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December 20, 2002
This edition presents:

• SKIES Incidents Moved into Production

• New Local Business Reports Task Force Formed

• SKIES Training Survey Results

• A SKIES Year in Revue

Readers, who know individuals interested in receiving Forecast, should contact Jeanette Nelson at (360) 438-3284 to have them added to the distribution list.

SKIES Incidents Moved into Production
We have been busy moving incident repairs out to production this month. 21 Incidents have been moved into SKIES production since November 15, 2002. “We have received emails and phone calls from users appreciating the incident repair work and encouraging us to continue with our effort as fast as we can!” stated Rachel Johnston, SKIES Administration. The following is a list of some of those incidents released into production:

SKIES Track Record Incident #504 - Clicking on the “No Hire” button will update every job order referral with the below status to “NOT HIRED”.

SKIES Track Record Incident #521 - The Employer and Provider Select screens will now require that a minimum of three characters be used in “seeking” a record.

SKIES Track Record Incident #532 - The Job Order form will now require that the “Contact Tab” has one “Contact Method” selected before the Job Order can be saved.

SKIES Track Record Incident #309 - Unemployment Insurance Interfaces will update an existing Seeker's Job Match Status to “Active” and set the location on “Desired Employment”.

SKIES Track Record Incident #391 - The “DESIRED WORK LOCATION” County will now be populated by the Unemployment Insurance Auto Registration interface.

Access the SKIES Web site for additional information regarding the latest incidents released into production.

SKIES Training Survey Results
We have only received a few responses to the training questions asked in our last newsletter, said Rachel Johnston, SKIES Administration. We have however, gathered additional information at the last SKIES Teleconference on December 13, 2002. We are in the process of crafting a strategy to provide training for local Trainers who conduct the application training. The following information was provided to us through the newsletter and teleconference:

Several users said, “It would be helpful to have definitions of customers such as Migrant and Seasonal Farm workers (MSFW's), Veterans' and etc. Also needed is additional information on the drop down selections for reporting core services. In JobNet we had a help screen that defined the drop down items but this is not available in SKIES”.

Question #2: Should this state program policy training be available to staff in conjunction with local policy training when SKIES training is conducted at a local level?

Answer: “Yes, because the local training teaches the basics and navigation of SKIES but the state policy training would compliment the local training.”

Other respondents said, “Training on Program Policies should occur after SKIES Training and should be delivered to local trainers so they can train local staff on state program policies and local business process”. “Program Policy staff should be available to local trainers for technical support when local trainers are training”. “Training needs to occur on how the SKIES Application works, but also on what does it mean when you register a customer in a program?” “Not just recording the information into SKIES, but the program policy”.

The SKIES staff will be updating the curriculum and will be able to provide users with more information in the near future.

New Local Business Reports Task Force Formed
The first meeting to develop local business management reports for SKIES users was held on Monday, December 16, 2002. Dwight Wood and Peggy Zimmerman kicked off the meeting, providing the group with their charge and expected outcomes. The first meeting was held with the Core Group, which will be expanded to include more local representation. The charge for this group is to take some locally developed management reports and standardize them for use at any local level, obtain local input, and make them accessible and deliverable in a useable format. The first meeting was very successful, and the group was able to identify draft Vision, Mission, Goals and Objectives statements, which will be presented to the sponsorship for approval. This group, when fully complimented will have representation across the board and across programs and geographic areas. The group will report to the sponsors of this project which are: Larry Sanchez, ESD Cascade East Region, Dwight Wood, ESD SW Region, Deanna Bures, ESD WorkSource Operations Division, Willis Daniels, ESD WorkSource Operations Division. . The Core Group representatives currently assigned to this task group are: Judy Barney, SKIES Reports and Special Projects, Lead; Nancy Burkhart, SKIES WIA; Rachel Johnston, SKIES Business; Denise Dombek, WorkSource Operations Performance Measures and Outcomes; Elise McKnight, SKIES Reports and Special Projects; Kay Kaliman, SKIES HELP DESK; Ina Schmidt, SKIES Data Warehouse; Sandy Crews, WorkSource Lewis County; Terry Westmark, Pacific Mountain, and Tom Leedy, ESD WorkSource Moses Lake. Look for new actions of this Task Force in future SKIES Forecast articles, and on the SKIES Website at <http://www.wa.gov/esd/skies>

A SKIES Year in Revue
Wow, wasn’t 2002 quite a year? As we near the beginning of a new year, I wanted to take some time to reflect on just how far we have come with SKIES. Let’s do it by month and of course, only hit the highlights, the details would bury us all!

January 2002: Interfaces (Interagency agreement with DSHS to get New Hire data was in the works), Division Business Plans (only half of the ES divisions had completed a business plan for SKIES), Conversion (Testing of records being converted were showing 2/3 failing and 1/3 passing) System Performance (Testing the system with a product called Load Runner), and the Go2WorkSource.com interface. Training had been pretty well completed.

February 2002: Implementation Plan! For a March Implementation; Security Log Ons for Users!; Go2WorkSource.com interface!; SKIES Pilots!! Underway; System Performance Issues-Firewalls!! If this doesn’t get “fixed” we can’t implement in March!

March 2002: Connectivity and System Performance!! -Technical staff visited Renton, Colville, Yakima and Wenatchee to address performance issues-performance prohibited a March implementation-everyone on project is bummed.

April 2002: Implementation!!!! Here we go…..

May 2002: Incidents - Job Matching, Log ons, passwords, many of the tickets were “How do I get on the system??? So far, so good-the system hasn’t crashed-that’s good, isn’t it?

June 2002: Incidents 20 were repaired and 34 were pending-Clocking and Claimant Placement Program Forms were the biggest ticket taken on the Help Desk; A Change Control Board was formed. Now that people are comfortable logging on, we are seeing more clocking-what’s with this clocking “thing”!

July 2002: Incidents-we need more people on the Help Desk! We are still having clocking issues but with more than 3 months experience, users are now beginning to question more about the navigation and design of the system-this is good, this is very good! Lots of policy and program questions being forwarded to policy shops. Incidents are now on the SKIES website so users can track progress.

August 2002: We got more people for the Help Desk! Number of questions to the Help Desk is way down from May but the questions are much more difficult to answer. Reports and information retrieval from SKIES is a concern-data warehouse is now taking the heat for getting reports programmed.

September 2002: Repairs to incidents continue to be moved to production. Desk aid for reporting performance issues (clocking) is implemented. Washington State identified as a site to test software that validates federal performance reports. Lots of work on reports and finalizing the requirements for the Management Indicators.

October 2002: Visits to local offices that continue to experience performance problems began. SKIES is recognized by the National Association of State Workforce Agencies for “demonstrated excellence in the field of automation”. The SKIES application is one of the few in the nation that is designed to be used by all partners in the One-Stop WorkSource delivery system. It has shortcomings but it works and the design provides a basic foundation upon which to build and make improvements and ONLY because we have had good solid input and support from the local areas and local staff.

November 2002: Hurrah the WIA participant summary and the local office activity tracking reports are finished and available. Oh yah, the exception reports, hmmmm, to be done when? Local visits for performance and SKIES discussion continue. Giant steps have been made in closing out incidents and moving repairs to production.

December 2002: Training! Updating curriculum and training manuals-thinking through the Train the Trainer sessions. Reports! Refining a process for getting the local 9002 reports out and beginning the planning process for local management reports. Incidents! “Fatals” are repaired to 95% now we tackle “Critical”, “Serious”, “Moderate” and “Mild”. Starting the planning for the development of Focus Groups to structure a discussion around Version 2 of SKIES.

What Up Next? Just a few previews of things to come for 2003

• Training updated

• Training alternatives-on-line? Tutorials?

• Focus Groups to help define recommendations for Version 2

• More Reports standardized and made available on-line

• Pilot of Windows Terminal Servers to test this as a solution to continued performance problems in some areas

• Majority of incidents including even serious and mild incidents will be closed out

No one double keying (Well, wouldn’t this be nice? Have a Happy Holiday and a grand New Year!)

December 6, 2002

This edition presents:

• SKIES WIA MIS Meeting

• New version of Go2WorkSource.com

• Help Desk traffic and questions

• SKIES Training Questions

• DOL Software Unable to Produce Local VETS 200 Reports

• SKIES User Teleconference Scheduled December 13th

Readers who know individuals interested in receiving Forecast, should contact Jeanette Nelson at (360) 438-3284 to have them added to the distribution list.

SKIES WIA MIS Meeting
The Employment and Training Business Systems Support unit hosted a SKIES WIA MIS Meeting on Monday, December 2 at the SeaTac Airport Auditorium. Representatives from each WDA as well as the ES Employment and Training Division were present to discuss WIA related functionality in SKIES. Agenda items covered included; WIA Enrollment, what screens are a must? , WIA/TAA/WtW Participant Summary and Activity Tracking Reports, recent WIA related data fixes and exception reports, identified WIA incidents and additional WIA related reports needed from SKIES. Attendees found the meeting helpful and expressed an interest in future meetings to discuss WIA in SKIES. If you would like more information on the topics covered, please contact your local WIA MIS person or Nancy Burkhart at nburkhart@esd.wa.gov We will be looking at possible dates to schedule the next meeting in early January 2003.

New version of Go2WorkSource.com to fix Employer Contact Problems
A new version of the Go2WorkSource.com web site will be released during the week of December 9th, 2002. The new release, Version 6.8, also allows employers who have multiple job orders in SKIES with different employer contacts to have those contact names displayed properly on the web site. The new release will introduce some new features for Pending List Administrators as well. Local offices will have the flexibility of customizing letters to applicants, editing standard letters, and creating temporary letters for unique circumstances. The new features were requested by staff to enable Pending List offices to better meet the individual needs of offices, employers and applicants. The new version also eliminates the need for staff to enter the SSN when making a referral. For more information contact Terry Butler at tbutler@esd.wa.gov <mailto:tbutler@esd.wa.gov>.

Help Desk traffic and questions
The number of calls to the SKIES Help Desk has dropped nearly 50% from October to November. Help Desk Agents documented 567 problems in October compared to 330 in November. This reduction in volume appears to be directly related to the implementation of “fixes” to the application, particularly the Job Seeker Employment Plan and Work Readiness Plan areas. Nearly 25% of calls each month are from users who have forgotten their password. About 80 to 90% of the calls are now being resolved by Help Desk staff while on the telephone. Fewer response time issues are showing up as technicians research problems coming in with each call. We really appreciate the effort people are making to call the HELP Desk to let us know when something isn't’t working correctly. This has helped us isolate problems and elevate the priority of fixes needed. It really takes a team effort to come up with a great product! For more information, call the Help Desk (Toll free 1-800-331-5650 or 360-438-4690)!

SKIES Training Questions
We are currently updating the SKIES Training Curriculum to reflect the system changes we have made since implementation. During this process, a need for training on program policy for both WIA and Wagner Peyser at a statewide level was identified. We are asking for your assistance in how to address this need. Please take the time to answer the following questions and email them to jcnelson@esd.wa.gov:

• What specific state program policy training would you like to see developed that could be connected to the SKIES Train the Trainer sessions?

• Should this state program policy training be available to staff in conjunction with local policy training when SKIES training is conducted at a local level?

• Should program/policy training be available separate from SKIES training?

• What other training issues would you like to see addressed?

Thank you for your assistance.

DOL Software Unable to Produce Local VETS 200 Reports
Washington state recently served as a pilot site for the Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., Validation Software developed for the Department of Labor to assist states in validation of data reported to DOL, said Judy Barney, SKIES Administration. During the pilot phase, several “repairs” were made at the suggestions of both Washington and Texas for the Labor Exchange functions. However, one problem remains to be resolved in producing the VETS 200 reports. The validation software actually completes the ETA 9002 and VETS 200 reports for the Labor Exchange function in the software. The problem relates to the functionality of the drill-down to local office level reports on the VETS 200 A (DVOP) report. The software performs correctly in generating the statewide report and produces all 3 VETS 200 A, B and C reports; however, the A report will not generate at the WDC or Office level. Distribution of those reports has been held up until repairs are made. Once the repairs are made, there will be 3 reports for every site where DVOP/LVER staff are assigned, including co-locations and outstations. Staff will be notified when the reports are available. The Statewide VETS 200 reports are currently published on the SKIES Website at <http://www.wa.gov/esd/skies/power_user.htm>. Additional questions can be addressed to Judy Barney (jbarney@esd.wa.gov <mailto:jbarney@esd.wa.gov>) or Elise McKnight (emcknight@esd.wa.gov <mailto:emcknight@esd.wa.gov>) on the distribution of these reports. Additional information regarding the federal reports and the distribution of those reports will be provided as resolutions are made and implemented.

SKIES User Teleconference Scheduled December 13th
The topic for the next statewide teleconference will be the exception reports that were sent to local offices and WDAs on November 18th. In addition to discussion on the reports we would like to take some time to talk through training needs. Please complete the questions on training located in the training article of this Forecast edition. These same questions will be discussed during the teleconference. The teleconference is scheduled for Friday, December 13th 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM.

November 22, 2002

In some cases, direct action will be taken as a result of the visit. An example is a suggestion made in the visit to Wenatchee. Since duplicate job seekers records are creating problems, we will be putting together some technical staff and business staff to identify solutions and procedures for dealing with duplicate job seeker records. The duplicates in the system are resulting in poor data as well as confusion for the case managers. In order to make certain that we don’t “erase” a record that is needed, we will need to get some procedures in place for deleting records.

Other suggestions related to printing, training, and pre-populating of some screens. All the suggestions will be included for review when we begin to look at enhancements.

SKIES Training Update:
The task of updating the SKIES Training curriculum manual and exercise book, to include all the changes, updates, and data fixes, is currently underway. The goal is to have the revised sections of the curriculum manual and the training exercise book on the SKIES Home Page Web site by the end of December 2002. The development of new screen shots, screen viewlets, will follow the completion of the manual and will subsequently be updated on the SKIES Home Page Web site. Desk aids, a supplement to actual training and the training manual, are also being updated and newly developed in some cases, and will also be located in the Training section of the SKIES Home Page. To access these Training aids go to www.wa.gov/esd/skies and click on the word ‘Training’, located on the Menu Bar.

Plans will be made, once the training curriculum manual and exercise book are complete, to schedule new Train the Trainer training sessions. This will provide an opportunity for training coordinators and local trainers to acquaint themselves with the new SKIES material and update their skills in the new processes.

WIA/TAA/WtW Manual Data Fix Exception Reports sent out
Following the release of the WIA/TAA/WtW Participant Summary and Activity Tracking reports, seven manual data fix exception reports were sent to all Offices and WDAs impacted. The exception reports list records in SKIES that will not be counted appropriately on either of the WIA/TAA/WtW Participant Summary or Activity Tracking reports. Each exception report was followed by instructions listing why the records are considered "bad" and how to go about manually fixing them so they will appropriately be counted on the reports. For more information regarding the exception reports please contact the SKIES Help Desk at (360) 438-4690.

WIA/TAA/WtW Reports Released
The WIA/TAA/WtW Participant Summary and Activity Tracking Reports are now available in SKIES. The Participant Summary Report tracks the number of customers "enrolled" or "exited" within a given time frame, along with their "Exit Outcome." It also shows the "Average Hourly Wage" of all customers "exited" into Unsubsidized Employment. The Activity Tracking Report lists the activities (found on the Services Tab of the Work Readiness or Employment Plan) a customer is involved in while "enrolled" in any WIA/TAA/WtW Program.

NOTE: There are two important things to remember when running the reports,

· First, the reports are being generated from data in the SKIES Data Warehouse, which is updated once per week. Information entered into SKIES one week, will not be incorporated into the reports until the following Monday morning.

· Second, while programming and testing the reports, a number of data discrepancies were found that will keep records in SKIES from being appropriately counted on the reports. As a result, seven data exception reports were sent out to each area and office impacted for manual "fix" to occur.

Until these manual exception reports are entered into SKIES, the data on the reports will not accurately reflect enrollment, exit and activity information. More information regarding the reports can be found on the SKIES website (www.wa.gov/esd/skies).

Next Statewide Users Teleconference
The next statewide SKIES Users teleconference will be held from 9:00 - 11:00 AM Friday, December 13, 2002. The topic for discussion at the teleconference will be announced at a later date. Watch for updated information to be sent out within the next week regarding the teleconference topic as well as an agenda. The call in phone number is: 360-709-4800 then enter the PIN 5161#.

November 5, 2002

This edition presents:

• Desk Aids Available for Labor Exchange Activity in SKIES

• Business Process Decisions Are Being Developed

• Changes to SKIES Application

• Next Statewide Teleconference - Friday November 8th

Readers who know individuals interested in receiving Forecast, should contact Jeanette Nelson at (360) 438-3284 to have them added to the distribution list.

Desk Aids Available for Labor Exchange Activity in SKIES
Just a friendly reminder about the resources available for SKIES users. Many of the questions the Help Desk receives are related to policy and program. The SKIES website has posted answers to many of these questions.

In addition the WorkSource Operations Division (WSOD) has published “desk aids” for various activities in SKIES to assist staff in developing processes to capture and record program information. Those desk aids can be found on the SKIES Website Training page. To view any of these desk aids, select the appropriate selection on the list that is underscored and the desk aid for that selection will open. These same desk aids are also available on the WSOD Home Page. On the WSOD website, the individual desk aids are attached to each program under the Training selection on each program page. These desk aids are designed to assist users in entering data specific to their program(s) in the SKIES Application. Any questions regarding these desk aids should be addressed to  or Peni Cenedella. General information on Labor Exchange can be found at the following website. The information in this website is currently being reviewed for future revisions and notification of those revisions will be announced at a future date. Information regarding the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Title I-B Policies, and Title III Wagner-Peyser and Related WorkSource Operations Services and Programs can be located at this website.

Business Process Decisions Are Being Developed
The WorkSource Operations Division is in the process of developing several business process decisions and operational procedures for various program activities. Some of those include the updating of all ESD policies and procedures applicable to SKIES. Those policy and procedures should start entering the clearing process by November 15, 2002. The WSOD welcomes field input and the clearance process will include a period for field comment. Questions regarding ESD Policy and Procedures for Labor Exchange can contact Oscar Trevino . Questions regarding VETERANS activities can be directed to Onesimo Espinoza. Questions regarding the Claimant Placement Program can be directed to M’Lissa Carson; and general labor exchange questions should be directed to Marie Brillante. In addition to Policy and Procedure revisions, the WSOD is also working on business process decisions such as communication pieces regarding a side-by-side comparison of the WSMI (Blue Book) reports to the Federal Labor Exchange ETA 9002 reports; Job Order Verification Requirements; Veterans Preference and Priority of Service; VETERANS Program Roles and Responsibilities and Validation of Veteran Data using the SKIES Validation Button; and, how VETERANS are counted in various SKIES reporting processes. These communication pieces will be distributed as soon as each is completed. Announcements of those communication releases will be made in future SKIES Forecast broadcast messages.

Changes to SKIES Application
The SKIES system now has edits for the completion of required fields in the Core-Basic tabs prior to the entry of data for services. Incomplete job seeker records have been in SKIES since implementation. They are created by interfaces with either the GUIDE or Go2Worksource.com systems. “What the business requires of GUIDE and Go2Worksource.com is different than what the business requires from SKIES” states Peggy Jo Zimmerman. One example of this difference is the SKIES required “STAFF” field. SKIES requires it for a completed job seeker record, GUIDE and Go2Worksource.com do not require such data. When the interface runs between the systems, a seeker record is created in SKIES without a name in the “STAFF” field. This is an incomplete SKIES seeker record and when you enter that record and try to add information a box will pop-up and alert you the record is incomplete. Prior to the new system edits people were recording services and entering case management information without going into the Core-Basic tabs to update job seeker record details because they didn't’t know the record was incomplete. The required information on the Job Seeker Core-Basic tabs is required for the business performance measures. Recorded services and program data that are attached to incomplete seeker records are not counted as part of performance measure totals. The edits are designed to notify a staff person and allow a choice of either completing the details of the required fields or not completing the required fields.

Next Statewide Teleconference
The next statewide teleconference will be held from 9:00 - 10:00 AM this Friday, November 8, 2002. The topic for discussion at the teleconference is Performance of the SKIES system. We will provide some information on the visits to local areas to review performance issues and would like to hear from users on issues they believe are related to the performance of the SKIES system. The phone number to call in to is: 360-709-4800 then enter the PIN 5161#.

October 18, 2002

Employment Security Department leaders met with Tri-County WDA administration and SKIES users from Yakima, Kittittas and Klicitat counties October 4 to discuss SKIES performance issues.

The discussion highlighted the performance problems, reports issues, enhancements, and other topics related to SKIES. Participants included Gary Gallwas, Assistant Commissioner, Employment Security; Peggy Zimmerman, Jon Tran, and Nancy Burkhart, SKIES Administration; Patrick Baldoz, Executive Director, Tri-County WDA; and 28 SKIES users.

"The biggest concern was the performance of the system," said Peggy Zimmerman. "As a result, a team has been formed to investigate and propose performance solutions."

As a first step, SKIES Administration staff traveled to Ellensburg October 15 to observe staff using the system to get a better understanding, as well as provide hands-on assistance. Next, the team will visit Sunnyside and Toppenish.

After the analysis is complete, a report will be developed and shared with the local areas as well as with the WDA. Should the findings indicate statewide problems, solutions or recommendations, it will be made available to SKIES users.

Wenatchee Visit Scheduled
A SKIES team will visit Wenatchee November 7 to hear from SKIES users in the North Central WDA. Area SKIES users should forward their "Burning Questions" to Rachel Johnston of SKIES Administration at rjohnston@esd.wa.gov in advance of the meeting. Further questions, comments, and recommendations will be solicited during the team visit.

Go2WorkSource.com Gets High Marks On Employer Usability Test
Four employers participated in a “Usability” test of the recently re-designed employer section of the Go2WorkSource.com web site on October 8.

All employers were able to correctly identify the purpose of the site, find labor market information, register for a user account, post a job, and search for candidate resumes without difficulty.

The employers made a number of suggestions for improvements to the site. Some of their suggestions will be implemented next month. Others will be included in Version 7, which is currently under development and scheduled for release next spring.

For more information, contact Joe Racek at (360) 438-4100.

SKIES and Passwords
In SKIES, each user periodically receives a warning that his or her password will expire within a number of days. Users who receive this message must change their passwords before they are denied access to SKIES. "We have been experiencing quite a few phone calls at the SKIES Help Desk about passwords," says Rachel Johnston of SKIES System Administration. "We're encouraging everyone to change their passwords as soon as they get a warning. This is an important part of keeping the system secure."

To change your password, go to the SKIES Staff Functions Menu option and click on 'Change Password.' Follow the instructions shown. The system will then state "Password Successfully Changed." Click "OK" and Exit through the door icon. If you have questions or you cannot log into the system, contact the SKIES Help Desk at 360.438.4690.

SKIES User Teleconference Focuses on Work Readiness and Employment Plans
On October 11, the SKIES Administration Unit hosted a statewide teleconference focusing on the recent functionality updates and data fixes applied to the Work Readiness and Employment Plans. SKIES staff walked listeners through each change and explained how the Plan screens will function differently.

These system changes arose from direct user feedback, including calls to the SKIES Help Desk. “We hope that staff will find the Plans to be more user friendly,” commented Nancy Burkhart of SKIES Administration.

For specific information outlining the recent updates and data fixes to the Work Readiness and Employment Plans, please visit the SKIES website at www.wa.gov/esd/skies then click on “Historical Updates and Lessons Learned.”

October 4, 2002

This edition presents:

SKIES Staff To Visit Local WDA Areas
Toll Free Number Coming for SKIES Help Desk
Change Control Board Approves Change Order #2
More SKIES Incidents Moved Into Production
SKIES User Teleconference Focuses on Work Readiness and Employment Plans

Readers who know individuals interested in receiving Forecast, should contact Jeanette Nelson at (360) 438-3284 to have them added to the distribution list.

SKIES Staff To Visit Local WDA Areas
SKIES staff are scheduling visits to local WDAs to educate WorkSource staff on a number of helpful SKIES tools that have been introduced since local SKIES training.

"These sessions will not take the place of training," said Peggy Zimmerman, Director of SKIES Administration. "But hopefully they'll help educate staff on new resources in SKIES and provide a forum for questions."

Topics for the sessions include an overview of changes to the SKIES application and Q & A session. The first visit is scheduled for the Tri-County WDA. To learn more about the sessions, call Jeanette Nelson at (360) 438-3284.

Toll Free Number Coming for SKIES Help Desk
A new toll free number for the SKIES Helps Desk will soon be available to WorkSource partners statewide, according to Peggy Zimmerman, SKIES Administration Director.

"Some partners have had to pay long distance charges when calling the SKIES Help Desk," said Zimmerman. "We are quickly working to rectify it."

Employment Security staff should continue using the “SCAN” system to call the Help Desk at (360) 438-4690. More information will be sent to all SKIES users when the new number is available.

Change Control Board Approves Change Order #2
The SKIES Change Control Board has unanimously approved the next change order for the SKIES Application. The subject of the order pertains to a “batch process” that will automatically send a file from SKIES to the Unemployment Insurance Division of Employment Security’s Guide system.

This file will contain SKIES seeker records of people receiving Unemployment Insurance who have failed to attend a scheduled orientation workshop. This list is currently produced by SKIES as an option on the Reports Menu and will continue to be available for SKIES users as a means of retrieving the information sent on the automatic batch. Currently, the list is produced weekly on Thursday night and in order for the UI Division to have it, SKIES users would have to print it and fax it.

“What we’re doing here is moving the time the list is produced back to maximize staff time for providing and recording services as well as automating the method of which the resulting “no show list” is forwarded to minimize that currently manual process," said Peggy Zimmerman, SKIES Administration Director.

The implementation of this change order will require the combined efforts of Business Process implementation and technical coordination between two systems. For more information, contact Zimmerman at (360) 438-3227.

More SKIES Incidents Moved Into Production
Several incidents related to the Employment Plan and Work Readiness Plan have been repaired and are scheduled to be moved into Production over the weekend. An email was sent out to all SKIES users outlining the new functionality of the Employment Plan and Work Readiness Plan. Users will be able to see the repairs and enhancements Monday, October 7, 2002. Please call the SKIES Help Desk at (360) 438-4690 or (800) 331-5650 if you have any questions.

SKIES User Teleconference Focuses on Work Readiness and Employment Plans
The SKIES Administration Unit has scheduled a teleconference for October 11, from 9 to 11 a.m., on the “Program Data” tab, Work Readiness and Employment Plans, according to Rachel Johnston, SKIES Administration.

During the call, SKIES staff will walk listeners through the changes, repairs and proper navigation. The phone number to call is 360-709-4800 and Enter PIN 5161#. Forty ports have been reserved for the teleconference. "We are excited about these changes and believe they will be welcomed by SKIES users," said Johnston. For more information, contact Jeanette Nelson at 360-438-3284.

September 13, 2002

This edition presents:

• Help Desk Aid Developed For Reporting Performance Issues

• More SKIES Incidents Moved Into Production

• Washington Tabbed To Pilot New Validation Software

• O*NET Code Connector Launched Yesterday

• Executive Technology Oversight Board Forms

• New Q & A On SKIES Functionality On Web

Readers who know individuals interested in receiving Forecast, should contact Jeanette Nelson at (360) 438-3284 to have them added to the distribution list.

Help Desk Aid Developed For Reporting Performance Issues
The Network Infrastructure group continues to work tickets and issues with a few individuals and sites reporting slow performance or clocking.

"This is always a difficult issue for us to troubleshoot and resolve," said Peggy Zimmerman, SKIES Administration Director. "The network and application teams have worked together to develop a script that will be used by the SKIES Help Desk to improve the timeliness of resolutions for performance related tickets. Your answers to these questions will provide us with valuable information to determine cause and expedite resolution."

Following is a list of questions staff might be asked when reporting performance or clocking problems to the SKIES Help Desk.

• What were you doing when you experienced the slow down (application, form, etc)?

• What was the time of day?

• What URL did you use to access SKIES?

• Are you the only one having performance problems or is it the entire office?

• Are other Internet services slow also?

• What other applications and programs were running on your computer when you experienced the performance slow down?

More SKIES Incidents Moved Into Production
Several Track Record incidents have been moved into the SKIES production environment, according to Rachel Johnston, SKIES Administration. Following is a list of most recent incidents that were placed into production:

SKIES Track Record Incident #289 - Job Matching from JOB SEEKER/Job Matching, EMPLOYER/Job Matching & EMPLOYER/Job order/"match to seekers". The program fixes were moved into SKIES Production on Monday, September 9th that will allow SKIES users to have a more accurate result on the job matching functionality.

SKIES Track Record Incident #305-Added services to the Service Table. Then decided they were duplicate services. Entered a date "inactive", but service still shows. The fix to this incident was also moved into SKIES Production on Monday, September 9th. Any services with an inactive date that has past will no longer be displayed on the list of values for services.

SKIES Track Record Incident #324-The SEEKER SERVICE TYPE ID is not required to be updated when the SERVICE TYPE and GROUP are updated through SEEKER SERVICES form. When users update an existing "service group" an edit will prompt the "service type" to be updated as well.

Washington Tapped To Pilot New Validation Software
Washington State has volunteered to pilot a validation software designed by Mathematica Policy Research Inc. for the Department of Labor. The software is used to validate data for federal reports for WIA, Welfare-to-Work, Labor Exchange, TAA/NAFTA, and eventually MSFW.

Employment Security's Judy Barney, Ina Schmidt, Randy Bachman, Phil Degon, Nancy Burkhart and Rachel Johnston have been very involved in developing the process for the piloting of the Validation Project.

"The WIA data is the only data that can be "validated" against documentation," explained Rachel Johnston, SKIES Project. "Labor exchange activity cannot be validated as it is not required to file written documentation in order to receive services."

What the Validation will do for Labor Exchange is it will physically produce the ETA 9002 (abcd, and e) report. Our involvement in this pilot will enable us to use some of the tools produced by Mathematica to produce reports for the field.

We will keep you informed on the progress of the pilot as it develops.

O*NET Code Connector Launched Yesterday
O*NET Code Connector <http://www.onetcodeconnector.org/> was recently launched by America's Job Bank. According to America's Job Bank news, it provides assistance to those making occupational coding decisions to code to O*NET and the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC).

This Internet site provides a simple-to-use tool that allows users to get listings of the appropriate O*NET codes and titles for their use. To access an O*NET occupation, the user simply types in a keyword such as an occupational or job title, or selects from an occupational group. The O*NET Code Connector provides one or more O*NET occupations in a ranking to help determine which of the selected occupational codes is the best match.

This tool directly supports employers who post jobs on America's Job Bank, One-Stop center staff, UI staff, and anyone who has a need to identify O*NET or SOC codes for informational purposes, allowing them to select the appropriate O*NET code, noted the America's Job Bank news.

Executive Technology Oversight Board Forms
The Executive Technology Oversight Committee met on September 11 to begin mapping out a common information technology vision for the WorkSource system.

The committee is chaired by Employment Security Deputy Commissioner Paul Trause and Mike Kennedy, Executive Director of Pacific Mountain Workforce Development Council and Chair of the Washington Workforce Association.

Other members include Gay Dubigk, Executive Director of Northwest Workforce Development Council; Patrick Baldoz, Executive Director of Tri-Counties Workforce Development Council; Colin Conant, Executive Director of Pierce County Workforce Development Council; and Employment Security Assistant Commissioners Thomas Bynum, Gary Gallwas, and Nelson Meyers.

The purpose of the Board is to provide the WorkSource delivery system with a common information technology vision and policy structure, establish system wide information technology priorities, and identify appropriate service levels and efficiencies. The Board will meet monthly.

For further information please contact Peggy Zimmerman at 360-438-3227.

New Q & A On SKIES Functionality On Web
SKIES Administration staff continue to respond to questions and concerns related to the SKIES application. As these questions are answered, they will be posted on the SKIES website http://www.wa.gov/esd/skies/ under the FAQ tab. Recently, SKIES staff responded to a list of questions from the Tacoma-Pierce area Veterans.

"These and future communications will be posted on the SKIES website," said Rachel Johnston, SKIES Administration.

August 30, 2002

This edition presents:

• SKIES Change Order #1 Implemented on August 26

• Current Information On SKIES Available On Web Site

• Accurate Dates And Services Needed In SKIES

• SKIES A Hit At One-Stop Partnership Conference 2002

• SKIES User Teleconference Focuses on Reports

Readers who know individuals interested in receiving Forecast, should contact Jeanette Nelson at (360) 438-3284 to have them added to the distribution list.

SKIES Change Order #1 Implemented on August 26
Two new history tables - Job Order Data History and Job Order Referral History - were implemented in SKIES on Monday, August 26, according to Peggy Zimmerman, SKIES Administration Director. The new tables will allow Power Users to view original data and compare it to data that has been updated. "These new enhancements were the result of feedback from the field,” said Zimmerman. "It was the first change order ever placed for SKIES and received the unanimous approval by the SKIES Change Control Board." To view the details of the enhancements, please visit the SKIES web site at <http://www.wa.gov/esd/skies/>. Although collection of data pertaining to these enhancements took effect on August 26, the data that is collected will become viewable to Power Users when the SKIES Data Warehouse completes construction on the Data Warehouse tables. For more information, contact Zimmerman at (360) 438-3227.

Current Information On SKIES Available On Web Site
The SKIES Web Site is constantly being updated to provide SKIES users current information on a number of topics. Following is a list of available data:

• SKIES Incidents and Enhancements - Comprehensive list of current incidents and improvements, along with the priority, status, and function of each incident or enhancement.

• Data Warehouse Reports Matrix - What reports will be available when, current status, the definition and purpose, the completion date and the business group requesting the report.

• Glossary of Terms - the terms, the definitions, and, in many cases, the legal citation.

• Newest Updates - Instant news and updates - this is where to look for breaking news along with the email notification.

• Power User Resources - a special page for Power Users with links to many resources and documents as well as current news of interest.

• User Support - how to get help with SKIES through a number of resources.

• Discussion Board - discuss points of interest with other system users through the Discussion Board, a valuable communication resource.

"Visit the SKIES web site today for the latest information on SKIES" said Linda DuPertuis, SKIES web site administration. "It is updated regularly to meet the needs of SKIES system users." For more information, contact DuPertuis at (360) 438-4155.

Accurate Dates And Services Needed In SKIES
The SKIES Administration Unit has noticed a few items where dates are being entered incorrectly in the SKIES application that affect reporting through the data warehouse. "There are places within the application that require mm/dd/yy or mm/dd/yy" said Rachel Johnston, SKIES Administration. "Please be mindful when entering dates, and check to make sure the fields appropriately display the dates entered". There has also been a lot of discussion about services entered in the SKIES application. If services are entered “free form” text through the Work Readiness and Employment Plan they will not be counted in any reports. "Only services that are selected from the “drop down menu” will be gathered for reporting purposes,” said Johnston. "If staff have any questions, they should call the SKIES Help Desk for more information".

SKIES A Hit At One-Stop Partnership Conference 2002
A workshop on SKIES and the interface with Go2WorkSource.com was presented at the One-Stop Partnership Conference in Anaheim California earlier this month. “Conference participants couldn't believe that Washington had implemented a system that was designed and developed through partnerships,” said Rachel Johnston. “While we have had our bumps along the way, the idea of having information available for all partners on a statewide basis was seen as a remarkable accomplishment". Some of the items in SKIES that participants were particularly intrigued with were the Go2WorkSource.com self-service interface, Unemployment Insurance recipient information, wage data, Job Orders and New Hire information.

SKIES User Teleconference Focuses on Reports
The SKIES Administration Unit has scheduled a teleconference on Reports for September 13, from 9 to 11 a.m. The phone number to call is 360-709-4800 then enter the PIN Number 5161#. Forty ports have been reserved for the teleconference. For more information, contact Jeanette Nelson at 360-438-3284.

August 16, 2002

• Job Match Teleconference A Hit

• SKIES Incidents Moved Into Production

• SKIES User Teleconference Focuses on Reports

• SKIES Accessibility Work Continues

Readers who know individuals interested in receiving Forecast, should contact Jeanette Nelson at (360) 438-3284 to have them added to the distribution list.

Job Match Teleconference A Hit
SKIES Job Match functionality was the topic of the first statewide SKIES User Group teleconference on August 9, according to Peggy Zimmerman, SKIES System Administration Director. The topic was selected due to issues surfaced on ther performance of the Job Match. "After receiving feedback, I had staff go behind the screens to see how the functionality was working," said Zimmerman. "We found several issues that have since been written up as incidents and moved to the top of the list to be fixed. The teleconference provided a good opportunity to review those incidents and to provide a status on where they are in the repair line." Other topics discussed during the call included: using O*Net codes in the Job Match, what information needs to be entered and where for a Job Match, and binocular search for a job referral. “There were questions and discussion," added Zimmerman. "Overall, it was a good first try at using a teleconference as a medium for a user group."

SKIES Incidents Moved Into Production
Several Track Record and two Veterans data incidents have been fixed and moved into the SKIES production environment, according to Jon Tran, SKIES Administration. In general, data fixes involve correcting the records using information that is available in the database. Following is a list of other recent incidents placed into production:

• #84 - Job Seeker “Race” has a new selection of “Information Not Provided”.

• #120 - Binocular search for a Seeker now includes an optional parameter for people to use an ONET code as part of the search criteria.

• #125 - New SKIES on-line Report titled “GUIDE UI Claimant”.

• #290 - There are two items to this incident that improve the number of matches when using the Seeker/Job Match functionality.

• #293 - Binocular search for a Seeker has two optional screens that display a seeker’s job related “details”. These two screens, “Display Details” and “Requirements” have been updated to display information only and will not accept any manually entered data.

Check the SKIES Website at www.wa.gov/esd/skies to access more detail on the latest release of incidents into production.

SKIES User Teleconference Focuses on Reports
The SKIES Administration Unit has scheduled a teleconference on Reports for September 13, from 9 to 11 a.m. The phone number to call is 360-357-2911. Forty ports have been reserved for the teleconference. For more information, contact Jeanette Nelson at 360-438-3284.

SKIES Accessibility Work Continues by Julie LeClair
Since the last Forecast article on SKIES accessibility, staff had been re-directed to respond to incidents in the system. However, more resources have just been hired and we now have one developer dedicated to this effort full time. Although staff have been re-directed, there has been a degree of accomplishment in the area of accessibility. Employment Security's Bob Lencioni gave a very informative demonstration on July 31st to the SKIES Change Control Board on the proof of concept. The thought that went behind achieving accessibility was thorough and incredibly detailed. Bob demonstrated the changes in navigation options and the system’s ability to speak what was on the screen as well as speak some of the edits of a given field. Not only does the application need to change to work with the accessibility products, it was also interesting to hear how the product itself needed to be first taught how to speak many of our words. For example, it needed to be taught not to read ESD or WIA as a word but pronounce each letter distinctly. That is only one example of what will be hundreds of entries that are added to a phonetic dictionary. The timeline and plan are being reworked to reflect changes in resource levels and new start dates for the development work. This will be a fascinating project and we are looking forward to see the application perform in its entirety with this technology.

July 19, 2002
This edition presents:

• Staff Get Straight Scoop, SKIES Data Collection

• SKIES User Groups Forming

• Teleconference for Users-Topic is Job Match

• Incidents on Line

• Feedback on SKIES updates

Readers who know individuals interested in receiving Forecast, should contact Jeanette Nelson at (360) 438-3284 to have them added to the distribution list.

Staff Get Straight Scoop, SKIES Data Collection
WorkSource staff have recently been asking whether the data entered into SKIES will provide the information needed for performance measures.

"I have been surprised to hear this question in many conversations around the state, said Peggy Zimmerman, SKIES Administration Director. "When SKIES was programmed, we made sure there were fields and tables that collected the information that would be necessary for all performance reports whether the program was WIA Title 1 B, Wagner-Peyser or any of the other required One-Stop programs."

To keep the system flexible enough to be used by multi-program users, however, it was determined that SKIES Project staff could not require every field to be completed for every program. This means that the user must be knowledgeable about which fields MUST be completed to meet the performance measures for their specific program.

"While SKIES provides great flexibility, staff are feeling a little “shaky” about their knowledge, and would like a concrete guide which specifically identifies the required fields by program," said Zimmerman. "We have begun that work with the program and policy shops and are developing documents outlining the specific fields."

Once complete, the guides will be placed on the SKIES Website. Soft and hard copies will also be provided to each local area. The guides are scheduled for completion in August. Meanwhile, as staff work customers, they must enter the needed information in SKIES for eligibility, case management and job placement. This should provide more than enough data to meet performance requirements, according to Zimmerman. Staff with immediate concerns or questions should contact their program policy shop for more information.

SKIES User Groups Forming
"Wow, people in the field are just awesome!" was the summary provided by Rachel Johnston, business manager for SKIES after the completion of visits to five local areas in the state. Rachel, Jon Tran (Business Analyst for SKIES), and Ron Byington, Deputy Assistant Commissioner for the WorkSource Operations Division visited Olympia, Spokane, Kennewick, Tacoma, and Renton over the last several weeks. The purpose of the meetings served as the "launch" for local areas to begin forming user groups where best practices and other SKIES information will be exchanged. It was also an opportunity to discuss the role of the Worksource Operations Division and the role of the SKIES Unit related to the implementation of the SKIES system.

At the opening of each session Ron Byington stated, "This is your meeting, this is what you have asked for. It's an opportunity to discuss creative uses for the system and how the system is working for you".

Having local forums to share these practices will make everyone's work easier. If you are not aware of efforts to begin a user group in your area, talk with your manager or administrator. If ideas or suggestions would be useful in getting these groups started, please contact Rachel Johnston at rjohnston@esd.wa.gov.

User Teleconference--Topic is Job Match
A suggestion that was made at one of the last teleconferences for the SKIES project, was to continue the teleconferences but with the intent of sharing best practices. It was decided that the topic for the first users best practices teleconference would be Job Match. As you know, SKIES is not only a new application, but it also matches on O*Net codes instead of the Directory of Occupational Titles. This change has caused users to have to learn a whole new way of doing business with the Job Match.

The first User Teleconference is scheduled for Friday, August 9, 2002, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. We have 40 ports reserved and encourage you to meet together locally and share a speaker phone, this will allow more people to participate. The phone number for you to call is: 360 357-2911

Incidents on Line
We have tried to limit the information to just the title of the issue to keep the list manageable. We have gotten requests for better descriptions of the incidents in the title and we will seriously look at how to implement this improvement. You may review this website for other information on SKIES, including the glossary of terms and application updates.

Feedback on SKIES Update Messages
Over the last couple of weeks, we have been sending out (almost) daily messages to all SKIES users and managers with information on the status of the application. In some cases, we sent out messages every couple of hours to keep users informed. We have received feedback that we have "overdone" these communications. We would like additional feedback from the users. Please reply and answer the following questions:

• Too much information on SKIES status yes or no

• Just post the information on the SKIES website, do not send e-mails yes or no

• Other comments or suggestions on frequency that is helpful

June 28, 2002

This edition presents:

• SKIES Change Control Board Meets

• SKIES Incidents Now Viewed On-Line

• SKIES Accessibility Planning Continues

Readers who know individuals interested in receiving Forecast, should contact Jeanette Nelson at (360) 438-3284 to have them added to the distribution list.

SKIES Change Control Board Meets
The SKIES Change Control Board decided yesterday during its first meeting to delay the organization of focus groups to get input on SKIES Version 2. The board felt it was important to get clarity on the exact data elements needed for performance reporting by program before collecting additional recommendations for version 2.

"This is just the type of feedback we were hoping to get out of the new board," said Peggy Zimmerman, SKIES System Administration Director.  A list of actions were brainstormed during the meeting to ensure that documents and communications around data elements are completed. Once these activities are finished, the Change Control Board will tackle the structuring of focus groups.

The SKIES Change Control Board was formed to set priorities for changes in the on-going operation of the SKIES system. For information, contact Zimmerman at 360-438-3227.  

SKIES Incidents Now Viewed On-Line
A complete list of SKIES incidents are now available on line at the SKIES web site.  Incidents are issues that have been called into the Help Desk that have been identified as critical to supporting WorkSource business.  "As the incidents are worked, this list will change and evolve," said Rachel Johnston, SKIES System Administration. "We will update the list weekly so staff can keep an eye on what’s happening!"  A review team examines all incidents to determine if they are mild, serious, critical or fatal. Fatal and critical incidents take first priority. Others are logged and referred as possible enhancements for SKIES Version 2.

SKIES Accessibility Planning Continues
Employment Security staff continue their efforts to modify the SKIES application to work with accessibility software tools that enable the sight impaired and physically disabled to use the system.

One of the most complex forms was recently selected to test. The Project Team was able to adjust the form to navigate using standard Windows-like function keys. In addition, the screen can speak as an individual navigates the system or enters data. The edits on the entry fields are even audible and descriptive of what is required in the field.  "We still need to fine tune how well the form is working with a tool called Zoom Text," said Julie LeClair, Employment Security, "but it looks promising. It is designed to not only speak, but also to enlarge the form, and center the area the person is working on the screen."  The SKIES Accessibility Project will also be incorporating speech to text capability where an individual can speak to the application, and the application will generate the data into the fields. For information, contact LeClair at 360-438-4738.

June 18, 2002

This edition presents:

• SKIES Is Back By Popular Demand

• SKIES Design Flaw Fixed Following System Outages

• SKIES Change Control Board Formed

• Progress made on SKIES Incidents

• SKIES Business Review Process Put In Place

• Accessibility Issues To Be Addressed In SKIES

• JobNet and Data Flex- Going, Going, Gone

Readers who know individuals interested in receiving Forecast, should contact Jeanette Nelson at (360) 438-3284 to have them added to the distribution list.

SKIES Is Back By Popular Demand
The SKIES Forecast is back on-line following requests from field staff for more communications on SKIES.

"Staff just really missed the newsletter," said Peggy Zimmerman, SKIES Director. "They liked the fact that it provided timely updates and explanations on issues relevant to SKIES. They also liked that everybody got the same information at the same time."

The SKIES Forecast will resume it's next biweekly distribution on Friday, June 28. For more information, contact Jeanette Nelson at (360) 438-3284.

SKIES Design Flaw Fixed Following System Outages
A design flaw in one form of the SKIES system recently caused problems with the availability and use of the system, according to Peggy Zimmerman, SKIES director. The form was the "Call-In" used to schedule workshops and appointments with UI claimants. The problem has been fixed and is being monitored daily.

"Users showed extraordinary patience," said Zimmerman. "The form is an important component of WorkSource business with UI Claimants, so staff had to work around scheduling issues and other inconveniences. Their understanding was appreciated."

The problem initially surfaced on May 30 when SKIES Help Desk staff began receiving calls about slow navigation in the system. The SKIES DataBase Administrators immediately pinpointed that some 4 million empty records had posted to the database files, however, the cause was difficult to determine.

SKIES Business Managers decided with reluctance to take the system off line over the Memorial weekend to repair the problem. A team of SKIES staff, Oracle and IBM consultants finally determined that an Oracle design flaw in the Call-In form was causing records to multiply in large sequence. Repairs went well into Sunday night, June 2, when a difficult decision was made to restore SKIES usage on June 3 without the Call In form functionality.

“What made this decision so tough is that we know how necessary this function is to the CPP program," said Zimmerman. "At the same time, we couldn’t keep SKIES off line.”

After undergoing a series of tests, the Call In form was reinstated June 10. The long-term redesign issues of the form have been logged and will be incorporated into the SKIES version 2 release.

SKIES Change Control Board Formed
The last meeting of the SKIES Steering Committee was held May 29. Each member was recognized for their contribution to the design and implementation of SKIES.

"With SKIES moving into an operations mode, a Steering Committee is no longer needed," said Peggy Zimmerman, SKIES Director. "However, we now need a board to set priorities for changes in the on-going operation of the system. A new Change Control Board will be formed to address that need."

The first meeting and orientation of the SKIES Change Control Board will be held June 27 at Sea-Tac. Members have been appointed by the local Workforce Development Councils, as well as from DSHS and Community and Technical Colleges.

The new role of the board will be:

• Oversight for immediate releases of changes to SKIES,

• Oversight and setting of priorities for version 2 of SKIES,

• Communication back to local areas on changes to SKIES, and

• Recommendations to the Executive Sponsors on priorities and costs of changes.

For more information on the board, contact Zimmerman at (360) 438-3227.

Progress Made On SKIES Incidents
Twenty SKIES incidents have been fixed and released into production, according to Rachel Johnston, SKIES System Administration. This leaves 34 incidents that are still being worked within the SKIES system. A few corrections that have been made include:

Zip Code/ City / State
A large number of incorrect city, county and zip code combinations were converted into the SKIES system from Jobnet and/or MIS. Fortunately, SKIES uses a standard city, county and zip code table to verify the appropriate combinations.

All employer and job seeker records in SKIES will now be matched to the correct city and county codes. In some situations, the zip code may still be incorrect within the existing record. In those cases, the user will need to change the zip code to correctly identify with the city and county.

Locating Job Order through “Employer Select” form
SKIES users found that searching for job orders through the “binoculars” function didn't adequately meet local WorkSource business needs. It forced the user to take several extra steps to bring up the job order.

A “Job Order ID” field is now provided in the “Employer Select” form to allow entry of the Job Order Number.

Employment and Work Readiness Plan
Users can now change, add and delete plan and actual end dates for WIA converted records. For more information on SKIES incidents, please contact Rachel Johnston at 360-438-4674.

SKIES Business Review Process Put In Place
The Employment Security Department's WorkSource Operations Division and the SKIES System Administration Unit will be scheduling Regional User Group Sessions to get feedback on SKIES business practices and the overall use of the system. The department's regional policy coordinators will work with the state's 12 Workforce Development Boards to ensure adequate partner representation in the sessions.

"We plan to hold four or five regional sessions," said Rachel Johnston, SKIES System Administration. "We will probably need to hold two sessions in Eastern Washington because of it's size. We hope the sessions will provide a venue to share how each area’s local business practices correspond with the SKIES system."

These sessions will be discussed in greater detail during a SKIES User Groups teleconference beginning in mid-July. For more information, contact Rachel Johnston at rjohnston@esd.wa.gov.

JobNet and Data Flex- Going, Going, Gone!
JobNet and Data Flex are no longer used as statewide information systems in WorkSource.

"While some workforce areas are still using data flex locally, it's really important to remember that all performance data must be captured in SKIES in order to be incorporated into DOL performance reports," said Peggy Zimmerman, SKIES Director. "We no longer accept any Data Flex or JobNet information."

JobNet and Data Flex were officially closed out of statewide use on April 3. JobNet was then made available in a READ ONLY format until May 31. For information, contact Zimmerman at (360) 438-3227.

Accessibility Issues To Be Addressed In SKIES
The WorkSource Division of the Employment Security Department has made a commitment to support its obligation under Sections 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, to ensure the accessibility of SKIES through its electronic and information technology.

In order to accomplish this, the SKIES application will need to be modified to conform to the industry standard GUI “look and feel”. This will mean that the application will have the standardized function key usage and menu options that are characteristic of common Windows applications. The application will work with accessibility software tools that enable the sight impaired and physically disabled to use the SKIES application.

This upgrade project is currently in the proof of concept phase, which means that coding has been done and tested to ensure the changes will work with assistive technology. More information will be shared as the project proceeds. For information, contact Julie LeClair 360-438-4738.

May 10, 2002 

This edition presents information on:

• What happens to Help Desk Tickets?

• SKIES Future Training

• SKIES WebSite

• JobNet goes Away

• Help Us with the User Distribution List

Readers that know individuals interested in receiving Forecast, should contact Jeanette Nelson at (360) 438-3284 to have them added to the distribution list.

What Happens to Help Desk Tickets?
Remedy tickets are assigned a unique identification number and are assigned to specific tasks, groups of individuals or processes. These tickets are reviewed and analyzed and responded to by recording the information in the “resolution feature in Remedy (a tracking database). This feature automatically generates a response to the original caller who identified the problem. In addition, the tickets with resolutions will be posted on the SKIES Website for everyone to review. Remedy Tickets automatically notify the originator of any status changes with a diary of recorded activity. Some tickets are under “review” and are being researched and analyzed before a resolution is identified. Other tickets identified are being moved to Version 2 in SKIES. For more information, see http://www.wa.gov/esd/skies/tickets.htm

SKIES Future Training
A statewide teleconference with local area Training Coordinators was conducted on May 1, 2002. Discussion involved how to continue with on-going training at the local level, Employment Security Department’s role in on-going training and dividing the curriculum into access profiles in SKIES. Information about the teleconference will be available on the SKIES web site by the end of next week. For further information contact Rachel Johnston at rjohnston@esd.wa.gov.

SKIES WebSite
As you know, SKIES does not have a robust help section. Until that feature is reviewed for version 2 we recommend you visit the SKIES WebSite. As changes are made to the application, information will be posted. As we close out tickets that have statewide significance, we will post the result on the site. When we have reoccurring questions or comments we will post those answers on the site. We are using the WebSite as a repository for all training and help information-please use it. The address is www.wa.gov/esd/skies It’s there to help.

JobNet Goes Away
May 31st will be the last viewing day for our old friend, JobNet. This hardworking application has been the automated job matching and federal reporting system for the last 15 years (since November, “87”). So whether you have loved it or hated it, you have to admit, it was reliable. JobNet resides on a main frame computer that is housed at the Department of Information Services. We will decommission this main frame and house the tapes of the JobNet transactions for a period of at least three years.

Help Us with the User Distribution List
As changes are made to the application, if the system goes down, or an alert needs to go out, we want to get information out to all users. We have been using the same distribution list for these messages as we use for the Forecast. We recently learned that not all users are on this distribution list. There is no automated way for us to put all users on a distribution list. So, share this in your office and have anyone who is not receiving this information send us their e-mail address. We will add it to the current distribution list immediately. Thanks for your help.

April 12, 2002

This edition presents information on:

• SKIES Statewide Implementation Relatively Smooth

• Numbers Of SKIES Users Lower Than Projected

• Work Around Put In Place For Print Screen Issue

• Working On The Weekend

• Last SKIES Weekly Conference Call Held

• Kudos From The Field

Readers who know individuals interested in receiving Forecast, should contact Jeanette Nelson at (360) 438-3284 to have them added to the distribution list.

SKIES Statewide Implementation Relatively Smooth
The launch of SKIES has been proclaimed "the smoothest implementation of a major technology project in the Washington" by the state's Information Services Board, which provides oversight on all state information technology projects. "The way you implemented SKIES will become a best practice for all agency bringing up a new system," said Stan Ditterline, Department of Information Services, during the broard's monthly meeting on Wednesday. After one week of operation, no major glitches have surfaced, with the exception of a corrupted table that forced the project team to take SKIES off-line for a half hour on Friday, April 12. The Help Desk has taken some 400 help tickets during the first week - most related to lock outs and security logons. Thirty of those calls, however, have been logged as actual incidences, of which 20 have been reparied.

"We're excited that the implementation has gone so smooth, but there is still plenty of work ahead," said Peggy Zimmerman, SKIES Project Manager. "Field staff are finding new ways to use the system which is surfacing new issues for us to address. This is a good thing that ultimately will allow us to deliver a better system to the field and our customers." Incidences have primarily centered around the interfaces between SKIES and go2worksource.com, upper and lower case letter recognition difficulties, and a print screen problem for users on 95 and 98 X boxes. The incidences are currently being worked and should be addressed soon. For information, contact Zimmerman at (360) 438-3227.

Numbers Of SKIES Users Lower Than Projected
Some 650 to 750 field staff have been accessing the SKIES system during the course of a day, according to Jim DeBlasio, SKIES Project. Of those, 400 have been concurrent users. "We thought staff would logon in the morning and stay on all day," said DeBlasio. "Instead staff are logging on and off as the business warrants. This is good news and takes us well below the projected 900 concurrent users threshold. This means the system isn't being stressed and should continue to perform to our expectations." As implementation proceeds, the number of users and concurrent sessions is expected to increase. For more information, contact Peggy Zimmerman at (360) 438-3227. Work Around Put In Place For Print Screen Issue.  SKIES users from outside the state firewall that have Windows 95, 98 or any 9X derivative operating systems must use IE Native to stay connected to SKIES. Unfortunately, IE Native does not allow the screen print functionality through the HELP menu selection in SKIES. To print a screen, users should PRESS Alt + Print Screen on the keyboard to “copy” the image and then “paste” the image to a Word document. User must copy one image and paste it to the Word document before copying a second image. Staff can then print the screen from the Word document. SKIES Project Staff are working on a permanent solution. For information, contact Peggy Zimmerman at (360) 438-3227.
Working On The Weekend
The SKIES application will be accessible to staff Monday through Friday, from 6 a.m. and 8 p.m., and on Saturday from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. "Last weeks Forecast didn't mention our weekend hours of operation," said Peggy Zimmerman, SKIES Project Director. "The hours of operation were selected after receiving feedback from local WorkSource offices." For information, contact Zimmerman at (360) 438-3227.
Last SKIES Weekly Conference Call Held
The last SKIES weekly teleconference call on SKIES was held today from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. "The phone conferences have been a great way to communicate with staff," said Peggy Zimmerman, SKIES Project Director. "Now we will send out periodic Forecast newsletters to keep staff informed." Staff who have issues with the SKIES application are now encouraged to call the SKIES Help Desk at (360) 438- 4690.
Kudos From The Field
"CONGRATULATIONS to SKIES Project Team bringing up SKIES. I hear nothing but good feedback. Even the glitches seem minor. Staff are really pleased and the system seems like it will really do what we all hoped." Carol Padovan, Pacific Mountain One-Stop Coordinator

April 5, 2002 
This edition presents information on:

• SKIES Is Ready For Take-Off

• SKIES Message Line Activated

• SKIES Operating Hours Made Public

• Help Desk Readies For SKIES Problems

• Thirty Days And Counting For JobNet

SKIES Weekly Conference Moves Back To Regular Time

Readers who know individuals interested in receiving Forecast, should contact Jeanette Nelson at (360) 438-3284 to have them added to the distribution list.

SKIES Is Ready For Take-Off
The statewide launch of SKIES on April 8 has been given the green light, according to Jim DeBlasio, SKIES Conversion Coordinator. "The data is in, it has been mushed and we are now ready to go live," said DeBlasio, during the weekly statewide conference call this morning. Most of the 380 tasks that had to be completed to ramp up SKIES statewide are finished. The remaining major activites include integration with the go2worksource.com site on Saturday, April 6, followed by security and batch activation, and production certification on Sunday, April 7. "If all goes well, the SKIES Executive Sponsors will certify SKIES ready on Sunday at 4 p.m.," said DeBalsio. "Then Peggy Zimmerman will send an email out to all WorkSource staff anouncing the launch. After that, we all begin serving customers in ways we previously only imagined."

SKIES Message Line Activated
A special SKIES telephone message line has been activated to provide communication updates on SKIES implementation. The number to call is (360) 438-4691. "Between now and Monday, I will be placing messages on the recorder to keep staff abreast of the lastest progress with SKIES implementation," said Peggy Zimmerman, SKIES Project Director. Staff can also check on SKIES implementation by visitng www.wa.gov/esd/skies. The SKIES website will provide up-to-the hour information on SKIES conversion, security and batch activation, and production and system certification. For more information, contact Zimmerman at (360) 438-3227.

SKIES Operating Hours Made Public
The SKIES application will be up and accessible to staff Monday through Friday, from 6 a.m. and 8 p.m., according to Peggy Zimmerman, SKIES Project Director. "The hours of operation were selected after receiving feedback from local WorkSource offices," explained Zimmerman. "The extended time will accomodate offices that offer alternate or extended hours for local customers." For information, contact Zimmerman at (360) 438-3227.

Help Desk Made Ready For SKIES Problems
It is important for staff to know what do to if they experience problems with the SKIES application during and after implementation. "The first thing staff should do is talk with their local experts," said Peggy Zimmerman, SKIES Project. "They should be able to help with most problems. However, if they can’t, staff should call the SKIES Help Desk at 360-438-4690." Before staff call, they should have answers to the following:

• What screen/form/tab is causing the problem?

• Job Seeker, Employer, or Provider name?

• Job Seeker SST (if appropriate)?

• What is the Oracle message, if any (for more information, put cursor on the Help tab and select Display Error)?

• If the system has locked up, what were you trying to do when it happened, (for example, registering a job seeker, entering employment information, assessment, etc.)?

• Is the problem with only one computer, or many (how many)?

• Which URL are you using to access SKIES?

"Thanks in advance for following these instructions," added Zimmerman. "It will help us provide better service to you."

Thirty Days And Counting
JobNet will be available in a READ ONLY format for 30 days starting April 8. "This should give staff plenty of time to get comfortable with SKIES," said Peggy Zimmerman, SKIES Project Director. "It will also provide time for moving any valuable information that didn't get converted into SKIES." The decision to close JobNet out was made due to financial considerations. For information, contact Zimmerman at (360) 438-3227.

SKIES Weekly Conference Moves Back To Regular Time
The SKIES Project will hold its next bi-weekly teleconference on SKIES implementation on April 12. The time has been moved back to 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. The phone number is 360- 357-2961. Due to the limited number of ports, WDC areas are encouraged to select representatives to participate in a group setting rather than having individuals call in. Central Office and Lacey Building s