HomeMy WebLinkAbout1994 City of Lansing Information Technology Planr*
City of Lansing
Information Technology Plan
May 11, 1994
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*UNISYS
Mr. Dennis J. Sykes
Director, Department of Planning
City of Lansing
119 N. Washington Square - 2nd Floor
Lansing, Michigan 48933
Dear Dennis,
Unisys Corporation
One Unisys Place, 2F41
Detroit, Michigan 48232
(313) 972-7768
May 11,1994
I am pleased to submit to you the revised Unisys proposal in response to your request
for the development of an Information Technology Plan for the City of Lansing.
Please note that this version incorporates the input we received from you, Ms. Love, .
and Mr. Wolf at our May 6 meeting.
Dennis, I would like to thank you for the vote of confidence you have given Unisys
Information Services for this consulting engagement. We believe that you and the
management team of the City will find that our Customerize philosophy will offer a
very different approach to the use of information technology and how you must plan
and organize to continue to provide value to your customers-- the citizehs of Lansing.
Unisys fixed consulting fee for the proposed engagement remains as $ 57,720 plus
reasonable travel expenses. To establish a tentative timetable, please see the following
page for suggested timeframes for the workshops. Please review and let me know if
these look reasonable. .
We are looking forward to make our brief presentation to the City cabinet on May 16.
I will provide an executive summary of the proposal for the cabinet members. Please
let me know if you have any questions or comments.
Best regards,
A-&?,� r,4. ak,41 -
Mark A. Celebi
Principal Consultant
Information Planning Practice
UNISYS Corporation
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CITY OF LANSING / UNISYS
Information Technology
Planning Workshops
Sugaested Timeframe
The week
of
Suggested
Duration dates
Planning Team Kickoff meeting
May 23
1/2 day
5/25
Workshop #1
June 6
2 days
6/8-9
Workshop #2
June 20,
2 days
6/23-24
Workshop #3
July 10
2 days
7/13-14
Management Presentation
July 25
1-2 hours
7/25
Note: Unisys consultants will make every attempt to minimize the impact on daily
activities of the participants from the City. If necessary, Unisys will be willing to
schedule the workshops or interviews outside the normal work hours to accommodate
schedule conflicts or unexpected city priorities.
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CITY OF LANSING
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PLAN
for
A World Class Capital City
A Proposal
by
UNISYS Information Services
May 11, 1994
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Proprietary Notice
This document has been prepared in accordance with Unisys understanding of your requirements
based on the information provided and good information architecture design techniques. All timings,
charts, architectural design and related information contained in this document represent Unisys best
estimates. However, since the actual results in your particular operations (including among other
aspects speeds, personnel requirements and costs) may vary from those indicated in the document
due to variations in software, programs, volume, environment, personnel, and other factors, the final
determination that the proposed information architecture plan meets your requirements must be
yours.
This document contains confidential information of the City of Lansing and Unisys Corporation. In
consideration of the receipt of this document, recipient agrees not to reproduce or make this
information available in any manner to persons outside the group directly responsible for evaluation
of its contents.
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CITY OF LANSING Confidential / UNISYS Confidential Revised May 11, 1994
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City of Lansing
Information Technology Plan
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION.........................................................................................................................1
PROJECTOBJECTIVE.............................................................................................................3
PROJECTSCOPE.......................:.............................................................................................5
THE DELIVERABLE: FIVE-YEAR INTEGRATION PLAN ......................................................... 6
METHODOLOGY.......................................................................................................................7
MEASUREMENT CRITERIA FOR PROJECT SUCCESS..........................................................9
RESOURCE REQUIREMENTS FROM THE CITY....................................................................10
WHY "CUSTOMERIZE" WITH UNISYS...................................................................................11
THEVALUE OF THIS SERVICE..............................................................................................12
SCHEDULEAND COST...........................................................................................................13
Appendix A -- THE PLANNING WORKSHOPS......................................................................14
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INTRODUCTION
Today's highly complex environment demands more and more from your information systems
at the City of Lansing. Information technology must be viewed as a critical component;. a finely
tuned strategic weapon that can help your administration accomplish Mayor David C.
Hollister 's "World Class Capital City" vision laid out in his action plans for the City of
Lansing earlier this year.
The overall plan to transform the City of Lansing into a world class city was developed by
Mayor Hollister from input gathered from the citizens of Lansing. The plan objectives include
improving city services without additional taxes, improving employee productivity, providing
cost effective administration, and improving the efficiency of City Hall through the
implementation of computer technology.
To improve customer service levels and support optimal growth and efficiency, organizations
must align their technology strategy with the business goals. That process raises key
questions:
• Which technologies should you invest in?
• How will those technologies support the business objectives?
• How can you improve customer service?
• How can you increase productivity of the City employees?
• How can technology help you be more competitive?
• How should the City position technology?
• Should technology be developed internally?
• Which network strategies are most appropriate for use?
• How can you manage your assets better?
• What are the potential cultural or organizational impact of these new processes or
technologies?
As technology plays an increasingly powerful role across boundaries of an organization, the
big question is to how to harness it for the overall growth and efficiency. That challenge calls
for•bold structural and process changes so that organizations can integrate the new technology
paradigms.
The danger is that, in facing the challenges of the 1990s, information systems organizations will
fall prey to simplistic, single theme solutions whose real benefits are all too often illusory. The
real challenges are in organization -wide productivity. In meeting these challenges, there is the
potential for organizations to use both new and old technologies to achieve qualitatively new
forms of business benefit in the 1990s through organization -wide "enterprise" integration of
information systems.
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A properly designed, enterprise -wide, open system network solution will not disrupt or put at
risk the information systems your organization relies on day to day. However, as you have
already discovered, applying open systems technology is not just a matter of adding a few
more desktop computers or plugging things together..
As Unisys Information Services we believe that our approach is unique in the industry and
offers the City of Lansing an opportunity to move in a strategic direction which will have long
lasting beneficial results. Our approach puts the focus of our solution partnership exactly
where it should be— on our customers' needs for bottom line results. Our intent is not just to
build computers; it is to marshal our considerable resources in technology and services to
better serve our customers— by enabling you to better serve yours.
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PROJECT OBJECTIVE
With information technology (IT) changing at such a rapid rate, realistic planning becomes
more critical than ever. More challenging, too. The premise of this proposed consulting
engagement is that in order to use information technology to meet the business requirements
the City of Lansing is likely to face within five years, planning needs to start now.
But how do we forecast what information technology will even be available in five years? Or in
one year? That's where this "Information Technology Plan" becomes important. To help the City
of Lansing achieve some certainty in an uncertain world, Unisys Information Services proposes
to develop an information architecture, a set of guidelines and principles for building
integrated information environments to support business objectives in the 1990s.
No one can predict what technological breakthroughs will occur next week or next year, but a
good technology plan can help position the City to take advantage of them. And this is what
the IT Plan would do. It would identify the technologies from which the City can structure its
own information systems to meet its business needs.
Today and in the future, the best information technology strategy represents a balancing act:
. How can an organization take advantage of the latest innovations without throwing away the
technology investments it has already made? It's inefficient at best, and probably disastrous, to
throw out everything an organization owns every time a new technological wrinkle is
introduced.
The goal of developing a five-year plan for any area of business is to identify a.point on the
horizon to steer toward. Once this point is identified, it is possible to compare today's
decisions to their ability to help or hinder the business from reaching the point on the horizon.
Without the distant focus, it. is possible to measure the efficiency of a decision, but not its
effectiveness at moving the business toward its goal.
The purpose of developing a target information systems architecture for the City of Lansing is
to identify that distant point. Based upon the architecture, it would be possible to compare the
effectiveness of decisions in 1994 in relation to their ability to move the City information
systems toward the architectural goal of 1,998.
The success of organizations depends more and more on their ability to gain competitive
advantage from information technology. Information technology has evolved through
mainframes, minicomputers, and desktop workstations over the last couple of decades. The
current challenge is to tie those platforms together into integrated computing networks rather.
than merely interconnected computers.
. Unisys views an architecture as a framework for creating information networks within an
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Integrated In ormation Environment IIE to support the business objectives of its clients. The
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information architecture defines the common services that exist across the platforms of the
information network. The Integrated Information Environment provides the products and
platforms necessary to implement the services of the architecture. Services that are unique to a
platform type are defined by the platform program. It insulates users from differences in
platform hardware and software.
No set of rules, established by an information architecture, can reduce the rate of change in
technological or business arena, eliminate risk, or guarantee increased returns. What an
architecture can do is provide an enterprise with the means to respond to change quickly and
effectively. It does this by minimizing risk, leveraging current IT investments, and
incorporating industry standards.
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PROJECT SCOPE
Information Technology Planning from Unisys is a high level consulting and planning service.
This service allows Unisys to team with the City of Lansing to develop a Five -Year Integration
Plan. This plan functions as a road map for implementing a standards -based information
system to integrate the various islands of information in use throughout the organization. The
key philosophies of the Information Technology Planning process are:
The final result will be a document which will outline a means of progressing the City of
Lansing from the existing information technology environment to a new standards -based open
information architecture which directly supports the stated business goals and objectives.
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THE DELIVERABLE: FIVE-YEAR INTEGRATION PLAN
The Information Technology Plan will be delivered to Dennis Sykes, Director, Department of
Planning, shortly after the third workshop. A presentation to Mayor Hollister, his cabinet, and
representatives from the City Council will be scheduled at an appropriate time later. The
format will be organized as follows.
1. The City of Lansing Business Objectives
This section of the report identifies and documents the City's major business
objectives. Typically, these objectives will be divided into broad sections covering
revenue growth, service levels, customer satisfaction, competitiveness issues and
organizational effectiveness.
2. Target Information Technology Systems
A functional overview of a system architecture that is mapped against the stated
business objectives is outlined in this section. It will also identify appropriate
information technologies to enhance or support the business goals or existing
information systems.
• 3. Current Information Technology Systems
This functional overview of the currently installed information technology systems
will provide a base line from which to develop transition plans to the target
information technology environment.
4. Transition Strategy and Plan
This section presents a road map for progressing the existing systems, identified in
Section 3, to the defined system architecture identified in Section 2.
5. Transition Alternatives
This section is an implementation recommendation showing what products,
technologies, and professional services may be needed by the City to implement
the target information systems. '
6. Impact on the City of Lansing
The impact of implementing the new systems architecture is presented. The major
areas addressed are:
• Organizing for the new system implementation
• User support
• Asset improvement - education/skill enhancement
• Benefits for the future - key statement to management
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METHODOLOGY
The service beginswith a presentation of the Information Technology Planning process. An
open discussion about your organization and your five year business goals and objectives
follows. The results of this discussion; along with information gathered from the City reports
and business plans, will be used by the Unisys principal consultant to create a draft of a five-
year integration plan.
The service is delivered typically through three workshops. A suggested format for the
workshops and the agenda details are provided in Appendix -A. The technology plan is
continuously expanded and refined throughout these workshops. The plan is organized and
drafted into the following sections:
An executive summary is also produced and presented to the Mayor, his cabinet, and
representatives from the City Council at the conclusion of this engagement.
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MEASUREMENT CRITERIA FOR PROJECT SUCCESS
To successfully develop an information technology plan certain prerequisites need to be met.
♦ Perhaps the most important one is establishing a clear framework to tie business
strategies with technology strategies. In order to accomplish this, the business
strategies may have to be further articulated to ensure that both the content and the
intent of those strategies are clearly understood.
♦ The primary focus should be on information itself, not on technology. How can
information be used to create an advantage for the City or motivate its employees?
♦ The overall information architecture and the corresponding technology infrastructure
must fully support the established business objectives.
♦ The architecture must be based on openness allowing choice (i.e. vendor
independence) and optimal flexibility in the long run. Equally important is the
protection of existing IT investments and minimal disruption to the City business
processes in the short term.
♦ In designing the architecture, an open forum must be provided so that the IT plan is
created jointly and with a clear sense of ownership.
In addition to these process oriented factors, there are two other essential components for the
development of a successful IT plan: the consultants and the City management.
♦ Consultants are primarily facilitators. They question, challenge, teach, provoke, and
stimulate innovative thinking. They bring planning expertise, a range of experience,
and broad perspectives. Their objectivity is key to successful IT planning.
♦ The City management provides the essential ingredients of strategic vision and line
of business expertise. The City planning team members would be from functional
management, information systems management (i.e. Computer & Communication
Services), and the user community. Management commitment to the planning process
and its candid assessment of organizational strengths and weaknesses are also
critical for a successful plan.
Ultimately the success of an IT plan is measured by how implementable it is and the results its
execution yields. The plan needs to be a sound one to begin with. But its implementation
requires strong project management skills, and change management infrastructure and processes.
Unisys developed proven methodologies and can assist the City in these areas as well.
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RESOURCE REQUIREMENTS FROM THE CITY
Unisys approach recommended in this proposal is a combination of workshops and executive
interviews. We are suggesting three workshops, two days each, for this engagement (see
Appendix -A for the suggested agenda for pre -workshop and workshop activities.) Follow up
interviews would be conducted to resolve any open issues from the workshops.
The participants from the City are intended to be department or division senior management,
C&CS (Computer and Communication Services) management, and the City's executive
management. Based on our experience from prior consulting engagements, a group of
approximately 12 to 15 client participants would be ideal. Full attendance by the participants
would be expected throughout the workshops.
Outside the workshops there may be a few individual interviews or meetings with the City
planning team members during this consulting engagement.
The workshops can be conducted either at a Unisys site or a City site. However, we
recommend a remote site to minimize the typical disruptions of a home office.
Unisys consultants will make every attempt to minimize the impact on daily activities of the
40 participants from the City. If necessary, Unisys will be willing to schedule the workshops or
interviews outside the normal work hours to accommodate schedule conflicts or unexpected
city priorities.
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WHY "CUSTOMER/ZE" WITH UNISYS ,
Unisys has created a new and powerful approach to helping our customers secure a return on
their information technology investments. We call it "Customerize"-- applying information
technology to better serve our customer's customers. It's a concept that is a logical extension of
client relationships Unisys has forged with governments, banks, airlines, travel business,
telecommunications companies and other commercial enterprises worldwide.
Customerize is designed to:
• Help make a company or government agency more responsive to its
customers and better able to attract new ones;
• Extend an organization's information systems capabilities to field locations
and other points of customer contact and support
Unifying the two parts of this definition is an organization -wide focus on the flow of
information between our customers and theirs. The Unisys Customerize approach is the means
to make information technology serve -an organization's needs by serving the needs of its
customers.
Specifically Customerize represents:
• A philosophy and a series of programs that put our customers first by
helping them put their customers first;
• A consultative relationship to help define and create the information our
customers need to better serve their customers;
• An information strategy that makes our customer's customers the focal point
for the effective and productive use of information technology and services;
• The products and services that Unisys provides to our clients to align
information technology with business requirements-- from the point of
customer contact all the way to the boardroom-- enabling our clients to gain
sustainable competitive advantage through dramatic increases in customer
service and satisfaction.
Unisys is better positioned than either hardware suppliers or service suppliers to give you the
kind of complete information solutions you need to'better serve your customers. We have a
solid foundation built on in-depth knowledge of our clients' lines of business and our track
record of delivering solutions. Our strategic market focus has built strong relationships with
very satisfied customers; some of these relationships span decades.
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THE VALUE OF THIS SERVICE
The City of Lansing can recognize the following benefits centered around the formal
information technology plan and the total planning process:
♦ The organization team members are intimately familiar with the integration plan,
enabling them to provide insight after Unisys has completed the service
engagement.
♦ The organization team members develop valuable planning skills which can be
applied to other areas of the business.
♦ The integration plan provides a formally stated information technology strategy
designed to help meet the organization's business goals.
♦ The information systems budgeting process is improved. It is possible to anticipate
business requirements as they track against current and future technology trends.
♦ The current information technology baseline report will identify areas for
productivity gains in existing systems, thus maximizing the return on the existing
information technology investment.
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SCHEDULE AND COST
Timeline
The workshops can commence as soon after proposal acceptance and contract signing as
possible. These sessions will be held in Lansing and will be separated by approximately two
weeks.
The final plan and the executive presentation can be scheduled approximately two weeks after
completion of the final workshop session. Drafts of the plan will be available to the staff during
this engagement.
Cost
• Unisys proposes to conduct this consulting engagement with the City of Lansing at a fixed fee
of 57,720 plus reasonable travel expenses. The pricing shall remain in effect for.90 days from
the date this proposal is submitted.
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The proposal is subject to the terms and conditions of the Unisys Consolidated Agreement and
any mutually agreed upon terms and conditions.
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Appendix A -- THE PLANNING WORKSHOPS
Global Work Plan
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Detailed Session Plans
Workshop #1
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Detailed Session Plans
Workshop #2
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Detailed Session Plans
Workshop #3
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