Employment Agency Enhances User Experience For Jobseekers, Reduces Operational Expenses For Agency

Client:

South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce

Business Challenge

The client needed to enhance and streamline the user experience of their unemployment benefits portal. The portal was initially launched in 2017 following a lengthy implementation. Users considered the system confusing and inefficient. When unemployment insurance claims skyrocketed during the pandemic, the agency had to implement a large-scale contact center to assist jobseekers in order to handle the scale and complexity of the system.

 

Solution & Approach

InnTec was contracted to assess, evaluate and recommend strategies and practices that would improve the agency’s unemployment benefits portal.

InnTec consultants facilitated workshops with agency subject matter experts and conducted interviews with external stakeholders including system users. We reviewed key application artifacts (system documentation and agency training materials) and re-envisioned and documented detailed business processes and workflows. InnTec then completed this comprehensive assessment and evaluation of the legacy application by entering hundreds of test cases and applications into the agency’s test environments. This validated the summary approach and design recommendations.

InnTec program management experts reviewed and evaluated the client’s agency / vendor contracts to define options and opportunities to complete required system upgrades and on-going operations and maintenance. Using this information we developed project plans and schedules to guide and monitor progress of work, resulting in more efficient project execution.

 

Business Outcome

  • The benefits portal was revamped leveraging the user experience recommendations, resulting in an easier-to-navigate workflow.

  • Jobseekers can more quickly apply for authorized benefits and view their critical information in a dashboard.

  • Calls to the contact center were reduced, lowering operational costs.

  • Claimants now provide needed information in a more timely manner to the agency directly through the portal.

  • Project execution effectiveness improved resulting in cost management and on-time completion.

“These improvements have led to the launch of the facelift of the MyBenefits and Employer Self Service Portals. It is now easier than ever for customers to log into their account to file, certify a claim, change information, review the status of a claim, and much more.”

- SC DEW