WebFOCUS Serves the Public at Clemson University's Department of Pesticide Regulations

Snapshot

Organization Clemson University, Department of Pesticide Regulations.

The Challenge Develop a system that would make information available to field inspectors throughout the state, provide information on certification, education and training for applicators, and provide public access.

The Strategy Create a Web-based public and employee self-service application.

The Results Improved productivity and enhanced information sharing among field inspectors, a reduction in misinformation, and faster service to the public.

Information Builders Solution WebFOCUS, FOCUS Six.

Giving the public and field inspectors easy access to public information was one of the main reasons the Department of Pesticide Regulations (DPR) of Clemson University in South Carolina developed a Web-based public and employee self-service application. The division used Information Builders' WebFOCUS and FOCUS Six products – for enterprise reporting and analysis – to develop the system.

"We are not your typical government agency. We want to provide fast and accurate information to the public," says Eduardo Nieves, Information Technology manager. He contends that DPR employees are very busy fielding questions from the public concerning pesticide usage and businesses. "The Web gives our department a tool to serve the public efficiently, and the applications provide anyone with Web access information at their fingertips," says Nieves. The DPR regulates and monitors all pesticide usage in South Carolina, and is particularly concerned with pesticide applicators as well as pesticide registration.

The challenge was to develop a system that would make information available to field inspectors throughout the state, provide information on certification, education and training for applicators, and provide public access.

Common Access for All

"We had to find a common platform for everyone," says Nieves. He considered solutions like mailing hard copy reports or distributing floppy disks but quickly realized that the Web was the most cost-efficient and widely accessible option. "With the Web it does not matter where you are physically located or what platform you are running on. If you have an Internet Service Provider (ISP) and a Web browser, you are ready to do business," says Nieves. Additionally, Internet development was low-cost, low-maintenance and offered wide distribution.

"The Division decided to use WebFOCUS to develop its Internet self-service applications because of the product's ease of use and multi-platform ability," says Nieves. "We had an Information Builders consultant build the applications, but I have been able to go in and easily manipulate the reports without any formal training."

Hyperlinks Provide More Information

The development process was interactive, resulting in a system that presents data clearly and concisely. Nieves initially drew up a document outlining the data elements needed plus the layout of the final report. He then sent developers e-mail on what modifications to make, and reviewed updates on the fly. "I would tell Dave we needed the report to resemble the format I outlined, and he would modify the code and send it back for review," Nieves explained.

For example, it was important to Nieves that violation codes for things like structural violations, water damage, etc., be visible and easily interpreted on reports. In an early version, the codes were put in the header, producing too much clutter. Through interactive development they decided to create hyperlinks that pointed to another static Web page that explained the codes' meanings. "If a code does not make sense to a user, they can drill down to the short list and look up its meaning," says Nieves.

This process went quickly using FOCUS Six on the desktop, according to Dave Finnan, senior technical representative for Information Builders. "Using FOCUS Six tools we can develop rapidly. You are just pointing and clicking your way, selecting fields, introducing sort criteria and making it look the way you want," he explained.

Another development concern was data and system security. To ensure security, the DPR pulled five years' worth of data from the online system and loaded it into a data mart. WebFOCUS uses Information Builders' middleware technology to give the Web server access to virtually any database, and queries are made against this duplicate database. "We do not want anyone having direct access to the data so we upload on a daily basis to the Web server, which is running Windows NT," says Nieves. The DPR's main inspection database is a call-tracking system (CATS) provided by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and which runs on a Novell Network. It is based on the Clipper programming language and is standardized so all regional data looks uniform for all the EPA State agencies. "Initially, I was very hesitant about using CATS because our other programs were written in Foxpro. WebFOCUS allowed us to merge these two data types and present our users with reports from both platforms," says Nieves.

So far the DPR has developed five applications during six months of development: a business license, commercial applicators, private applicators, recertification opportunities, and enforcement history. The last report replaced an almost fully manual process and has significantly improved the time it takes for DPR inspectors to conduct routine investigations. Prior to the Web-based access, inspectors had to maintain their own enforcement history in a word-processing file and share this information with the rest of the inspectors.

More Capability Than Ever

"Field inspectors can now go online to obtain a list of licensed private commercial applicators and Enforcement History Reports, which detail violations and fines. Applicators can get information on the status of their certification, training, and education. This has dramatically reduced misinformation and the number of calls from field agents to the central DPR, resulting in decreased costs for the agency," affirmed Nieves.

"The Enforcement History application allows field inspectors to do more than they ever could before. For one, the system has improved information sharing among inspectors, pooling information and resources together so everyone knows what the other is up to. The Web site's current information includes inspections from all the inspectors, which was not previously available through the Web," says Nieves.

"Secondly, they can track individual applicators by license numbers. An applicator may move from a company in one territory to a company in another territory, without a change in license number. Inspectors simply enter the license number into the system and know the applicator's violation history. Applicators and pest control businesses maintain the same license number as long as they are in business. If someone's license is taken away, for example when they re-qualify, their old license number is re-issued. By doing this, our department maintains anaccurate account of the applicators and business history of violations," he explains.

"The applications also serve three classes of users – DPR employees, the public, and the Clemson University Extension department. Our inspectors throughout the state are constantly looking up information for their inspections. The applications offer the general public the option to look up information on their local pest control operator, and the University uses the information for educational and informational purposes," says Nieves.

The Future Is Assured

By developing a Web-based solution, the division is preparing for the future. Accessing multiple data structures was one reason they chose Information Builders' WebFOCUS product. Today the system runs on and accesses PC-based systems running Windows NT over a Novell network. However, the DPR does have other Foxpro databases that it would like to eventually Web-enable. For instance, they will want to give pesticide manufacturers the option of accessing the pesticide products database and checking the status of product registration. "We want to provide as much public service as possible over the Web," affirms Nieves. In the future, the DPR would like to integrate several of the applications. Currently, we are providing the public with five different applications. We can combine three of their applications, allowing the public to check an applicator or business license status along with the corresponding violation history.

"Working with Information Builders' products and with the company itself on development has been a positive experience," says Nieves. "They made sure I was completely satisfied. They bent over backward getting this project completed for us," he says. "Their service, products, and employees made a positive impression on me," he concludes.