SAP Business Transformation Study | Public Sector | Department of Human Services

Department of Human Services: Fighting Fraud with SAP® Investigative Case Management for Public SectorFrom pension payments to flood relief, Australia’s Department of Human Services (DHS) supports the country’s citizens with a broad array of social, health, and welfare services. But fraud diverts millions of taxpayer dollars from these vital programs every year. DHS chose SAP® software and services to fight fraud with greater transparency and stronger data.

ToP BenefiTS AcHieveD

“SAP Investigative Case Management for Public Sector is a significant tool in our fight against fraud – because the clearer the data is, the better our capabilities are.”Gary Sterrenberg, Chief Information Officer, Department of Human Services

4 monthsFrom project start to production

7 branchesLive nationwide within 1 year

100%Compliance with govern-ment regulations

BuSineSS TrAnSformATion

The department’s top objectives • Reduce fraud and noncompliance in delivery of government benefits • Ensure fast replacement of aging legacy system • Improve visibility and control throughout the fraud management lifecycle

The resolution • Nationwide fraud management strategy based on SAP® Investigative Case Management for Public Sector package

• Use of dedicated, on-site support from SAP ActiveEmbedded services • Rapid, phased rollouts of extensible functionality

The key benefits • Faster case processing and better case quality • Improved data integrity and better protection for the chain of evidence • Greater efficiency with automated processes, consistent workflows, and improved collaboration

• Single, integrated platform for all fraud management

organizationDepartment of Human Services

Headquarters Canberra, Australia

industryPublic sector

Products and ServicesSocial benefits such as social security, healthcare, and unemployment

employees36,000

Budget$A5.7 billion

Web Sitewww.humanservices.gov.au

PartnersSAP Consulting, SAP Active Global Support organization

SAP Business Transformation Study | Public Sector | Department of Human Services

Executive overview

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SAP Business Transformation Study | Public Sector | Department of Human Services

Serving citizens of all ages

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Executive overview

Company objectives

Resolution

Business transformation

Future plans

Every day, about 1 million Australians contact the Department of Human Services (DHS) about im-portant social benefits. This government agency is responsible for human services that include childcare, families, retirement pensions, healthcare, and unem-ployment support. In total, the agency distributes more than $A150 billion in benefit payments each year.

For DHS – and similar agencies around the world – fraud is a constant and costly threat. Fraudulent claims divert millions of taxpayer dollars from these vital programs. In fact, it is estimated that fraud costs the Australian government up to $600 million annually. To combat fraud, DHS has more than 500 case officers who conduct investigations across the

country. These inquiries result in prosecutions that recover some $130 million annually – money that can be provided to citizens with legitimate claims.

It is important work, but in the past the agency’s legacy fraud management system made the job more challenging than necessary. Archaic interfaces, local databases, and a lack of consistent workflows often hampered efficiency and made it difficult to comply with established policies. The agency wanted systems that were easier to use, data that was more consistent, and processes that were automated. DHS decided it was time to attack fraud with a new one-two punch: using software from the SAP Investi-gative Case Management for Public Sector package combined with SAP ActiveEmbedded services.

“The Department of Human Services wanted to add value to its fraud investigations by providing management information that was meaningful, high quality, and easy to retrieve.”Guy Hutchison, Solution Architect, Department of Human Services

SAP Business Transformation Study | Public Sector | Department of Human Services

Helping ensure a rapid and low-risk rollout

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Executive overview

Company objectives

Resolution

Business transformation

Future plans

Replacing its legacy system quickly was important to DHS, so comprehensive functionality was only one factor in its evaluation of available solutions. DHS leaders discovered that they could use SAP Investigative Case Management for Public Sector without modifications – relying on native functionality and intuitive configuration to help deliver a fast time to value. And unlike the competition, the SAP solution enabled DHS to leverage its existing SAP infrastructure.

To help ensure knowledge transfer and a timely rollout, DHS turned to SAP Consulting, SAP Active Global Support, and SAP ActiveEmbedded services. This expertise and dedicated on-site support helped the agency properly scope the project, manage risk throughout the implementation, and develop the know-how to manage the ongoing project with in-house resources.

The team started rolling out fraud management functionality in phases to various units across the country. From blueprint to production, the initial implementation in Melbourne was completed in just four months. As Gary Sterrenberg, DHS chief infor-mation officer, sees it, “It was certainly a very fast implementation by any government or corporate standard.” Employees that once struggled with the legacy systems welcomed the new solution with open arms.

This project was the first step in a much broader vision: support for end-to-end customer interaction and a customer-centric view across the entire depart-ment based on a foundation of the SAP Customer Relationship Management application.

“The easily configurable framework and user interface of SAP Investigative Case Management for Public Sector have already been described as ‘next generation’ by the people using them.”Luke Woolmer, General Manager, Customer Service Systems, Department of Human Services

SAP Business Transformation Study | Public Sector | Department of Human Services

Combating crime with greater efficiency

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Executive overview

Company objectives

Resolution

Business transformation

Future plans

DHS now uses automated processes to boost pro-ductivity and drive faster case processing – reducing the cycle time from case creation to prosecution referral. The solution enforces DHS’s established investigation processes and helps maintain full com-pliance with Australian Government Investigations Standards (AGIS).

The single depository for all information helps ensure data integrity, provides greater protection for the chain of evidence, and contributes to better case quality. The agency expects this will increase

the percentage of referrals that ultimately result in prosecution. In fact, greater insight is helping DHS identify and focus resources on the most significant cases of fraud.

With an integrated system throughout DHS, investiga-tors and case managers can also collaborate better in their fight against fraud. Built-in functionality such as audit logs and robust reporting enable managers to track active cases more easily.

Key BenefiTS

4 monthsFrom project start to production

100%Management oversight and visibility

7 branchesLive nationwide within 1 year

100%Compliance with investigative processes

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Copyright/Trademark | Privacy | Impressum

Expanding the good fight

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Department of Human Services

Executive overview

Company objectives

Resolution

Business transformation

Future plans

Fraud threatens social programs around the globe. But in Australia, DHS is tackling an age-old problem with a modern and integrated solution.

As the nationwide rollout nears completion, DHS sees even greater efficiencies in the future. The agency now plans to leverage the functionality of the solution’s rules engine for compliance checks. “There will be an ability to spread workloads among offices because they’ll all be on the same system,” adds Sterrenberg.

There are social benefits as well. The business vision of the Department of Human Services is excellence in the provision of government services to all Austra-lians – particularly those most in need. Technology such as SAP Investigative Case Management for Public Sector and expanded use of SAP Customer Relationship Management will play a pivotal role in providing customer-centric computing that works for the citizens.