Improve Your City's Efficiency Through Computer Standardization
by Chris Noyes
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Standardization is everywhere. Look around in your organization, and you’ll see that everything is standardized at some level. Why should technology be any different?
A great part of my job as the League’s technology services support specialist is going around to different municipalities to offer my advice and technical services. Unlike the large cities around the state, the small municipalities that I visit do not have budgets to employ a full-service information technology staff. They usually outsource that part of city operations to a local company that provides technical support for hardware and software – or they “wing it” themselves.
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with this approach to technology. The problem arises when the nontechnical decision makers of the organization try to solve their high-tech issues in the same manner that they solve all their other business problems. The end result often is a mix of technologies that no one knows how to use. Standardization of your hardware and software environment can eliminate this and create long-term cost savings, as well as increased efficiencies within your organization.
Are all your computers ordered from a Tier One industry leader, or are they built by No-Name Computer Company, located down the street from city hall? Are you a hostage to the major appliance/computer chain to sell you the technology your organization needs? Is the salesperson trying to sell you a souped-up drag racer when all you need is a reliable family sedan? Are your employees collaborating on the most current versions of software, or do you have a few licensed copies of the latest version while about 70 percent of the employees are working on an old, outdated version? Does your outsourced technology company build your PCs in its shop? What happens to your support if the company you outsource your computer needs to goes out of business, or if you end the contract?
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Does any of this sound familiar? If so, you’re probably not standardized, and you may never get your technology head above the water by continuing in this direction.
Here are some guidelines to get out of that rut and get everyone on the same page. You don’t need to scrap everything and rebuild your infrastructure – that’s just bad business. Start by taking an inventory of all your existing hardware and software. This entails getting the make and model of each PC, as well as the memory, hard-drive size, CPU speed/type, etc., of all the computers in your department or organization. (Yes, you might have to crawl under desks.) Also, list the version of your productivity software (Microsoft Office or Word Perfect Office) and operating system for each computer. If your list looks the same, from the top of the page to the bottom, you’ve got nothing to worry about. However, if it looks very different from computer to computer, you’ll want to take the next step toward standardization.
Now that you have the list of your computers, you can see what needs to be phased out and what needs to be upgraded or purchased. If you have 30 computers and five of them are from one of the Big Three (Dell, Compaq/HP or Gateway), make a decision to stay with one vendor for your PC and server requirements. These are all good companies with good products, customer service and warranties. Once you do this, you aren’t stuck with your “here today, gone tomorrow” outsourced contractors when it comes to hardware. Let the Tier One company worry about the reliability of the product. It has the experience to know what works in its systems.
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Now that you know what brand of PC you want to buy, purchase a couple at a time to reduce the impact on your budget. You don’t have to buy them with monitors; you already have those! Also, stay within the same series from the manufacturer. It makes for easier troubleshooting down the road if your computers have similar hardware/software configurations. The models stay similar in configuration; just faster, more powerful parts are used. These new PCs will come pre-installed with the latest and greatest in operating systems and office productivity software. You always have the choice when purchasing the computer to choose which software comes installed. You will usually have an extended warranty, in which the manufacturer will come out the next day to fix the computer if its hardware fails.
What do you do with those old, phased out PCs? You can auction them off using GovDeals; sell them to staff; or donate to a charitable organization, school or community center. With the latter choice, you’ll be putting them to good use in your community and you will be able to write them off as they reach the end of their depreciation cycle.
Eventually you will have a standardized computer infrastructure. Believe me, it won’t happen overnight, or even in a year. It’s a consistent focus on where you want your technology to take you.
This is a very generalized look at standardization, which entails much more than the aforementioned. Once you start the process, you’ll see an ever-increasing efficiency among users, as well as a seamless transfer of information within your organization (and the outside world). You will be able to move beyond the tedious support of your organization’s technology to focusing on the strategic use of it.
Think it costs a lot of money? Just wait until you realize you should have done it sooner.
The Florida League of Cities offers low-cost, high-quality technology services. For more information on how the League can help your city with its technology needs, contact Frank Hagy, chief information officer, at (407) 835-3471, ext. 137.
Chris Noyes is a technology services support specialist for the Florida League of Cities.
Reprinted from Quality Cities March/April 2003
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