Company Background
FutureWork Systems is a software
company built from a successful merger between FutureWorks
One-Stop Centers and a software development firm.
The company provides information technology tools
and services based on an application service provider
model to workforce development professionals across
the nation in support of US Department of Labor initiatives.
The company launched in 2000 as a result of a strong
need in the workforce development community for more
effective and cost-effective performance management analysis and reporting tools and services
in response to the new performance requirements created
by the Workforce Investment Act of 1998.
Fulfilling a Need
In early 2000, the company launched
Workforce Performance Matters (known to today
as Performance Matters Plus) as a Web-based
application service to help states and LWIAs manage
WIA performance data. Workforce Performance Matters
was WIA's first performance management system to effectively
address state and LWIA needs for a WIA performance
management system.
It brought, for the first time,
the benefits of private sector decision support and data warehousing technology
to workforce development professionals nationwide and delivered it as, what is commonly known today, as "cloud" computing.
Delivering Performance Matters in the cloud took the burden off IT departments and workforce development professionals for IT infrastructure management, data warehousing, software licensing, implementation and ongoing application maintenance and support. It allowed for a cost-effective, efficient delivery of a decision support workforce development data analysis and reporting tool via a Web app requiring only a Web browser and Internet connection for end-users.
Policy-makers and program managers, those with all ranges of technical expertise, accessed
performance data that was pulled from their case management system in ways that would facilitate
effective program decision-making, allowing
them to proactively manage for workforce development program success without having to worry about where data was coming from or whether it was a respected source.
Today, Workforce Performance Matters has
evolved to Performance
Matters Plus, version 7.8 and it continues to be
the leading, full-featured performance management
system for workforce development program managers, administrators and policymakers. It continues to be delivered in the cloud via a subscription-based model, saving clients significant time, money and resources, which in fact is precisely in line with the current White House Federal Cloud Computing Strategy.
Performance Matters has expanded since 2000 to include Wagner-Peyser, Trade Act, and customized data sources for performance tracking and management, creating a tool that helps the entire workforce development system.
Increasingly, more and more key stakeholders in workforce development, such as legislators, Board chairs, WIB members and researchers are recognizing the importance of analysis and reporting tools, such as Performance Matters, for the ongoing management and success of workforce development programs and policymaking. We continue to work with these groups as part of the greater workforce development performance community. Over the past decade, the ongoing design and development of the Web app as it evolves has been and continues to be influenced by over 1,000 users.
In 2009, in response to ARRA, the FutureWork's team launched InSite to assist states interested in quarterly WIA performance tracking and reporting using the companies decision support engine. In addition, the FutureWork's team has focused heavily on incorporating ARRA performance management components into Performance Matters Plus and InSite to assist workforce development professionals effectively manage these important new performance and reporting requirements from US DOL.
In early 2011, the company tranformed InSite into Performance Matters Quarterly, also known as PMQ. Using public national quarterly WIA data available from USDOL, PMQ surfaces over 5 million participant records in the national WIA system for analysis and reporting. PMQ is the only off-the-shelf workforce intelligence solution with this scope of national workforce development data and it's available via the cloud with a simply user subscription.
Moving Forward
FutureWork Systems continues to provide
technology tools and services to help workforce development
professionals succeed, under WIA, and other workforce funding sources, such as
Wagner Peyser, Trade Act or other specific performance requirements defined by local workforce areas and states.. The Performance Matters Suite of applications continues to evolve with new enhancements and features thanks to active client involvement and a team devoted to our client's success with workforce development performance management and programs.
As common measures extend the reach
of performance metrics and management throughout the
Department of Labor's programs and integration service strategies continue to spread across the country, FutureWork Systems
rises to meet these challenges.
Our mission is to continue
to provide the best performance management information technology software
tools and technical assistance services to workforce development in an efficient and cost-effective manner to have
a positive impact on communities served.
Learn more about the company founders.
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PM Plus
PMQ
