E-Business Solutions EconSys focuses on the following business application solutions. •      Human Resources management, including benefit administration,         retirement calculations, hiring management, and personnel forms         management •      Customer Relationship Management •      Learning Management Our business analysts and consultants specialize in the implementation of these solutions. We also utilize and implement workflow, business process management and business intelligence solutions to allow organizations to optimize their business processes. We have partnered with Oracle to provide these services via the Oracle E-Business Suite and our consultants have several years of experience with the above modules. Back Custom Software Development Our team of IT professionals includes project managers, business analysts, system architects, developers, graphic designers, quality assurance and network and security personnel. Our approach to software development is a collaborative user-centric process. We have used this approach to effectively develop several software solutions for a variety of customers. We begin custom software development projects by focusing on the business problems and needs that need to be addressed. Our software development lifecycle typically includes the following steps: •      Project charter and business case definition •      Definition of the business process and business requirements •      Documentation of user, functional and system requirements •      Top level architecture, technical approach, and system design •      System decomposition into component and unit specifications         and design •      Coding, unit test planning, and unit test •      Generation of test data for unit testing and system testing •      System integration and testing •      Implementation and delivery •      Training and user support •      System upgrades and routine software maintenance In addition we perform security reviews and develop risk management plans for the projects. The development tools we use are both Java based and Microsoft centric including JSP, Servlets, J2EE, .ASP, .NET, C++ and Visual Basic. We use both the Oracle Database and SQL Server. We use IIS, Oracle iAS and Tomcat as our application servers. Top of Page Back IT Investment Decision-Making In many of its IT-related projects EconSys is assisting clients with the decision-making process for making significant investments in IT systems. For example, EconSys facilitates strategic IT planning in terms of setting long-term goals, identifying performance goals, setting the portfolio of IT investments to support these goals and continuously measure the performance of IT investments. We apply new or latest advances in IT planning and investment in order to minimize not only monetary risk but strategic risk. Our analysis often encompasses the effectiveness of inter-organizational coordination and communication; use of best practices for managing and maintaining the integrity, validity, and accuracy of reports and underlying databases; use of best information technology; and efficiency of resource utilization. EconSys IT Projects For HR management and benefit administration solutions, EconSys hosts an Application Service Provider (ASP) that it provides to numerous agencies throughout government. This application features over 50 automated government forms and a central database populated by downloaded personnel and finance data from the National Finance Center. EconSys developed a user-friendly Web site (www.va.gov) for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Policy and Planning division to disseminate relevant data and information to their stakeholders. The Web site was designed to allow intuitive navigation and provide VA stakeholders with current and reliable data. EconSys worked with the VA Revenue Office staff in developing Web-based surveys to collect relevant data for evaluating the MCCF (Medical Care Collection Fund) revenue collection process. For the same VA office, EconSys developed a Web-based Contract Information and Reporting System for MCCF contacts. The system collects, tracks and exchanges information on contracts and task orders against contracts related to revenue operations. EconSys evaluated and identified ways of enhancing the value and efficiency of two VA interrelated expenditure-reporting systems, Federal Assistance Awards Data System (FAADS) and Geographic Distribution of Expenditure (GDX). Our analysis encompassed the effectiveness of inter-organizational coordination and communication; use of best practices for managing and maintaining the integrity, validity, and accuracy of the GDX/FAADS reports and underlying databases; use of best information technology; and efficiency of resource utilization. EconSys worked closely with VA Office of Budgeting and Planning Staff to develop the VA Capital Investment Methodology Guide. In this guide, we detailed a specific approach for VA senior executives to make IT investment decisions. In our report, we recommended that VA’s strategic IT planning should include setting long-term goals, identifying performance goals, setting the portfolio of IT investments to support these goals and continuously measure the performance of IT investments. Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) engaged EconSys to inventory and prioritize the Web interface requirements of one of their top agents, Meltzer & Associates. To accomplish these objectives, EconSys employed the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), a rigorous and comprehensive decision support method that incorporates both qualitative and quantitative factors in the decision-making process. Top of Page Back