 |
         |
      |
 |
      |
| Volume XXIII Number 15 | November 7, 2003 |
By Michael Kelly
HOLLYWOOD — On Oct. 22, a Kickoff Meeting was held to begin the implementation of the Seminole Tribe Optimal Resource Management System, also known as the STORMS Project. Earlier this year, the Seminole Tribe began their search to replace aging accounting and payroll systems.
For the past couple of years, these systems have been unable to keep up with the rapid growth that the Tribal Government has experienced. They were due to be replaced soon and recently the situation was getting critical.
According to Suresh Geer, Financial Controller for the Tribe, “The computerized accounting system was outdated literally from the first day it was installed.” The computerized payroll system has likewise experienced similar problems. “Our biggest concern is that the old system is just not user-friendly. It’s also very slow,” said Diane Marks, the Tribe’s Payroll Manager.
Earlier this year, the Tribe contacted the consulting firm of Deloitte & Touche to help select a system that was more in line with how the Tribal Government really worked. To provide oversight, a Steering Committee was formed consisting of Suresh Geer, John Anderson, the Tribe’s Information Systems Director and Ken Fields, the Executive Administrative Officer.
In March, the Tribe hired a Director of Finance, Nelson Goodreau, to lead the selection and implementation of a new system. Mr. Goodreau has a Masters degree in Business Administration and over ten years of experience in assisting organizations, such as Hilton Hotels, various local governments, and the U.S. Mint.
According to Goodreau, “The computer system is not only outdated, but lacks some fundamental financial controls that are needed in any financial system. This new system should not only meet the current needs of the Tribe, but should allow us to benefit from the new technology available."
The Steering Committee provided a high level “vision” for the project, consisting of “paperless” processes, more efficient workflows, and better reports for management. With the help of Deloitte & Touche, the users came up with a list of literally thousands of requirements for the new system and a Request for Proposal (RFP) was sent out to dozens of software companies. Nine software vendors responded and three were chosen to put on demonstrations of their systems at the Signature Grand.
The demonstrations were one week each. There was participation from many department and the users played an active role in selecting the systems that seemed closest to meeting their requirements. In the end, the Tribe selected the system from Lawson Software.
Project Manager, Nelson Goodreau commented “Once the selection was made, the easy part was over. Implementing the system, making changes to the way the Tribe does business and training the users in each department on every reservation is the hard part.” In his experience, Goodreau says the most difficult part of a project like this is the “people part” — that is, getting everyone to buy into the changes.
To help with managing those changes, the Tribe hired Laura Piccolo. Laura received her Master’s degree in Management Information Systems from Boston University in 1984 and has 20 years of experience in introducing innovative solutions to organizations, as well as global system implementations. She has worked for Merrill Lynch, American Express, Waste Management, and IBM. Laura’s role at the Tribe is to make sure that the project team stays focused, that everyone is aware of the project’s status, and to coordinate all of the training that goes along with a project of this size.
The project is expected to last approximately nine months, with users scheduled to complete their training and be ready to use the new system by the summer of 2004. The good news is there will be a variety of ways for employees to learn the new system, including manuals and web-based training.
| Home · History · Culture · Tourism & Enterprises · Government · Services · Employment |
Copyright © MMIV Seminole Tribe of Florida
6300 Stirling Road
Hollywood, Florida 33024
Phone: (800) 683-7800
URL:
All questions/comments: tribune@semtribe.com
Webmaster: webadmin@semtribe.com
Web site maintained by Seminole Tribe of Florida