AMS to Build E-Biz System for Va. Tax Office

By William Welsh, Staff Writer


AUG. 2 ? American Management Systems Inc. announced that it will implement by January 2001 the first phase of a customer-relationship management system for the Virginia Department of Taxation. Siebel Systems Inc. will develop software for the e-business system.


AMS of Fairfax, Va., will integrate the Siebel Call Center with AMS' ADVANTAGE Revenue to assist citizens of Virginia with tax-related inquiries they may have through multiple communication channels, such as the Web, phone, and e-mail.


Intelligent call dispatching and work-flow management are key features of customer contact centers provided by Siebel Systems of San Mateo, Calif. This is the first time that a Siebel e-business application will be implemented in a state tax and revenue agency, according to business partner AMS.


"The commonwealth of Virginia should be recognized as an innovative leader in state and local government as they implement an integrated, multichannel e-business solution," said Kevin Fitzgerald, vice president of public sector at Siebel. "This initiative will help [the tax department] to provide better customer service to its citizens."


The Virginia tax department, which will introduce a new 2001 individual tax form in January, will implement the new customer-focused e-business solution to handle the anticipated increase in customer inquiries related to the new form and to handle an increasing amount of e-mail and fax traffic.


The re-engineering project under way at the tax department is being financed by a funding model whereby AMS funds the project and is paid as results are achieved and incremental tax revenues are generated, according to company officials.


The new system will be deployed for use by 300 employees of the Virginia Department of Taxation and includes an option to more than double the number of employees used in the future.