I recently completed and went live with the new website for the Guild of Professional Tour Guides of Washington, DC, at www.washingtondctourguides.com.
We are pleased to announce that we are assisting Goodwill Industries of South Florida in implementation of new case management software. Goodwill is dedicated to providing rehabilitation, on-the-job training, work experience, and placement services to help people with disabilities and special needs overcome barriers to employment and become employed in the community. Goodwill of South Florida is one of the largest Goodwills in the country and serves a diverse population.
The anticipated benefits from this change include:
- Streamlined processes
- Reduced redundant work
- Better data and improved ability to access data on clients, programs, and services provided, both for daily operations and for strategic decisions
- Better insights into outcomes achieved, and
- Improved and easier reporting.
With Catoctin Consulting, we will assist Goodwill with the change process, from requirement validation and planning onward. We look forward to working closely with them to make this effort a success!
There comes a time to re-assess business processes and information technology in use. The catalyst may be recognition that processes are not effective, that the business is facing new challenges, that technology needs a refresh and people are stuck in their old ways. Frequently, there is pressure to do more with less.
Ursa Major helps clients align business processes with strategy. We start with the big picture, and ask for the strategic plan and other guidance to understand where the organization is focused. In some cases, we've conducted a gap analysis or facilitated strategic planning to update an organization's goals and objectives, prior to delving into the details of its business processes.
Our approach is to work closely with client personnel, to both model their existing processes and lead them though an innovation process to encourage creativity and explore new alternatives. In key areas, we help them conduct benchmarking with other organizations to identify best practices. Based upon the results, we model and facilitate concensus around new processes and develop an implementation plan.
This process is called Enterprise Architecture (EA): alignment of business processes to achieve mission objectives, supported by appropriate technology, and measurable by appropriate performance measures. The Federal government has realized that business-led architecture is more successful in meeting strategic goals and responding to changing mission needs than technology- or budget-driven architecture. The Federal EA Practice Guidance summarizes it in the image below:
The EA provides a shared view of the current and future state. Prioritizing investments by segment helps define the implementation and funding strategy, and executing implementation plans provide strategic results that are measured by improved mission outcomes. The results also provide feedback into the architecture development processes for additional phases of improvements.
We have done EA for federal agencies, using federal standards, and for commercial and nonprofit organizations. We have conducted workshops and focus groups nationwide both in person and using virtual / social networking technologies, to develop integrated processes and systems spanning organizational boundaries. The abilities and expertise are in your organizations -- you just need some help to get it all organized. The results are always impressive!
Most recently, in 2013, we conducted an EA analysis of Management Touchpoints for the U. S. Marine Corps' Enterprise Business Transformation Office.
Content management systems empower ordinary people to update websites and add content. This means that changes and updates can be made and reviewed immediately by those people who understand their own domain -- without needing extensive knowledge of html and web coding. However, the sticking point that delays websites is often getting the content together.
It's all about content, isn't it? The message, the meaning, communicating with the appropriate audience, and accomplishing the mission, without delay or aggravation? There's still sometimes a catch. The content isn't sitting there on a shelf ready to go.
Ursa Major Consulting straddles the line between technology and business savvy. We work with you to set up not just a pretty shell of your website, but to support you in making it a tool to meet your objectives. That means we get inside your head and learn your domain and help you get that content and communication flowing.
We interview your people, read your documents, help get your content structured and recast the material for your approval, accelerating the process you would otherwise have to go through. We not only get your content to your website, we get out your electronic newsletters and other communications as appropriate to your audiences, we plan and facilitate your working groups and your off-site meetings.
We are expert in the Joomla! open source content management system and are also fluent in WordPress. In addition, with our significant Government contracting background, we are expert in writing proposals and a broad range of analytical reports and deliverables. Let us help you with your content!
