demonstration, develop full
requirements analysis and proposal/project plan and secured required funding and authorization. Developed the system, which has become a
full DATA REPOSITORY, DATA WAREHOUSE, and REPORT REPOSITORY, in phases that allowed for the implementation of critical legacy data
segments and queries, legacy data reports required for reconciliation after conversion of UFMS, and specific UFMS production reports
(including Discover Reports) that UFMS was not capable of delivering.
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| Outcome: |
Gov.net® was an immediate success! The return on investment was three months. In fact within the first year, HHS realized a
savings of $1 million. It enabled the customers to acquire the daily, weekly, monthly, and year-end reports within one to two days after
the reporting period closed instead of the usual five to ten days. Starry Associates, Inc. assisted the client in becoming successful in
the operational requirement of providing system user's their appropriate reports promptly. Several of our PSC clients and our staff
received government recognition awards.
The System continues to expand exponentially, including the future support of IHS conversion. They system has been received with WOW and
outstanding accolades regarding performance, functionality, and versatility, and has met the needs of the department for a Full Data
Warehouse Solution, that was timely and under budget. In addition, the system has been developed to allow full Web based access, which
has allowed a major business initiative of reviewing data, anywhere, any form, any system, and any time, in a secured environment.
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GovNet-NG currently supports data archive from the legacy system (14 years of documents, approximately 18 million archived documents.
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Supports data archiving for legacy systems and data reporting for the existing accounting systems
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Responds to stored queries in under two seconds
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Provides report distribution to user community and historical report storage
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Generates ad-hoc queries for user-defined parameters
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Secure web-based application that emulates the required user security
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