A year in review: 10 ways OMES enhanced state government in 2022

Citizens were at the heart of many milestones the State of Oklahoma achieved during 2022. By leveraging technology solutions and prioritizing customer service, the state continued its work to provide more efficiency and convenience to Oklahomans. The projects below from the past year, in no particular order, were 10 ways the Office of Management and Enterprise Services helped align state agencies, innovate service delivery and set a vision for years to come.

The State Suppliers Expo, a unique education and networking event, returned for its second year in October 2022 to continue removing communication barriers between state agencies and private businesses. Approximately 355 companies attended and a record 120 signed up as new state bidders that day. The 2022 Expo featured breakout sessions to help businesses learn more about state technology and transportation projects, commerce resources, and the brand-new Oklahoma Supplier Portal, where companies can view and bid on state projects. This event cultivates stronger partnerships and a deeper understanding of state procurement processes by hosting business representatives in the same room as state leaders, agencies and procurement professionals. As a result, the Expo leads to more competitive supplier options and better state services for Oklahomans.

More about the 2022 State Suppliers Expo: Transforming state procurement, one relationship at a time

The State of Oklahoma entered a new era of HR when it launched Workday@OK – a modern, cloud-based human capital management solution – on Aug. 15, 2022. After two years of development and unprecedented collaboration across the state’s 32,000-employee workforce, Workday@OK aligned agencies on streamlined HCM processes and eliminated outdated technologies. The platform consolidated multiple platforms for recruitment, time tracking, performance management and more into one mobile-friendly system that will continue to grow and mature over time.

Learn more: State of Oklahoma nears launch of largest digital transformation project in state history

Seeking to standardize and simplify how Oklahomans receive driver’s license and motor vehicle services, HB 3419 created Service Oklahoma as a division within OMES in May 2022. SOK’s first priority was to digitize the process of obtaining disability placards. The new digital application process saved thousands of disabled Oklahomans from unnecessary travel to obtain their placard in person, the hassle of printing and mailing their application, and in some cases even saved them extra trips to the doctor. So far, SOK has processed nearly 3,000 placards online and earned national recognition for their improvements by winning the NASCA Award for Innovation in State Government.

Learn more: Service Oklahoma wins 2022 Innovations in State Government award

Under the leadership of State Purchasing Director Dan Sivard, OMES Central Purchasing launched a new online supplier platform to make doing business with the state easier and more convenient for companies. The Oklahoma Supplier Portal, which went live ahead of the 2022 State Suppliers Expo, established a uniform system for state agency buyers and optimized a previously cumbersome process. As a result, the state reduced procurement costs and provided a better experience for private-sector partners. The platform’s primary efficiencies simplified the supplier registration process and empowered state suppliers to manage their business profiles more easily for state agencies to view. Ultimately, this user-friendly system aims to save time, energy and taxpayer money while helping the state get more done.

Learn more: A modern procurement approach for Oklahoma

State Chief Information Officer Jerry Moore and his Information Services team published the latest Oklahoma IT Strategic Plan in fall 2022 to outline state government’s goals and action around technology initiatives through fiscal year 2025. Centered on Gov. Kevin Stitt’s priorities for the next few years, the Plan provides a roadmap of technology’s role and operation in the state, from increasing efficiency to utilizing technological-based services that meet agency and citizen needs.

Learn more: New IT strategic plan sets vision for State of Oklahoma technology strategy

Thanks to the knowledge and dedication of various historical, architectural and engineering experts that partnered with OMES and the State Capitol Repair Expenditure Oversight Committee, the seven-year Oklahoma Capitol Restoration Project was officially completed in spring 2022. The 105-year-old building now features improved safety and accessibility, modernized equipment and infrastructure, and elevated visual grandeur befitting such a monument of Oklahoma culture. Notable additions include the new State Capitol Museum on the ground floor, a digital wayfinding system and a reimagined visitor’s entrance to the people’s house.

Learn more: Eight must-see highlights from the Oklahoma Capitol Restoration Project

Among other state employee-focused modernizations, such as Workday@OK, the State of Oklahoma established new processes and rules to provide fair and impartial conflict resolutions among state employees. Fueled by the Legislature’s desire to make the state a better place to work, HB 1146 created the Civil Service Division under OMES Human Capital Management. It came as part of the state’s civil service reform, which also decommissioned the old Merit Protection Commission and eliminated classified and unclassified positions.

CSD now administers the State Employee Dispute Resolution Program to mediate and hear employee complaints regarding written reprimands, punitive transfers, suspensions without pay, involuntary demotions and terminations. Additionally, the program serves as an alternative to formal legal action and saves taxpayer dollars by avoiding costly lawyers and fees.

CSD began accepting complaints and appeals on Jan. 1, 2022. By Oct. 28 that same year, it had closed 174 of the 188 total cases filed. In addition to ensuring state employees receive their rightful due process in a timely manner, the program also aligns agencies on a consistent complaint process and allows more opportunities to preserve working relationships following disagreements.

Learn more: Mediation makes it mark: New government program settles conflict, saves taxpayer dollars

Oklahoma Human Services helps more than 1.5 million citizens each year and provides financial support for many vulnerable Oklahomans who rely on assistance from various public programs. With fiscal responsibility a priority for their important work, OHS partnered with OMES to replace the agency’s outdated financial system with PeopleSoft Financials.

PS Financials has transformed how OHS reports and tracks finances and has opened new pathways for the agency to serve Oklahomans. As the state’s enterprise financial solution, it integrates with the state cloud system and shields OHS information behind highly secure defenses that help the human services agency fulfill its mission and improve citizen aid.

Learn more: Oklahoma Human Services modernizes financial systems, improves fiscal transparency

As a public entity and civil servant organization, OMES published a new platform to advance efforts toward increased transparency and accountability. Transparent Oklahoma Performance, or TOP, is a website that showcases government activities, including how the state budgets, spends and makes decisions about resources. TOP enables anyone to view current goals, efficiency statistics, financial data, how taxpayer dollars are being used, and progress on various initiatives all in one place. This includes information about American Rescue Plan Act and Coronavirus Relief funds, in addition to the governor’s annual executive budget to keep Oklahomans informed.

Learn more: oklahoma.gov/top

Oklahomans who need state services have often had to provide the same personal information, like birth dates, Social Security numbers and street addresses, to multiple sources. This was due to state agencies that historically governed their data separately from each other and resulted in redundancies and extra work for citizens. 

That inefficiency motivated OMES’ partnership with Google Cloud to improve the experience of requesting government services. Together, OMES and Google Cloud created the State Shared Data Platform, which allows agencies to exchange information while protecting citizen data in a secure digital environment. The platform also enables tailored recommendations based on other state services someone has received, which is particularly helpful for those who need related assistance from agencies like Oklahoma Human Services and the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission.

Currently, nine state agencies have opted into the State Shared Data Platform, working together to speed up information requests and serve citizens faster.