Many of you have heard the criticism of the department that our processes are too cumbersome and they take too long, that it's hard to understand the procedures and even our applications can be very complicated, and that the decisions we render when we issue a letter sometimes are written in a way that is great for a bureaucrat but not so good for a client. So we're bringing a lot of effort to bear on simplification.
That really touches on a lot of areas. I think it's important, though, to focus on a couple of key pieces of this. Many of our processes were built up over many years. We added new pieces to programs and changed some legislation. As a result, our own internal procedures became bulky, cumbersome, and difficult.
We're systematically rebuilding them. We're doing business process re-engineering of all of our major programs, so we're cutting out steps. That allows us to actually remove work from the department. It's not about making people do more. It's saying that it took 20 steps to do this in the past, but business process re-engineering shows us a better way, and it's going to take four steps, so let's get it done. That's one thing.
Another area I would point to is the use of technology, because the reality is that as we move forward with Canadian Forces members releasing, they want to be able to receive service from the Government of Canada in the way they want—and they should be able to, as should all Canadians. That doesn't mean we're taking away face-to-face service for those who want that. What it means is that if you want to check your application at 10 o'clock at night, when your kids are in bed, then you can do that. We have to build technology.
It's allowing them the choice. We shouldn't be telling them how they're going to be served. They should be telling us, “Look, when I need really complex care, you had better be there,” and we will be there with our case managers. But if they work nine to five, they want to go home and be able to access services online. Technology will greatly assist with that.
The other thing is that we need to have Veterans Affairs Canada employees working on bases. That's key. That's a cornerstone. That's our commitment. That's where the forces want us to be. That's where they're most comfortable when they leave the military, and that's so important to them as they bridge into a transition to civilian life. They feel they will always have a connection to their base, to their reserve, to their company, and by putting our investment there, that's where I think we can serve them very well.
Those are just three quick areas.