Visio CustomerSolution Case Study

Solution

Case Study

Austrian IT Services Company Optimizes Risk Management Tool with Diagramming Solution

Overview

Company: IT Services der Sozialversicherung

Company Website: www.itsv.at

Company Size: 400 employees

Country or Region: Austria

Industry: GovernmentNational

Partner: process4.biz

Company Profile

Based in Vienna, IT Services der Sozialversicherung (ITSV) was founded to support important aspects of the IT infrastructure and services for the Austrian social security department.

Software and Services

Microsoft Office

Microsoft Visio Professional 2013

Microsoft Server Product Portfolio

Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010

Technologies

Visio Services in Microsoft SharePoint Server

In process4.biz with Visio 2013 and Visio Services in SharePoint, we have found the perfect modeling environment for our approach to monitoring risks.

Markus Pehn, Risk Manager, IT Services der Sozialversicherung

IT Services der Sozialversicherung (ITSV) provides IT services for the Austrian social security department. To support its needs, ITSV created a risk management system with Microsoft Partner Network member process4.biz. To optimize, it upgraded the process4.biz solution to Microsoft Visio 2013. ITSV now effectively monitors risks in coordination with processes, supports better collaboration among staff, and expects a time savings of 50 percent.

Situation

Founded in 2004 and based in Vienna, Austria, IT Services der Sozialversicherung (ITSV) develops software, operates the data center infrastructure, and supports strategic project management and call center services for the Austrian social security department.

To provide cost-efficient IT services, ITSV focuses on and manages risks in areas such as software, hardware, financial, and customer relationsanything that threatens a strategic business goal. ITSV completes a risk assessment of each business process and creates a list of risks associated with it. We then define controls and measures to treat a risk in coordination with the process it relates to. The approach itself doesnt reduce the risks, but rather makes them more controllable, says Markus Pehn, Risk Manager at IT Services der Sozialversicherung.

Figure 1 - Risk Management System: ITSV uses a Visio Professional 2013 based system to provide a fully integrated interface with SharePoint

Previously, staff worked with information based on interviews with risk managers and managed the resulting data in Microsoft Excel spreadsheets, but management felt a lack of sufficient risk information. We wanted a solution that would provide a consolidated interface between process management, risk management, and its internal control system, says Pehn. ITSV developed a risk management and internal control system based on the process4.biz core platform and Microsoft SQL Server data management software for centralized data storage. The process4.biz software is a highly specialized modeling tool for business processes and enterprise architectures based on Microsoft Visio diagramming software. It integrates Visio diagramming abilities with Microsoft SQL Database, which enhances overall productivity and enriches Visio with a centralized object repository.

ITSV wanted to find a way to extend its solution so that it could continuously monitor risks by using Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010. It also wanted to create a unified interface between process management, risk management, and the companys internal control system.

Solution

ITSV decided to optimize by upgrading the process4.biz solution to Microsoft Visio Professional 2013. It worked with Microsoft Partner Network member process4.biz to build the missing workflow, synchronization, and monitoring components of the solution. Process4.biz decided to use Visio 2013 for its familiarity, ease of use, visual modeling, and many diagram templates.

ITSV deployed Visio 2013 to the development and test teams in August 2012 and plans to roll out the solution to about 40 users by mid-June 2013. The optimized solution (see Figure 1) provides a fully integrated interface between SharePoint Server 2010 and the process4.biz tool. ITSV uses SharePoint as the workflow engine to regularly monitor the changes of the risk assessment. Automatic workflows are designed with Visual Studio. This allows us to conduct a completely process-oriented risk management and internal control system based on SharePoint, says Pehn.

The company extended its solution to support near real-time monitoring of risk data. We developed a synchronization mechanism between the process4.biz database and the SharePoint site, where process owners can enter risk monitoring data, says Pehn. The part of the system that runs in SharePoint periodically checks whether it is necessary for some risk data to be reevaluated, uses the workflow to notify the person responsible to assess the risks, and then updates the risk evaluation in SharePoint. The risk monitoring data, stored in SharePoint lists, is synchronized to process4.biz with Visio 2013 and shown on process diagrams. Currently, synchronization is triggered manually (wizard in process4.biz). In the next release, this will happen automatically on data changes. To create diagrams, ITSV uses Visio shortcuts, including Quick Shapes, AutoConnect, and Auto Align & Space.

The solution also supports SharePoint dashboards and reports to graphically show actual and historic risk assessment data. In Visio, data is added through the process4.biz tool and is automatically visible in the diagrams and shapes without further manual interaction with the database. ITSV uses multiple extensions to exchange data with Microsoft Office applications, such as Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint, as well as Exchange Server task synchronization. ITSV also uses symbols and colors in Visio Services in SharePoint Server 2010 to highlight special processes, texts to enrich the shape with additional information, and graphs to display risk evaluation. Other employees can view the latest information using their browsers.

Benefits

By upgrading the process4.biz solution to Microsoft Visio Professional 2013 and SharePoint Server 2010, ITSV has optimized its risk management and internal control system so that it is completely process-oriented. The company saves time, its employees can collaborate more closely, and it has gained near real-time monitoring of its risk data.

Increased Efficiency Saves Time

ITSV is using Visio shortcuts to save time. Employees use Quick Shapes Mini Toolbar to quickly plot out the process flow, because frequently used shapes can be easily replicated. They also use AutoConnect to draw connectors between shapes and Auto Align to create a clean diagram view. Now we can convey a lot of information quickly and in a visually engaging way. We expect a time savings of 50 percent, says Pehn.

Connected Workforce Improves Collaboration

The workforce at ITSV can now work closely together to manage processes, risks, and control activities by using enhanced workflow functionality, including notifications and approval tasks. The optimized process4.biz solution includes multiple extensions, allowing the exchange of repository data with Microsoft Office applications. The diagrams are connected to data and the data graphics displaying the data change as the data changes. Staff members also use Visio Services in SharePoint Server to share diagrams with those who dont have Visio installed.

Better Monitoring of Risks

ITSV uses the integration between process4.biz with Visio 2013 and SharePoint Server 2010 to monitor risk data. Once we identify risks and ways to deal with them, we monitor them using SharePoint, says Pehn. ITSV now can quickly see and track processes in coordination with their risks. It has found new risks and treatment methods that it wouldnt have found without the optimized solution. In process4.biz with Visio 2013 and Visio Services in SharePoint, we have found the perfect modeling environment for our approach to monitoring risks, says Pehn.

Visio

The new Visio makes it easier than ever to create and share professional, versatile diagrams that simplify complex information. It includes updated shapes, templates, and styles, as well as enhanced support for teams, including the ability for several people to work on a single diagram at the same time.

For more information go to:

aka.ms/visio/success

For More Information

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For more information about process4.biz products and services, visit the website at: www.process4.biz

For more information about IT Services der Sozialversicherung products and services, visit the website at: www.itsv.at