We’ve all been hearing about how the state is looking for new ways to increase efficiency and reduce spending. We’ve been urged to think big – but here at Management Information Systems (MIS), we’ve discovered that even thinking small can yield substantial savings while making once-burdensome tasks simpler.
For example, one of our Divisions had relied on an outdated method of processing routine data. In fact, it had become so old that it was necessary to have two computers on one employee’s desk, one of which functioned solely to operate the program. As soon as we discovered this, our team drafted a simple program to collect, update and distribute the same information, making the extra computer unnecessary.
Cutting $70 a month in computer fees, or $840 each year, may not sound like much when you consider the entire state budget. But we also eliminated an entire server recently when it, too, was deemed unnecessary. The savings there could be as much as $4,000 annually.
In lean times, every opportunity to reduce expenditures could mean a job or program saved from elimination. MIS is dedicated to continue to working with Department of Administration Divisions to identify ways to improve technology services while reducing associated costs.