Benefits and Lessons Learned from Implementation of the Information Business System within the Public Service for Institutional Radwaste Management

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1 Benefits and Lessons Learned from Implementation of the Information Business System within the Public Service for Institutional Radwaste Management ABSTRACT S. Sučić, M. Fabjan, M. Kostanjevec ARAO - Agency for Radwaste Management Parmova 53, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia simona.sucic@gov.si, marija.fabjan@gov.si, marko.kostanjevec@gov.si At the end of 2007 the Slovenian Agency for Radwaste Management (ARAO) had been upgraded its performance of public service for the institutional radioactive waste management by the contemporary tailor-made Information Business System; called JSMP application. The tailor-made application was developed within European Union (EU) funded project called Improvement of the management of institutional radioactive waste in Slovenia via the design and implementation of the Information Business System with the aim to improve the entire process of public service for institutional radwaste management in Slovenia. The first version of the JSMP application was developed within six months by close co-operation of radwaste and information technology (IT) experts. At the end the entire organization has been mobilized with the one aim: providing a higher standard of quality management of institutional radioactive waste in Slovenia. After more than three years of usage, the JSMP application has become necessary tool in the ARAO working process and it has been used as a support during automatic generation of forms, reports and various analyses for different purposes, data tracking, transparency, different overviews and working on different locations. Within this paper, practical issues, benefits and lessons learned from the implementation of the information business system within the public service for institutional radwaste management are presented. Also, design of JSMP application, its functionality and mechanisms for data tracking and transparency are described. INTRODUCTION The task of public service for institutional radioactive waste management in Slovenia was assigned to the Agency for Radwaste Management (ARAO) by the Governmental Decree of May 1999 [1] [2]. From the beginning the public service of institutional radioactive waste management became one of ARAO s main and the most important business processes. This task ranges from the collection of the waste at users' premises to the storage in the Central Storage Facility (CSF) and afterwards disposal in the planned Low and Intermediate Level Waste (LILW) repository. The scope of the managing of institutional radioactive waste also includes waste transport, operation of the CSF, treatment and conditioning of stored waste. With the aim of achieving a higher efficiency in performing the public service ARAO decided to develop the software package that links all activities of the institutional radioactive waste management process into one management system. The software package called JSMP application was developed and implemented in 2007 by the group of IT experts from 707.1

2 707.2 Slovenian well-known IT company with close cooperation of radwaste experts from Belgium and ARAO. At 1 st of January 2008, after two months of filling the database with historical data, ARAO has started to use the JSMP application. DESIGN AND FUNCTIONALITIES OF JSMP APPLICATION The JSMP application is the name of the tailor-made software package specialized for supporting the ARAO business process related with the institutional radwaste management. It enables the ARAO employees to track, search and view the data from databases via secured internet access from different locations. As a software development life-cycle methodology the Waterfall methodology was used. The main reason for choosing this methodology is its simple approach: analyse the problem, design the solution, implement the code, test the code, integrate and deploy. ARAO's main requirements for development and implementation of JSMP application were the following [3]: One-time data entering, Use of one single database, Access to waste management data from different locations, Simple search of the stored data, Storage of all documents in one place, that are easily accessible, Traceability of the data about radwaste, Disabling further data correction once after the content of entered data has been confirmed. With the aim to assure long-term functionality the JSMP application was designed in the way that enables [4]: Loosely coupled applications, where one service can be relatively simply replaced by another, Possibility of creating new applications by orchestrating and reusing existing services, Possibility of demonstrating the business service to external business partners, Reducing the complexity of distributed applications, Possibility of future extensions by modular design. The JSMP application supports the following activities of the institutional radwaste management: Processing the takeover order, Takeover of waste packages at the waste producers premises, Transport of waste, Waste acceptance in the storage facility, Waste storage, treatment and conditioning, Invoicing the takeover services, Transfer of waste ownership. Beside support the institutional radwaste management business process, JSMP application also supports additional activities like the preparation of the annual reports for the Central register of radioactive waste (CERAO) about the stored waste in xml code or reacceptation of waste packages after treatment and conditioning activities. Also, it is possible to export the data from the JSMP application to MS Excel format or any other format which is more user friendly for analyses.

3 707.3 Services that cover above mentioned activities within the JSMP application are: Waste Takeover service that supports business process from issuing the order to actual reception of the waste at the storage facility. Waste Acceptance service that supports the business process from the point when the waste package has entered to the storage facility. This service is responsible for the preparation of invoice requests and tracking the invoice request status. It is planned that this service will be upgraded and connected to the ARAO financial system; to automatically issue invoices and track the invoice status. When the invoice is paid, this service is also responsible for preparing the statement for transfer of ownership of the radwaste from waste producer to ARAO. Storage Facility Management service that supports tasks related to the Storage Facility. It is responsible for storing the received waste package to storage location defined by the user, for tracking the waste package movements, alerting the user if the position is already occupied and managing the storage facility positions. This service is also responsible for preparing the reports on the stored radioactive waste. Application supports the calculation of the current activity of the waste package. It is planned that this service will be upgraded with the new so called notification alert which will inform the administrator when the activity of the certain waste package fall below clearance level.

4 707.4 Figure 1: Model of Business process [4] The JSMP aplication is a system that enables its users, physically located on different locations, and secured internet access to the documents and data, stored in the databases. It was developed as a web application in Microsoft.NET Framework technology. Beside the regular paper copies additional weekly backups of the database content has been preformed. The JSMP consists from the following modules [4]: Registration module, which enables the registering in the system using digital certificates of registered Slovenian certification agencies. Without the qualified digital certificates, it is impossible to ensure conformity with the Slovenian electronic business legislation.

5 707.5 Administration module, which has been designed for system users vested with the rights of administrator. The different roles of an administrator include user administrator, document administrator and system administrator. Mediation module, designed for connecting and coordinating actions executed by other modules. Document module, designed for defining documents, document workflow and document validity. Security module that provides protection against viruses and executes electronic signature and document time stamping. It also contains an e-signature tool for verification of signed electronic documents on the local computer. Logging module, which is a database containing all information on registered users of the system and on signed electronic documents, the associated code tables, the records of all actions in the system etc. The table below represents the functionalities that JSMP application covers. Table 1: The JSMP application functionalities [4] Supporting Waste Takeover process Processing the Takeover Order Enter the Takeover order Preparation of the Confirmation for takeover Preparation of the Request for corrective actions (+Close Takeover order) Transport Upload transport documentation Takeover and Accept Waste Packages Verify waste package data Prepare document Non-Conformity report Store Waste Prepare document Transfer of property contract (+Close Takeover Order) Invoicing the Takeover Services Prepare Invoice request Supplement Invoice request with invoicing data Facility Management Maintain Storage Position Layout Move Waste Package Prepare document Movements evidence report Waste Package Index Enter Waste Package

6 707.6 Table 1: JSMP application functionalities (continuation) General requirements Generating.docx files Uploading documents into application Preparation of Lables for Waste Package Calculating Waste Package Activity Export Waste Packages Data Changing Un-Known Producer on Takeover Order Sending notification Searching through waste management data Searching Takeover Orders Searching Waste Package Searching Business Partners Searching Invoice Requests Preparation of reports Preparation of CERAO Report Preparation of Nuclear Materials Report Maintain Application Maintain Registers Maintaining Business Partners Register (Add new Business Partner, Edit Business Partner, Delete Business Partner) Maintaining Radionuclides Register (Add new radionuclide, Edit radionuclide) Maintain Waste Management Code Tables Maintaining Waste Management Code Tables (Add new Item, Edit Item, Delete Item) Maintain Application Users Maintain Application Users (Add new User, Edit User, Delete User) Security Login in application

7 707.7 Figure 2: A few JSMP application screenshots: the data inserting masks, documents and reports generating from the JSMP application [5] BENEFITS AND LESSONS LEARNED After three years of using the JSMP application its effectiveness can be fully identified and analyzed. There is no doubt that this application was a key element of ARAO s activities to improve the efficiency of the functioning of the institutional radioactive waste management and ensured better standards for radioactive waste management in Slovenia that comply with the requests from the Regulatory Authority. The main benefits of the JSMP application usage in the ARAO are [6]: There is no confusion about the process definition any more. The institutional radioactive waste management is uniformed and optimized. The transparency of the whole process is archived by clear definition of all activities. The transfer of BAT (best available technologies) in the field of institutional radioactive waste management from EU countries to Slovenia was enabled by the support of skilled experts with the radioactive waste management experience in EU countries. One-time data entering, possibilities to search, export or prepare reports about data enable users to fully utilize its working time.

8 707.8 Due to less work needed for the administration (consecution of JSMP application) the operative costs of work have been decreased. Usage of one single database (JSMP application) and possibility to access to the waste management data from different locations allow all users to access data easily from different locations. Due to traceability of the waste management data, users have insight into whole management process, from takeover and acceptance till the reception of the package in the storage facility and eventual removing of the package from the storage facility. The results of this improvements allow ARAO to lower the operative working time and costs and consequently to improve the efficiency of the performing of the institutional radioactive waste management. Therefore the implementation of the JSMP application enables ARAO to meet the requirements for performing effective and technologically adequate management system of the institutional radioactive waste in Slovenia. Application allows easy browsing of the history of the each individual package. Beside all above mentioned benefits it has to be clear that the implementation of JSMP application was not completely smoothly. There were many hard and soft barriers that had direct influence on the implementation success. ARAO employees did tremendously amount of work to transform the old database (historical data about the waste packages already stored in the CSF) into the form of new database and entering this data into new JSMP application. Some human mistakes were made during entering the historical data into JSMP application and its identification together with the correction have been extremely time consuming task. Another unpleasantness during the development of the JSMP application was connected with changes in the legislative requirements for electronic reporting into CERAO. The result was that this functionality was upgraded few months later after the JSMP application was implemented with additional indispensable costs. In three years of using the JSMP application ARAO almost have not needed the support of external IT service resulting the JSMP application system errors. All support of IT service ARAO have been used for small corrections related with the mistakes in data entering and small upgrades and improvements. It was very important that JSMP application architecture structure is opened for the future necessary improvements and upgrades. 80% of employee immediately grabbed the challenge with whole enthusiasm; other 20% needed special motivation, stimulation and monitoring. The barriers that have been identified among ARAO employee during implementation of JSMP application and testing phase can be attributed to fear of change, vagueness of subject and desire to preserve the status quo. SWOT analysis shown in the table below describes strengths, opportunities, threats and weaknesses of the implementation of the JSMP application. Important achievement is that the most weaknesses and threats were successfully managed; but some of them still exist.

9 707.9 Table 2: SWOT analysis of the implementation of the JSMP application STRENGTHS Correctly chosen software development live-cycle model. All JSMP application errors were identified during the validation tests. Skilled software engineering experts with experiences and know-how about software engineering process assured design of the application without any significant errors after validations phase. Preparation of interactive graphical user interface prototype. Two weeks training for the ARAO s employees. During this training, IT experts train users how to work with the new application. Exhaustive and exact functional specification documentation. Effective and open communication with all involved parties during development of the application (ARAO employee, IT experts, external radwaste experts). Well-known IT company with references in the Information Business System development guarantied quality service for further upgrading of application, support and maintenance. OPPORTUNITIES Increased efficiency in performing of the institutional radioactive waste management. Informatisation of ARAO main business process with modern technologies. The guidelines for further development of the operational system are already known. CONCLUSION WEAKNESSES Constraint for the further maintenance of the application to contract with the same IT company that design tailormade JSMP application (dependence, expensive). THREATS Changes in legislation. Influence of the financial and economical crisis, possible bankruptcy of the IT company that design the JSMP application or big changes in their management and human resources. Major changes of human resources in ARAO. Formally, every system can be viewed as a collection of functional components performing in interaction to achieve an objective or to perform a task within defined boundaries. If a system is to be controlled, the essential feature is feedback information about output deviations from target values, brought back to the input side. Feedback information is essential part of every Information Business System. Newly developed Information Business System for the management of institutional radioactive waste is always

10 in dynamic interaction with its surrounding, determined by a constant flow of resources into the systems, and flow of system outputs, intended and incidental, out into the environment. On the operational level, information/digitalization of the institutional radioactive waste management is concerned with optimizing and controlling the use of ARAO resources (indirectly taxpayer money) to achieve more efficient public service. Within the process of the development and implementation of the JSMP application it has been confirmed that the most important ARAO s resources are knowledgeable, experienced and resourceful people and agency capabilities and awareness on how to perform the know-how! After three years of extensive usage it can be concluded that JSMP application provide an efficient platform for information management according to the regulatory authority requirements and ARAO management needs. REFERENCES [1] Decree on establishment of a Public Agency for Radioactive Waste Management, Off. Gaz. RS 45/1996, 32/1999, 38/2001, 113/2009 [2] Decree on the method and subject of and conditions for performing a public utility service of radioactive waste management, Off. Gaz. RS 32/1999 [3] ARAO, Terms of References of the project Improvement of the management of institutional radioactive waste in Slovenia via the design and implementation of the Information Business System, Transition Facility 2004 No. 2004/016/ , Ljubljana, 2006 [4] Hermes Softlab d.d., Technical report: Detailed functional description of the design of the Information Business System, HSL-IBS001-Rev1, Ljubljana, 2007 [5] Software package for institutional radwaste management JSMP application, ARAO, Ljubljana, 2007 [6] S. Sučić, M. Fabjan, U. Hrastar, T. Mali, C. Steinkuhler, K. Lenie, Recent Improvement Of The Institutional Radioactive Waste Management System In Slovenia, WM2008 Conference, Phoenix, AZ. February 24-28, 2008