VDH is transforming and updating the Department’s core administrative systems and processes to increase efficiencies and modernize the Department. The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in significant pressure on VDH’s outdated administrative processes and systems. These outdated processes and systems rely on manual workarounds and have created challenges in VDH’s ability to effectively react and respond to the pandemic.

VDH will improve operational efficiencies and effectiveness over the next three years through updates in business systems, IT Service Management (ITSM), IT Asset management (ITAM), Financial and Accounting systems, and the introduction of Robotic Process Automation (RPA) as appropriate. These modernized systems will enable new capabilities and increase productivity while decreasing manual processes, thus mitigating errors, and increasing VDH’s readiness to respond to future public health emergencies.

Over the last three months, VDH has procured a service request solution (ServiceNow), begun implementation, and completed analysis on the current state of IT Service Management and IT Asset Management to inform the ServiceNow configuration. VDH continues to work on RPA projects both to remove unneeded electronic files across the department, and to assess existing manual processes to identify candidates for automation. VDH has also continued to refine the overall initiative roadmap to make sure the initiative is addressing the department’s most pressing needs and can maximize the agency-wide impact of the funding.

These activities are planned to continue into the next quarter, with an expected focus on configuring and rolling out the ServiceNow system across the department, identifying and prioritizing additional opportunities for RPA, completing a current state analysis for grants management, beginning the procurement process for a grants management system, and performing a gap analysis on existing financial management capabilities. The Administrative Systems Initiative is on track to successfully meet the objectives within the three-year ARPA SLFRF funding window.