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- Use of a System Integration Infrastructure for Online Applications and Automatic Issuance of Certificates at KIOSK Terminals[1]
Use of a System Integration Infrastructure for Online
Applications and Automatic Issuance of Certificates at KIOSK Terminals[1]Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture
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Kawasaki City has taken initiatives to establish an Electronic City Hall using ICT (Information Communication Technologies) in order to improve resident services. These include the beginning of a corroborative trial in 2003 of an online application service whereby 8 procedures could be performed via the “Net Counter Kawasaki” page of the city’s website. In March 2006, it enacted the Second Basic Plan for the Computerization of Kawasaki City and the Implementation Plan for the Computerization of Kawasaki City, and has earmarked online application services as a major measure in improving convenience for residents and increasing the efficiency of administrative operations.
As a result, in July 2006, a full scale 365 day / 24 hour online application service offering 37 procedures began. Net Counter Kawasaki also offers procedural instructions and an application form (PDF) download service.
Following the introduction of online applications, administrative service terminals have been installed at ward offices to provide automatic certificate issuing and online application services. These terminals, known as KIOSKs, are equipped with touch panel screens much like ATMs, and offer more versatility than the automatic machines for issuing copies of family registers or registered seals whose use has spread in recent years.
Accompanying the introduction of online application and automatic issuing machines has been the concept of building a System Connection Infrastructure to link the backyard administrative systems. This System Connection Infrastructure is an information infrastructure for the integration of work systems that formerly operated in isolation from each other. It has become a major focus of attention in that not only is it the driving force behind the computerization of City Hall, but is leading edge example of a restructured data system, optimized in every way, and can be used in the opening up of a legacy system.
Kawasaki City
| ■Location : | Located in the north-eastern part of Kanagawa Prefecture, Kawasaki City faces Tokyo to the north across the Tama River and borders Yokohama City to its south. The western part of the city faces the Tama Hills while its eastern end looks out on Tokyo Bay. The city broadens steadily in the upstream direction of the Tama River, forming a slim 33km-wide strip running from southeast to northeast. It is divided into two parts: its southeast area (coastline): a heavy industry zone, and its northwest area (inland and hilly areas): a residential region. |
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| ■Area : | 144.35 sq. km. |
| ■Population: | 1,350,014 in 611,587 households (as of March 1st, 2007). |
| ■History : | The city was established in 1924 with a population of about 50,000, and during the post-war period of high speed economic growth, it expanded, centered on the Keihin Industrial Zone. It also attracted attention as a city with a comfortable residential environment in light of its convenient location close to the capital city of Tokyo, and in 1957, its population passed the 500,000 mark. In 1972, it became an ordnance designated city and in 1973 its population topped 1 million. It is now a large city that is home to 1.3 million people and aims to be a residents’ city with vigor and charm suited to the twenty-first century. |
Constructing the System Connection Infrastructure Along with the Online Application System
Mr. Hiromitsu Kurihara, of the System Management Section, Information Management Department, General Affairs Bureau of Kawasaki City said “The corroborative online applications trial went down very well. But even if users can request services online, things do not necessarily go smoothly. For example, a lot of people made online requests for the pickup of oversize garbage, but the system that has always been used to take such requests couldn’t handle it. It failed due to incompatibility between operating systems and character codes. It couldn’t be helped, so the application data was put on floppy disks at the reception centers and the data then transferred onto the old system. With a System Connection Infrastructure, it would be possible to link the front with the back yard.”
Kawasaki City with its population of over 1.3 million naturally has large-scale information systems. The System Management Section primarily operates and manages only administrative information systems such as the core operation system and document administration based on a (general purpose) host computer. In addition, the many other operations carried out are done on individual work systems that, in principle, are managed separately by the relevant departments.
o in addition to its regular staff of nearly 40 people, the System Management Section has as many, if not more, system integration engineers and operators. In April 2007, the System Connection Infrastructure and the electronic application system development ended, bringing the project to its operating phase. With this, about 10 employees will be transferred through a personnel shake-up.
“Work on the preparatory plan for the construction of the System Connection Infrastructure began in 2002. The online application system then became a reality, so both were constructed at the same time in order to avoid duplication of investment.” (Mr. Kurihara).
But unlike the services for residents such as online application and automatic certificate issuance, the System Connection Infrastructure is an invisible hub linking systems, so it was initially difficult to obtain the understanding of the finance department and other concerned departments.
Mr. Akiyoshi Takahashi of the System Planning Section recalled what happened. “It had been easy to get city administrators to understand the online application system, so we used system diagrams to explain how the System Connection Infrastructure would facilitate online applications. If we remained committed to the conventional separate system approach, we would have remained dependent on specific vendors and duplicate investment would have been unavoidable. To achieve overall optimization, it was necessary to link various work systems. We stressed also its usefulness in achieving open legacies.”
