Updates - Work Comp Connect

Modernization Project Update

Since our last update in October of last year, we have made great strides on the project. Development and early testing of the new system have continued at a rapid pace, especially in the areas of Adjudication and Awards. The team is currently developing the ability to process EDI 3.1 FROI and SROI transactions which are part of the national standard created by the International Association of Industrial Accident Boards and Commissions (IAIABC). Excellent progress has been made in developing and testing code to migrate data from the existing system into Work Comp Connect.

Towards the end of this quarter, the project is expected to enter the System and Integration Testing (SIT) phase, where it will be possible to test business processes from start to finish within the new system. At the completion of SIT, we will have very high confidence that the system is working as intended. SIT will be followed by User Acceptance Testing after which the system will be deemed ready to go live. The go-live date is December 16, 2025, when several features of the system that will be used by attorneys, claimants, and other external users will become available.

Process Changes

The WCC system will include enhancements designed to improve efficiency, streamline operations, and provide a better experience for all stakeholders involved. As we prepare for the new system, we will begin sharing updates about important process changes that you will want to be aware of.

WCC will allow users to upload documents in the system, and the Division will be slowly transitioning away from the use of Box.com for filing documents. All documents will be added to cases through WCC. Case Parties can file all Communications, Notices, Motions, and Filings in WCC.

The maximum file size for all documents uploaded into WCC will be 7 Mb. Files exceeding this limit will not be uploaded/processed/accepted. We recommend compressing your documents or splitting larger ones into smaller individual documents to ensure successful uploads into WCC.

We understand that changes can sometimes be challenging, and we are committed to supporting you throughout this transition. Please don't hesitate to reach out with any concerns about this process.

The Modernization project is proceeding well, and development and early testing of the WCC system is in full swing. Thus far, we have developed and tested functionality for aspects of the Self-Service Portal, Case Management, and Enterprise Functions. This includes functionality for claimants, attorneys, and other external stakeholders to search for cases, file a claim for compensation, answer a claim for compensation, and file an entry of appearance, etc. Functionality for entering orders and awards and the appeals process is currently under design. Work is underway on master data management, which will result in higher data accuracy on injured workers, attorneys, employers, and insurers. In addition, the team is developing transformation rules to bring data in the current system in alignment with IAIABC’s EDI 3.1 standard, which will also help to greatly improve the quality of data and to enhance the reporting capabilities.

The Modernization Team is continuing to make progress in several areas of the new Work Comp Connect system design.

In addition to the Self-Service Portal and Customer Service Functions functional areas delivered late last year, in the past three months Objectstream has completed the design plans for the look and feel of the user screens (User Interfaces) for Case Management. The Case Management design includes the functionality for FROI/SROI processing, filing Claims and Answers to Claims, Benefits & Payments, Case Comments, and Case Status History. Good progress is being made on the Adjudication design plans, which should be complete in April. Work on user interface designs for Medical Fee Dispute, Order Entry, LIRC, and Benefits Administration is ongoing. The entire user interface design portion of the project will be completed by mid-2024.

There is still much to do on the data-related portion of the project. Work related to how data will be transferred to the new system, how data will be stored, and how to assure all data is accurate and consistent is scheduled to be completed by the end of summer 2024. The designs for how users will create and receive reports from the new system, as well as how system administrators will maintain the data and its quality will also be undertaken in 2024.

Application development, where programmers take the design plans and code, test, revise, and test again to create a working system, is scheduled to begin in April 2024. The team will be taking an agile approach to development and testing, which means the project work will be divided into incremental steps to allow feedback to be acted on quickly. Completed parts of the system will be rolled out throughout the balance of 2024 and into early 2025.

Objectstream has also delivered a Quality Assurance and Testing Plan to use internally during development to ensure business processes, screen flow, and data validation remain consistent throughout the system.

Plans are in the works to design training activities for all stakeholders. These training classes will be both virtual and in-person. Wider testing utilizing external partners (attorneys, TPAs, employers, insurers, etc.) will occur closer to the go-live date of August 2025. If you are interested in being a part of that process, please use our survey form to sign up.

The Modernization Team is making good progress in several areas of the new Work Comp Connect system design. New Project Director Vivek Gore joined the team in August. He brings a strong background in project management from experiences in federal and state government. Vivek has worked for Missouri DWC as System Architect and Subject Matter Expert on the modernization project, so he has been able to make significant contributions to the project.

Over the last several months, Objectstream has completed the design plans for the look and feel of the user screens (User Interfaces) for the Self-Service Portal and Customer Service Functions functional areas. Good progress is being made on the Case Management and Adjudication plans, and they should be complete by the end of 2023. Work on designs for Medical Fee Dispute user interfaces just started and should be finishing early in 2024. The entire user interface design portion of the project will be completed by mid-2024.

There is still much to do on the data-related portion of the project. Work related to how data will be transferred to the new system, how data will be stored, and how to assure all data is accurate and consistent is scheduled to be completed by the end of June 2024. The designs for how users will create and receive reports from the new system, as well as how system administrators will maintain the data and its quality will also be undertaken in 2024.

Application development, where programmers take the design plans and code, test, revise, and test again to create a working system, is scheduled to begin in February 2024. The team will be taking an agile approach to development and testing, which means the project work will be divided into incremental steps to allow feedback to be acted on quickly. Completed parts of the system will be rolled out throughout the balance of 2024 and into early 2025.

The team is also currently putting together testing plans to use internally during development to ensure business processes, screen flow, and data validation remain consistent throughout the system.

Plans are in the works to design training activities for all stakeholders. These training classes will be both virtual and in-person. Wider testing utilizing external partners (attorneys, TPAs, employers, insurers, etc.) will occur closer to the go-live date of August 2025. If you are interested in being a part of that process, please use our survey form to sign up.

The Modernization Project continues in the Analysis & Design Phase following an agile project execution approach.

In the last quarter there was strong engagement and partnership in the Joint Analysis and Design (JAD) working sessions held during this time. Multiple JAD and Service Design working sessions were conducted with Administrative Law Judges (ALJs), Docket Clerks, and DWC Subject Matter Experts, performing a deep dive into Adjudication product features. 

There were also multiple Service Design sessions focusing on First Report of Injury (FROI), Customer Service Functions, Self Service Portal and Enterprise Functions.

The team began dedicated data engineering sessions focusing on data migration and other data management activities; and held working sessions with EDI vendor Verisk to discuss FROI product features. They also joined the DWC team in working sessions with Verisk for Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) discussions and the Subsequent Report of Injury (SROI) process overview.

Detailed product requirements were discussed and documented, and user experience and design considerations were presented following a Design Thinking approach.

Multiple joint Sprint planning, product backlog and grooming sessions were held to discuss and prioritize user stories capturing the desired product functionalities for Adjudication, Dispute Resolution and Bankruptcy. Sprint deliverables included Business rules, User Interface (UI) Design, UI Screen Flow, UI Field Level Validation, Services and Database/Data Design.

Work continues on multiple fronts with a design deliverable goal of early November 2023.

Currently, plans are underway for an information and demo session with the ALJs the end of June and at the DWC Annual Educational Conference August 8 and 9.

The Department of Labor’s Division of Workers’ Compensation launched Phase 1 of their modernized workers’ compensation system, Work Comp Connect. A kick-off meeting with remarks from DWC Director Pamela Lewis, DOLIR Director Anna Hui, ITSD Deputy CIO Paula Peterson, and the Modernization Project Director Harsh Bhasin, was held Tuesday, August 30.

DWC’s modernization effort seeks to better achieve our mission by:

• ensuring the injured workers of Missouri receive the benefits to which they are entitled
• by enhancing the stakeholder experience
• increasing the efficiency of DWC operations
• ensuring consistency of process within the Division
• and allowing DWC to leverage data to promote operational excellence and workers’ safety

Planned features of the new system include:

• electronic submission of case filings and documents
• quicker resolution of claims
• enhanced self-service options
• improved analytics and reporting, and decreased costs

The modernization effort is supported by a culture of innovation and continuous improvement that cultivates trust and inclusion, agile team building, and establishing avenues for generating new ideas and solutions to meet citizen expectations.

The significant investment in this modernized system is crucial to our state’s ability to improve customer outcomes and extract the maximum value from taxpayer dollars and surcharge assessments.  While many hours have already gone in to streamlining processes and building workflows for the future state design, considerable work is planned.   In the coming weeks and months DWC staff and contractors will partner with the system integrator, Objectstream, Inc., in bringing our vision of a modernized workers’ comp system to fruition for the citizens of the State of Missouri.