Montana’s Internet-Enabled

Wage Automated Reporting Program

Nashville, TennesseeAugust 17, 1999

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Agenda

• Wage Base Tax Consolidation

• A Brief History

• WARP Description

• WARP on the Web Demonstration

• Q&A / Feedback

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STAWRS Project

“Simplified Tax and Wage Reporting System”• Assigning Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN)• Single Point (Paper) Filing

• Combined state UI and WH and Federal 941 report• Piloting during 4th quarter 1998 and 1999

Next Steps• Evaluate results of pilot• IRS Accreditation• Implement federal/state quarterly reporting in 2000

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Montana Consolidation • Implement Legislation to Combine

Withholding and UI– Effective January 1, 1999:

• Single Employer Identification Number • Combined Quarterly Report and Payment

– Paper– Electronic – Employer Participation

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The Road Behind

• The Existing System• The Replacement Options

– Distributed or Centralized?

• Technology Platform Considerations• Oracle® vs. The Internet

– The “Bleeding” Edge– Client Server vs. Net Server– J-initiator

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The Road Behind (continued)

• Understanding the Software Business– Who is our customer?– Business and Technical Support

• The Development Process• Hoping For a Painless Rollout• Production Support

– SLA– Help Desk

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Marketing Strategy

• YES, We Needed One.• Financial Institutions and Accountants• Future Promotions

– Geographic– Industry-based

• Reviews and Checkpoints– Focus Groups– Surveys

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Minimum Configuration

• Windows 95/98 or NT 4.0

• Pentium 90 mhz processor or faster

• 20 megabytes of free hard disk space

• Screen resolution of 800 x 600 or greater

• 32 megabytes of RAM required (48mb RAM or greater recommended)

• Internet Explorer 4.0 or later, or Netscape Navigator 3.0 or later

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Accessing the System

• Install the JInitiator(CD)• Start-Up your browser• Go to:

http://state.mt.us/revenue/ and follow the signs!(bookmark)

• Establishing an account• Transmitters and Employers

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Getting Help

• Detailed System Information

• System-launched Internet browser-based Help

• Field Level Help

• Live Person!

Detailed System Information

From your favorite browser,

select any of the

informational views

providedat: http://state.mt.us/revenue/warp/warpromo1.htm

Clickhere

Then click on one of these optionsSystem-launched Help

Then your default

browser gives you this

Screen Level Help

Every field and button

on each WARP screen

provides field-

sensitive hint help

Live Person Help

• Customer Service

• Every screen offers “Comment” opportunity for feedback

• Ongoing effort to optimize ease-of-use and intuitive functionality

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Security

• Password protected• No access to central files• Sensitive data not entered via

the Internet• Will need SSL for future

acceptance of credit cards

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ACH Payments(Automated Clearing House)

• No checks or coupons

• 24 hour access

• Processed no worse than the next business day

• Information is SECURE

• Downloadable registration form (Internet)

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System Potpourri

• First MDOR Internet Application• 12 Internet Screens• 5 Central Office Screens• 2 Batch Processes• 4 Months of Development Time• 35,000 Potential Employers but …• Pilot - 48 Filers / 112 Registered

And Now...

System Access

The Transmitter / Employer Registration

Transmitter

Employer Entry

Employer List

Employer Entry

Employee List

Employee Detail

Quarterly Report

Payments

Comments

Central Office / Administration

Employer & Transmitter

Maintaining a Business

Administrative / Transmitter or Employer

Administrative / Employer & ACH Debit

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Lessons Learned

• Beware of New Technology

• Customer Participation

• Internal Communication and Buy-In

• Training Sessions

• Software Business Preparation

• Internet Can ( and will ) Take More Time to Develop

For more information about WARP on the Webplease contact:

Margaret Kauska mkauska@state.mt.usor Steve Tesinsky stesinsky@state.mt.us

Thank You!