Business Process Reengineering

Department of Justice (DOJ)

Project Description

Booz Allen worked with the Department of Justice (DOJ) to develop documentation for the initial concept phase of the Unified Financial Management System (UFMS) project. Concept phase documentation included preliminary functional and system requirements, a cost-benefit analysis, and DOJ-required systems development life-cycle documentation, as well as an acquisition strategy to replace the existing six DOJ financial systems with a single financial system for the Department. During the second phase of this effort, Booz Allen supported Implementation Planning; Program Management; Risk and Issue Management; Scope, Schedule, and Cost Management; Cost Estimating /Financial Management; Communications Management; Documentation; Quality Management; Requirements Management; Configuration Management; Acquisition Management; Security; Testing; Business Process Reengineering (BPR); and Change Management.

The Booz Allen Team has helped to stand up the PMO operation, develop a preliminary UFMS concept of operations and detailed functional and technical requirements (documented using the Rationale toolset), survey the current systems and interfaces, support the acquisition evaluation process, develop detailed BPR and Change Management analyses, and develop final “To-Be” process documentation for each DOJ standard process. 

Intended or Achieved Results

Booz Allen worked with the DOJ to identify and document their business, functional, and system requirements for the selection and evaluation of a UFMS. This requirements analysis was initially performed by leveraging the work of the DOJ Program Office to certify that COTS packages were in compliance with minimum federal requirements, thus focusing our primary requirements-gathering efforts on the development of DOJ’s unique business needs and requirements. Booz Allen conducted facilitated group sessions with DOJ subject matter experts—our preferred way to work through the confirmation and prioritization of DOJ’s core financial requirements—to identify their unique functional and business requirements. Supported by a groupware tool and facilitated by Booz Allen functional, technical, and requirements management and facilitation experts, a group approach fostered consensus and buy-in among diverse stakeholders. In addition, surveys and interviews were administered to gather additional input from the system’s customer base. The documented functional and system requirements were used as the foundation for the DOJ UFMS concept of operations as well as in the evaluation, selection, and testing of a new financial management system.

Business Process Reengineering: For BPR tasks, we developed more than 200 detailed models of the “as-is” financial and procurement business processes. This analysis included all major departmental components. After identifying opportunities for cross-component standardization and for refining the processes, we delivered a cross-component analysis and preliminary DOJ “to-be” process maps and process dictionaries. Once the COTS product was selected, we aligned the preliminary to-be process maps and process dictionaries with the functionality of the system, and we are now working closely with the COTS vendor to develop the final to-be process maps and process dictionaries.

In support of the BPR task, Booz Allen conducted extensive interviews and focus groups with subject matter experts at each component. As a result of this data collection activity, we documented and analyzed roughly 30 financial and procurement processes being performed by the agency. This work was performed in close collaboration with the component’s Financial Management and Procurement divisions. Our approach included team-based data gathering techniques and structured modeling tools. In addition to developing models of all as-is processes within our scope, we have completed development of a performance metrics baseline and identified the level of effort applied to process performance and typical transaction cycle times. Analyzing this information, we identified opportunities for improvement that can be realized through the use of a new COTS application. Our work was also informed by our examination of best practices relating to financial and procurement processes in both Government and private industry. Evaluating the potential application of best practices and the projected impacts of a COTS toolset, we developed a preliminary analysis of the savings in the level of effort and the improvements of cycle time.

The Booz Allen Team, collaborating with the component’s subject matter experts, designed a new set of DOJ-standard financial and procurement processes with the objective of optimizing the capabilities provided by the selected COTS package. This work resulted in preliminary to-be process maps that incorporate the improvements that will be possible with the implementation of the UFMS. Once the COTS product was selected, the Booz Allen Team worked with the COTS vendor to refine the preliminary to-be processes to develop draft final to-be processes that were aligned with the COTS product. Once the integrator is selected, the to-be processes will be finalized and leveraged to train users on the financial and procurement processes.

Change Management: In support of our change management work, we conducted a workforce assessment of the staff currently supporting the financial and procurement processes within the scope of this effort. The purpose of this analysis was to provide a staffing baseline that can be used to assess the impact of the transition to a new performance model for the processes under review. Using our four-dimensional approach to change management, we assessed the potential impacts to policies and the work performance culture. After all the dimensions of change were fully evaluated, we provided DOJ and the components with a complete impact analysis. This analysis identified all areas of impact and strategies for mitigating risk and ensuring that project objectives could be accomplished in the move to the new performance mode. 

Washington Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority (WMATA)

Project Description

Booz Allen provides Systems Integration (SI) services to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) for requirements validation, design, testing, implementation, and deployment of WMATA’s Information Technology Renewal Program (ITRP). ITRP is a WMATA initiative focused on the information technology (IT) aspects of the renewal of the bus and rail system, which will ready the system to provide the next generation of service to the people of the National Capital Region. ITRP uses commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) software packages to replace systems for supporting the following functional areas:

• Bus, Rail, Scheduling, and Dispatch

• Financials: Accounting, Budgeting, Capital Projects, Procurement, and others

• Human Resources, Benefits, Payroll, and others

• Maintenance and Materiel Management

ITRP’s goal was to transform WMATA’s IT infrastructure by providing more efficient processes and industry best practices, in order to improve the productivity of WMATA employees, enabling them to minimize repetitive clerical tasks and concentrate on adding more value. Another important ITRP goal was to implement the selected COTS packages with an absolute minimum of customization to take maximum advantage of built-in best business practices and avoid unnecessary maintenance and training costs.

The Booz Allen Team uses a structured, end-to-end approach to COTS package implementation, which is based on prior experiences and has been adapted to incorporate specific requirements of the ITRP. The team’s approach applies commercial and government best practices and incorporates our firm’s successful experience implementing complex system-implementation projects to:

• Implement COTS packages iteratively
• Manage requirements systematically
• Leverage best practices built into COTS systems
• Minimize customization of COTS packages
• Continuously verify software quality
• Control changes to software, including databases

Intended or Achieved Results

Business Process Reengineering/Improvement (BPR): The BPR team reviewed current business processes (“as-is”) and developed new or redesigned business processes (“to-be”) based on the ERP applications and on COTS and industry best practices. The team also developed metrics for as-is and to-be maps. We mapped more than 50 existing processes, developed redesigned or new processes, identified best practices, and developed cost savings estimates for the redesigned or new processes. Booz Allen also revalidated metrics and maps for BRSD. Currently, Booz Allen is leading a performance management/measurement effort.

Workforce Planning: Workforce Planning provided coaching and support to the ITRP leadership and the Department of Workforce Development and Diversity Programs, including the Offices of Human Resource Management and Planning, Employee and Labor Relations, and Organizational Development. Booz Allen developed demographic profiles (workforce analysis) for each application’s impacted population and also worked closely with each affected department, using these demographic profiles as a starting point, to develop workforce recommendations in alignment with the business process and system changes.

Communication: In this continuing effort, Booz Allen coaches the communications manager for the ITRP on how to keep WMATA employees informed about project milestones, training, and business process impacts. This task requires the development and execution of communication plans as well as post-deployment evaluation. We:

• Developed a global ITRP communication strategy and plan
• Developed application-specific communications plans
• Executes and manages communications plans
• Develops communications products
• Provides product development coaching for WMATA

Curriculum Development: WMATA has chosen a train-the-trainer approach for training delivery. This task requires the development of materials as well as delivery to end users. For each of the four applications, we:

• Conduct training needs analysis
• Design and develop curricula
• Develop training content in OnDemand, which allows users to review, practice, and test key business processes and system functionality
• Conduct sessions to TTT