Digital Transformation

About the Program

Category: Information Technology (Best in Category)

Year: 2018

Almost two (2) years ago, the State of Georgia’s largest judicial circuit, the Atlanta metro area, was in desperate need of support. “Technical debt” from lack of maintenance was mounting as system performance associated with a multi-million dollar platform was deteriorating making some of the most routine business functions almost impossible to perform. System defects were being counted in the hundreds and response time was being measured in minutes – not seconds. While there was certainly a tactical component to working down a list of 309 defects, Mr. Melendez, the new Deputy CIO for Criminal Justice Information Systems and Sallie Wright, the new Chief Information Officer for the County knew to be successful, a strategic approach was necessary to “right-size” the current state of affairs. While tackling a list of 309 defects might be the first course of action for your typical practitioner, Mr. Melendez knew in order to meet the vision of being the #1 local government IT department in nation, the strategy needed to bigger – much bigger! There needed to be a Digital Transformation. Mr. Melendez immediately implemented a three (3) phased approach that would showcase his decades of experience. The first phase was to review and improve the underlying infrastructure giving immediate relief to users plagued with latency issues. Rather than turning to the list of defects, the team then turned to – a keen focus on "citizen-centric" services, increasing overall efficiencies of IT operations through a comprehensive program which rationalized the entire application landscape. This phase played a key role in ensuring IT operations were efficient, effective, and fiscally sound. A series of programs were deployed that would seek to digitize any and all aspects of the judicial process. The team implemented over 400+ system enhancements aimed at: - Reducing paper based processes - if it required paper, we sort to digitize the process - Automating workflow between agencies to improve collaboration - Improve cash handling processes by implementing a new financial module that marries cash receipts to court cases - Automate civil case filings for Magistrate Court making it the first court in the State to automate such filings - We are now in the process of implementing Digital Recording in the Courtrooms AND - We are working with IBM Watson on developing analytics which will improve the management of case loads Fast-forward 18 months – the County was recognized with “Top Honors” in the 2017 “Technology Innovation Showcase” sponsored by the Georgia Technology Authority (GTA) and the State of Georgia. The recognition was for a collaborative effort between IT and the judicial system which resulted in the first Magistrate Court in the State to automate high volume civil case filings. This initiative addresses the social challenge of equal access to justice. Some studies show 37% of those who do not have access to legal counsel have incomes less than $10,000 / year and are disproportionately leveraged by women (Source: Legal Aid Society). When asked about this initiative, Melendez replied – “We are using technology to make a difference…we have a social responsibility to provide access to justice for all. Automating case filings improves access". Mr. Melendez was also recognized as a finalist in the greatest “Impact” category by Atlanta Technology Professionals (ATP), a non-profit local Georgia organization. Feedback has been incredible. The County’s Chief Superior Court Judge, Gail Tusan, has praised the Criminal Justice Information Systems (CJIS) team led by Melendez – “Our CJIS team truly understands our Courts and is always there to support us as we advance critical business objectives. We appreciate them and our partnership with IT.” In closing, Fulton County is leading a digital transformation initiative which local government agencies have never seen before. These types of initiatives require a strategic look at the entire application landscape, reducing redundancy, and delivering innovative services with MANY projects. This is exactly what Fulton County has done for one of the nation’s largest Cities – Atlanta, GA.