Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada Chooses BizFlow to Manage and Streamline the Flow of Departmental Correspondence
Business Process Management Solution Improves Constituent Service, Reduces Workload and Cycle Times by 40 Percent

17.Jun.03 - VIENNA, VA - HandySoft Corporation today announced that the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) has selected BizFlow®, HandySoft's award-winning business process management (BPM) platform. DFO is using BizFlow to integrate with its current Hummingbird document management system as well as its PeopleSoft HR system to automate and streamline the correspondence tracking process in accordance with legislative mandates. DFO expects a 40 percent reduction in cycle time and workload as well as increased visibility into the status and history of correspondence.

"BizFlow will significantly improve the way we do business by reducing workload and e-mail volumes and eliminating the need to copy correspondence for fear of it getting lost," said Scott Prieur, manager of electronic knowledge management environment, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada. "In addition, BizFlow provides French language support, a necessity for doing business with the Canadian Government."

DFO is the department responsible for protecting and maintaining the productivity of Canada's marine and freshwater resources, ensuring public safety and efficient vessel traffic, and generating the knowledge that policymakers need to make informed decisions. The office in charge of correspondence receives more than 15,000 letters each year, typically voicing concerns over current events such as the hunting of seals in a Canadian waterway. Government legislation mandates that the response to each letter be tracked, routed, and approved in a timely manner.

"More than ever before, government agencies are turning to technology to help them better manage and monitor critical processes to improve their performance and institutionalize best practices," said Stuart Claggett, chief operating officer for HandySoft. "DFO joins a list of top government agencies that are using BPM technology and BizFlow to help to reduce cycle times and better serve their constituents."

DFO chose BizFlow because of its ability to track and route correspondence to the correct department based on business rules that determine which resource is best qualified to handle a particular issue or topic. BizFlow also integrates with the department's current Hummingbird document management system as well as its PeopleSoft HR and Microsoft back-end systems to take advantage of the agency's existing IT resources. In addition, BizFlow's electronic forms allow for digital signatures and PKI security. By moving toward a paperless environment, other offices within the department will be able to collaborate easily through improved systems integration.

Under the old system, correspondences were manually scanned into a document management system and remained there until a customer service representative queried for new letters. DFO wanted to streamline and improve the process so that correspondences would be automatically delivered to service representatives, drastically reducing cycle times, eliminating lost correspondences, and improving service to both citizens and policymakers.

"Change management is not an easy job when you have offices throughout Canada," Prieur noted. "BizFlow is helping us standardize our processes, improve customer service and reduce the overall workload providing a more collaborative and productive work environment."

About the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Protecting Canada's economic, environmental and scientific interests in its oceans and waterways is a federal government responsibility. The Government of Canada has assigned that job to Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Fisheries and Oceans Canada is responsible for policies and programs in support of Canada's economic, ecological and scientific interests in oceans and inland waters; for the conservation and sustainable utilization of Canada's fisheries resources in marine and inland waters; for leading and facilitating federal policies and programs on oceans; and for safe, effective and environmentally sound marine services responsive to the needs of Canadians in a global economy.

About HandySoft
HandySoft is the premier provider of configurable software solutions that simplify and automate business processes; capture and enforce best practices; improve productivity and quality while reducing costs; integrate information technology; and foster collaboration among employees, customers, and partners.

The foundation for HandySoft's industry and departmental solutions is BizFlow®, the award-winning platform for business process management, automated workflow, and collaboration. BizFlow offers complete capabilities for building and managing automated business processes, including tools for designing and monitoring the processes, presenting and accessing work, integrating existing IT systems, and administering the platform itself. As a global solutions provider, HandySoft has headquarters in Vienna, VA, and Seoul, Korea, with strategic partner representation throughout the world. HandySoft has implemented process management solutions at more than 380 sites worldwide.

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HandySoft, the HandySoft logo, BizFlow, and BizFlow Accelerator Suites are trademarks of HandySoft Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

For more information, please contact:

Sarah Hedges
HandySoft Corporation
703.442.5600
shedges@handysoft.com

Dennis O'Connor
Peter Arnold Associates (for HandySoft)
781.239.1030
doconnor@parnold.com

Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Communications Branch
Tel: (613) 993-0999
Fax: (613) 990-1866
TDD: (613) 941-6517