Integrating Computer Systems
Portland's project to implement new computer systems for financial accounting and payroll functions runs ten months late and approximately $18 million over budget.
Computer Systems Fiasco
Following the Water Bureau billing shambles the state DMV computer systems fiasco and Portland's failed effort to implement a citywide Wi-Fi system, people are questioning the government's ability to run computer systems projects.
Computer Systems Failures
But it's not just government. Most computer services businesses will have several clients that have been gained as the result of another firm's failure.
The private sector is plagued by computer systems cost overruns. The major difference, though, is that private sector failures are disclosed rather more discreetly to the stockholders than public sector failures, which are are disclosed openly in council meetings and the media.
Computer Systems Bid Process
However, the perception is that government computer systems projects routinely run over budget or take several attempts to get right. This is possibly due to the bid process adopted by governments in an attempt to reduce spending. The government bid process is weighted toward the lowest bidder, which may seem to make sense on the surface but can turn out quite differently.
When Portland City Council approved a project to update the city's computer systems the bidding process led to the selection of a qualified firm to assess the city's computer systems needs. The firm identified more than 300 different computer systems scattered throughout city bureaus, handling everything from accounting to to payroll.
Integrating Computer Systems
Because there was no manager overseeing all aspects of city business these computer systems were not properly integrated and were not communicating with each other. Each bureau managed its own business independently and this had resulted in hundreds of different methods being utilised to achieve the same end result.
The same information was being entered into different computer systems by different employees, resulting in a massive duplication of efforts.
This is a good example of the need to integrate existing, inefficient computer systems so that a business or organisation can run more efficiently and securely.
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