BDMP CLIENT SUCCESS STORIES
At BDMP, we take pride in using our skills to help clients effectively manage the scope, timeline, resources, communication, risk, quality, issue management and costs associated with projects. We share these examples with you in hopes that you may be able to apply one or more of these examples to facilitate your project’s success.
NH Statewide Information Technology Plan
Situation
The Division of Information Technology Management (DITM) was tasked by the State legislature with developing the State’s first Statewide Information Technology Plan (SITP). This effort involved facilitating the development of, and rolling up the Information Technology (IT) Plans from over 60 state agencies.
Action
A team of BDMP management consultants designed and implemented an approach that enabled DITM to promote teambuilding, buy-in, and communication among a large number of project participants representing the six functional areas within state government. With our assistance, DITM encouraged team members to actively participate in the project as early as possible to give each individual a stake in the project’s success.
Results/Benefits
Upon completion of the project, we provided DITM with four documents that created new standards, governance, and guidelines for over $85 million of IT expenditures; and established a new “Enterprise Approach” to IT with an emphasis on e-Government. The four documents were: NH Strategic Information Technology Plan 2002-2005, e-Government Strategy & Architecture, NH Information Architecture Principles, and Citizen’s Report.
Project Management for Development of a Statewide Time and Attendance System
Situation
The State of Maine Bureau of Accounts and Control undertook a complex information technology project that would potentially affect every state employee. Subject matter experts responsible for the success of the project did not have professional software development project management experience.
Action
A senior consultant from BDMP’s Management and Technology Consulting Group mentored project staff, facilitated business and technical meetings, and worked with a large and diverse group of agency stakeholders to successfully develop and implement the web-based application.
Results/Benefits
The project benefited employees in virtually all state agencies. According to the State Controller, dramatic savings have been realized from processing efficiency and greater access to time and attendance information for human resource and financial accounting professionals throughout state. The project raised the skill levels of dozens of employees and will serve as a model for future IT projects within the state.
Enterprise Resource Planning
Situation
A state government was using an assortment of legacy systems to handle its accounting, budgeting, purchasing and human resource functions. The systems were up to 19 years old, and they were not meeting the needs of their users. State leaders were being solicited by vendors promoting their latest Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system technologies, and they knew these systems held promise. They had watched other states spend tens of millions of dollars to replace similar systems, and did not want to be led down the same road by ERP system salespeople without a clear direction.
Action
We met with staff in the administrative departments who manage and oversee the legacy systems and conducted open forums with users from all of the State’s departments to discuss the shortcomings of the current systems. We interviewed other states to determine where their projects went right and wrong. We scrutinized the marketing claims and objectively analyzed proposed costs for new ERP systems. Finally, we developed two alternatives to the legacy systems, and examined the costs, advantages and disadvantages of each by developing a return on investment analysis. We identified critical success factors and provided an approach to implementing the alternatives.
Results/Benefits
Based on the information we provided, IT leaders were able to initiate a system replacement project. Our report demonstrated the necessity of moving forward with a system improvement project and was used to help persuade legislators and executive branch leaders of the need to act quickly to address the deficiencies of the legacy applications.
Commonwealth of Massachusetts Group Insurance Commission
Situation
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Group Insurance Commission's (GIC) mission is to provide over 250,000 Massachusetts state employees, retiree, and their dependents with access to quality benefits at a reasonable cost. The GIC determined that it was subejct to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). As such, they recognized the need to conduct a gap analysis as part of their effort to comply with HIPAA.
Action
We conducted an analysis and assessment of the GIC’s operations in order to understand the potential impact of HIPAA on the GIC’s operations, make recommendations, and provide model privacy notices and agreements. The project included analysis of systems and processes as they related to the Privacy standard, the proposed Security standard, and Transaction Set 834. This project demonstrates our knowledge of the HIPAA rules and our ability to assess this complex health plan administrator and make recommendations regarding steps necessary to become compliant. During this project, we worked closely with GIC’s counsel to assure that recommendations for policy and procedure development could later be applied during implementation.
Results/Benefits
The identified gaps and resulting recommendations were used as the basis for planning future phases of the GIC's HIPAA compliance plan. An implementation plan was developed by BDMP for GIC to help them prepare for, coordinate, and execute the tasks to achieve HIPAA compliance.
Quality Assurance for MMIS and PBM System Implementation
Situation
The State of West Virginia, Bureau for Medical Services (BMS) undertook the implementation of a replacement Medicaid Management Information System (MMIS) and a point of sale Pharmacy Benefits Management (PBM) system to improve MMIS processing, and comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA).
Action
BDMP provided quality assurance monitoring services to the West Virginia Bureau for Medical Services for the replacement of their Medicaid Management Information System and transition of fiscal agent services. We worked with Bureau and vendor personnel to foster a cooperative and proactive team approach to ensuring the quality and timely completion of contracted products and services. BDMP helped West Virginia establish quality standards and performance measures to help ensure they derived the full benefit of their fiscal agent contracts. We assisted the team in early identification and remediation of deficiencies. We proactively identified risks and provided objective, practical recommendations to minimize the probability and impact of potential problems.
Results/Benefits
BDMP modeled and applied effective practices to help West Virginia succeed where other states have struggled. The West Virginia Bureau for Medical Services has successfully implemented their Medicaid Management Information System and Pharmacy Benefits Management system. Both systems have been certified by the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V) of Medicaid Decision Support System
Situation
The State of New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) contracted with a vendor to design, develop, and implement a Medicaid Decision Support System (MDSS). The successful implementation of the MDSS was critical for DHHS to meet federal reporting requirements and would provide DHHS with the ability to expand their overall capabilities to manage their Medicaid program.
Action
BDMP worked with the State and the implementation vendor to objectively verify and validate the design, development, and implementation of the MDSS to determine whether the system met stated business requirements. We identified issues, risks, and system impacts and provided independent recommendations to mitigate potential problems. In addition to providing IV&V services, BDMP also developed the User Acceptance Test (UAT) Plan and facilitated UAT activities.
Results/Benefits
As with most large system implementation projects, challenges arose during the course of the project. Our IV&V methodology provided a framework that was effectively used by the State to proactively identify project risks, develop risk mitigation strategies, and help the project ultimately reach successful conclusion.
NH DHHS is now using the MDSS to meet reporting system requirements, including the federally-mandated Management and Administrative Reporting System (MARS) and Surveillance and Utilization Review System (SURS). In addition, the MDSS allows the agency to more fully utilize information in the evaluation of program performance in key areas, including quality of care, cost of care, fraud and abuse, and for other important analytical purposes.