The United States Department of Agriculture, Office of Chief Financial Officer (OCFO) provides financial leadership for the USDA, which administers $100 billion of loans, as well as significant guarantees and insurance, in support of America's farmers and ranchers.

The Office of the CIO is responsible for the supervision and coordination within the department of the design, acquisition, maintenance, use and disposal of information technology by USDA agencies, in order to improve customer satisfaction, reduce costs, and maximize the use of existing resources.

Both offices were run by a single executive at the time of this project. The USDA CFO/CIO wanted to capture, understand, standardize and improve a broad spectrum of agency financial management, grants systems, and processes, transforming the effectiveness of operations and systems that support multiple lines of business.

The USDA CFO/CIO wanted to apply Lean Six Sigma (LSS) methodology to the 165 Grants programs that were awarded $54 billion annually. The project encompassed every grant-making agency at USDA-13 separate organizations, many with their own appropriations, unique business flows, and distinct program legislative requirements-and brought them all into alignment.

USDA worked with a different company on Phase 1 of the effort, which resulted in a partial “as is’ analysis. We replaced the incumbent, digested all of their deliverables quickly, defined our approach for Phase 2, and embarked upon it without losing intellectual capital or momentum.

T3 TigerTech provided Lean Six Sigma analysis, Earned Value Management, and Multi Generation Project Management services. Using the data-driven “as is” and “to be” models, we developed a gap analysis that showed where USDA had opportunities to improve, how the improvements could be made, and the expected returns from those changes-all in objective statistics that removed subjectivity and conjecture from the recommendations.

We analyzed existing business process analysis artifacts as appropriate, ensuring transition from the incumbent was as successful as our experience at USDA. Industry standard business process modeling techniques and nomenclature were utilized. This aided adoption of the approach across USDA lines of business, and mitigated risk introduced by using proprietary approaches.

In order to facilitate implementation planning, T3 TigerTech developed a metric for process and IT services alignment. T3 TigerTech developed an analytical tool that compared common IT service functional requirements, ‘as is’ IT service and ‘to be’ SOA enabled IT services to the ‘to be’ process model. This metric served to measure alignment between the Business Architecture and the Technical Architecture using FEA reference models and graphically displaying this alignment in the workflow. This was the fist time a metric and analytical decision tool had been developed to measure business and technical architecture alignment in the USDA.

T3 TigerTech integrated the two best practices in business process analysis and project management: the Project Management Institute PMBoK and Lean Six Sigma. Mastery of these two widely practiced and well-accepted methodologies for excellence in business process improvement were used throughout. This provided a full library of case studies, tools and models for application and modification and allowed us to compare USDA performance to other organizations and to world-class benchmarks.

T3 TigerTech analyzed the original ‘as is’ performance data to select representative agencies and programs for analysis. T3 TigerTech developed documentation, a data collection plan, and tools for initial workflow analysis, and then developed Value Stream Map analysis on seven different programs in four USDA agencies. We subsequently developed, collected, and analyzed the throughput performance data, used Lean Six Sigma tools to analyze that performance, and identified 64 specific process improvement opportunities.

Consequently wedeveloped 20 Lean Six Sigma projects by combining these opportunities into logical project sets and then estimated the project costs and benefits. After conducting budget and staff work-hour analysis, T3 TigerTech developed and prioritized these process improvement projects and presented them for decision to the CFO /CIO.

We emphasized agency and program buy-in, creating an atmosphere where agency staff were eager to move ahead. In many cases, agencies decided to move on their own authority to make needed changes. Their comfort with the approach we introduced allowed their work to smoothly flow into the larger project.

Our work was used to develop system requirements for implementation of a customer relationship management system that will improve delivery of products, services, and grants to USDA customers. The estimated savings of the entire grants transformation when complete is approximately $100M, exceeding expectations. ROI on this project was calculated by the CFO to be 26:1.

The Federal Motor Carrier and Safety Administration (FMCSA) has outsourced the CIO Support operations to support requirements of recent legislation affecting IT activities. The contract provides ideal combinations of service and business offerings while retaining technical control of programs. The service offers strategic, agency-level support, as well as project-oriented IT solutions. Our disciplined approach to IT Operations & Maintenance is derived from lessons learned in several successful projects, and was tailored to ensure available, reliable, efficient, and secure IT Operations.

T3 TigerTech established a Project Management Office and associated program management processes, lead new process implementation, facilitation and coaching, executive and manager development and facilitation, project team training and coaching. Specific services were provided project management implementation, Cost-Benefit Analysis, Business Case Analysis, Program Portfolio Management, Project Coordination, performance management, analytical evaluation, SWOT analysis, and development assistance to support continuous process improvement, assistance in enhancing and maintaining processes including facilitating operational coordination of the portfolio/program/project life cycle, and change management.

T3 TigerTech has developed the Concept of Operations (CONOPS) for all three divisions of the FMCSA CIO Office, describing their alignment with the IT Modernization Program. The CONOPS served as a communication tool for the IT Modernization program, assisting with understanding the context of the services in relation to the program. T3 TigerTech provided assistance in the development and evaluation of integrated strategic and tactical plans; provided analytical, evaluation and development assistance to support the FMCSA CIO integrated planning and process; reviewed existing performance management; and developed project performance metrics covering scope, schedule, cost, quality, and risk mitigation.

T3 TigerTech served as the principal program coordination point for project coordination, performance reporting, and communication, and performed detailed performance reviews including performance gap analysis on existing contracts, as directed by the FMCSA client and the Prime Contractor.

T3 TigerTech has lead the FMCSA efforts to implement an Earned Value Management System that provides timely, valid, and auditable program cost and schedule information to the OST and OMB, while the system complies with ANSI 748 and OMB A-11. The goal of this FMCSA EVMS was to provide visibility of program status, and an objective “early warning system” for cost and schedule performance. This system integrated cost/schedule and work accomplished as the basis for planning, budgeting, authorizing work, and measuring performance, was based on objective information, accurately indicated work progress, focused on cost and schedule projection in a timely manner, provided timely, valid, and auditable information, allowed fast incorporation of changes in scope, and provided a common standard that ensures all cost and schedule information is commonly understood and usable. Motivating FMCSA to incorporate earned value into their culture was challenging. In order to implement an EVMS using MS Project Server, project managers needed a basic foundation in both process and tools. T3 TigerTech provided additional training to all project managers to build resource-leveled project plans, helping them understand project baselines and tracking project actuals. T3 TigerTech assisted educating the organization on the benefits of EVM and its ability to improve project health assessment helped prepare FMCSA to change.

T3 TigerTech established a standard size metric (i.e., function/feature points) that can be derived from use cases developed counting standards to be used across projects to estimate cost and schedule, and monitor quality. T3 TigerTech also developed service quality standards and common operating procedures for non-IT user support activities such as: help desk, registration, and operating authority support.

T3 TigerTech integrated two best practices in project management and IT Transformation: the Project Management Institute PMBoK and CMMi. Mastery of these two widely practiced and well-accepted methodologies for excellence in business process improvement were used throughout. This provided a full library of case studies, tool and models for application and modification and allowed us to compare FMCSA performance to other similar organizations and programs.

The lean PMO framework implemented processed all incoming project requests to the project management organization. We developed a systematic procedure of categorizing, qualifying, quantifying and processing inbound requests for new projects. The PMO prioritized new project requests according to various business criteria to help ensure that projects that are undertaken are closely aligned with the business and deliver maximum business value.

Plans were continually tuned and adjusted to accommodate the changes that occurred in the agency and industry it regulates. As priorities, budgets and people changed, the PMO reassessed the portfolio-level plans on a continuous basis. Any new projects were iterated from initialization to planning in order to keep assessing new requests and prioritize them against FMCSA current portfolio of projects.

We provided Program and Project Oversight, watching the projects to ensure that they are hitting their milestones, staying within budget and that appropriate issues are being escalated and acted upon in a timely manner. We provided dashboard and status Reporting, distilling project status reports down to their essence and portray concise summaries to the stakeholders. We also developed the Quality Assurance framework, focusing on checking project and PMO adherence to its own processes and deliverables. The also developed supporting tools and processes for all functional areas of the PMO.

As a result of this, we reduced cost overruns, missed deadlines, and performance shortfalls on the IT Modernization Program and other IT Portfolio projects by at least 30%.

During the last decade, the role of enterprise architecture has expanded from simply being a technical blueprint for IT systems and infrastructure to include business-technology alignment. Currently enterprise architecture has become an inseparable aspect of an organization‘s overall strategy; agency executives, business managers, and architects use enterprise architecture within the context of overall organizational strategy.

Organizational strategy represents the complete set of activities that an agency chooses to perform to meet its mission, goals, and objectives. Organizational strategy has two key dimensions: conformance and performance. The conformance dimension ensures that an agency meets its compliance on accountability and assurance requirements, while the performance dimension ensures that value is created and resources are utilized appropriately. Oversight committees have been prevalent for decades to monitor the conformance requirements. However, it is recognized that there have been no explicit strategic oversight bodies until recently. Agencies are starting to realize that these two dimensions need to be balanced appropriately.

Enterprise governance controls have evolved and improved over the last 50 years. The most significant impact was the Government Performance Results Act (GPRA), enacted in 1993, because it caused a major shift in the way agencies operate. This was the first time when accountability and performance were clearly delineated. Subsequently, the Clinger-Cohen Act, enacted in 1996, streamlined the IT investment and management process. This is when Enterprise Architecture started to gain serious traction within the IT community and upper management at the agencies.

Additionally, when introduced, the Presidential Management Agenda (PMA) was geared towards transforming federal agencies into results-oriented, citizen-centered, and market-based entities. It included five government-wide and nine agency-specific initiatives to improve the overall performance of the federal government, and provided significant productivity and performance gains across agencies through effective planning of IT investments. A significant finding during the electronic government (E-Gov) effort was the necessity for a federal enterprise architecture that can provide a comprehensive view into what an agency does, how it performs its business activities; and how the IT systems support those activities.

Most agencies have a mission statement depicting the business vision, the purpose and value of the organization, and the visionary goals to address future opportunities. With that business vision, the management of the agency defines the strategic and financial objectives. The enterprise matches strengths to opportunities and addresses its weaknesses and external threats and elaborates a strategic plan. To support that strategy, different levels or architecture are considered such as strategic, segment or capability architectures. These variables are then mapped to the main business processes and performance to determine the best decision for each scenario. For T3, EA is the process of enterprise transformation from a current to a future state and enables strategy planning based on the EA gap analysis and roadmap.

For the Department of Transportation (DOT), Office of the Secretary of Transportation (OST), T3 built a Segmented Architecture strategy to represent the Enterprise situation accurately and realistically for both past and future views. T3 work included the process data collection, documentation, and analysis. The selected strategy was implemented by means of programs, projects, budgets, processes and procedures. The way the strategy was to be implemented would have a significant impact on whether it was successful, and this is where Enterprise Architecture had a significant role to play. Since the people formulating the strategy were different from those implementing it, T3 emphasized that the way the strategy should be communicated was a key element of its success and it was clearly explained to the different layers of OST management and all other stakeholders.

OST needed to know where they were at the time and create a baseline Enterprise Architecture model of their current state; subsequently, T3 created a future target Enterprise Architecture model, and performed an impact and gap analysis between them. The future state Enterprise Architecture model contained not just one single future target model but multiple complementary or competing models of the many future scenarios.

The implementation of the strategy was monitored and adjustments made as required. For OST, evaluation and monitoring consisted of the following steps:

• Definition of KPIs, measurement and metrics;

• Definition of target values for these KPIs;

• Perform measurements;

• Compare measured results to the pre-defined standard;

• Make necessary changes.

Working with the DOT OCFO, T3 provided the business analysis artifacts and SIPOC process models supporting DOT′s $46-billion grants enterprise, including recommendations for the implementation strategy. The analyses involved examining almost 90 grant programs, 13 IT systems, and multiple data stores (databases, Excel spreadsheets, and paper forms) within the Department and four potential Line of Business partners and providing the first ever complete set of process schematics, including comparative analysis, to the OMB GMLOB.

For the Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration (FMCSA), T3 helped define and document EA as essential to helping FMCSA improve decision-making, leading the implementation of EA within the strategic planning activities and daily operations for the agency. T3 used the EA artifacts to improve its business architecture, reuse of resources, manage its portfolios, align IT with business, reduce or minimize redundancies, and guide information systems design and development through its IT Modernization stage. T3 developed a change management system to manage the FMCSA application portfolio. This entailed modeling of the ‘to be’ process and developing a specific workflow without adding additional resources or any cost impact. T3 subsequently wrote the policy, procedure and agency regulations for the FMCSA Enterprise Change Control Board to manage the business and system architecture planning in order to set the business priorities for IT capital planning and the Capital Planning Board.

At FMCSA and at OST, T3 focused Enterprise Architecture on:

• Increasing the return on business and IT investments by closely aligning them with business needs;

• Identifying areas for consolidating and reducing costs;

• Improving executive decision making;

• Increasing the benefits from innovation;

• Delivering strategic change initiatives;

• Managing business transformation activities.

The T3 Enterprise Architecture implementation at DOT was characterized across multiple dimensions. Enterprise Architecture was focused more on direction as provided by strategic planning (i.e., business transformation) and less on operational change (i.e. run the business). T3′s Enterprise Architecture was focused on the business as a whole (i.e., the business model) and not just on the IT components. T3′s Enterprise Architecture efforts were focused on a roadmap of changes to an organization′s capabilities (long term, 5+ years in the future), and not on the short term. We focused Enterprise Architecture on the whole enterprise and not limited it to the scope of a delivery project. T3 Enterprise Architecture model focused on the needs and concerns of all agency stakeholders, and not just a selected few.

For the Executive Office of the President (EOP) we developed an ‘As Is’ process analysis and ‘Should Be’ business process for the development of the National Drug Control Strategy for the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP).

This was a highly complex project requiring high sensitivity to policy and political aspects, as well as considerable research into existing and legacy Presidential policy documents and initiatives on National Drug Control Policy and Strategy.

Unlike previous years, the 2011 National Drug Control Strategy was written by ONDCP components, rather than a small team with contributions from selected staff. Although this was judged to be a significant improvement in that every staff member had the opportunity and responsibility to help shape the Strategy, it proved to be a challenge for the managers responsible for pulling together a coherent, unified product that conformed to leadership′s vision.

In the previous two years, the development of the Strategy was over 6 months, rendering it almost completely ineffective in influencing US Department budgetary and policy, its chartered purpose. Without significant reductions in development time, the benefits of component contributions and meeting its obligations on timing and budgetary impact would be lost. Additionally, the office was undergoing a significant increase in performance expectations as well as resource reductions.

T3 TigerTech conducted in-depth interviews and a series of weekly meetings with the Strategy project manager, the COTR, and other representatives from the Director′s Office and the Delivery Unit, which provided the background for a SIPOC Matrix (Suppliers, Inputs, Processes, Outputs, and Customers). A structured interview tool was developed and 35 selected key stakeholders were interviewed from all ONDCP components, including the Director′s Office (DO).

These interviews were documented and analyzed, and prominent themes were developed. All inputs were integrated to develop the high-level 2011 Strategy development process map and the process improvement recommendations. This map detailed the roadblocks and bottlenecks in the current process, as well as identified root causes and high value opportunities for significant improvements in timing and quality. These deliverables were presented throughout the project and revised to reflect feedback.

Subsequently, we constructed an Affinity Matrix covering the wide range of responses that provided significant and valuable insight into the processes developed, a series of options for improvement. A final report was prepared detailing observations, analysis, and recommendations and presented to senior leadership and key staff.

Our analysis and recommendations formed the basis for a successful program of process change and performance improvement. This new process was implemented immediately with excellent results.

Our client is a commercial automobile insurance company that insures 80% of all taxis, limousines and livery operating in New York City. The company is privately owned and has been in business for over three decades with an annual revenue growth of at least 10%. The client′s main business goals are to efficiently collect premiums and to reduce claims expenses. The majority of its- 350 employees are involved in underwriting, no-fault claims processing, medical bill re-pricing, records management, accounting, and customer care. The client also has an internal legal department to arbitrate payouts on claims, represent the company in contested claims, and investigate suspect claims.

The client′s business processes were developed in the early days of the company. Their technology solutions were developed independently by various departments to meet their specific needs such as underwriting, claims processing, medical rebilling, and accounting/finance. The management team wants to transform the business and give the management the information it needs to expand business into new areas. The current technical infrastructure does not meet the needs of the company in terms of availability of accurate, current, and historical customer and claims data that is consistent across the organization.

T3 TigerTech extensively reviewed all of the client′s business strategies, its operation, business processes, and information systems, and discovered that legacy information management systems were sparingly documented, poorly integrated and without an overall business technology plan in place. T3 TigerTech also discovered that the large staff, business information complexity, and sustained organizational and information growth provided a significant opportunity for improved managerial control and business automation. The client has retained T3 TigerTech to undertake a long-term project to redefine, reinvent, and rebuild their business processes and the associated information systems to increase management control, increase revenues and reduce costs.

• Developed a long-term business technology roadmap that can gradually transform the client′s operation to have more managerial control, be more efficient, and less dependent upon certain individuals.

• Developed an enterprise-wide Customer Relational Database that is the central repository for all customer information. This database is the hub to support all functional applications. The client can now migrate data from legacy systems to the new Customer Relational Database.

• Developed the Medical Bill Re-pricing engine that re-calculates medical bills based on the standards set up State of NY.

• Developed an integrated Claims Processing Application Suite that combined claim processing, transaction management, document management, and medical bill re-pricing.

• Developing a Underwriting System that will replace the legacy underwriting system that is unreliable, unresponsive and is technologically outdated.

• Developed an integrated suite of Claim Processing System that combined claim processing, transaction management, document management, and medical bill re-pricing.

Our client was a U.S. Department of Justice Agency that advances the practice of community policing in America′s state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies. Its multifold mission is directly related to its ability to manage information to prevent crimes, enhance community communication, promote collaboration, foster innovation, and improve policing strategies.

The Agency senior leadership wanted to improve their knowledge resource and the procurement grants management line of business process and systems. Several previous attempts had limited success due to project management and change management challenges, along with difficulty getting ‘buy-in’ from key managers and staff.

The Agency Senior Leadership wanted an Executive Level Strategic Assessment in preparation for significant leadership, resources and mission change. This included review of current capabilities and constraints, analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, development of best case, worse case, and most likely case scenarios, and finally development of primary strategic planning for each scenario.

During the initial stages of the strategic assessment, the project was expanded to include all critical areas of the Agency; Knowledge Management, Human Capital, IT Management and Planning, Grant′s Management, Budgeting and Financial Resource Management and Strategic Planning.

T3 TigerTech extensively reviewed all of the client′s business strategies, its′ operation, business processes, and information systems, and discovered that legacy information management systems were sparingly documented, poorly integrated and without an overall business technology plan in place. T3 TigerTech led the 30 month Business Process Re-engineering analysis for a Department of Justice. T3 TigerTech developed and implemented the Project Plan using Project Management Institute methodologies and best practices, including scope, resource, schedule and quality control as well as change management, risk management and mitigation, communication planning, meeting facilitation, and senior executive consulting, strategy and policy support.

T3 TigerTech created a tailored approach using business process reengineering, continuous process improvement, and project management best practices. T3 TigerTech documented and mapped the key current state processes and developed a desired state processes map and procedural documentation for integrating planning, managing, operations and decision support, and organizational performance. T3 TigerTech also developed and implemented a communication and knowledge management plan to support the programs initiated by The Agency. T3 TigerTech worked with the senior executive team and key managers to develop an environment scan and SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis to facilitate strategic planning and planning to aid the transition.

Assessed and compared multiple programs to determine value added in terms of return on investment, budget forecasting, and net present value of new product/service investments. T3 TigerTech developed a performance metrics regime for all major business processes, including key performance indicators (KPIs) and key output and input variables (KIPV/KOPV) for key lines of business: strategic planning, knowledge management, budgeting and programming, human capital management, grants management, customer relations management, and information technology (IT) systems management.

We concurrently developed an embedded process improvement development program for key managers tailored to their immediate and long-term requirements and applied our results to the development of their key to-be processes; strategic management and planning; program, budget, and financial analysis; human capital management; enterprise architecture planning; systems development; and systems deployment.

T3 TigerTech developed a new assessment tool to measure and graphically display stakeholder influence and value in relationship to multiple organizational missions. This involved reverse engineering the multiple product and service demand rates in order to assess the voice of the customer and developing a stakeholder market segmentation.

Develop and Document Desired State Concept of Operations for Quality Management System. Prepared an organizational study that recommend a cross-functional team organization to improve planning, execution, and feedback for key lines of business, including alignment of strategic objectives and cost benefit analyses of implementation. Adoption of proposal significantly improved value of organizational output and improved communication and management impact.

Conduct Gap Analysis and Develop Recommendations. Provided professional services to improve budget execution on new $1 billion grants program that facilitated planning, management, communication, and performance, resulting in on-time, on-target completion and public recognition of the success by the vice president.

Provide Subject Matter Expertise and Technical Advice to Senior Leadership. Prepared and presented monthly, quarterly, and annual earned value management reports and analyses for the contracting officer′s technical representative (COTR) and senior leadership throughout the 30-month program.

• Project Planning and Management. T3 TigerTech led the 30 month Business Process Re-engineering analysis for a Department of Justice effort to evaluate the The Agency (Community Oriented Policing Services) Knowledge Resource Management Line of Business process. T3 TigerTech developed and implemented the Project Plan using Project Management Institute methodologies and best practices, including scope, resource, schedule and quality control as well as change management, risk management and mitigation, communication planning, meeting facilitation, and senior executive consulting, strategy and policy support. Accomplishments include documentation of as-is process model, identification of immediate opportunities for process and system improvement, development of to-be process model with business systems architecture. The success of these initiatives led to their immediate implementation and an expansion into multiple other areas.

• Evaluated Current State of Organizational Quality Management Systems. Assessed and compared multiple programs to determine value added in terms of return on investment, budget forecasting, and net present value of new product/service investments. T3 TigerTech developed a performance metrics regime for all major business processes, including key performance indicators (KPIs) and key output and input variables (KIPV/KOPV) for key lines of business: strategic planning, knowledge management, budgeting and programming, human capital management, grants management, customer relations management, and information technology (IT) systems management. T3 TigerTech developed a new assessment tool to measure and graphically display stakeholder influence and value in relationship to multiple organizational missions. This involved reverse engineering the multiple product and service demand rates in order to assess the voice of the customer and developing a stakeholder market segmentation. Developed documentation of as-is process model, identification of immediate opportunities for process and system improvement, development of to-be process model with business systems architecture. The success of these initiatives led to their immediate implementation and an expansion into multiple other areas.

• Developed and Document Desired State Concept of Operations for Quality Management System. Prepared an organizational study that recommend a cross-functional team organization to improve planning, execution, and feedback for key lines of business, including alignment of strategic objectives and cost benefit analyses of implementation. Adoption of proposal significantly improved value of organizational output and improved communication and management impact.

• Conducted Gap Analysis and Develop Recommendations. Provided professional services to improve budget execution on new $1 billion grants program that facilitated planning, management, communication, and performance, resulting in on-time, on-target completion and public recognition of the success by the vice president.

• Provided Subject Matter Expertise and Technical Advice to Senior Leadership. Prepared and presented monthly, quarterly, and annual earned value management reports and analyses for the contracting officer′s technical representative (COTR) and senior leadership throughout the 30-month program.

• Provided Subject Matter Expertise and Technical Advice to Senior Leadership. T3 TigerTech developed and facilitated an Executive Strategic Assessment in preparation for significant leadership, resources and mission change. This included review of current capabilities and constraints, analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, development of best case, worse case, and most likely case scenarios, and finally development of primary strategic planning for each scenario.

• We concurrently developed an embedded process improvement development program for key managers tailored to their immediate and long-term requirements and applied our results to the development of their key to-be processes; strategic management and planning; program, budget, and financial analysis; human capital management; enterprise architecture planning; systems development; and systems deployment.

“Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.” - A. Einstein.

Knowledge and experience in using analytical tools is a foundation skill for organizational transformation; it is not enough by itself. Powerful management insight is not magic; it takes fingertip facility with analytical tools, experience judgment in data collection and selection, and more than a little courage to challenge the existing assumptions and expectations. Marginal approaches can only yield marginal results; truly transformational insight demands new approaches, seeing things in new way, presenting them in convincing and compelling manner, and agile, adaptable and alert application. That is T3 TigerTech reputation; innovative approaches and transformational results.

T3 TigerTech has faced a number of innovations challenges. Two are chosen here as illustration of how we bring imagination to analysis to accelerate performance.

In the graph below, the predicted first digit frequency is in red, while the actual first digit frequency is in blue. The analysis indicates that there is very high likelihood of fraud in the targeted data, since the appearance of the digit ‘3’, ‘7’, and ‘8’occur well below the expected frequency as a first digit, and that the fraud is located in data beginning with those digits. Benford′s law is a relatively new advanced analytical tool that is used to identify fraudulent data in forms, applications, and other organized data submissions, such as tax, accounting, treatment, and performance data. As a statistical analytical tool it has wide application to a wide variety of data sets for the purpose of detecting fraudulent data.

A tracking signal is a tool used to measure how well an individual forecasting method is performing. We used the tool as a continuous control indicator, monitor effectiveness of forecasting method and provide control limits for Budgets Forecast and EVM for all the agency′s service providers.

We chose tracking signal because it is unbiased and versatile, as it can be used irrespective of the type of forecasting method used by the agency service providers.

We asked all service providers to forecast their budgets at the beginning of every year, as part of the Integrated Baseline Review (IBR) process. During the year, we have asked them to forecast their planned costs on a monthly basis. We kept track of the continuous sum of the differences between forecasted and actual values, so as to measure whether a forecasts were consistently too high or too low. When a forecast was discovered to be consistently producing values that are too high or too low, a tracking signal indicated the forecasting method used was out of control. We worked with every service provider to improve their forecasting, thus making better utilization of the FMCSA budget.