Revolutionizing Arbitration Management Through Digital Transformation

The arbitration program of the client, an independent federal agency, had no digital process for tracking, awarding, and compensating arbitrators, and it covers over 900 arbitrators, 3800 requestors, and more than 10 administrators: all of that ran on paper. The agency promotes cooperative labor-management relations through arbitration, conflict resolution, and training, working from Washington, DC and a network of regional and field offices. i3solutions replaced the paper process with an online arbitration system, a custom application development build on ASP.NET and C# with Microsoft SQL Server and T-SQL behind it, Entity Framework for data access, Bootstrap, jQuery, and Telerik components in the interface, SQL Server Reporting Services for panel and payment reporting, and a pay.gov integration for fee payments. Workflow automation carries the steps that used to be manual: self-registration and account management for arbitrators and requestors, automatic generation of a randomized arbitrator panel matched to each request’s geography and criteria, biographical sketches consolidated into a PDF and emailed to the employer and union representatives, appointment notices to the selected arbitrator, and processing of the arbitrator’s report and fee statement. i3solutions migrated user accounts, case histories, and documents off the legacy system and continues to provide enhancements and support after launch.

The primary mission of the client, an independent federal agency, is to promote peaceful and cooperative labor-management relations, prevent and mitigate labor disputes, and facilitate the negotiation of collective bargaining agreements between employers and labor unions. The agency achieves these goals through a range of services, including arbitration, dispute resolution, and training programs aimed at building effective communication and conflict resolution skills. Based in Washington, DC, with a network of regional and field offices, the agency offers critical conflict resolution services across various industries, government agencies, and communities.

The agency faced a daunting challenge with their Arbitration system, which encompasses over 900 arbitrators, 3800 requestors, and more than 10 administrators. The current system lacked a digital process for tracking, awarding, and compensating arbitrators. Instead, it relied on an antiquated, paper-based approach. This inefficiency posed significant challenges in the seamless management of the arbitration process, underscoring the need for a solution capable of enhancing operational efficiency. A flexible and controlled environment was necessary to meet the needs of both arbitration requesters and arbitrators, to improve the entire process.

How large is the arbitration system i3solutions built?

It serves over 900 arbitrators, 3800 requestors, and more than 10 administrators. Requestors are typically representatives of an employer or a union, and arbitrators apply for registration online for review and approval by the agency.

How does the system assemble an arbitration panel?

Once a request is submitted and payment is processed, the system generates a randomized list of arbitrators based on geographic proximity to the dispute site and compatibility with the panel criteria and any special requirements in the request. A panel is 7 arbitrators by default, with an additional 8 selected as alternates, and special requests can include more. If the available pool cannot fill a request, the system asks the requestor whether to widen the geographic area until enough arbitrators are available.

How do arbitrators register and get paid?

Arbitrators submit an online application for review and approval by the agency, then pay an annual fee, with the option to add up to 3 additional addresses. They maintain their own profiles, including education, certifications, affiliations, experience, associations, published cases, fees, policies, availability, geographic restrictions, and issue and industry experience. Payments run through a pay.gov integration, and once an arbitration is complete the system processes the arbitrator’s report and fee statement.

What happened to the records in the legacy arbitration system?

They were migrated. i3solutions planned the migration and carried out data cleansing, mapping, and validation to move user accounts, case histories, and documents into the new platform while protecting data integrity, so historical records stay accessible for continued use and reference.

If a core process at your agency still runs on paper forms and email, the people who run it can usually name every bottleneck in an afternoon. A first conversation walks the process end to end, the records that would have to come off the legacy system, and the integrations it depends on, from payments to reporting. You leave with a scope for the build, a migration approach for the existing records, and the detail your contracting officer and security reviewers will ask for before anything gets funded. Start the conversation