Role of Information Structure And Innovative Internet Technologies In the Organizational Efficiency of DVLA - Case Study Example

Role of Information structure and innovative Internet technologies in the organizational efficiency of DVLA Introduction: Information is gaining much importance in the organizations irrespective of their nature and type of functions. Government is assumed to be the major holder of all types of information and hence public seek a responsibility from the government in information process that is exerted in the form of a structured presentation. Internet has become a vital part in decentralizing the power of decision making from top to bottom. Also Internet being, not just for information sharing also became available for today day to day transactions for many services including government services. E-governance has become the ultimate goal of every country that wants to optimize the utility of its services to its citizenry. In this context, the current paper tries to identify the UK government's IT initiative for online vehicle registration services to understand the level of activities and organization of Information structure. The paper tries to analyze the uniqueness of technology adoption of the e-services of the website program among other country or local IT initiatives. Background: Organizations need effective means of sharing and retrieving of data to make tactical and strategic decisions. According to Talvinen and Saarinen (1995:18) the role of information systems in such organizations is, to handle the increasing external and internal information flow and to improve its quality companies have to take advantage of the opportunities offered by modern information technology (IT) and information systems (IS). Today every one knows that Information systems are more than just computers. But using information systems effectively requires an understanding of the organization, management, and information technology shaping the systems. Information systems can be described in terms of organizational and management solutions to the challenges posed by the environment. Hence in order to optimize the functionality of the system, it has to be structured and organized in a way to be used by the users. In this socio technical perspective, when both the organization and the technology mutually adjust to one the system attains optimized performance. Information systems play a strategic role in the life of an organization because they can directly affect the decisions and plans made by the managers but also show influence on how products and services are produced. Recently, the potential of the internet and related digital technologies to transform service delivery has become a central focus for policymakers (McLoughlin et al, 2004). Role of Internet in Organizational IS: Internet systems have opened the doors to new Organizational Structures like- a). Flattened (less hierarchical) and decentralized organizational structures: These show flexible arrangements of generalists. And rely on real time information to deliver customized products and services. Another characteristic feature of such systems is serving specific markets or customers. b). Virtual Organizations: These kinds of organizations have short term organization structures and partnerships to satisfy immediate needs. And they keep changing their structure continuously. Using the internet won't just make people's lives easier, it will change the way they think about government: Modern rather than institutional, efficient rather than bureaucratic. ' The web has the ability to reinvent government in a way that nobody could have imagined in the early 1990s, and in the way that matters most to the citizen and business who receive public services and t the taxpayers who pay for them" (Holmes 2001:17). Holmes along with authors like Caston and Tapscott 1992; Alexander and Pal 1998, argue that the need for governments to go online with effective, efficient and wide-ranging services will be inevitable in societies where the majority of the population now leave a good portion of their lives in cyberspace. (idea-knowledge) As observed by Holmes: "through a portal, the information systems of all departments and agencies can be linked to deliver integrated services in a way that avoids citizens having to understand the complicated internal organizational structures of government." (2001:21) DVLA OVERVIEW: DVLA website is one of the fastest growing online government service portals in U.K, acting as a driver and vehicle licensing agency for the management organization of Department of Transport. The main function of the website is to facilitate the road safety and law enforcement by maintaining the registers of drivers and vehicles to collect vehicle tax to levy excise duty. The website maintains more than 30 million vehicles and 40 million UK drivers. The database of DVLA holds 91 million forms and processes. Credibility of DVLA: The vehicle licensing agency of UK government got place in top 1% of the public sector organizations in the UK by its customer service and value for money. This is only the public sector organization, which is awarded for charted mark award which is prestigious award in UK for five times repeatedly. The ease of use and adaptability of the services by high number of customers is the noteworthy capability of the DVLA website. Different categorical features of general Government portals: In general a government website reaches its citizens in the following form: As a Publishing tool: Such kind of website publishes news and information about he government activities. As a Marketing tool: To promote the government services and products or packages As a Transactional tool: To accept exchange of information from citizenry and government in the form of transaction. This form of website allows the users to register complaints, requesting licences, and to pay bills, axes and to manage tenders, contracts etc., As a working tool: That allows government authorities to facilitate professional activity. Eg: web site that allows police authorities with access to vehicle registration databases managed by transport authorities DVLA as an e-service provider: A report published in June 2002 by the Improvement and Development Agency (I&DeA) and the society of IT Management (Soctim) with 36 case studies of local governments in 17 countries (2002:9), outlined the services provided by the government into 3 categories: 1. e-services:- securing and providing governments services by electronic means: 11 out of 17 countries. 2. E-governance- Lining up citizens, stakeholders and elected representatives to participate in the governance of communities by electronic means (including e-democracy): 4 out of 17 countries. However, 11 of the 36 local jurisdictions provided for some form, however limited, of citizen engagement. 3. e-knowledge - developing the skills and to exploit knowledge for competitive advantage: 2 out of 17 countries. DVLA also proves it self being participating in all the above areas, from its services like- Publishing services, online transaction services, consultation services and also as a Partner linking website which are evident illustration in next sections. However the medical advisory Information, Vehicle and driver information, consultation and the tenders and contract features also makes its stand as Knowledge portal. DVLA Transaction services: Online form ordering: The website gives the users the information consent on the forms like Drivers Forms Vehicle Forms like- D1 Pack (Application for an ordinary driving licence.) Cherished Transfer Pack , D2 Pack - (Application for a Large Goods Vehicle (LGV) or Passenger Carrying Vehicle (PCV) driving licence), Retention Pack and Import Pack Reporting on unlicensed vehicles on the public highway: The website gives a facility to an anonymous user, who wants to report about a vehicle that appears to be unlicensed and used/kept on the public highway, he/she can submit the details electronically using this form. Online Driver Licensing: The simple and easy to use online licensing form on the DVLA website is one good example for the transaction services it carries as an e-government portal. The details input through the form by the user will be checked for the compliance with car tax legislation and if everything is confirmed the licence will be delivered to the customer within few days in an easiest way. The integration with insurers and planned integration with the MOT system helps DVLA to offer speedy renewals without sacrificing necessary legal and fraud checks with complete automation of new and renewal of licensing system. Online Vehicle tax renewal: To save the time of the tax renewer from half day to three and half minute, DVLA offers quick online car tax renewal facility to the Vehicle owners across the county. The vehicle owners can apply online for a new tax disc just by submitting the 6 digit reference number shown on your renewal reminder or the 11 digit reference number from to be checked for the status of insurance and then pay for the 5 month or 12 month validity of MOT test or GVT test certificate. The applicant will receive the tax disc in the post within 5 working days or a SORN confirmation letter within 4 weeks Electronic Vehicle re-Licensing (EVL): This is one of the achievements made in the recent years by making the channel emphasis as a strategic plan by DVLA from post office to online shift for the re-licensing process. EVL system allows customers to go online or use a new automated phone system at any time, and all the customer has to do is simply enter minimal details about their car and paying for their new licence or making 'statutory off road notifications'. Catching the tax dodgers: DVLA is aggressively involved in catching up the tax dodgers. The statistics show that about 40,000 vehicles were clamped in 2002-2003, a huge increase on the 25,000 vehicles immobilized in the previous year, and collected '4.6bn in duty during the year to April 2003(bbc). In executing this operation, it uses the tools like wheel clamping, number plate readers, cameras and high -end image processing systems. The database of drivers with DVLA developed in conjunction with the Police Information Technology Organisation which was formed in March 2002, enables to verify driving licence, and holds details of around 20 million photo card driving licences. Usage of Innovative technologies Donahue (2005) points out the obvious, but perhaps overlooked, truth that, since public organizations touch the interests of so many and are often entrusted with socially important tasks, innovation in this sector is crucial. Use of IT for both front and back office operations is an highly evolved form of innovation. According to Mulgan and Albury (2003) "Successful innovation is the creation and implementation of new processes, products, services and methods of delivery which result in significant improvements in outcomes efficiency, effectiveness or quality". But aside from these traditional methods of catching the tax dodgers, the DVLA has turned to new technology to enhance its efforts. One new initiative is Project Laser, which involves using cameras to identify unlicenced vehicles. The video camera parking control systems films the number plates of passing vehicles and, linked through a computer, checks them immediately against records at DVLA offices in Swansea. The images are stored electronically. The strength of this new system is that it is portable and its cameras are so advanced they can get a clear image - no matter how fast vehicle is going. Once identified, the vehicle is stopped by a police "intercept" team and the driver interviewed. Information architecture of DVLA: Client - server architecture: DVLA has formed the information architecture in such an effective way that it eliminated all the allegations on its data accuracy and speed problems from street level number palate readers to accessibility of medical case records and vehicle registration records and tax records. The client-server architecture of the Information system enables it to use the trace the tax dodgers through vehicle identification number system, instead from registration plate as a primary key to identify the vehicle. This eliminates the ghosting scam, which is nothing but the multiple registrations for single vehicle. Document Management System: A new electronic document management system offered by Vignette solutions gives DVLA a seamless performance in its transactional processes with simple effort to the staff to maintain data accuracy and operational efficiency at low risk and low cost. Now the new system processes around 300,000 medical investigation cases for Drivers Medical Group (DMG). Along with the document management system Vignette also offers a scalable, distributed caching architecture with disaster recovery and business continuity and enterprise security features that are essential for a business-critical application such as DVLA. Information retrieval: The DVLA website offers easy and structure menu listing under the headings like Online services which list all types of transactions the website offers and the Forms that a user can download and the publications the user can read and access. Along with the main listing the website offers search criteria for general search and context based search in the form of Browse the Register of Number Plate Suppliers and Search the Register of Number Plate Suppliers. The website also gives the Sitemap to locate the non prominent services or listings from the about us link. DVLA has taken up a casework system across two customer service departments for Driver Customer Services (DCS) and Customer Enquiry Drivers (CED). While processing application forms and transactions, DVLA has to deal with exceptions, or "casework", where information is incomplete or incorrect and needs further investigation. The errors on applications need to be sorted and traced so that if a customer calls for an update or query, all the information can be accessed and viewed immediately. Earlier DVLA was handling 1,800 and 2,000 cases per day, but by adopting a new Business Process management system in place, the system is able to handle more than 3,000 cases each day. The efficiency in such system is made possible through the innovative step taken in the strategic Information planning. DVLA has broken down the traditional information-silos to distribute the data to be shared across departments, to give quick access and one stop shop experience to the customers. ERP System: DVLA implemented SAP E-Procurement application with the SAP Enterprise Buyer (SAP EB) to streamline the agency's purchasing activities. The system is responsible for electronic processing of transactions throughout all stages of the purchasing cycle, from requisition entry to invoice payment. User-friendly functionality, supported with graphical product images and the Internet-style shopping facility, facilitates the staff to process the transactions like - full purchase-to pay process, stock control, controlling, fixed assets, e-procurement, employee expenses, cash management, and sales ledger etc., in an efficient manner. Information sharing: The sharing and distribution of government information online is becoming a priority for an effective web site. (Holmes, 2001:5). DVLA shares its information system with other stakeholders as shown below: The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) is a trading fund which works with a vision is "Safe Driving for Life". This organization sets standards for drivers, riders and trainers, provides driver education and the provision of learning resources, Registers and supervises quality assured instructors and performs modern, effective and efficient assessments conducted as computer based and practical tests. The Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA), as part of the Review of Public Administration, bring together the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Northern Ireland (DVLNI) and the Driver & Vehicle and Testing Agency (DVTA). This means that a single organization will now be responsible for licensing and testing vehicles and drivers in Northern Ireland. In the short term, the services currently delivered by both Agencies will not change. The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) provides a range of licensing, testing and enforcement services with the aim of improving the roadworthiness standards of vehicles ensuring the compliance of operators and drivers, and supporting the independent Traffic Commissioners. VCA is the designated UK Vehicle Type Approval authority and with more than 30 years experience supports industry by providing internationally recognized testing and certification for vehicles, their systems and components. VCA is a combined approval authority and technical service, which means your products get to market more quickly. DVLA Look-up to partners: Other associations like, TVIC, CDL have used the combined knowledge and experience to incorporate DVLA data into the quotation system. Hence DVLA Look-up is now incorporated into CDL Strata, CDL Classic and online quotation modules.' Many channel partners are considering this DVLA look up facility as a white labeling option available with the product. Conclusion: Though DVLA is one among the Vehicle registration websites of different countries, the uniqueness of the Information system comes along with the adoption of innovative technologies like on road Camera systems for Vehicle Identification systems and instant retrieval of information for case investigations. The strategy is not only planned by the government but is made a reality for the effective service of the public in the form of online registration for licensing and taxing systems. References: 1. Donahue (2005) quoted in Literature Review: INNOVATION IN PUBLIC SERVICES, accessed on 10th august, 2007, available from 2. Talvinen and Saarinen (1995:18) , quoted in Chapter 2 The Role of information in organization's sales and marketing strategies., University of Pretoria, etd- Ponelis, S, Accessed on 10 Aug, 2007, available from 3. Holmes, Douglas, 2001. E-gov: E-business strategies for Government, London: Nicholas Brealey Publishing 4. McLoughlin et al, 2004 quoted in Literature Review: INNOVATION IN PUBLIC SERVICES, acceesed on 10th august, 2007, available from 5. Mulgan, G. and Albury, D. (2003): Innovation in the Public Sector, Strategy Unit, Cabinet Office, October 2003 6. The vehicle inspection company, accessed on August 9, 2007, available from < http://www.cdl.co.uk/vehicleinspection.php> 7. Agency clamps down on car tax dodgers, Tuesday 21st May 2002, accessed on August 7, 2007, available from < http://www.bbc.co.uk/devon/news/052002/21/car_tax.shtml> 8. Current Consultations03/07/2007, accessed on August 6, 2007, available from 9. Information Fair Trader Scheme Verification of commitment to information fair trading, accessed on August 8, 2007, available from 10. Third' of DVLA car records wrong, Friday, 28 January, 2005, accessed on August 8, 2007, available from 11. Online tax renew scheme launched , Monday, 5 September 2005, accessed on August 7, 2007, available from 12. Car park DVLA data use defended, Wednesday, 23 November 2005, accessed on August 5, 2007, available from < http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/southern_counties/4464192.stm> 13. Vignette gets DVLA on the right track, accessed on August 10, 2007, available from 14. DVLA drives government e-transformation agenda with IBM, accessed on August 4, 2007, available from < http://www-935.ibm.com/services/uk/igs/pdf/case-dvla-evl-final.pdf> 15. DVLA and IBM create an Innovation Facility to transform business thinking, accessed on August 8, 2007, available from < http://www-935.ibm.com/services/uk/igs/pdf/case-dvla-final.pdf> Read More