...Running head: Harris County: Going Paperless Harris County: Going Paperless Managerial Applications of Information Technology OVERVIEW OF THE ORGANIZATION The Harris County Juvenile Probation Department is committed to the protection of the public, utilizing intervention strategies that are community-based, family-oriented and least restrictive while emphasizing responsibility and accountability of both parent and child. As part of our core values we value the belief that everyone is to be treated with dignity and respect. We believe that each person has innate worth, dignity and capacity for positive change. We value services that are ethical, effective and culturally competent. We hold high and promote a positive image of the department, the employees and our role within the community. We take pride in an environment that promotes initiative, productivity, teamwork and professional growth. We uphold to an atmosphere which stresses tolerance and is free of discrimination. We strive in developing collaborative efforts with judicial, legislative and community partners. The Harris County Juvenile Probation Department operates a Leadership Academy, a Detention Center, a secure residential treatment center and a non-secure residential treatment center. ( hcjpd. Org, 2009). The Texas Family Code, Chapter 58 requires that agencies in Texas report juvenile criminal history to the Department of Public Safety in Austin beginning January 1, 1996. The Harris County Juvenile...
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...Part 1 Final Project “Will a paperless environment improve the Veterans Benefit Processing?” Timberly M Williams Kaplan University GM505 Action Research and Consulting Skills Professor Dr. Barbara-Leigh Tonelli 08/20/2013 Part One of Final Project This paper explains the benefits of a paperless environment within the Department of Veteran Affairs. Here I will research all of the positive and negative benefits on how this process will help eliminate Veterans wait time on benefit approval. Scope and Purpose VBA is responding to the significant expansion in the scope and complexity of its mission. While VA completed a record-breaking 1 million claims per year over the past three years, the number of claims received continues to exceed the number processed and the backlog of claims has grown. In response, VA is implementing a comprehensive Transformation plan—a series of people, process and technology initiatives—to increase productivity and accuracy of disability claims processing. Once the Transformation is fully implemented, VA expects to systematically reduce the backlog and reach its 2015 goal - to eliminate the claims backlog and process all claims within 125 days with 98 percent accuracy. | VBA Compensation Benefits There are currently 3.9 million Veterans receiving disability benefits from VA. In the past four years, VA has added more than 940,000 Veterans to the VA compensation rolls, more than the active duty Army and Navy combined. In fiscal year 2012...
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...Save the environment Many people who use computers whether it's for their home or business are moving toward a "paperless" office. Individuals are becoming overwhelmed by scraps of paper, and unorganized file folders, we are simply looking for ways to reduce clutter. Many organizations and institutions have at least made a partial move to a paperless office. They are doing so by; using scanners instead of copying machines, sending electronic faxes instead of paper faxes, and storing information electronically instead of in filing cabinets. It would be a myth if most people believed it was possible to go completely "paperless". Technology is available now to make a paperless office a reality, but it will require a cultural change and a change in work habits to be fully realized. There are numerous obstacles and attitudes which needs to change, prior to your home office or business can go green. One major obstacle is ensuring that your files are properly backed up. In the past, we would typically make a photocopy of a document and place it in a folder so that it can be easily retrieved from a filing cabinet. Now, many businesses have developed an electronic filing system utilizing software such as Microsoft Word, or even customized programs for storing documents. Unfortunately, those files can't just be created; they are required to be backed up as well. There are numerous solutions on the market which can assist individuals and corporations to safely backup...
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...implement into the workplace that has a little impact on performance. Changes are easily ignored. Making changes successfully in a company requires specific leadership skills and management strategies which including effective communication and alignment to initiate changes and reduce resistance. The goal of this case study is to analyze problems of an accounting company, BestAccountants, PC (B-AC) when it faced a system change from 2008 to 2009 by using structural and human resource frames. 2. Background Information BestAccountants, PC (B-AC) is located in southern U.S. It is a medium sized accounting firm which engages in personal tax work and company accounting. The goal of B-AC’S Managing Partner, Ima Bigwig, was to create a “paperless office”. To achieve her goal, she instantly decided to develop some changes, which were having a new system, database, and accounting software to decrease the usage of paper and physical storage in the office. Thus she grouped a team to design a training program to teach their staff how to use the new system in order to raise productivity and access documents more...
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...Paperless accounting firms are becoming increasingly prevalent in a rapidly evolving business environment. A substantial number of firms are researching and implementing paperless systems as a means to increase efficiency, provide a higher level of reliability to customers, and decrease costs. This paper will examine some of the advantages and disadvantages of paperless accounting, some necessary steps in implementing the new technology, as well as the relation between paperless systems and the COSO Internal Control Framework. There are many reasons a firm could desire to change from a paper-based system to an electronic system. Substantial research and analysis should be done on both the current work system and the prospective paperless system to determine if a firm is capable of making the switch, and if the switch would be beneficial by a cost/benefit level. In determining if a firm should transition to a paperless work environment, it is important for the company to examine the costs associated with both options. Some of the costs associated with paper-based business environments include: * An average of $20 in labor costs to file a document * An average of $120 in labor costs searching for missing documents * An average of $220 in labor costs on reproducing lost documents * $24 to manually produce an invoice In determining the costs associated with the implementation of a new paperless business environment, the firm must examine the needs of the company...
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...Proving efficiencies by going Paperless In an effort to reduce the amount of paper my team was generating for my Company, I needed to prove the efficiency of obtaining an electronic system to create and store documentation. A company trying to go paperless can be a vast undertaking as well as very costly. Since cost will drive the change, I needed identify the key components and benefit it would be to the organization to obtain such a tool. It would seem like a simple change, but when you work in a regulated environment, you need to ensure you have the right system in place that does not compromise data. There is also always that question of how do you make that switch, what is the best application to use to drive cost down, and more importantly, what do you do with all the existing paper? During my tenure with my company, I was a manager of a validation team that tested Interactive Voice Response Systems for Clinical Trials. Paper documents were printed daily, showing proof of work performed, and kept in a locked storage cabinet for future use. Over time, and many discussions with my staff and outside clients, it was apparent that our competitors were way ahead of us technically and were moving in the direction of using paperless systems. The collection of paper that my teamed generated was in massive quantities. The storage of the documentation became a greater problem since space was limited. The issue was that documentation, needed to be kept for the lifecycle...
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...at the Paperless Office concept was first introduced in the 70-ties, as a futuristic office work-style, when the first personal computers were introduced. Advances in information & communication technology has since then made the Paperless Office a feasible reality. The advantages of going paperless are many and undeniable. LEARN MORE ABOUT PAPERLESS The terms "paperless," "electronic," and "digital" are often used interchangeably to describe work which previously was done with paper, but which now has been adapted to information & communication technology (ICT) devices and software. The Information Technology Association of America (ITAA) has defined information technology (IT) in the electronic era as "the study, design, development, implementation, support or management of computer-based information systems, particularly software applications and computer hardware." IT entails processes involving the use of computers and software to create, convert, store, process, transmit, and retrieve information securely. The term has recently been broadened to ICT (Information and Communications Technology), so as to include the idea of electronic communication. To be paperless means essentially that the traditional paper-based practices-such as writing, note taking, reading, editing, communicating, and even drawing-are instead performed electronically with ICT devices and software. Much has been said and written about the paperless office in recent years, and the rapid development...
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...article, the author talks about accounting firms going green. Some firms are doing this by going paperless. On the other hand, some firms are reluctant to go green. The article discusses the advantages and disadvantages of becoming a paperless office. The author is doing this discussion because he wants to help his readers have a better understanding of how and why more and more accounting firms are deciding to go green. Going green was first seen as a way of reducing negative effects on the environment. During a recession, it is viewed as a way to stay competitive. Some examples of going green are: going paperless, using reusable water bottles, carpooling, and/or “rewarding employees for participating in green activities”. There are many advantages to going green. By doing this, the company will have better efficiency and productivity, which they can benefit from with the cost savings. The savings will favor both the employee and the firm. It will make them more competitive and profitable. Another advantage is that the quality of service will be better because of the use of technology. Customers like for their visits to be quick and easy. By using less paper, they can get everything they need in just a short amount of time, which will make them happy. By utilizing technology, the firm will be seen as technologically advanced which appeals the younger generations. Going paperless allows firms to be more up-to-date with their customers and gives them an edge over their competitors...
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...CRISOSTOMO, Jestine A. Age of Paperless Paper / Online newsroom When I was young, my mother taught me how to write on paper. Tracing letters to words and drawing of dog or a flower. When I was growing up, my teacher always want us to write essays, poems or even lectures on paper - back to back. Yeah, I had a tough time writing on paper but I do know that because of that experience, I learn how to write, to read, to compose and to draw or sketch. Paper is a thin sheet of a material made from fibers derived from wood or grass. A thin sheet that helped me molds the person that I am now and a thin sheet that gave me the knowledge that I have now. Through the years, paper is used as a medium to convey printed or written information such as books, magazines, newspaper, and etc. Today, the digitalization in the print industry leads to an assumption that the Age of paperless paper is coming. Yes, paperless, based on the pessimistic people. No more printed outputs, no more newspapers and magazines or even books that are held and read by human. Of course, electronic books (ebooks) are available now. You can have a book on your gadget for free or pay just a little amount rather than buying a real book. Online newspaper and magazines too are converging to online world. They already have applications that let you read the same newspaper using just your gadget with the help of the internet. Cool right? Life becomes easier with the advent of technology. But it gives a hard time to the print...
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...The ALTTC, which is the apex-training center of BSNL, started with the vision to make ALTTC total paperless institution and become a role model for BSNL. To achieve its vision & mission it started with the its core activity i.e. Making its training activities as Paperless. A project called CTMS (Computerised Training Management System) was developed and designed under the direction of GM(ICT) Smt. Alpana Aggarwal. It was started under the supervision of the then PGM ALTTC Shri N.K. Srivastava Its aim was to have a complete and effective automation of Training Activities which should result in reduced administrative costs and convenience to the participants and to the faculty as well. Since project implementation required sufficient knowledge about the training system & processes at ALTTC hence it was decided to complete the task with the available officers in ALTTC. The importance of the CTMS can be understood by the fact its phase-I was inaugurated by the CMD BSNL Shri A. K. Sinha and its phase- III was inaugurated by Secretary (T) & the Chairman Telecom Commission Shri J.S.Sarma.The ALTTC, which is the apex-training center of BSNL, started with the vision to make ALTTC total paperless institution and become a role model for BSNL. To achieve its vision & mission it started with the its core activity i.e. Making its training activities as Paperless. A project called CTMS (Computerised Training Management System) was developed and designed under the direction of GM(ICT) Smt....
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...Gordon E. Moore suggested that theoretical computing power would double every two years; this 40 year old prediction is colloquially referred to as “Moore’s Law” and has yet to be disproven. With the raw computing power at their disposal effectively doubling every year, hardware and software makers are free to make some interesting contributions to the paperless office. An additional benefit of this technology explosion is a reduction in costs: the more time spent producing these technologies, the more efficiency that can be realized, hence the cost is driven down. Two technologies stand out as being the most influential on the paperless office: storage and optical character recognition (OCR). OCR has improved vastly over the last decade, approaching the point where it is a viable business technology. Storage technology is obviously crucial to the paperless office – after all, every document has to be stored somewhere whether in a file cabinet or a CD-ROM. Here, too, Moore’s law is at work, doubling the amount of storage in the same physical space roughly every two years. A key stumbling block for the truly paperless office has yet to be fully overcome: technology is not infallible. Even the most well-designed computer system will occasionally experience service outages. Paper, on the other hand, is concrete. Paper does not require electricity and is easily shared or copied. There is also a psychological advantage to paper, in that it is a physical object that can’t...
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...What is internal control? Why is internal control important in organizations? Internal controls are processes established by a business or organizations board of directors, management and other personnel to provide reasonable assurance for that businesses objectives in effectiveness and efficiency, reliability of financial reports and compliance with laws and regulations. Internal controls are used to safeguard businesses assets. They help a to establish guidelines within a business and makes sure that everyone within that business follows those guidelines and procedures. Internal controls are important because without them a business would be more susceptible to fraud. Internal controls are used to prevent people from stealing from a business and to make sure all the rules are followed. Feedback: Internal control is a system of policies and procedures designed to help an organization run more efficiently and effectively. Without strong internal control, an organization is much more susceptible to various forms of risk which can compromise its operations and its financial reporting. What are the four basic purposes of internal control? Give an example of each one. The first purpose of internal controls is to safeguard assets. Internal controls should protect your assets such as cash. One internal control that helps with protection of assets is the segregation of duties, another is sequential numbering of checks or locking checks in a safe place. The second purpose is to ensure...
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...participating organisation to implement “Green IT Project”. Gap Analysis: Objectives: Implement Green IT project Findings: the weaknesses and opportunities Weakness: Energy usage still not efficient enough, Printers (Paper Usage still HIGH), When employee away from their desk the computer still ON * Paperless Project Going paperless is one of the most obvious changes every companies can make All status reports, project plan updates, status meeting notes, issues/risks lists, etc. are all created and delivered electronically. The only paper that has been created has been occasional hardcopy output of the Project Kick-off materials for the meetings at the beginning of each project. That’s fairly acceptable since it’s the first time that you’re actually in front of the customer face-to-face on each project. After that, it’s all paperless. Between 70-80% of an organization’s processes are still being managed on paper. The Paperless Project coalition developed its GO GREEN initiative to identify common paper intensive processes and convert them into automated workflows. Reducing bulky paper is just the beginning of the payoff. Not only will the switch to a paperless office increase workplace productivity, but it will also: • Reduce costs of paper related actions including copying, printing, and storing. • Allow for less time spent searching for paper documentation. • Increase response time to clients and customers. • Refocus staff onto other critical administrative...
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...System. The Records Division is responsible for manual filing of all case files of officers and for quality control of all TIBRS data into the department’s computer system. This includes all incident reports and arrest reports that will be submitted to the state for reporting. Traffic citations are tracked for City Court purposes and accountability for MTAS standards. Management of request for public information due to incident and accident reports are also part of the day-to-day activities, as well as city court management. The Records Division is responsible for the retention of all reports and citations utilized by all the local police departments in the tri-cities area. In 2009, my local police department began a process of being a paperless reporting agency through using PDA’s and a new records management system. Therefore, Records Division became a quality control process for review of Tennessee Incident Base Reporting System (TIBRS). In 2011, The Records Division processed 9,767 Criminal Incidents (which is an increase of 3.66%), and a total of 9,972 citations and warning citations (which is a 38.92 % decrease from 2010). The City Court Clerk and City Court Recorder are also important functions of the Records Division. During calendar year 2011, a total of $872,327.45 was collected through City Court. In 2011, revenues decreased by 18.02%. These monies were collected through the payment of traffic fines, Red flex Camera Enforcement Citations, parking fines, and code...
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...Data management in the lab is a mixture of various independent, nonintegrated data-processing systems on paper and in electronic form. Paper is the preferred documentation medium when you have a mix of countless computerized systems such as analyzers, office applications and upper-level systems, for example, laboratory-information management or enterprise-resource planning (ERP) systems. Such a scenario results in producing a hybrid system with numerous media gaps this is the real root of all evil, leading to ine The high level of quality risk (due to the high number of manual data transcription steps) is countered with extensive control steps – but that results in less efficiency and longer throughput times. The use of isolated systems prevents the timely transfer of information, which leads to further delays and additional costs. And last, but not least, it can result in a considerable amount of the enterprise’s intellectual capital being wasted. The cost of using various isolated systems to collect data for modern knowledge-management systems (statistics, data mining, reporting, exception handling, etc) is simply too high. So much knowledge that could be extracted from the data collected remains untapped. In the industry, there are three different approaches to addressing this root problem. • The first – is the optimization of the existing hybrid system by adapting the existing processes and systems. It goes without saying that such an approach only brings selective and...
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