< PreviousFeatured Columns - Organizational StructureMelodie Lente, Director of IS, Wildhorse Resort & CasinoThe time of ignoring the role IT plays in the success or failure of organizations is long past. Organizations increasingly rely on the value added by IT to accomplish strategic and tactical goals. It’s difficult though, for many executives to understand the why and how of IT, and the essential nature of the IT underpinnings of all functions of the organization. The knee-jerk reaction can be then the creation of a steering committee. Like most IT people, the thought of being steered by a committee is loathsome. Moreover, if done poorly, or before an organization is mature enough to be ready for that level of undertaking, it can be loathsome and counterproductive. There are very serious and necessarily well thought out objectives needed to prevent a steering committee from morphing into a colossal, bureaucratic waste of time or, even worse, a tool for micromanaging technical decisions without the necessary expertise to understand the implications. Therefore, I believe the first step in overcoming this initial reaction of loathing is to gain a little insight into exactly what the term “steering com-mittee” really means.What a steering committee is and what it’s not are key concepts to grasp before jumping into the decision. A steering committee is a permanent, administrative body established to review and monitor IT projects from a cross-functional, strategic viewpoint. The steering committee can provide guidance on organizational policy and objectives, can assist with budgetary control and resource allocation with especially large expenditures, and provide insight into the organizations marketing strategy. Project alignment and project ownership are the two key concerns of an IT steering committee. IT personnel need a clear understanding of the organization’s strategic goals to engage them in the team-process. Cross-functional ownership of IT projects increases the success of IT projects. An effective steering committee can provide a window into the IT process and function to mitigate the negative reaction to change and make not only the IT staff more accountable, but also all the organizational units who interact with IT.The best IT personnel are attracted to the career field because of their inherent ability to adapt and thrive in an environment filled with constant and rapid change, problem solving and evolution. These same personalities can benefit from a steering committee to help navigate through and align with the organization’s overall strategy. A steering committee should help focus the strategic advantages of IT and provide a destination roadmap, not dictate turn-by-turn directions.A steering committee is not a tactical management tool; and, it’s not a temporary project management committee (however, the steering committee can establish a specific project committee for especially large IT projects). No IT department needs, nor will they long tolerate, committee-based micromanagement of the day-to-day operations and rapid-fire decisions necessary to keep things running. The very nature of the ever and rapidly changing IT requirements makes it unmanageable by committee. Any attempt to do so, will result in failure of systems and processes, and will most likely cause either open rebellion or losing the organizations best and brightest IT personnel. Now that we have established what an IT steering committee is, the next decision is probably the most important and one of the most difficult to honestly assess. Is the organization ready? Does the organization culture support the formation of a successful and constructive steering committee, or will the culture set the stage for failure and doom the endeavor to the destructive realm of bureaucratic micromanagement and waste? Not pleasant questions to ponder honestly. Some tools and/or consultants are available to help guide this inward examination. My advice it to look IT Steering Committees - Helping or Hurting You?Melodie LenteDirector of IS Wildhorse Resort & Casino“Whether we like to admit it or not, without a secure and strong IT infrastructure and an excellent staff to support it, organizations will struggle to meet their strategic goals.” 30TribalNetFeatured Columns - Organizational Structureat them, and use them, to the fullest extent before embarking on the creation of organizational committees of any kind, but perhaps especially before creating an IT steering committee. One such tool is available from Info-Tech Research Group and numerous regional and national management consults can facilitate the evaluation and decision-making process. Whether we like to admit it or not, without a secure and strong IT infrastructure and an excellent staff to support it, organizations will struggle to meet their strategic goals. Once organizational readiness is determined, creating an IT steering committee without a clear and mandated purpose poses an unnecessary risk.The next step is creating a clear, concise, structured mandate or charter for the committee, if an organization ultimately deems an IT steering committee is a useful and necessary tool. A steering committee’s strongest mandate is to align IT strategy with an already established and clearly defined organizational strategy. Furthermore, the successful steering committee will be a stable, regularly meeting body that assumes the responsibility of clearly assessing IT solutions that leverage technology across the functional areas of an organization, and champions funding those solutions. A fully functioning and successful steering committee assumes the responsibility of ‘selling’ IT projects to the organization’s chief executive, the executive committee, or the board. This, in turn, frees up an IT Melodie is a 20+-year professional with experience ranging from the help desk to the director level. She is a corporate director who works daily with financial management and reporting, project management, portfolio management, strategic planning, contract negotiations, person-nel management, business administration, and casino gaming.Melodie began her IT career as an application support specialist with the Internal Revenue Service and then worked in increasing roles of responsibility with the U.S. Department of the Air Force, Ute Mountain Casino, and the Ute Mountain Tribal government. She is the first person to hold the title of Director Information Systems for the Wildhorse Resort & Casino (WRC), owned and operated by the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. She oversees the Tech Support, Network, and A/V sections. During her tenure, WRC has been through four expansions and has more than tripled the network size and complexity including converting the entire gaming floor to Ethernet in 2014. The last major expansion completed in late 2011 included a redundant data center, 10-story hotel with all the IP amenities, placed over 400 additional slot machines, digital signage, and a five-screen digital cineplex on the network. TribalNet magazine regularly features articles written by Melodie. She chaired the advisory council for the Interface Portland 2013 conference, and serves as a guest speaker for other IT conferences and events.31Spring 2015division or department to focus on the things it does really well – effective execution of IT strategic plans and tactical projects.There are numerous jokes circulating about committees that speak more to the truth, perhaps, that we are comfortable admitting. One such joke talks about how a camel is a horse designed by a committee. Another, more cruel one talks about the surest way to kill a good idea is to send it to a committee. One truth I think we can glean from all of this is that a steering committee will ultimately fail unless: the organization reaches the necessary maturity level (not necessarily the amount of time in business), the steering committee has clear mandates and a defined purpose, and the steering committee is comprised of high-level, organizational decision-makers willing to step up and assume joint ownership of IT solutions. Meet Your VendorsAbout GPS Insight:GPS Insight’s vehicle and asset tracking solution is used in many fleet oriented industries and has been making their mark as a choice fleet management solution provider for several tribal communities across the U.S. GPS Insight has received numerous awards and achievements for their innovative product, excellent service, and growth. They were most recently honored at the 2015 Industry Leaders of Arizona Awards for Innovator of the Year and recognized as one of the fastest growing companies in North America on the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 list. They have around 80 employees with sales team experts that are backed by engineers to help solve the challenges that many tribal fleets face. They have a growing team of account managers for the tribal market that provide an in-depth look into customer data and make recommendations on where customers can save money and be more efficient. The company started just ten years ago when their founder was hired on as a consultant for a trucking company. The company was looking for a solution that did not yet exist in the industry and out of this the first customizable GPS fleet management software was born. The founder recognized that in order to maximize ROI, the company needed to understand the unique needs of the customer and tailor the solution to them. The same approach is still followed today with all of their tribal customers. How This Product is Being Used in Tribal Communities:GPS Insight is an experienced partner working with tribes for many years and are in tune to the di-verse operational procedures from tribe to tribe. GPS Insight realizes each tribe is unique and may have different challenges than the next which is why their no cost trial is a great asset for this industry. Organi-zations are able to see how it works and even in the toughest geographical regions where tribes may be reluctant of the usability of the product, they are able to test it out before making an investment. Once that investment is made, the account managers stay by their side to help evaluate their data, put plans into place for improvement, and bring money back to the communities. It’s more than just tracking A to B- this product focuses on safety, accountability, streamlines operations, and helps resolve ongoing challenges.Take a look at how the tribal communities are using the technology:• Improved Dispatch & Scheduling for Health & Human Services – On time pick up/delivery and return – more efficient scheduling has resulted in more citizens being accommodated on a daily basis.32TribalNetGPS INSIGHTDave PopeSenior Enterprise/ Strategic Sales ManagerWestern RegionP: 866.GPS.4321 x8017david.pope@gpsinsight.comOur message to tribes: We are not just a vendor, we are not just providing a service, we are a partner. We build relationships and with our consultative approach. You are not only getting an essential business tool but gaining a partner to be by your side and help you overcome your costly business challenges.• Vehicle Maintenance Scheduling – helps reduce the number of missed/delayed preventative maintenance services to be performed – keeping the fleet running better with less problems and poten-tially identifying any safety issues a vehicle may have. This ultimately will save money by preventing larger problems down the road.• Reduction of Idle Time – fleet-wide monitoring will greatly reduced the amount of idle time. By extensive use of Driver Alerts & Notifications, the community can save thousands of dollars a month in fuel costs as well as become more “Green” by reducing their carbon footprint.• Reduced Labor Costs and Fleet Utilization Reporting – allows each department to see which vehicles are underutilized and over utilized, and in many cases has allowed the community to reduce the size of their fleet.Meet Your Vendors33Spring 2015• Safety – use of customizable programmatic alerts, notification and reporting tools allows each department to have visibility into the behavior of their employees that drive community vehicles. Excellent behavior and operational skills are easily rewarded and employees that need a refresher on community driving policies can be quickly identified and coached back into compliance.• Identifying Improper Use of Community assets – vehicles being used for personal business or recreation, taking vehicles to restricted areas or using vehicles in a manner not intended is easily detected.• Software Integration – The ability for the data collected by GPS Insight to be integrated into many software programs already in use by the com-munity (ESRI/ARC Logistics, Infrastructure Mapping for utilities, cable, fiber, water, sewer, telephone, etc., Fuel Card Transactions, computer-aided dispatch [police/fire], key valet systems, etc.)The technology is helping the Community by being able to track vehicles in real time, having the functionality to integrate with other applications within our infrastructure, and is helping the community to proactively improve fleet management by running reports and set alerts.- Sasheen Castaneda, IT for Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community. Currently tracking over 500 vehicles.Featured Columns - Behavioral PatternsFran Moore, Vice President, Information Technology, Cache Creek Casino ResortWhen I was first asked to submit an article for this edition I struggled with choosing a topic. The obvious choice would be to write about something relating to technology, since that is my area of expertise. I thought about explaining how important it is to have the capability to have a holistic view of your patrons, but who doesn’t already know that. I considered writing about ways to increase wallet share through the use of technology and social media, which is actually still technology. How about online gaming and how it provides a virtual engagement from the comfort and convenience of your own home and the impact it will have on the brick and mortar establishments. I could write about any of those topics but I don’t know that I would be saying anything that hasn’t already been said or at least speculated.I’ve decided to go in a different direction. Let me start by asking a few questions.Why do people favor one casino over another? Is it the special offers they receive based on their gaming activity? Is it the quality of concerts or special events being provided? Could it be the diverse gaming options? Maybe it’s a “lucky” machine or favorite dealer. There are numerous possibilities, including de-lightful aesthetics, proximity, elevated status, etc. How about employees? Why do they choose to work at a particular property? Convenience? Better than average wages? Benefits? Proximity? Any and all are possibilities.People are said to be creatures of habit and they have a tendency to develop behavioral patterns and become set in their ways. Behaviors can however be modified or manipulated depending on the circum-stances. Sometimes people simply adapt and go with the flow. This could be a good thing, but it could also have unintended adverse effects if complacency and predictability become boring and fail to create a stimulating or positive experience. Understanding patterns and behaviors of people can help you avoid unpleasant interactions and potentially create a more conducive engagement. Our company has always focused on enhancing leadership through various techniques and programs. One of our most recent endeavors is Emotional Intelligence. It is a collection of competences that when understood and developed provide for intriguing results. I don’t know that the program has necessarily made me a better leader, but it certainly has made more aware of the type of leader I am. Some of it was validation, but the real value for me was how aware I have become of my own patterns and behaviors and how I am able to detect those of others. A few years ago we made a company decision to infuse this program into our already very successful company culture, which is derived from Respect, Integrity, Commitment, and Humility (RICH). My Pastor once said that we should make our home the happiest place on earth. Well, for most of us our place of business is that home away from home, so why wouldn’t we want that to be a happy place as well.As a leader, I’ve attempted to create an environment that allows my staff to feel at ease and at home. I’m not suggesting it’s the happiest place on earth, but Where’s the Happiest Place?34TribalNetFran MooreVice PresidentInformation TechnologyCache Creek Casino Resort“Understanding our Own behavior and patterns afford us the opportunity to have far more productive interactions.” Featured Columns - Behavioral Patternsit’s far from being a place of disdain. The company culture and the added knowledge of detecting and understanding behaviors and patterns has proliferated beyond the back of the house and moved directly onto the casino floor and other areas where exceptional service is paramount to the total guest experience. Understanding our Own behavior and patterns afford us the opportunity to have far more productive interactions. I’m convinced that when people are deciding where to spend their entertainment dollars they consistently choose the place where they feel most comfortable and valued. They don’t want the feeling of “been there, done that…” but instead they want an experience that makes them say “been there done that, and I can’t wait to do it again”.If we can somehow provide an environment that makes them feel right at home, then perhaps they’ll feel like they are at the happiest place on earth…at least for awhile. Fran is VP of Information Technology and a member of the executive team at Cache Creek Casino Resort. The property is a 415,000 square-foot facility that includes a well-appointed casino, luxury hotel, entertainment venue, restaurants, golf course and many other highly desirable amenities that you would expect from a full-service resort. What’s New TribalNet?20152015With so much news to share and so many exciting things happening in the industry we have stepped up our up our social media activity in 2015 to keep you informed and engaged daily! Since the start of 2015, we’ve posted 75 updates on Facebook that have reached 13,700 of our fans, sent 200 tweets and posted a dozen discussions on LinkedIn. We also setup a YouTube channel and released our 15th Anniversary Video. If you aren’t connected with us on our social media platforms - you need to be!! You are missing out on some great news, resources AND our Tuesday trivia Facebook giveaway which just started in April! Each Tuesday you have a chance to gain an entry into a quarterly drawing for an iPad - the winner will be announced on July 1! Like our Facebook page to start participating. The NATRC membership is growing and that means MORE RESEARCH TOPICS! See what’s coming up for NATRC members in 2015:• RPMS/Resource & Patient Management Systems• Asset & Facilities Management Systems• Court & Docket Management Systems• Prepare for HIPPA Compliance Audit• Emergency Services Management SystemsIf you aren’t a member today- take a tour to find out more at: http://www.tribalnetonline.com/natrc/16th Annual Conference11/2/15-11/5/15This year’s conference will be held in the sunny, fun and vibrant city of Austin, TXOnline registration for this year’s conference is open - why wait? REGISTER TODAY You’ll see some annual changes and improvements to TribalNet’s membership and directories. Expect a few calls and emails from us to help us maintain an up to date snapshot of the industry!MagazineThe next issue of TribalNet’s magazine will be released in September 2015. We know you are sad that it will be a whole 5 months before you get your next copy BUT this gives us time to line up some of the best contributors! If you are interested in participating in the next issue - please contact us today at: info@tribalnetonline.com NATRCMembershipwww.tribalnetonline.comStay Informed…Stay ConnectedMagazineSpring 2 15TribalNetTribal Government - Tribal Health - Gaming & Non-Gaming Tribal EnterprisesFeatured Columns - Gaming & Hospitality SystemsRichard Rader, Director of IT, Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Indians/Seven FeathersIntroduction to Gaming Resort Hospitality Systems for a new IT Director (Part 1)This is the first of a three part series by Rader discussing first (in part one) the foundation for the next two segments which will release in upcoming issues of TribalNet’s magazine. The growth in IT in tribally owned operations has really boomed in the past 20 years primarily because of increased revenue directly related to the expansion of gaming type of operations. Providing IT services for tribal governments require a different evaluation then providing for a purely profit-driven initiative. An example would be a new Tribal Hunts Management system is very important to culture and tribal identity and should be prioritized by the IT Steering Committee appropriately. Developing a new Business Intelligence suite will help to drive more revenue by connecting marketing and communication strategy to the individual player. Creating or allocating resources for the gaming operation that doesn’t increase direct revenue or reduce expenses often gets less priority as a more traditional ROI (Return on Investment) is more appropriate. Although the above two projects are vastly different they both require resource allocation as well as support from the different businesses. This article is all about understanding gaming and what is important in both a regulatory aspect as well as operations. There are many different components of a resort operation from hospitality applications that register guests to food and beverage applications to take orders. The final component would be the actual gaming applications themselves as well as interfaces to drive activities in other hospitality systems. One challenge in Tribal Gaming is having the right staff to support the system. Many of the tribal casinos are not in major metropolitan areas but instead located where the tribes themselves are located. Our operation is in a city of about 700 people. Finding the right technical staff is a very difficult task and should be your priority to assemble a team to execute on the mission. I have that team in my operation. I have the people and processes to continue operations in nearly all situations. In the smaller markets you’re competing with the wages and opportunities these individuals have in the major metropolitan areas that often command six-figure salaries. Find the right people, create sustainable processes, and then execute with precision. My teams have been documenting all 120+ systems that we support to leverage knowledge to the entire team instead of having just one person know a particular system. Having a team that you can develop and provide measurable value back to the operations will make you as a leader successful and provide additional rewards for the employees.A bit of my background − I worked for International Game Technology (IGT) as a software developer on applications in the Advantage ® product line from Patron Management, Machine Accounting, Cage and Table Accounting and EZ Pay®. To develop understanding of the applications it’s important to understand a few of the basic measurements in gaming devices and at gaming tables. A “Wager” is the actual amount bet on an activity, “Time Played” is the length of the activity, “Hands per Hour” is the amount of table games that Richard RaderDirector of ITCow Creek Band of Umpqua Indians/ Seven Feathers38TribalNet“Find the right people, create sustainable processes, and then execute with precision.” can be played normally in one hour for each type of table game, “PAR” is the configured or calculated win for the operations based on millions of plays. In slot machines each game play is unique so it’s theoretically possible to have a jackpot, jackpot, jackpot. Playing roulette it is possible for the ball to land on 00 a hundred times in a row. Loyalty rewards back to the player are based on how much win the casino made, how much wager the player made, how often and how long the players is on property. Accumulating the data allows the business to analyze and make decisions on whom to give complimentary (comp) activities like free rooms and meals. In some systems it’s possible to give free play or free wagers back to the player to build excitement and keep them gambling. Basic Gaming System Knowledge:Slot machines take the wager and multiply by the “PAR” will give you the theoretical win. Example: if I played $100 and the par was five percent the operations should have won $5. To find the actual win is pretty easy it is the actual amount of money won by the casino on the device. On a table game you take the wager * Time * Games per Hour * Par. Example: if I Featured Columns - Gaming & Hospitality Systems41Spring 2015Gaming System Generic Network Diagram (IGT Advantage 8.2 SP6 with Bank Controllers)Gaming and leisure organizations face escalating challenges to increase information security against cyber attacks, improve data quality, modernize their current infrastructure and enhance collaboration. Mainline can help your organization confront and conquer these challenges.Mainline Solves IT Challenges for Gaming OrganizationsFeatured Solutions:• Digital Video Surveillance• Business Analytics• Security and Risk Mitigation• Disaster Recovery• IT Infrastructure Optimization• Virtualization — Server, Storage and Desktop• Server ConsolidationFor more information, contact:Tyler Burkett Account Executive Cell: 480.221.3244tyler.burkett@mainline.comwww.mainline.comNext >