GAITHERSBURG, Md., March 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Systems Made Simple, a Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) company, was recently awarded one of two Task Orders with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) to streamline the processing of Veterans disability claims. Through the efficient conversion of paper documents into a standardized, electronic format, Systems Made Simple is advancing VBA's Transformation Plan to eliminate the claims backlog and ensure the timely delivery of Veterans benefits. The five-year Task Order awarded under the Systems Made Simple Transformation Twenty One Total Technology (T4) contract, valued at $262 million, is a continuation of its work with VBA since 2012.

Over the past three years, VBA processed more than three million Veterans claims, 95 percent of which originated as printed or handwritten documents submitted through one of VA's 56 regional offices. By establishing a centralized repository of Veterans claim information, Systems Made Simple is helping to eliminate unnecessary mailing and distribution of paper records across VA offices and departments and increasing overall efficiency of the claims process. Since Systems Made Simple joined the transformation effort in 2012, VBA has reduced the overall claims backlog from 611,000 to 83,000 and cut claims processing times to an all-time low. Over the course of the next five years, the program is expected to process more than 2.8 billion images, from sources including paper, photographs, fax, eFax, microfilm, microfiche, CD/DVD and flash drives, to drive continued progress.

"Improving service to the nearly four million U.S. Veterans who receive compensation and payment benefits through VA requires a robust system that promises scalability, efficiency and security," said Horace Blackman, vice president of the health and life sciences team at Lockheed Martin's Information Systems & Global Solutions. "Lockheed Martin's experience in IT modernization and submission processing, coupled with our existing contributions to reducing the claims backlog and timely delivery of Veterans benefits, uniquely qualify us to continue serving this critical mission."

Nearly 500 employees, 10 percent of whom are Veterans, have supported the company's work on behalf of VBA from facilities in Janesville, Wisconsin; Clinton, Iowa; and Washington, D.C.

For additional information about our healthcare modernization initiatives, visit: www.lockheedmartin.com/healthcare

About Lockheed Martin
Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that - with the addition of Sikorsky - employs approximately 126,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.

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SOURCE Lockheed Martin Corporation