What’s a recent problem you encountered and solved with your team for a client or organization?
The Michigan team began working with Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC) at the State of Michigan (SoM) to map their As-Is and To-Be processes. The department is planning to either implement a new child welfare case management tool or make modifications to the current system. As the mapping sessions started, our team could tell that the business was unhappy with the tool’s current functionality, or in their opinion, lack thereof. They were also vocal about their apprehension towards the likelihood that any requests made as an outcome of our mapping sessions would hold up, having seen system roll-outs prove less than successful for them in the past. In hopes to both ease the business’s frustration and provide some hope for their future vision, the Michigan netlogx team pulled out all the stops!
First and foremost, we were sure to form great relationships with the business owners. We listened to their problems and took care in listening to what they felt needed to happen for their business to run smoother. By making ourselves relatable, we opened meaningful conversation that provided us with great information leading into mapping.
Throughout mapping their business processes, the issues with the current system became clearer. As a team, we decided to reach a bit beyond our typical deliverables. Along with As-Is and To-Be process maps, identified issues, and a list of prioritized system requirements, we also completed a walk-through of the current system, screen by screen, for every business scenario that takes place within the department. This walk-through was delivered with screen shots, screen names for the developer’s use, and a list of system modifications that the team felt needed to be made.
We did this to help the group intensify their needs to the developers and also help speed up the design sessions that would take place later on. The client was very welcoming to our participation and was satisfied and appreciative of the work that we provided.
