Building the Future

E-Business Strategic Plan

Executive Summary

“The issue that I believe will have the largest impact on business as a whole, including the business of our agency, is the expansion of e-Business. E-Business is radically transforming the business world in many ways. Successful organizations will need to adapt to the realities and requirements of e-Business to be successful in the next decade. Therefore, our business will be e-Business.

E-Business is not necessarily a revolutionary approach, but to accomplish this transformation we will take revolutionary steps. Transitioning to e-Business will not be easy or painless. We will have to focus our efforts to maximize the use of our business and technical resources.”

former Secretary Norris Tolson

The E-Government Act of 2002 defined e-Government as “the use by the government of web-based Internet applications and other information technologies, combined with processes that implement these technologies, to (A) enhance the access to and delivery of government information and services to the public, other agencies, and other government entities; (B) bring about improvements in government to operations that may include effectiveness, efficiency, service quality, or transformation.” For our purposes, we have embraced the elements of e-Government and adapted it into our conception of the Secretary’s description of an e-Business.

The Internet and E-Commerce have had a dramatic impact on many organizations. Broadband capabilities and improvements in information technology and communication have greatly altered the ways citizens interact with their government. There are enormous challenges placed on public organizations to conform to the new paradigms for service delivery that have already confronted private organizations. Private organizations are well familiar with the heightened expectations that go along with the Internet age. Many well established business-to-consumer and business-to-business transactions have ushered in a new wave of business commerce that is global in scope. Public organizations are now under severe pressure to provide real-time, web-based applications for benefit of citizens. In addition to that, they also want access in 24x7 timeframes that are more convenient for the hectic schedules that many citizens have.

In its most transformational sense, e-Business encompasses all facets of business activity, both internally and externally. Through the use of technology, business processes are fully integrated to allow for flexible and seamless use of information, for a variety of purposes. Stated differently, e-Business is the fusion of enabling technologies that provide the basis for truly transforming the agency. In this view, we seek to harness the power of information and communication technologies and the associated business intelligence capabilities that flow from this dynamically linked model in ways that are unimaginable in the current organization.

In order to fulfill the Department’s vision, we believe that the package of strategies represented in this document provide the framework for achieving the goals that former Secretary Tolson highlighted in his inspirational e-Business memorandum. The e-Business Implementation Team (eBIT) has used this document, the Vision 2010 plan, and the team charter, as the guidance for crafting this plan. The Plan builds off of the Department’s mission, vision and values and sets forth the following strategies to successfully fulfill our business vision of “enabling taxpayers and employees to conduct all Department of Revenue business electronically at any time.

Customer-focused Strategies

• Enable authenticated users to manage tax accounts electronically, and make the process as easy as possible.
• Provide secure electronic communications and assistance for taxpayers.
• Expand e-pay and e-file services to include all schedules and forms, and promote ease of use.
• Promote the transition to e-Business and make customers aware of e-services designed for them through aggressive marketing and education.
• Enhance e-services for Internet users who want to obtain forms and fill them out online.
• Enhance educational services through the web.
• Collaborate with public and private sectors to provide products and services designed for small businesses, using a variety of delivery methods.
• Pursue joint ventures, engaging partners early in the process to learn from them and to build solutions that meet customer expectations.
• Maintain traditional as well as e-Business service delivery methods.
• Continuously improve our website (including design, navigation, and search functions) to make it more user-friendly based on customer input.
• Enhance the IVR, adding tax account management and online filing and payment functions as practical within the limits of telephone transactions.

Internal Strategies

• With strong leadership support, reengineer business processes and ensure an appropriate organizational structure.
• Enhance knowledge management capabilities.
• Expand online support services for employees.
• Use a collaborative process to upgrade and integrate systems.

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Last modified on: 01/12/09 09:17:54 AM.