This is part of the Collaborative Solutions - Mobile Government program briefing event held on Thursday 17 November 2011. For more information and to download the presentations, please go to www.business.nsw.gov.au/collaborativesolutions

1. Collaborative Solutions
MLC Centre
Thursday 17th October 2011
Nick Roberts – CEO, Forests NSW

2. Department of Primary Industries
 Developing and sustaining diverse, profitable food and fibre industries, and
best practice management of natural resources
 4000 staff located at around 130 Offices across NSW
 Budget of more than $1 billion 2011/2012
Includes:
 Agriculture NSW
 Fisheries NSW
 Forests NSW
 NSW Office of Water
 Catchment Management Authorities
 Crown Lands
 NSW Food Authority
 Rural Assistance Authority

3. Electronic Docket Delivery System (EDD)
 The electronic docket delivery system (EDD) is designed to
eliminate the need for manual log docket entry, log
branding and provide accurate and timely data, saving
costs and increasing efficiency.
 Production and log stock information is entered into hand
held computers
 Logs are scanned as they are loaded
 Electronic dockets are generated by harvesting crews at
loading points using the hand-helds

4. EDD cont.,
 E-Dockets created on hand-helds are transferred
by the haulage contractor to customers via an “i-
button”, with a printed copy of the docket
 E-Docket data is transferred by customers and
contractors to FNSW via modem
 E-Docket data is available to customers and
contractors via the web application.

5. EDD cont.,

6. EDD cont.,

7. EDD cont.,

8. Issues
 Contractor training in an environment where turnover can
be high
 Suitability of the equipment in a harsh environment
 Equipment and software upgrades requiring more training
 Incompatibility with customers software and accounting
packages.
 Supplier burn out

9. Smart Phone Applications – Take2
 Forests NSW’s safety record has been improving but not as rapidly as
desired by management
 A Take2 Program has been implemented to encourage staff to
undertake a quick safety risk assessment prior to starting any new task
 Reporting Take2’s encourages safe behaviour, creates peer pressure
to undertake Take2’s and allows learning's and system improvement as
significant hazards are encountered
 The current manual system allows gross counts of Take2’s undertaken
at best
 A single entry electronic form is a desirable outcome

10. Smart Phone Applications – Timesheets
 Forests NSW’s workforce is dispersed around the State
with many staff not attending an office on a regular basis
 Accordingly manual paper based time sheets are prepared
by supervisors every 2 weeks
 Data is transferred manually to the payroll system where it
is processed for wages payments
 The process in inefficient and RSI incidents have occurred
with manual time sheet data entry
 Single entry electronic data capture is the preferred
outcome

11. FishOnline Development
 This web architected solution is being developed under the
Commercial Fisheries Structural Adjustment Systems
Reform Program (Treasury funded). It includes 3
components as follows:
– FisherAssist – Internal web based application used by staff to
service clients and access information relevant to their jobs
– FisherDirect – External web based application used by commercial
fishers to access their information held by the department and to
complete online transactions
– FisherIVR - IVR based system for commercial fishers to dial into the
department to make field based pre-fish, pre-land and post-land
reports

12. Nautilus
 This MS Access/SQL Server based system supports
compliance operations in NSW Fisheries and Agriculture
– It covers the recording of incidents and offences and offers
workflow and other productivity aids in the development of
and completion of prosecutions
– It also supports asset management and other aspects of the
compliance business
– An in-house developed application of some 8 years standing
and continues to evolve.

13. Food Authority
 Provision of wireless access to licensee database, MS Office
functions, data entry, printing relevant forms/notices for Food
Authority and possibly Council staff:
– Agency anticipates a 20% productivity dividend from reduction in time of
staff re-entering data
– Increases the time available for officers to be in the field and provides them
with up-to date information.
– Allows quicker response time to incidents along with GPS location and
photographs
– Allows access to accurate information to food businesses concerning
general queries.
– Allows potential for increased educational functionality of front line staff

14. Current Issues
 iPhone Apps – iForms, can do much of what is
required but all rely on connecting to the internet
and a service providers software to generate the
final product
 Integration with existing accounting software is
troublesome
 Current smart phones on the market are fragile
and expensive c.f. $1000 per employee