Montgomery County has become a technical leader in Pennsylvania and a model for other counties in the state.
Key takeaways
Manual processes across key departments have gone digital, increasing the access and efficiency for managing records.
Microsoft Dynamics has enabled a single pane of glass approach for constituents, providing more direct access to services.
The leadership of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, is committed to using technology wherever and whenever possible to help forward its mission. Like many government entities, that mission is complex and multifaceted, encompassing functions like law enforcement, health and human services, taxes, and providing critical information in emergency situations.
In conjunction with its advanced technology strategy, Montgomery County has worked with RSM to implement several Microsoft solutions. Tax collection and health and human services were the initial focus areas of the current county administration after ending a relationship its existing vendor.
“Within weeks, we had a solution up and running within Microsoft Dynamics 365 that allowed our tax collector to collect taxes both remotely and in person,” said Gordon McGowan, Montgomery County deputy chief information officer. “It was a godsend to be able to do that in-house with our own people working alongside RSM.”
Innovation enhances constituent service
The county has also implemented Dynamics 365 in its health and human services department to provides more insight and efficiency for constituents when interacting with county services. County employees, who are called "navicates,” guide constituents through their journey when working with a host of county departments. The platform provides a single-pane-of-glass approach that shows key data in one spot, rather than in several locations, to guide constituents in the right direction to get all of the services they need, regardless of whether this is their first interaction or is someone who has already used county services.
“The Dynamics implementations that we worked with RSM on allowed us to build a single pane that navicates can work through,” commented McGowan. “The Dynamics platform gives them the guiding way to an end result for that constituent to be happy and content with what we provide them.”
In addition, as the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded, Montgomery County’s technology foundation served as an efficient delivery system to satisfy imminent needs. From scheduling vaccination appointments to relaying key health information during times of uncertainty, Microsoft solutions quickly enabled several important initiatives within the county.
We're working smarter, not harder; and we're just far more efficient now because we were able to introduce different types of technology that helped move us all forward.
Anthony Oliveri, Chief Information Officer, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Transforming the IT function
Ultimately, the focus on implementing emerging technology has changed the role of IT within the organization.
“Long ago, the IT department was probably more of a firefighter—waiting for something to happen and reacting to it,” said McGowan. “That’s not the way we look at it now. We want to be one step ahead and have the next thing ready before the call comes in to have it.”
A beneficial working relationship
By working in tandem, RSM has helped Montgomery County leverage several Microsoft solutions to set the pace from a technology perspective and establish itself as a technical leader in Pennsylvania.
“RSM has complemented our development staff very well,” said Anthony Oliveri, Montgomery County chief information officer. “It's to the point where you can't really tell the RSM team from the Montgomery County team, and I think that that's great because it shows the commitment and the dedication that RSM brings to the table.”
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