Secretary of State Inventory Managment Requirements Project

Client: Illinois Office of the Secretary of State

In the Spring of 2006, MSF&W partnered with the Illinois Office of the Secretary of State to conduct a requirements study for an inventory management software solution. The goal of the project was to review inventory control business processes within the Secretary of State’s office and identify requirements to an appropriate level of detail that a Request for Proposal can be prepared for a new inventory control system.

An initial kickoff meeting was held with the directors of the Drivers Services, Vehicle Services, Physical Services, Budget and Fiscal Management, Accounting Revenue and Information Technology departments to obtain executive-level input into the requirements of a new inventory control system. Directors were asked to discuss their top challenges with regard to inventory control, their impression of current inventory control processes and systems, and their highest priority with regard to this initiative.

During the next several weeks, interviews were conducted with staff from all of the involved departments to study the inventory control business processes currently being used and the data systems supporting those processes. This included observing actual locations where inventory is received, stored, distributed, and issued, such as the central warehouse, distributed storerooms, and the property control warehouse.

The remainder of the project involved an in-depth analysis of information obtained through the interview process, additional interviews as needed, a review of all available system and process documentation, a review of potential vendor solutions, and additional site visits as needed.