Burlington IT Business Strategy

Transcription

1 THE CITY OF BURLINGTON INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY BUSINESS STRATEGY

2 2 P a g e I T B u s i n e s s S t r a t e g y Burlington IT Business Strategy Table of Contents 1.0 Executive Summary Overview Purpose Background Guiding Principles & Objectives Strategic Outcomes Mission & Vision Process Environmental Scan State of Information Technology in the City Consultation Industry and Municipal Government Trends Comparative Municipal Assessment Conclusion 21 2

3 3 P a g e I T B u s i n e s s S t r a t e g y 1.0 Executive Summary This corporate Information Technology Strategy outlines how the City of Burlington intends to deploy and leverage Information Technology over the next 3 years ( ) and identifies how the ITS Department plans to prepare itself to best respond to corporate needs and to help achieve the goals of Future Focus VII. Upon completion of the strategy development process, it can be clearly concluded that the ITS Department currently delivers a good quality service to the City of Burlington. Information Technology is used extensively and consistently across all departments. Burlington has a history of leadership and innovation in Information Technology that is well regarded in the municipal community. A mature, vendor-supplied application portfolio, reliable technology infrastructure, and skilled people have led to solid IT foundations being available to the organization. However, while the foundations are solid, there is a general sense that the City could realize more benefit from the technology they have invested in, and that the ITS Department could play a larger role in helping the City innovate and improve efficiency. Departmental managers are eager for information that helps them manage their services better, for a stronger understanding of how to use the tools they have available and for knowledge about new technologies that can support improved and more efficient service delivery. In many ways the City s Information Technology landscape mirrors the state of the City s growth and development. Similar to planning for population growth and intensification, using the skills and the technology we have in an innovative and efficient manner is a key driver of success for IT. At the same time, some new technologies need to be adopted particularly to support an increased focus on customer service/relationship management and to engage citizens more fully in Council s decision-making processes. Integration of new applications and technologies into an already complex information technology environment, while fully leveraging existing systems and technologies requires new skills and approaches. The IT Business Strategy does not propose radical change but does identify a number of incremental improvements that ensure the City will be well positioned to enjoy the productivity benefits that information technology can deliver. The IT Business Strategy sets a key target of Continuous Improvement, striving to build upon a solid information technology foundation and establishing the capacity to refocus on wider service improvements and new service offerings. To support the overall target of Continuous Improvement, the IT Business Strategy has set goals that will better Enable the Business, ensure on-going effective Management of IT, and focus on Serving the Customer. 3

4 4 P a g e I T B u s i n e s s S t r a t e g y The follow diagram encapsulates all of the components that form the IT Business Strategy In summary, key areas of focus for the City over the next three years include: A revitalization of egovernment services for enhanced citizen engagement Enhancements to IT Service Delivery to improve and streamline access to IT services A renewed focus on education and training ensuring that all staff are empowered to use Information Technology effectively Improved access to information to support informed decision making and assist with corporate performance measurement Improvement of business processes through the use of Information Technology Increased focus upon leveraging local municipal and provincial partnerships to reduce costs and/or minimize budget pressures Improvements in IT Strategic Management (IT Governance) ensuring that IT decision-making is aligned with Corporate priorities Improved IT asset management ensuring money invested in applications and other technology is maximized 4

5 5 P a g e I T B u s i n e s s S t r a t e g y Increased emphasis upon security ensuring adequate protection of corporate IT assets and continued legislative compliance 2.0 Overview 2.1 Purpose This IT Business Strategy will provide a vision, and a roadmap, for continuous improvement to maximize the productivity benefits that information technology brings to the organization. The IT Business Strategy will ensure that ITS is well positioned to support the corporate goals as defined in Future Focus VII. The Goals and Actions within the plan will help City departments make optimal use of available technologies while delivering innovative solutions ensuring City taxpayers continue to receive excellent value for money. Finally, the strategy will demonstrate commitment and support to Burlington as an Intelligent Community by setting an example of a forward looking, technologically capable City, helping to grow and improve the economy and servicing the best interests of community. 2.2 Background Over the last several years, the City of Burlington has developed and delivered on a number of IT strategic plans, with each plan establishing the necessary priorities to evolve and grow information technology in a productive manner. Similar to previous plans, this strategy will ensure that technology decisions align and support the City s strategic direction and will assist the departments in the delivery of effective municipal services. 2.3 Guiding Principles & Objectives An effective IT strategy includes a set of over arching principles to guide the development of the plan as well as future decisions related to IT investment, implementation, and service delivery. The following principles were created to guide the City in these matters: 5

6 6 P a g e I T B u s i n e s s S t r a t e g y Guiding Principles 1. Strategic IT Investment The plan will help to ensure that ITS and Information Technology is well positioned to support the City s strategic objectives as outlined in Future Focus VII. Future IT investment decisions will be approached in a fiscally responsible manner, minimizing risks and ensuring effective management of life-cycle costs. Where possible we will strive to leverage existing Information Technology investments and pursue opportunities to reduce or consolidate existing systems. Adequate ROI analysis will be completed prior to investing in new Information Technology. 2. Support City Business ITS will be positioned as a valuable strategic partner for the business units. As departments deliver on their own business strategies, ITS will advise on the best utilization of Information Technology in the execution of those plans. ITS will strive to be open-minded about available options and will operate as a broker to ensure the right solutions are selected to meet the needs of the business. ITS will assist departments in finding efficiencies through improved business process and in identifying ways in which technology can help to reduce costs or minimize budget pressures. ITS will ensure that the skill-sets and tools required to support the city s Information Technology needs are available either in-house or through external service providers. ITS will also ensure that the best solutions for the organization are pursued and that the solutions implemented are capable of delivering the right information to the right people at the right time. Security of systems and data is vital to the organization and is a fundamental principle. 3. Excellence in Service ITS will facilitate leadership in egovernment and community engagement through the enhanced use of the web and other technologies used to interact with the public. On an ongoing basis, ITS will monitor and strive to improve the service it delivers to its internal customers through the use of performance measurement and other management techniques. A continuous improvement ethos will be established in which ITS staff will be empowered to challenge and propose solutions for inefficient, ineffective or failing processes. 4. Partnerships and Collaboration ITS will pursue opportunities for savings and innovation with local and regional partners through collaboration on Information Technology initiatives and by sharing expertise, experience and knowledge. ITS will also seek out Provincial and Federal programs that offer funding opportunities for Information Technology initiatives that would benefit the city. 5. Innovative Solutions ITS will continue to pursue creative solutions to business needs in a responsible way that does not expose the city to unnecessary risk. 6

7 7 P a g e I T B u s i n e s s S t r a t e g y 6. Value our People; Our People are our Strength Delivery of quality IT services requires a committed and empowered team of qualified and supported professional IT staff. With that in mind, ITS will promote and embrace the Corporate Employee Values and provide staff with the tools, processes and support required to deliver the best service possible. ITS will offer an environment that encourages growth and enrichment of skills and one that is attractive to high performing IT professionals. Similarly, a set of objectives were established for the strategy development process: 1. Corporate To align IT with corporate business strategy and Future Focus VII Strategic Plan Raise the profile of Information Technology as a strategic enabler of municipal service delivery, both online (egovernment) and through internal service delivery Position IT Services as a business partner with the departments, partnering together on projects to deliver business transformation To ensure that the right tools and information are available to all staff when and where they are required Promote and manage data as a valuable corporate asset 2. Technology Efficiency Implement a framework to identify future information technology related projects that bring the highest rate of return on investment for the organization Identify opportunities to leverage existing Information Technology investments Identify trends and issues that may affect the City s application and data architectures in both the short and long term Confirm that existing tools and information are being used effectively 3. IT Staff Efficiency Determine most effective allocation and organization of IT staff corporately Identify business processes, procedures and standards for the effective delivery of IT services 4. Deliverables To deliver a meaningful, tangible and achievable plan (tasks & projects) that addresses opportunities which are identified through the strategy development process 7

8 8 P a g e I T B u s i n e s s S t r a t e g y 2.4 Strategic Outcomes The key Strategic Outcomes defined within the Business Strategy ITS will focus on Serving the Customer, Enabling the Business, and Managing Information Technology. Each is described below: 1. Serving the Customer This outcome will place emphasis on the use of technology to provide citizens and organizations with greater access to government information and services and as a platform for exchanging information. Introduction of additional on-line services will be addressed in this area as well as some focus on initiatives like 311. Implementation of a corporate customer service software solution to track and report on customer requests will be addressed. The IT Services department will also direct some effort to improving internal customer service by strengthening communications, responsiveness, training and education all the while increasing the efficiency with which this work is performed. 2. Enabling the Business Information and Technology together are tools that enable a business to deliver its service and achieve corporate strategic goals. Accessibility to systems and information are vital to ensuring business improvements can be achieved and decisions can be made based on meaningful information collected. This outcome includes initiatives that deliver improved management reporting and examine ways in which information technology can facilitate improvements in business processes. Also addressed in this area is the use of partnerships to share information and solutions to help reduce/control costs and shorten implementation times. 3. Managing Information Technology This outcome represents the overall management of information technology including areas that address strategic planning, investment and management of corporate IT infrastructure, and security. This strategic outcome will commit ITS to continued diligence in maintaining the existing infrastructure and applications but will also direct attention to leveraging the full potential of existing technologies and ensure effective life-cycle planning. Within each Outcome there are supporting Goals that ITS will pursue in order to meet the wider target of continuous improvement in ITS service delivery. Each strategic Goal identifies a number of Actions (projects or tasks) that will be undertaken through the course of delivering the strategy over the next three years. 8

9 9 P a g e I T B u s i n e s s S t r a t e g y 2.5 Mission & Vision The 2008 IT Business Strategy was an opportunity for ITS to review and restate their Vision and Mission to the City. The Vision is an foundational statement about the role that ITS sees itself in over the period of the IT Business Strategy and beyond: ITS is a respected and valued partner, providing IT leadership, solutions, and services that address the needs of our customers and our community. This Vision statement is supported by the following Mission: To work together with staff and external partners to deliver reliable, secure, innovative, and cost-effective Information Technology solutions and services to the benefit of the organization and the Burlington community. 2.6 Process The Strategy development process has been led by the Director of Information Technology Services, and a core project team of senior ITS staff, who have been supported by Prior & Prior Associates, a Technology Management Consulting firm. The IT Business Strategy is a corporate document intended to be representative of the City of Burlington s plans for leveraging information technology in support of service delivery over the next three years. ITS is the steward of the plan with the organization as the owner. It was therefore fundamentally important that the IT Business Strategy reflect the views of the organization, not just the ITS department. A collaborative approach was taken with project leads seeking extensive consultative input. Interviews, workshops and surveys have been used to collect a significant volume of information related to the current use of IT, future opportunities, requirements, and suggestions for improvements to the overall ITS service. The development of the IT Business Strategy was carried out in four major phases as outlined in the diagram below. The information gathered through the first 3 phase is reflected in this document. The 9

10 10 P a g e I T B u s i n e s s S t r a t e g y Organizational Assessment phase will follow and will recommend appropriate structural changes within the ITS department to support the delivery of the IT Business Strategy. 3.0 Environmental Scan Once the Foundations of the Plan (Phase A) were set, an Environmental Scan was completed and formed the basis for the development of the IT Business Strategy. Three major areas were considered: 1. An assessment of the maturity and capability of the City s technology infrastructure 2. An assessment of the needs of City staff through extensive consultation; 3. An assessment of municipal and industry trends. Research was conducted through workshops with all ITS staff (including departmental IT staff), meetings with Senior ITS staff, and interviews with the City s Senior Management Team and members of Council. The results of the environmental scan are detailed in the following section. 10

11 11 P a g e I T B u s i n e s s S t r a t e g y 3.1 State of Information Technology in the City ITS Department The ITS Department, led by the Director of Information Technology Services, consists of 25 staff who deliver the majority of core Information Technology services to all city departments, as well as some local boards and agencies. These services include: Business application implementation and support Help desk and desktop support Project management Technology infrastructure design and support Network communications and telephone services Web-based transaction services End user training General technology advice and consulting Some departments have staff within their own organizational structure that perform an IT support function. These staff manage and maintain applications that are generally unique and considered critical to the operation of the department. Although there is clear justification for these roles, it would be of benefit to establish a stronger partnership with the ITS department to facilitate on-going information exchange, accommodate adequate coverage needs, ensure clarity of roles, and to collaborate on annual IT work plans. IT Strategic Management (IT Governance) The Corporate IT Steering Committee (CITSC), which is populated with departmental representatives, currently oversees the annual project work plan for Information Technology Services. They prioritize and approve major ITS projects through the capital budgeting process. It has been recognized that key corporate strategic decisions related to IT change need to be made at a senior level. Therefore, strategic decisions related to information technology will be incorporated into the internal management system being restructured as part of the corporate reorganization. As a part of that process, the role of the existing committee should also be re-evaluated and possibly redefined. 11

12 12 P a g e I T B u s i n e s s S t r a t e g y There are a number of working groups in operation (including the Land Related Information System Working Group and the Desktop Support Team) that provide an effective way to facilitate the exchange of ideas between staff and to obtain feedback on important technical matters. The role, positioning and reporting of these groups should be reviewed and adjusted as required. Partnerships The City of Burlington has made effective use of local and Regional partnerships to deliver shared IT projects and to reduce costs where it has been appropriate to do so. The following are some examples of initiatives that have or will include the participation of local partners: The City and the Region of Halton are engaged in a service partnership with the Region hosting the technology infrastructure and application services for the City s financial system (SAP). The Halton Joint Purchasing Agreement has been leveraged to jointly acquire desktop and laptop computers and software licenses resulting in a significantly lower per unit cost to the City. The City has initiated a partnership with the Region of Halton to share a backup data centre site for disaster recovery purposes. The City plans to pursue the viability of shared or common software applications in future including, web casting, customer relationship, and Council agenda management solutions. The City partnered with the Burlington Public Library to acquire WiFi internet services and has participated in a joint RFP process to map out a telecommunications strategy for both organizations. The Director of ITS participates on the Halton Information Technology Committee consisting of IT directors from local municipalities, school boards, and Conservation Halton. This group regularly convenes to discuss individual priorities, challenges, and to share ideas on solutions and potential partnership opportunities. 12

13 13 P a g e I T B u s i n e s s S t r a t e g y Applications & Technology The City of Burlington has a long and impressive history of meeting business requirements through the innovative use of Information Technology and has developed a mature vendor-supplied application portfolio. In some areas the City has led the way and set a benchmark for other municipalities to follow. As an example, the City is very advanced in having developed the foundation required to support mobile and remote workers, and would be considered a leading authority in this area. A number of departments including Fire and Building are taking advantage of this technology to support staff who work in the field, who are frequently out of the office, or who predominantly work from a vehicle. Wireless technology has also been installed at 20 city-owned locations providing internet access to both the public and City staff. These innovative wireless solutions should be further promoted across the organization to increase awareness of the technology and its potential. Despite the very positive impact that technology has borne on the City, there is no doubt new challenges have emerged as applications have become exceedingly complex and the data supported by the applications have grown exponentially. Indicatively, senior managers have expressed some concern with whether the applications are being used to their full potential and whether the right information is readily available to support decision-making. The Information Technology infrastructure (hardware, network, storage, security, voice) that supports the applications has been managed well and kept relatively current. Measures are taken to ensure that an application can be restored in the event of an isolated failure. However, a major catastrophe could result in an extended outage of critical systems. The City is currently addressing this matter in the form of an IT Recovery Plan. In addition, it appears that funding to upgrade important back-end technology has been difficult to attain and has, therefore, increased the risk of failure. Although the City has and should continue to be cost conscious with infrastructure investments, opportunities to realize important benefits from those same investments should not be lost. For example, hardware consolidation and telecom advancements could decrease risk and/or result in cost savings. Internal ITS Business Processes The advent of a new IT Strategic plan provides the opportunity to review the services being delivered by the ITS department. The ITS department maintains a large and complex computing environment providing support for over 100 applications running on 650 workstations across 40 locations. Anecdotally, ITS staff are highly regarded throughout the organization for their responsiveness and professional service. However, there is currently no data available that provides information calls received and problem resolution. With the number of requests to the Help Desk increasing on an annual basis, standardized processes and tools must be in place to manage and track incidents and to more effectively manage project portfolios. 13

14 14 P a g e I T B u s i n e s s S t r a t e g y More specifically, to ensure the current levels of service excellence are maintained a Help Desk application with the ability to track calls and maintain a knowledge base of technical information will be required. Information on types of calls received and resolution time could identify areas for service improvement in the future. Information from the electronic knowledge base could be made available to staff outside of ITS assisting with user education and problem resolution with little or no involvement of ITS staff. Finally, regular performance reporting will help customers understand the services they receive as well as where they may wish to pursue technology training within their own department. A large amount of knowledge about the IT environment and its operation is currently retained by the individuals within the ITS department. Increased efforts need to be directed towards the documentation of existing systems and processes as well as knowledge transfer amongst staff. This will also aid in staff growth and succession planning. Streamlining the processes required to access IT services and implementing the automated tools to manage and measure support services will improve responsiveness making it easier for customers to do business with ITS. 3.2 Consultation Through the development of the plan ITS sought consultation with a wide range of stakeholders and customers to assess current performance and to better understand requirements and expectations for continuous improvement. Key input was sought from; Departmental Directors, General Managers, City Manager, Councillors and Mayor s Office External Partners, Boards and Agencies, ITS staff, Departmental IT Staff, CITSC Members In general terms, the ITS department is well regarded by the departments it serves. ITS delivers a high quality, reliable set of core IT services. The demand for IT services has been increasing and there is typically an extensive list of projects awaiting the attention of ITS. Typically, on an annual basis, resource demand exceeds supply. 14

15 15 P a g e I T B u s i n e s s S t r a t e g y The majority of departments are also seeking more assistance in the areas of advisory and consultative services to ensure that they get the most out of their information technology particularly after a major implementation. Departments would like the process for delivering solutions to be faster and for ITS to be as flexible as possible in meeting their needs. The following is a summary of the needs and suggested actions identified from the stakeholder input: To review the role of the Corporate Information Technology Steering Committee to ensure focus on strategic investment decisions and on the management of the corporate IT project portfolio. To ensure that departments are reaping the full benefit of applications with the aim of improving services and finding efficiencies. In doing so, ITS should be focused on identifying areas of cross-departmental efficiencies through system integration and increased process automation using existing systems. To ensure the organization is maximizing the investment in technology by extending the product life-cycle and effectively managing the total cost of ownership. To focus upon integrating data and applications to reduce data duplication. To Increase ITS involvement in business process improvement as part of the implementation of projects, and to focus upon improving support as projects move into an operational state. To improve access to meaningful management information from multiple disparate systems. To implement systems to support improvements in Customer Service and tracking of customer requests (e.g. 311 & CRM). To increase utilization of the web to communicate, interact and carry out transactions with the public. To leverage local partnerships where possible to share costs, solutions, and resources. For ITS to more effectively balance projects and operational tasks in order to be more responsive to departmental needs. To review roles and responsibilities between ITS and departmental IT resources to provide role clarity and to ensure effective use and allocation of resources. 3.3 Industry and Municipal Government Trends A recent survey conducted by the Municipal Information Systems Association (MISA) identified a number of priority initiatives for municipalities. The survey clearly indicates that many municipalities are 15

16 16 P a g e I T B u s i n e s s S t r a t e g y developing strategies to leverage existing IT investments ensuring that systems and technologies are fully utilised before investing in new solutions and technologies. The MISA survey also indicated that significant investment is planned in the area of information management, specifically in Document Management. Customer Service solutions and systems that support the delivery of online services are also being explored. In summary, the survey results indicate that common priorities are shared across municipalities and are also ones which have been identified as priorities for the City of Burlington. Strategic IT Investment and Utilization Municipalities are recognizing the importance of leveraging existing technologies prior to making a decision to invest in new systems. Many systems that are implemented in one division or department can also address similar needs in many other areas of the organization. However, due to the disparate nature of municipal services and structures it is not uncommon for parts of the organization to simply be unaware of previously implemented solutions that may address their own needs. Organizations require a formalized process to ensure that a solution implemented in one area is communicated, marketed, and accessible to other business units who could leverage them. ITS must play a key role in educating and informing all parts of the organization about the solutions that are available, and where they can be used effectively. Business Process Management (BPM) Business Processes are a collection of related, structured activities and tasks that produce a service or product that meet the needs of a client. Business Process Management (or Business Process Improvement) allows organizations to optimize business processes to ensure maximum efficiency and increase alignment with client needs. 16

17 17 P a g e I T B u s i n e s s S t r a t e g y In the past IT projects in many organizations have simply implemented technology to support the automation of broken or inefficient processes. Smart organizations are realizing that significant business efficiencies can be gained from improving business processes as part of Information Technology projects. Many organizations are using the ITS Department as agents of business process change. Organizations are now recognizing that system implementations can only achieve improvements and efficiencies if business processes are re-engineered to be more effective. Municipalities often have an opportunity to adopt industry best practices when they implement purchased software and are avoiding the temptation to introduce expensive and complex customizations to support inefficient processes. As such, ITS Departments are focusing less upon pure technology and more on the use of Information and Technology to support business objectives. IT staff typically are expected to not only be technically adept, but also to be equipped with a detailed understanding of business activities and the ability to identify how information Technology can be used to streamline and simplify business processes. Forward thinking organizations are expecting IT to focus more upon Business Process Management. More Effective use of the Web and Web Technologies There is a significant opportunity for municipalities to use the web more extensively as a channel to carry out business. Benefits are obvious in terms of convenience and accessibility to customers. In most cases municipalities are publishing a plethora of information about services but not taking advantage of the full capabilities of the web to interact and conduct business with stakeholders. Generally, web sites evolve from the publishing of information (one-way communication) to a fullyintegrated site where the customer can do business with and interact (two-way communication) with an 17

18 18 P a g e I T B u s i n e s s S t r a t e g y organization as the diagram below illustrates. Most municipalities offer the ability to conduct transactions on-line but many opportunities exist to deliver more services online, and to more fully engage the community via the web using new technologies (including blogs and video streaming). Cost efficiencies can be accrued through online service delivery. Studies in the UK have found that on average, the cost of responding to a face-to-face enquiry can be as much as $30. In contrast, costs per transaction are significantly lower for each online service implemented. Research at one of the e-government leaders in the UK Tameside Borough Council provided the following analysis of their costs; Mode No. Of customer visits Cost per visit Face-to-face 105,000 $29.30 Customer contact call-centre Self-service on website 315,000 $ ,000 $0.50 Source: Tameside Borough Council, In order to fully gain these benefits it must be possible for customers to easily complete transactions online, and online services should be promoted (and priced) over existing channels. 18

19 19 P a g e I T B u s i n e s s S t r a t e g y Environmental Impacts of Information Technology With an increasing focus on environmental sustainability, organizations are taking action to mitigate impacts associated with power consumption and hardware disposal. With data centre and PC power costs contributing a significant amount to overall building energy consumption, reviewing information technology energy consumption and energy use strategies can also reap significant financial savings. As a result, a number of municipalities are undertaking energy optimization studies. 3.4 Comparative Municipal Assessment An informal environmental scan was used to assess what other municipal organizations have achieved with technology in order to identify areas of best practice that Burlington could benefit from and to benchmark Burlington against other leading municipalities. The following table outlines the key current municipal and IT industry trends. A colour coding has been used to illustrate the status of Burlington in comparison with the wider municipal community. In a general sense Burlington is ahead of comparable municipalities in embracing and applying technology. The City is only slightly behind in introducing voice and data integration and in the use of virtual server technology to facilitate server consolidation. 19

20 20 P a g e I T B u s i n e s s S t r a t e g y General Trend Web & egovernment Buy vs. Build Application Strategies: ERP vs. Best in Class Document Management Mobile Solutions 311/Call Centre/CRM Voice & Data Integration/VOIP GIS/Mapping Data Warehousing strategies Hosted services/internet based solutions/saas Telework/Telecommuting Virtualization Storage IT Organization: Central vs. Decentralized IT Outsourcing Burlington Assessment City is ahead of the majority of municipalities City is on par with the majority of municipalities City is trailing the majority of municipalities The following should be noted as items from the above listed trends where ITS will be focusing some effort as part of the IT Business Strategy: exploration of technologies to support customer service and customer relationship management priorities an increased focus on web-based service delivery development of telecom strategy to map out the business needs and options to service the City s telecommunications needs consolidation/reduction of server fleet using virtualization technology exploration of Green IT initiatives an increased flexibility in choosing appropriate solutions including externally hosted solutions 20

21 21 P a g e I T B u s i n e s s S t r a t e g y 4.0 Conclusion Through a collaborative process, the development of this IT Business Strategy has identified areas in technology utilization and in IT service delivery where the organization should be focusing its efforts over the next 3 years. It sets out a tangible set of Strategic Outcomes, Goals and Actions, and builds on the already solid IT foundations to ensure that the overall target of Continuous Improvement can be achieved by: ensuring that technology can enable the organization to enhance service delivery in a cost effective manner ensuring that the organization can fully leverage the capabilities of applications that have already been implemented ensuring that decisions and costs associated with upgrades and enhancements are appropriately justified in order to maximize the life-cycle of technology investments ensuring effective, efficient, and secure integration of data and applications ensuring staff skill development, effective resource allocation, and standards are implemented to maintain and support an increasingly complex environment. By achieving the goals set out in the Business Strategy, the City will leverage technology more effectively and extensively, delivering improved service to its customers, whilst continuing to be an innovative leader. The IT Business Strategy positions ITS to help Departments make appropriate use of available technologies ensuring that City s taxpayers continue to receive excellent value for money. 21