DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

BILLING SYSTEM REPLACEMENT PROJECT

PROJECT CHARTER

  1. PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Established in 2007, the New Mexico (NM) Department of Information Technology (DoIT) provides information technology (IT) leadership for the State, performs oversight for IT projects and procurements, and delivers enterprise IT services for the State’s executive agencies – with the goal of improving and streamlining the executive branch’s IT systems. DoIT currently provides the following technology services to executive branch agencies and to select external customers:

  • Application development (limited)
  • Enterprise email
  • Hosting (mainframe and private cloud)
  • Internet
  • Network (and associated security)
  • Public safety radio
  • SHARE (statewide human resources and financial system)
  • Voice communications
  • Wireless networking

DoIT staff aggregate usage and rate data to generate monthly invoices to approximately 350 client agencies for the services they use. Revenue generated through this process is used to recover the costs for DoIT staff and systems related to providing these essential services.

Currently DoIT relies upon the Smartcloud Cost Management (SCCM), previously known as Tivoli Usage Account Manager (TUAM), billing system to support this function. However, the SCCM system will reach end of life (EOL) by September 2018 and vendor support will no longer be available. The purpose of this project is to select and implement a replacement billing system before the September 2018 deadline to enable the billing process to continue accurately and without interruption. DoIT also expects to realize the following additional benefits through implementation of requirements not met by SCCM:

  • Enable DoIT staff to track payments via a direct interface with the Accounts Receivable module of the State Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system: SHARE;
  • Allow customers and DoIT staff to directly and more easily access detailed billing information in the system;
  • Enhance availability of information required to demonstrate DoIT compliance with Federal and State laws governing cost recovery; and
  • Improve the availability of billing-related reports and analytics via system capabilities and/or through an interface with a planned business intelligence capability for DoIT.

If an on-premises solution is selected, it will be hosted on existing infrastructure in the DoIT Simms Data Center in Santa Fe, with disaster recovery at the back-up data center at Oso Grande in Albuquerque. DoIT also will consider software-as-a-service solutions.

  1. PROJECT SCOPE

The scope of this project is replacement of the SCCM billing system with a new solution to receive billing data, verify data accuracy, apply approved rates, and generate customer invoices. The new system shall also offer several enhancements beyond the current capability, including improved reporting, a more automated process end-to-end (e.g., through system interfaces) and support for DoIT analytics.

The system implemented through this project will not include any functionality included in feeder systems or in SHARE. The solution shall also not include a business intelligence (BI) or analytics capability beyond foundational reporting on billing data.

This project requires ProjectCertification Committee approval. Initiation certification is scheduled for November 21, 2017.

  1. PROJECT GOVERNANCE

Figure 1 presents the governance structure for this project.

FIGURE 1: Billing project governance

Executive Sponsor

  • The Executive Sponsor – and Business Owner – for this project is Donna Sandoval, DoIT Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
  • Responsibilities:

Chair the Executive Steering Committee

Champion the project to DoIT staff and management

Ultimate authority and responsibility for project planning and successful execution

Work with members of the Executive Steering Committee to address issues, scope changes or other matters that might affect project progress or success

Executive Steering Committee

  • Additional members are:

Cassandra Hayne, Managing Director, SHARE

Vincent Martinez, Managing Director, Compute and Communications

Susan Pentecost, Managing Director, Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO)

  • Responsibilities:

Work with Executive Sponsor to resolve escalated issues

Maintain oversight of project plans, progress, risks and decisions

Review and make decisions regarding requested changes to project scope

Work with Executive Sponsor to ensure adequate resources are available to the project

Project Manager

  • The manager for this project is Dave Dikitolia, a member of the Project Management Center of Excellence within the DoIT OCIO
  • Responsibilities:

Lead project planning and execution to deliver the chosen technology solution on time and on budget

Establish and manage a project team with the appropriate skills to complete the project

Report to the Executive Steering Committee on project progress, risks, issues and matters requiring Executive Steering Committee action

Prepare and deliver any presentations and documentation required for a certified project

Manage any procurements required to execute the project

Project Team

  • The core project team includesstaff currently responsible for billing and for cost allocation and recovery functions.
  • Responsibilities:

Draw upon subject matter expertise to execute project tasks, including defining requirements, evaluating and recommending a technology solution, developing necessary procurement(s), and managing project execution to successfully deliver the desired solution

Work with the project manager to identify and mitigate risks, to identify and resolve issues, and to complete discrete project tasks as assigned

  1. RESOURCES
  1. Staff

Project team members must, collectively, have expertise in technology project planning and management (including project certification requirements); current and target billing processes; current SCCM technology; requirements, functionality and limitations of systems providing billing information – including the Pinnacle telecommunications billing system; customer requirements related to service billing; and rate-setting and cost recovery processes; and procurement. Team members also must have strong written and oral communication skills, including the ability to effectively facilitate meetings and to resolve issues or conflicts.

All staff assigned to this project will work part time.

  1. Financial

The projected cost of this project – including procuring/licensing the selected solution, implementation services, and independent verification and validation (IV&V) – is under $400,000. Funding will be sourced from Enterprise and Program Support funds.

  1. Tools or Technology

No special tools or technologies are required to plan or execute the project.

  1. Contracts/Procurements

The project will require up to three contracts or procurements:

  • Replacement billing system technology purchase;
  • Professional services to support system implementation and initial maintenance and operations; and
  • Professional services to deliver IV&V. Note that the project manager plans to seek a waiver of IV&V requirements for this project.

DoIT will explore existing state price agreements as the first avenue to obtain needed software and/or services.

  1. WORK PLAN

Figure 2 presents a high-level work plan for this project. The project team will determine the system development life cycle methodology for the project once the replacement billing system technology is selected.

FIGURE 2: High-Level Milestone Chart

  1. RISKS

RISK / PROBABILITY& IMPACT / MITIGATION PLAN
If the current billing system were to fail after the EOL date of September 30, 2018, DoIT would be unable to receive manufacturer support to restore service. / Low/High / Begin research to identify replacement billing system.
In the event of a failure, implement manual billing procedures.
  1. PERFORMANCE MEASURES

NO. / OBJECTIVE / PERFORMANCE METRIC(S)
1 / Reduce amount of time required for billing teamto prepare, validateand submit monthly billing file to billing analysts. / 10% reduction
2 / Increase quality and accuracyof customer accessible reports. / 20%
3 / Increase quality and accuracy of customer invoices. / 10%
  1. APPROVAL

______

Donna Sandoval, DoIT CFO and Executive SponsorDate

______

David Dikitolia, Sr. Project ManagerDate

111/21/2017