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Oct 12, 2006

Lockheed Martin Touts E-DIB

Government Computing News has an article which must be based upon a Lockheed Martin news release touting Social Security's e-DIB paperless processing system. Lockheed Martin is the prime contractor for this project. The article claims that "SSA has nearly completed the rollout of the Electronic Disability System for online case processing." The reality is that SSA has years to go before E-DIB is fully implemented. Further, the article claims that "Operating without paper, eDib streamlines SSA disability processes to such an extent that the agency projects a reduction of 100 days in the average time to process a claim ..." But what has been seen so far are productivity losses as a new system is implemented. Any gains in processing time remain speculative.

The article claims that "
SSA has rolled out e-Dib to all states and territories except parts of Nebraska, New York and the District of Columbia, which will be completed by the end of the year", but it is not clear what is meant by "rollout" since SSA has often talked about "rollout", when all that was meant was having each employee process a token number of e-DIB cases on a trial basis.

The article includes the following claim that few people close to the situation would take at face value:
"The eDib system is beginning to demonstrate benefits. Even with a 25 percent increase in filings, the number of cases pending has decreased by about 50,000. SSA so far has carved off seven days from the claims processing time. "

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