Department of Veterans Affairs Signs 3-Year, $220 Million Contract With Systems Made Simple

Systems Made Simple, Inc. (SMS), provider of IT systems and services to support critical architecture, data and
application challenges in the healthcare industry, works on
the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) Document Conversion Services (DCS)
contract has enabled the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to convert more
than 30% of current disability claims into digital files.

"We fully support the VA’s
initiative for digital document conversion, as this program works to alleviate
the burden of mass amounts of paper claims while enhancing data accuracy and
operational efficiencies – all with the goal of ensuring Veterans’ needs are
met more quickly," said Al Nardslico, president, SMS. "The document conversion
program is a significant initiative by the VA to streamline the
"well-deserved" support our Nation’s Veterans receive, and we are
proud to be part of it."

The DCS program is the key engine for the VA’s Veterans Claims Intake Program
(VCIP) which aims to enhance the use of electronic claims processing through
the creation of digital, searchable files.

As the prime contractor on the DCS
contract, SMS has architected one of the highest volume document digitization
programs in existence. The operation is a major lever in supporting the VA’s
goal of reducing the amount of time required to establish, develop, rate and
pay Veteran claims. Through the program, the VA has converted more than 165
million pages of claims documents to digital images, adding more than one
million files each day into the Veterans Benefits Management System (VBMS)
– VA’s paperless claims processing system.

Under the three-year, $220 million contract, SMS receives source materials from
VA regional offices – including printed and handwritten content such as paper,
photographs, fax, eFax, microfilm, microfiche, CD/DVDs and flash drives – and
converts them to standardized, indexed, searchable electronic documents. The
conversions also support long-term storage of the original materials.

The program is part of the Transformation
Twenty-One Total Technology (T4) contract vehicle, of which SMS serves as one
of the seven prime technology contractors reserved for certified
Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses.