the 18 Edition of Governing for Results - Washington State Digital ...

Department of Social and Health Services
SEMS Imaging System Speeds Up Process
The Division of Child Support (DCS) faced several challenges in document
management, not the least of which was the fact that many people handled each
document in the course of processing. Manual payment processing, currently at
180,000 payments per month, was labor-intensive and inefficient. County Clerks
send copies of all child support orders to DCS, as required by statute. Each had to
be physically handled and processed. Staffs were also wrestling with the workflow
restriction that paper imposed on the organization.
The Support Enforcement Management System -- Imaging System (SEMS-IM) has
made a significant difference in time and labor associated with payment and other
document processing. SEMS-IM allows county clerks to remit court orders
electronically. DCS has expanded to imaging numerous other types of documents,
e.g. case correspondence, returned support disbursement checks, and archiving
closed cases. Over 800,000 digital images are processed each month with numbers
steadily increasing.
Results
! Improved customer service, as more payments are processed faster allowing
funds to reach families faster. This has been achieved without the need for
additional staff, although payment numbers have more than doubled since 1997.
! DCS staffs statewide, and counties under contract, have instant access to these
digital images.
! Increased staff productivity due to less handling of paper documents, freeing time
for other essential duties.
! Faster receipt of child support orders for DCS staff and faster processing for
County Clerk staff. For example, copying and forwarding court orders was a fullday
process for one County Clerk in the past; with imaging, it has become a five
(5) minute process.
! Staff members perceive an increase in their safety, as they need not touch
original payment documents once they have been imaged.
Team Member: Steve Spitzer, Reginald Lee, Janis Lobe, Tom Kendrick, Sandy
Lee, Francia Thomas, Nancy Mathieson, Ellen Wahlen, Scott Fulton, Cindy French,
Norm Russell, Paul Gronka, Steve Wathne, Kelley Romeo, Lynnie Larsen
CONTACT: Steve Spitzer, (360) 664-5361
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