https://www.americancityandcounty.com/wp-content/themes/acc_child/assets/images/logo/footer-logo.png
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcast
  • Resources & Events
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • IWCE 2022
    • How to Contribute
    • Municipal Cost Index – Archive
    • Equipment Watch Page
    • American City & County Awards
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Privacy Statement
    • Terms of Service
American City and County
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcasts
  • Resources/Events
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers/eBooks
    • IWCE 2022
    • How to Contribute
    • American City & County Awards
    • Municipal Cost Index
    • Equipment Watch Page
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Stament
    • Terms of Service
  • newsletter
  • Administration
  • Economy & Finance
  • Procurement
  • Public Safety
  • Public Works & Utilities
  • Smart Cities & Technology
  • Magazine
acc.com


Intranets enhance workflow

Intranets enhance workflow

Internal intranets and cross-platform communication via the Internet have all but usurped the once ubiquitous Wide Area Networks (WANs). Best described
  • Written by Vern Hanzlik
  • 1st February 1999

Internal intranets and cross-platform communication via the Internet have all but usurped the once ubiquitous Wide Area Networks (WANs). Best described as “mini-Internets” that only extend as far as a department’s four walls, intranets are transforming the way all levels of government function. Additionally, expanded outward through extranets, the technology is enhancing public service by allowing members of the general public and other constituencies to gain limited access to government information.

Through an intranet-based document management system, Tulare County, Calif.’s Health and Human Services Agency is realizing the full benefits of an intranet/extranet combination. Recently introduced, the system has eased the burden of creating, revising and searching for documents on the agency’s intranet and extranet.

“The system greatly reduces the time required to publish and provide access to information such as policy statements, project reports, forms and publications,” says Doug Littlejohn, user support systems manager for the Visalia, Calif.-based agency. “We can publish an entire manual online in about 30 minutes.”

Responsible for administering mental health, child-protective, environmental health, workfare and direct health services throughout the county, the Health and Human Services Agency was created two years ago by combining more than a dozen departments. As might be expected, the new agency inherited a significant paper load.

“We gained thousands upon thousands of documents stored in many different ways, and a lot of time was lost just looking for information,” Littlejohn says. “Once found, it was often difficult to determine whether the information was the most up-to-date available.”

By putting its documents on an intranet, the agency is giving its 2,000 employees a fast, easy and accurate way of searching for information electronically. Using the system’s search capabilities, they can access current data instantly. The system also allows them to view diverse document types in their original formats.

The intranet provides a low-cost alternative to distributing paper copies of documents throughout the agency and encourages greater sharing of information. “It’s an ideal way to get all that paper under control, and we’re quite keen on the workflow aspect,” Littlejohn says.

Given the agency’s mandate, security is a natural concern. The system allows the agency to structure security at multiple levels, so information can only be accessed by appropriate users. For example, program information that includes budgets would only be accessible to those with higher levels of security clearance.

Tight security controls also exist for publishing and managing documents on the agency’s extranet, which is designed to serve the general public and outside groups. “Much of the material available — such as job listings and information about various state and local programs — is of broad interest,” Littlejohn explains. “However, since the extranet is tied into our networking, strong safeguards are essential, particularly as we increase the ability for visitors to drill down deeper into our web site to retrieve documents.

“The system interfaces through a standard browser, and most people are familiar with browsers today,” Littlejohn says. “There’s minimal training involved, and we are saving a great deal of time and money by dealing with much less paper.” Overall, the intranet-extranet combination is providing an inexpensive, efficient way for the agency to disseminate information, reduce costs and improve service.

Tags:

Most Recent


  • Report: Local and state governments are facing a retention crisis; the worst could be yet to come
    When the pandemic struck in 2020, public retention was hit hard: jobs in local government plummeted by 8.5 percent; state employment dropped by 4.4 percent. Two years later, local and state government jobs have rebounded by about half—to 4.1 and 1.9 percent below pre-pandemic levels respectively, according to a new report from Mission Square Research […]
  • Amid an unprecedented increase in federal spending, cities and counties stand to benefit from partnerships
    The so-called “American dream” of upward mobility has more or less stagnated: Today, a little more than 40 percent of children raised at the bottom of the income ladder remain there as adults, according to Pew Charitable Trusts, and only half grow up to earn more than their parents. This data points to a concerning […]
  • hybrid technology
    Governments using technology to harness data and improve decision-making
    There’s one kind of technology that state and local governments covet, says Rob Carey, president of Cloudera Government Solutions. “While supporting multiple state and local government agencies, our team has noticed an increase in the need for hybrid cloud solutions.” A hybrid cloud is the combination of both public and private cloud deployment models. In […]
  • Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
    Infrastructure highlighted by city leaders as top priority in analysis of 60 mayoral addresses
    After two years of ping-pong lockdown orders, mask mandates, unprecedented vaccine drives and economic uncertainty, cities across the United States are beginning to emerge in the pandemic’s aftermath, and they’re prioritizing infrastructure, according to a report published Wednesday by the National League of Cities (NLC).  “The new normal, as we now understand it, is here,” […]

Leave a comment Cancel reply

-or-

Log in with your American City and County account

Alternatively, post a comment by completing the form below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • Harris County deploys next-generation security in 150 public buildings
  • Public procurement can be transformative for stakeholders in a community
  • The 10 Most Sustainable Large U.S. Cities
  • How local governments can get ahead of the infrastructure wave: Strategies to mitigate risk

White papers


How to Assemble a Rockstar Website Redesign Steering Committee

7th June 2022

Hand Hygiene: Compliance Matters

23rd May 2022

What it Takes to Build a Winning Esports Program

23rd May 2022
view all

Events


PODCAST


Young Leaders Episode 4 – Cyril Jefferson – City Councilman, High Point, North Carolina

13th October 2020

Young Leaders Episode 3 – Shannon Hardin – City Council President, Columbus, Ohio

27th July 2020

Young Leaders Episode 2 – Christian Williams – Development Services Planner, Goodyear, Ariz.

1st July 2020
view all

Twitter


AmerCityCounty

Report: Local and state governments are facing a retention crisis; the worst could be yet to come dlvr.it/SSnmS7

24th June 2022
AmerCityCounty

Amid an unprecedented increase in federal spending, cities and counties stand to benefit from partnerships dlvr.it/SSkGBn

23rd June 2022
AmerCityCounty

Governments using technology to harness data and improve decision-making dlvr.it/SSk3H0

23rd June 2022
AmerCityCounty

Infrastructure highlighted by city leaders as top priority in analysis of 60 mayoral addresses dlvr.it/SSgBck

22nd June 2022
AmerCityCounty

Oklahoma City puts the focus on employees when implementing changes in office technology dlvr.it/SSfyns

22nd June 2022
AmerCityCounty

We want to hear from you! Please take this brief survey and let us know how your organization is managing your budg… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

22nd June 2022
AmerCityCounty

Buying smart solutions: Technology is now part of (almost) every government purchase dlvr.it/SSbj3Z

21st June 2022
AmerCityCounty

Amid tech labor shortage, outsourcing digital services could provide relief dlvr.it/SSbj23

21st June 2022

Newsletters

Sign up for American City & County’s newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about local governments.

Resale Insights Dashboard

The Resale Insights Dashboard provides model-level data for the entire used equipment market to help you save time and money.

Municipal Cost Index

Updated monthly since 1978, our exclusive Municipal Cost Index shows the effects of inflation on the cost of providing municipal services

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our digital audience? Learn more here.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • IWCE’s Urgent Communications
  • IWCE Expo

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us

FOLLOW American City and County ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookies Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2022 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.
This website uses cookies, including third party ones, to allow for analysis of how people use our website in order to improve your experience and our services. By continuing to use our website, you agree to the use of such cookies. Click here for more information on our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy.
X