Public Service Commision of SC :: Intellectual Capitol (ICAP)

Public Service Commission of South Carolina - Docket Management System

OVERVIEW

The Public Service Commission of South Carolina, established in 1878, is responsible for carrying out the regulatory functions and responsibilities set forth for it by the laws and policies of the State of South Carolina pertaining to all 2000+ utility and transportation companies. Effective January 1, 2005, the Commission was restructured as a quasi judicial body and, under Act 175, the Public Service Commission’s principal duty is to hear cases involving the state’s regulated utilities. Essentially, the Public Service Commission functions as a court for cases involving utilities and other regulated companies and has a broad jurisdiction over matters pertaining to the investor-owned electric and gas utility companies, water companies, tele-communications companies, motor carriers of household goods, hazardous waste disposal and taxicabs.

SITUATION

As a result of its depth of responsibilities, the Public Service Commission manages a tremendous amount of dockets, which are records for legal actions related to the utility and transportation companies regulated by the commission. As these companies file cases and applications, the staff at the Public Service Commission must manage the data and create dockets for each case. About 1,000 dockets are created a year, and 40 years of dockets are maintained in the Commission’s Docket Management System (DMS).

Using an outdated, non-standards based DMS that was custom IBM's Lotus Notes®, the Commission staff found the system both inefficient and difficult to use. Furthermore, external users who logged on to the system to look up dockets were often disappointed with the search results, which returned too much information that proved to be unhelpful and disorganized.

“The information maintained in the old system had no documents attached, just general information, which made it difficult for users to find specific information they were looking for,” commented Randy Erskine, IT Manager for the Public Service Commission of South Carolina.

The Public Service Commission of South Carolina acknowledged that its existing Docket Management System was ineffective, inefficient and created frustration among its staff and external users. The Commission turned to the experts at Intellectual Capitol (ICAP) to create a new application that could meet the challenge to replace its Docket Management System.

“ICAP exceeded our expectations. They came in, met with our staff and very quickly got a handle on what we needed. They got it, where others we have worked with simply didn’t. It was important that they understand what we were trying to accomplish and what our responsibilities are so that they could create a solution to meet our needs...and they did.”
––RANDY ERSKINE, IT MANAGER
PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION
OF SOUTH CAROLINA

CHALLENGE

After meeting with the Public Service Commission of South Carolina, ICAP identified the following goals that they were challenged to meet:

To improve application usability for the SCPSC staff.
To improve the quality of data.
To make the system easy to administer.
To make it easier for end-users to locate dockets and matters of interest.

Working with the staff at the Public Service Commission of South Carolina, ICAP designed the new system, and, within just six months, had it fully operational. The new system is a more user-friendly application built on standards-based, web-enabled technology.

Using Macromedia Cold Fusion, the system runs through a web browser and replaces the
old software and interface with one that is visually appealing and easy to navigate. With the
browser-based interface, usability and speed is greatly increased over the old system.

When designing the technical architecture, various factors, such as performance, scalability and reliability, were considered. The database selected to satisfy the business need was Microsoft SQL Server®. “We went with SQL because it is a proven database, and I knew it would meet our needs,” Erskine commented. A major step in creating the new system involved standardizing old and new data by eliminating duplicate contacts created in the old DMS system and converting that data to a SQL relational database storage and to house the data with other databases for increased portability and back-up. The database is available on-line and makes information more accessible. “Before the new system, someone may have had a docket buried on their desk, and I had no way of finding it, but now I can access it on-line,” Erskine said.

By creating a new database structure, including new fields of data, the system features enhanced search capabilities that ultimately function much like a GoogleTMsearch. Users type in words or phrases, the system searches documents, and the results are organized by dockets and orders to enable users to quickly locate the exact information they need.

The use of a powerful web application and reliable database application combined with the features ICAP created significantly improve the management and performance of the Docket Management System and provide many benefits for both internal and external users.

BENEFITS

Improved Usability for Staff – With ICAP's solution, the SCPSC staff is now fully equipped with an application that is easier to use than their legacy system and which significantly reduces the time they must spend on routine data management tasks.
Improved Data Quality & Accessibility – By analyzing existing data, cleaning existing databases, creating a new database structure and mapping and converting data from the old to the new system, ICAP established a standardized database that provides improved data quality.
Improved Search Capabilities – By using a powerful web application combined with improved data quality, the new DMS system offers an advanced search engine that generates better and more organized results for end users. The system not only searches information on the web, but also within documents to deliver more thorough and comprehensive search results.
Improved Customer Service – With the new, innovative system, the SCPSC is effectively and efficiently providing end users with accurate information that is easy to access. Users can also sign up for e-mail alerts to receive automatic e-mails when information is updated or posted on a subject in which they have indicated an interest.
Simplified Maintenance – For the staff of the SCPSC, the new DMS system streamlines operation and management of dockets and allows them to increase performance and productivity. With an area set up in the system that provides role-based access, the five-person staff that inputs data can easily make updates, open dockets and enter data to make sure that the information remains easy to find, informative and up to date.

“We have received positive feedback from users, and our staff loves the new system,” Erskine said. “ICAP is available to provide technical support as we need it, and they have been responsive to our needs.”

FUTURE

With additional goals to further enhance the Docket Management System and provide additional innovations to benefit the end user, the Public Service Commission of South Carolina continues to work with ICAP.