Overcoming Resource Constraints with Technology: Two Case Studies from the Public Sector 

As municipalities grow, government services will feel the pressure to continue to deliver quality services and programs with limited resources and funding. However, governments that understand the importance of investing in technology will be in a better position to be able to handle the strain. 

When governments are burdened with outdated technology, time-consuming business practices and manual tasks, not only does the organization suffer, but so do the constituents. Modernizing governments increases business efficiency and provides data for better decision-making. Let’s explore how two organizations benefited from investing in technology. 

Automation to reduce time-consuming tasks 

The Washington State Employment Security Department (ESD), a government agency tasked with the management of the unemployment system for Washington state, needed to modernize its business operations. 

ESD used multiple finance and accounting systems and tools across the department, and many processes were not integrated or fully automated. The existing systems and tools were dated, hard to maintain, not intuitive, and not productive. These inefficiencies and manual workarounds inhibited users from efficiently executing their key department service tasks. 

ESD decided to partner with OnActuate for its digital transformation journey, envisioning a much broader implementation of the D365 Finance public sector suite including Power BI for reporting and analytics. Some objectives of the implementation included: 

• Replacing spreadsheets and eliminating other manual processes currently used to track internal accounting information 
• Providing an integrated accounting system that will support accurate and timely reporting
• Improving spending oversight, and support decision-making based on developing new business practices and operations now that the system is modernized 
• Automating processes and reporting accurate information to stakeholders

Governments that understand the importance of using modern technology reap the benefits of automation and data analytics. With OnActuate’s expertise, governments can make better business decisions that will not only improve organizational operations but positively affect constituents. 

Maximizing opportunities when there are little resources 

Established in 1958, Prosper Portland is the economic development agency for the city of Portland, Oregon. The agency aims to create economic growth and opportunity for all Portland residents, especially those historically underserved by traditional economic systems. With less than 90 staff serving more than 2 million residents living in Portland, the agency had limited resources but big plans to enhance and expand services. 

The agency required an implementation partner to upgrade its system to Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations on the Azure Cloud. The project not only had to be completed in a timely and streamlined manner without disrupting operations or services. In addition, Prosper Portland required operational capabilities be seamlessly moved to the new cloud-based system. 

Some requirements included: 

• Replace third-party extensions  
• Upgrade designated custom fields, workflows, security roles, and documentation 
• Re-implement existing reports to work with D365 
• Re-architect Portland Loan/Grants on-prem to D365  for operating on cloud services.

Our Functional and Technical team worked closely with Microsoft to understand and implement the required changes for making the interface and ensuring the third-party software worked with Dynamics 365. Since Azure was a secure, open-source cloud-based system that allowed for flexibility, OnActuate was able to successfully meet all the requests that Prosper Portland asked for. 

The transition to Dynamics 365 went smoothly, with Prosper Portland able to continue with everyday business operations without any disruptions. Government agencies with limited resources like Prosper Portland can rest assured knowing that Dynamics 365 and Azure technology will improve efficiency and security. 

Embrace digital transformations 

With the help of experts like OnActuate, government agencies can navigate the challenges of limited resources and still achieve their goals of providing high-quality services and programs to their constituents. By embracing digital transformations, governments can maximize their opportunities for success in a rapidly changing world. 

Schedule a one-on-one consultation with OnActuate.