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Jefferson County would like to nominate its Innovation Team for the Technology Team of the Year award. The Innovation Team inside of the Business Innovation & Technology department provides digital services, business intelligence, business analytics, and analyzes emerging technologies. The team’s primary objective is to spearhead process and technology improvements that result in measurable outcomes for county departments and their constituents. Initiated by the Chief Information Officer, the Innovation Team was created in 2020 with the objective of being agile and open to modern technologies. This team focuses on piloting innovative technologies to identify viable solutions to meet the changing business needs around the county. The team’s accomplishments have proven the value they add across the county.
The analysts work in partnership with county departments to understand their business needs and propose creative solutions. The achievements of this team affect county staff and the constituents they serve. In 2021, our Motor Vehicle division (MV) needed a more efficient way to manage their high call volume. Each year they receive over 100,000 phone calls leading to long wait times. The team's analysts collaborated with MV to research options and implemented an intelligent chatbot solution released in 2022. The chatbot has been a major success and receives outstanding reviews from the public. It processes over 50,000 chat sessions per year and has reduced call volume by half, saving time for both our constituents and MV staff.
The Innovation Team played a key role in identifying cost savings opportunities while the county was facing major budget challenges. Beginning in 2021, the team led an analysis on the various cellular services used across county departments. In partnership with these departments, the team conducted comprehensive network and user acceptance testing across the county’s geographic area. The results showed that the county could switch thousands of cellular devices to a new network at a lower monthly fee while still maintaining quality service. Throughout 2021 and 2022, the Innovation Team was the driving force in migrating departments to a unified cellular service provider, which will save the county $2.1 million over the next four years. The Innovation Team continues to lead these efforts and to collaborate with departments to transform county services and create new efficiencies.
Due to the overwhelming accomplishments of the innovation program, the team recognized the need to recruit and develop a talented workforce in order to support the volume of projects being requested. In 2021, the team launched an Innovation & Digital Transformation Internship Summer Program giving university students and recent graduates the opportunity to lead emerging technology projects. The first set of intern projects focused on business intelligence, digital voice assistants, open data, and robotic process automation. The pilot internship program was a major success. Interns rated the experience highly and department leadership was delighted with project outcomes. The program has expanded and continues to bring in new interns every fall, spring and summer. Over 30 internships have been created and several interns have pursued more permanent roles at the county.
Based on the success of the internship program, in 2022 the team launched an Innovation & Digital Transformation Fellowship Program. The fellowship is a one-year, full-time position for aspiring innovators. Hundreds of candidates applied for five positions specializing in Business Intelligence, Cybersecurity Engagement, Project Management, Grants & Partnerships, and Employee Innovation Training programs. Through the experience, Fellows improve their technical and business acumen with the guidance of mentors and practical experiences.
The Innovation Team is fostering a culture of innovation in Jefferson County. This team specializes in problem solving, data-driven decision making, digital experience, ideation, and streamlined service delivery. There are over 20 team members that work daily with their peers in Business Innovation & Technology, other county departments, and external partners. This partnership enables them to deliver on Jefferson County’s vision of providing equitable, innovative, efficient, and quality service to a thriving and safe community.
Nomination Title: Jefferson County Innovation Team
