Realizing SOA in a Government Environment - Case & Audit Management Legacy System Modernization
November 21, 2008 
Overview
The Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC) needed an update to their legacy systems for managing complaints, audits and initiatives with all associated documents. Case management functions within the legacy applications lacked adequate data and process governance, exhibited low data quality, required numerous manual workflows and were very difficult to maintain and modify based on changing business requirements.
Senior management indicated that the new case management system is regarded as one of the most significant transformations for our organization in the last 10 years.
Challenge
CHRC required a modernized Case Management system that would be easy to use, could reuse or replace existing applications without losing historical data, and would have the flexibility necessary to respond to future changes. Once implemented, the modernized system had to allow CHRC to make changes to their business processes dynamically, thereby providing visibility into operational performance and reducing costs.
Solution
Working with CHRC, the Apption team showed the customer how a purpose-built Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) would solve their real business problems. Apption architected and implemented a service-oriented solution that not only modeled the complex workflows associated with case, audit and initiative management at CHRC, but also created the flexibility necessary for CHRC to respond to future change. The resulting solution makes optimal use of existing applications and data by integrating those that still provided value, and replacing functionality where required. The end result was a modern, easy-to-use enterprise solution architecture that facilitates cross-functional workflows, ensures data quality and meets all governance, accessibility, and audit requirements.
Why Apption was Chosen
The challenges CHRC faced were multi-dimensional. The level of functionality required by CHRC did not exist within the parameters of a packaged, off-the-shelf software application product, and if it did, customizing it would be too expensive and time consuming an option. With an appreciation of this, Apption was able to explore new and imaginative ideas economically and with minimal disruption to the customer’s daily business routine. Unlike other organizations that operate within rigid project parameters to develop solutions, Apption’s willingness to pursue fresh thinking, coupled with the process to devise the optimum solution, was a significant difference from the competition.
Apption’s Service Orientated Architecture (SOA) solutions are designed to equip public sector institutions with frameworks and tools that can enhance collaboration and help analyze investments in order to reduce redundancies, encourage reuse, and improve performance and service quality.
Conclusion
By mapping business process requirements to SOA capabilities Apption created a purpose-built service oriented architecture for the customer. CHRC was able to free themselves from the cost, risk and frustration of inefficient, inflexible and outdated software applications.
¨ Replacement of complex legacy client interface with intuitive and accessible user interface
¨ Substantially improved data governance and reporting
¨ Automated and flexible workflow
¨ Simplified addition of new system requirements
About the CHRC
The Canadian Human Rights Commission administers the Canadian Human Rights Act and is responsible for ensuring compliance with the Employment Equity Act. Both laws ensure that the principles of equal opportunity and non-discrimination are followed in all areas of federal jurisdiction.
The Canadian Human Rights Commission is empowered to investigate and try to settle complaints of discrimination in employment and in the provision of services within federal jurisdiction. The Commission is also mandated to develop and conduct information and discrimination prevention programs.
Solution Highlights
- Accountability - ensured ongoing compliance
- Process Automation - removal of paper and error-prone processes
- Accuracy - improved governance through enforcement of policies
- Efficiency and Flexibility - addition of new functionality and programs