Integrated customer policy. The customer-oriented government. Fragmented Information

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1 R. (Rogier) van Dam MSc. & I. (Ivar) Vennekens MSc. THE VIRTUAL FILE AS A SOLUTION FOR CUSTOMER-ORIENTED GOVERNMENT BODIES The government attempts to lessen the administrative burdens for citizens and businesses. The principle of single data collection, multiple use is employed as often as possible. The objective is to minimize the instances where a client needs to administer the same information twice. To work in a customer friendly way, civil servants need to have access to all relevant information about the clients at all times. Creating an integrated customer view is no easy task, as the data are often scattered and inconveniently stored. Although the data warehouse is designed for integrated retrieval of all these data sources, it fails to meet the requirements of government agencies to rapidly and flexibly retrieve and combine current information regarding one specific client. The virtual file offers a new approach, providing data managers with the instrument to meet all the information requirements of their organisation. The customer-oriented government Government bodies are expected to lighten the administrative burden, be transparent for citizens and businesses and avoid asking obvious questions. Yet this is no easy task for many. Their internal organisation is primarily structured to implement regulations: processing subsidies for citizens and businesses, granting permits, enforcing laws and regulations, etc. The main focus is on the law, and not on the customer. Citizens and businesses are still required to submit the same information to several government bodies, as these bodies do not or are not allowed to share data between them. Supported by government-wide policy such as the Andere Overheid (Different Government) initiative to modernise services, government bodies are making the switch from being implementers of regulations to customer-oriented service providers. Based on EU and national government policy targets, they ensure they provide services in a way that better reflects the needs of their customers. This change is starting to take effect. Fortunately, government organisations are realising increasingly that the focus must not be on their own processes and services, but on the customer. Integrated customer policy A Customer-oriented approach means having good and coherent information about and for the customer. Organisations are only in a position to provide customeroriented services if the specific situation of customer and their preferences are known. This requires an integrated customer view. Employees must always have all relevant information about their customers to provide them with good service. But customers themselves are empowered. They expect a direct insight into how they are registered, the products or services they procure and the status of, for example, an application. Fragmented Information The information management of government bodies is usually not organised on a customer basis. Computer systems are mainly designed to perform a number of similar transactions, and manage the data necessary for this purpose. These include operations such as customer management, subsidies, permits, and billing. Each of these applications contains a portion of information about the customer: customer information, requests, permits, invoices sent, etc. These data are usually fragmented, and can only be consulted by looking at the read modules of the relevant transaction system. The data is then manually combined on an ad hoc basis, leading to interpretation errors and frustration. There is no integrated and consistent customer view. The integrated customer view brings this fragmented information together in a comprehensible way. Creating an integrated customer view is not easy because it is often difficult to connect data and this information is stored in different ways. 1

2 The data warehouse does not offer a solution The most commonly proposed solution to creating an integrated customer view makes sense. Bring the customer information from different sources together into one new source: the data warehouse. Each of the data sources copies its data - usually once a day - to the data warehouse in the prescribed format and according to the prescribed method. The data warehouse then duplicates, corrects and re-organises the data. Provided the data in the warehouse are regularly updated, this would seem to offer the best solution for an integrated customer view. In practice, however, there are a number of problems: Semantic: the data warehouse assumes there is just one language in which everyone understands each other and in which everyone is prepared to speak, as written in the corporate data dictionary. Although this data dictionary is supposed to allow information from various contexts to be combined and compared, this is often not feasible. The different semantic models are there for a reason. They are the result of differences in laws and regulations, types of business activities, corporate culture, etc. Producing a data dictionary that covers the entire organisation or even chain slows down the development of the data warehouse. And even if the data dictionary can be produced, nobody is able to recognise what relates to them. Type of information: the data warehouse is often limited to data that is stored in a structured form. However, an integrated customer view also provides geographic information, scanned documents, images, digital documents, etc. In a data warehouse, considerable investment is required to combine this information; Current information: information in the data warehouse usually becomes outdated. The data source is valuable because it always contains the latest information. A data warehouse soon falls behind with current information; Arrangement of data: because of the way it is set up, a data warehouse can lose its connection with the source data, certainly after the information in the data warehouse has been corrected, enriched and rearranged. Consistency of data between the data warehouse and the data source therefore requires continual attention; Technique: the data warehouse requires that all information be converted into one platform (e.g. an Oracle database) and one storage structure (e.g. a relational model). This is no easy task. For a long time, the data warehouse offered a good solution for creating an integrated customer view. However, in today s differentiated information landscape it brings too many problems. For statistical analysis the data warehouse remains suitable, but for an integrated customer view it is too unwieldy and one-sided. To improve the customer orientation of an organisation, a different solution is needed. The virtual file provides current, tailored information The solution is the virtual file system, which provides a new and innovative approach to data and has proved its value in practice. By forming a skin around existing applications, this system is able to retrieve all data about one subject and present it in a clear way. It offers a new window on the supply of information. The virtual file system is based on the principle that it is not necessary to centrally store all information. The virtual file does not comprise digital documents or data, but a structured collection of links to information. Data is retrieved as soon as a user requests information on a certain subject. The virtual file only exists during the time that it is consulted by the user. In short, the virtual file knows where the information is, and allows it stay there. In the words of Samuel Johnson: Knowledge is of two kinds. We know a subject ourselves, or we know where we can find information upon it. With the virtual file: users always have access via one window to all the latest data that corresponds to the source information; information managers can better support organisations in the work they perform, without requiring investment in existing systems and without lengthy procedures for making a uniform framework of terms; functional application managers are in many cases able to add new information elements 1 themselves, without requiring new software; auditors do not have to perform exhaustive consistency analyses to guarantee that decisions and reporting are made on the basis of correct information. Under the hood of the virtual file The virtual file uses a number of modules, and by strictly implementing the distinctions between these modules in the application architecture and software, it is able to help the organisation remain flexible. The modules are: Smart agents for retrieving the data sources and linking different data sources through knowledge of the various contexts in which the sources function; An engine which based on the user s request is able to independently determine the optimal use for the smart agents; An internet or intranet portal that presents the information requested to the user. Various combinations of software agents (Knoblock et al, 1997) are used to meet the information needs of the user. This builds on conceptual models for data integration such as COIN (Goh et al., 1994; Goh et al., 1997), Garlic (Carey et al, 1995), Hermes (Subrahmanian et al., 1996, Lu et al, 1994) and Infosleuth (Nodine & UnRuh, 1997; Nodine et al.,1998; Perry et al., 1998; Nodine et al., 2000). The virtual file 1. An information element is understood to mean a quantity of information that is relevant and coherent for the user. 2

3 Software agenten Index broker Index wrapper Virtueel dossier portaal Virtueel dossier engine Bron Retrieval broker Retrieval wrapper Presentatie agent Search agent Context mediator Figure 1: the architecture of the virtual file system (outline of main features) combines these respected theoretical models in a new approach that can be implemented in practice. Software agents come in various forms, and each one has its own purpose: Wrappers are agents that protect data sources from the outside world and only make information available in an agreed format. Wrappers are generally implemented as (web)services or views; Brokers are agents that determine from which source(s) the data must be retrieved; they take care of the selection of the right wrapper (based on availability, actuality, etc.) and the aggregation and integration of information; Context mediators are agents that translate terms from one data source to match the terms from another data source (Wiederhold, 1992). A context mediator can for example translate a Chamber of Commerce customer registration number into an internal customer registration number; Search agents are agents that support directed searches for information; Presentation agents are agents that present the information to the user. The best form of presentation depends on the type of information and the user s preference. The presentation agents provide users with the possibility to flexibly switch between various forms of presentation such as a table, figure, map, etc. Since each agent has a specific mission and focus, it is possible to maintain a clear overview of the development work. When a new information requirement arises, new customised software agents can easily be added. Concatenation of several agents creates a virtual file that can meet a specific information requirement of employees in a customer-oriented organisation. Data is therefore tailored to requirements. In practice The virtual file has proved its value in a number of successful applications. Figure 2: The General Inspection service s virtual file system The General Inspection Service, by now part of the Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation is one of the first users of the virtual file, and developed the system as a generic web application. The Service enables its inspectors to view all customer information in the field via a tablet pc with a wireless UMTS connection. For example, by entering the registration plate of a manure transportation vehicle, inspectors can see whether it has reported at another service minutes earlier. For the purposes of evidence, the inspector can save data in the document management system, online and in real-time. This is a prime example of mobile enforcement through smart use of ICT. The Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation offers its customers the My File service, 3

4 which allows them to see how they are registered with all departments of the Ministry. Citizens and businesses are provided with a username and password with which they can log into the Ministry to view these details in their personal portal. Here, they can set their personal preferences, authorise others to do business with the Ministry on their behalf and consult relevant information online and in real-time. This service means the Ministry can operate as a transparent government organisation. Figure 3: The Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation virtual customer file Implementation By introducing a virtual file system it is possible to quickly realise successes and cost savings in information exchange operations. Experience has shown that quick implementation is possible by following a number of, sometimes unusual, guidelines: The Electronic Patient File (EPF) is a frequently cited example of a virtual file. Via the EPF patient data are digitally stored on nationwide network. The EPF takes a different approach to the virtual file, this includes placing new demands on the contributing systems. The XIS certification procedure tests whether a system is suitable for EPF use. This article does not focus on analysing differences with EPF, but describes the virtual file as it been already successfully implemented in practice on several occasions. 1. Do not create any additional registrations: these increase complexity and fail to stay up-to-date To retrieve information it is not necessary to add an information element to a central register. As opposed to a push system, a pull system usually ensures that information is more current. With push systems the information is brought to one central place (even if this is just a key link). A pull system consults the relevant source of information at the request of the user to see if information about an object is available. 2. Do not enforce standardisation: that takes a long time and is temporary The applications that a virtual file retrieves are normally not developed at a single point in time. As a result they comply with different technical standards. Requiring all sources to conform to one standard is a pitfall. That demands a great deal of development/ conversion without any added value. As standards come and go in time, it is moreover a guarantee for creating a large, inextricable tangle of systems. The virtual file works on the principle that it must be able to handle each existing standard. To do this, it contains several techniques that communicate with data sources. This principle means a virtual file incurs minimal costs in the form of modifications to existing systems and only requires a short time to organise new information elements. 3. Do not try to make a uniform framework of terms: that will not work anyway The development of a file system that is used across multiple domains is often dependant on having a uniform framework of terms. The creation of a uniform framework of terms even if this is possible should be separated from such a system. A difference in terms can also generally be clarified without problems. When dealing with subsidies it is for example valid to talk about the the applicant and when dealing with inspections about the the inspected party. These terms can be made uniform through applying the terms customer, but that is less useful for both processors of subsidies and for inspectors. The virtual file recognises that data sources employ a differing framework of terms, and does not require it to be uniform. 4. Provides the functional manager with the tools to add new file documents File documents are made up of small, reusable components. The virtual file allows functional managers to reuse these components so they can create new file documents themselves without the intervention of an ICT specialist. Expanding a data warehouse calls for considerably more effort and requires the involvement of a software house. 5. Put flexibility before maintainability An organisation is dynamic and requires a supply of information that reflects this. In the virtual file system it is possible to quickly organise new file documents and terminate the use of old file documents. Because the virtual file does not store the information but does know where the information can be found this can be done without a great deal of risk. The focus is on quickly providing information requirements, followed by further improvement and opening the system up to a larger target group. Conclusion Employees of customer-oriented public bodies always want to have complete and current customer information. Partners in the chain and customers also expect the organisation to present such a profile. The data warehouse is inadequate for this purpose. It places too many demands on the organisation and technology, and as a result the system does not get off the ground or becomes too unwieldy to quickly meet changing requirements. The virtual file approaches information in a new way. It leaves the information where it was generated and ensures flexible retrieval from the sources. The 4

5 virtual file retrieves the requested information on the fly, which means the data is always current. The implementation of a virtual file can quickly remove the boundaries between applications and organisations, provided a number of implementation guidelines are followed. This results in an integrated customer view whereby customers are not required to repeatedly submit information, as it can be shared across sources. With the virtual file system, information managers can offer their organisations the instrument for achieving a customer-oriented approach. Naturally, this does not just apply to government bodies. Data warehouse Copies information May not hold current information Requires standardisation to one platform Needs a uniform framework of terms Information is often processed Expansion through ICT specialists Literature references Virtual File Leaves information where it is created Information always current Bridges the differences Bridges the differences Information displayed as stored in he source Expansion through functional managers Carey, M.J. et al. Towards Heterogenous Multimedia Information Systems: The Garlic Approach. www, ride-dom95.html. Goh, C., S. Madnick, M. Siegel. Context Interchange: Overcoming the challenges of Large-scale interoperable Database Systems in a Dynamic Environment. Proceedings of the International Conference On Information and Knowledge Management, Goh, C., S. Bressan, S. Madnick, M. Siegel. Context Interchange: New Features and Formalism for the Intelligent Integration of Information. MIT-Sloan Working Paper 3941, Knoblock C.A., J-L Ambite. Agents for Information Gathering. In: J. Bradshaw (ed) Software Agents. AAAI/MIT Press, Menlo Park, CA, Lu J., A. Nerode, V.S. Subrahmanian, Hybrid Knowledge Bases, IEEE Transactions on Knowledge and Data Engineering, Nodine, M., A. Unruh. Facilitating Open Communication in Agent Systems. Proceedings of the Fourth International Workshop on Agent Theories, Architectures, and Languages, 1997 Nodine, M., B. Perry, A. Unruh., Experience with the InfoSleuth agent architecture. AAAI-98 Workshop on Software Tools for Developing Agents, Nodine, M., J. Fowler, T. Ksiezyk, B Perry, M. Taylor, A. Unruh., Active Information Gathering in InfoSleuth. Cooperative Information Systems, 9, Parry, B., M. Taylor, A. Unruh., Information Aggregation and Agent Interaction Patterns in InfoSleuth. Technical Report MCC-INSL , Subrahmanian V.S., S. Adali, A. Brink, R. Emery, J.J. Lu, A. Rajput, T.J. Rogers, R.Ross, C. Ward. HERMES: Heterogeneous Reasoning and Mediator System. projects/hermes/ publications/postscripts/tois.ps, 1996 Wiederhold, G., Mediators in the Architecture of Future Information Systems. IEEE Computer, Vol. 25 No. 3, March 1992, pp ABOUT THE AUTORS Rogier van Dam and Ivar Vennekens are members of Vellekoop & Meesters BV an organisational and IT service consultancy. Vellekoop & Meesters is a growing consultancy focused on organisational changes in which information management plays a key role. Organisational advice at the interface between organisation, information and innovation. 5