ITWorx Leads DED's initiative to e-Transform Citizen Satisfaction for Dubai’s Department of Economic Development (DED)

The Department of Economic Development’s (DED) mission is to lead economic growth to enhance the welfare and prosperity of Dubai and the UAE. The DED is responsible for developing economic policy and regulations, identifying strategic growth sectors, providing efficient services to local and international investors, as well as business registration and licensing in Dubai.

The Department of Economic Development (DED) seeks to e-transform its services to empower citizens with multi-channel e-services leading to superior customer service. Targeting this goal, the DED consulted ITWorx, which is currently leading the DED services automation initiative.

After a thorough evaluation of project objectives, ITWorx enhanced the DED’s current external portal by incorporating an Appointment Management System and a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solution, which automates ten service workflows across multiple departments. The new system also integrates ITWorx modules for Newsletters and My Messages, as well as a new Main Entry page. A feedback survey and comprehensive reporting were also included to allow the DED to monitor the effectiveness of the new e-services for delivery efficiency as well as for employee and citizen satisfaction.

Appointment Management System

The online Appointment Management System empowers citizens, entrepreneurs, and businesses with the ability to book and amend appointments with government officials for services that require a face-to-face meeting as part of the process of issuing licenses, certificates, or registrations.

Using the Appointment Management System on the DED portal, users can browse available time slots and locations for different services and then book or amend appointments online. On arrival, an automated touch-screen kiosk ensures fast check-in and directs the user to the appropriate waiting area and service counter. In the waiting area, a large screen displays information on the length of the queue and each user’s position within it.

Back-end functions allow government officials to control waiting times by allocating new arrivals to the service desk with the shortest queue to enhance system administration and management of resources. Government officials can configure additional rules for managing resources at each location. Automated alerts notify officials when the number of applicants exceeds their defined limits and allow temporary staff to be allocated to reduce waiting times.

Automating Shared Workflows

In Phase 1 of the Shared Services Initiative, ITWorx implemented a Microsoft Dynamics CRM, incorporating ten internal services into the intranet used by DED employees. The workflows defined within the CRM include processes accessed by employees in the purchasing, human resources, administration, and finance departments of the DED. The system administrator defines and optimizes workflows, while security is enhanced by controlling employee access to individual services and processes.

Many of the processes were complex, with a single Request for Purchase, for example, requiring no less than sixteen separate steps within its processing cycle. By automating the workflow, the Administration Affairs Department increases the efficiency of handling employee requests for services such as transportation, filing, documentation, and postal services.

Automation also gives employees more control and visibility of their requests. For example, via Human Resources, DED employees can easily modify personal details, post suggestions, add travel requests, or add requests to complete employment papers such as bank account details or health cards. Employees can also request payment by check or cash and track the progress of their request through Accounts Payable in Finance Services. A Task List shows the request status as well as key action dates and a list of stakeholders and other relevant information. Escalation of an unresolved request is triggered when the request exceeds its defined time-scale, ensuring that unresolved requests are highlighted and prioritized. A satisfaction survey encourages employees to leave feedback on the CRM, helping managers optimize the workflows for greater efficiency.

e-Services

Providing an enhanced interface improves the users’ experiences by delivering higher levels of interactivity and faster access to government information and resources. Users can access a wide range of services, such as applying for, renewing, and printing licenses, paying inspection fees, and reserving or renewing a trade name.

The integration of My Messages and Newsletters modules enhances information sharing by allowing the latest messages to be sent to named users and generic messages to be displayed to all users. This increased communication promotes higher levels of interaction between the DED and all service users.

• Higher user satisfaction through flexibility to book and manage appointments
• Greater efficiency for DED employees through automating complex workflows
• Higher employee satisfaction § Improved information sharing using CRM collaboration features
• Greater control over resources by the reporting module