| | 19CIOReviewDECEMBER 2020a particular technology or vendor into the picture as they follow a technology-agnostic approach while recommending any solution or framework that is most suitable for the project at hand.Schebler notes that Advocate has successfully implemented critical projects and initiatives for state and local government entities for 25 years and identifies key areas of transformation that he sees as priority initiatives to increase government operations and efficiency. Improving Citizens Access Through Application ModernizationThe Health and Human Services IT landscape is a potpourri of complex and outdated systems that support the mission critical needs of citizens such as food and cash supplements, Medicaid and Children welfare and enforcement activities. These disparate systems were built at different times, using different technologies and utilizing different master data models. Because of this, the ability to provide mobile access and move them to a lower cost, cloud enabled infrastructure is nearly impossible.Advocate has been helping their customers migrate from single-vendor systems to best-of-breed technologies utilizing a wide range of techniques ranging from agile custom development to rapidly deliver incremental results to legacy code conversion which saves time and money by reducing testing cycles by 50% - 90%. Because of Advocate's deep domain expertise, technology and vendor independence and knowledge of federal and state regulations, Advocate is widely recognized throughout the public sector industry for their quality services and business processes that result in high customer satisfaction.Providing Families in Need with Easy and Efficient Public Assistance Contact Center SolutionsWith rising digital demand from constituents, Advocate created a highly flexible and collaborative, yet secure, contact center solution. Through a holistic approach, Advocate provides a modular set of capabilities with integration to backend systems for self-service, enhanced agent desktop applications, and unified reporting. Along with an ecosystem of partners that support the continuous enhancement of user experiences, the robust platform provides a consistent experience regardless of the contact method.Utilizing Advocate intellectual property and accelerators, Advocate has built and implemented multiple public assistance contact centers for government assistance programs (e.g. Medicaid, SNAP, TANF), with integrated real-time eligibility that results in up to 70%-time savings on inquiries, allowing caseworkers more time to focus on high-value activities.Advocate is one of only a few service providers with the deep expertise to truly help states improve their public assistance programs such as Medicaid, SNAP and TANF, through a "state-supervised, county-administered" system says Schebler.Delivering Mission-Critical Program & Project Management Office (GPMO)Advocate's Government Program Management Office (GPMO) provides mission critical, public sector specific guidance related to IT program management needed to successfully initiate, budget, plan, manage and complete information technology (IT) projects. The GPMO works with departments/agencies to guarantee project success rates utilizing the AdvocateWay framework through 1) Governance/Oversight and Risk Management; 2) Establishing and Maintaining Policies and Standards; 3) Promoting Agency Cross-Collaboration; 4) Direct Management of IT Projects and Programs; 5) Provisioning of Project Management Services and; 6) Funding Management.Advocate has provided program management oversight to 50+ department/agencies and managed the outcome of over $1 billion of projects ranging from ERP implementations to high profile, dedicated solutions.What's next...Recognizing continued growth depends upon the talent and effectiveness of their people, Advocate is working to be recognized as the best employer in the IT sector, attracting and retaining the most innovative, technical and government experts. Advocate not only employs people with significant experience in the public sector but also incorporates long-term employee retention policies while opening its doors for new talents. The firm is attentive in retaining employees of outstanding character and professionalism--those who demonstrate mutual respect and dignity in an honest manner. They value the diversity of their people through their ideas and contributions, to operate as high functioning teams that collaborate, commit, consider, as well as support each other. "Advocate continues to invest in our skills and relentlessly pursue being the best player in the public sector IT service industry," says Schebler.When it comes to the portfolio of solutions and services, Advocate works with industry analysts to review and identify trends to help navigate and identify the need for new offerings. Along with plans to expand geographically, Advocate reviews and targets potential acquisitions of organization that would enhance and optimize services specifically to the public sector. "Our three key strategies of expansion--Operational Excellence, Innovative Offerings and Strategic Partnerships, and Strategic Acquisitions--provide the framework for achieving our growth objectives," concludes Schebler. Advocate provides an ecosystem unlike anything in the market, which allows state and local governments to explore a previously untapped technology ecosystem
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