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Article: The need for speed in city of St. Paul; Investment in computer system could help city save money.(NEWS)(Editorial)
- Article from:
- Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN)
- Article date:
- June 30, 2009
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2009 Star Tribune Co. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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In St. Paul, tracking a simple municipal purchase order can take weeks, sometimes months. Sorting out the cost of items such as playground equipment and office supplies can eat up hours of staff time. And even City Council members have a tough time getting timely employee data as they craft the city budget.
It's difficult for city officials to determine when checks have been issued, so there's no fast way to determine whether departments are on budget. Basic supply orders can be so cumbersome that employees buy the items and expense them, often at higher prices than necessary. Departments use 35 different computer programs to keep track of people and spending, ...