e're a four car family!). It seems that EVERYTHING is costing my family more. As a result, we are spending much more time consciously thinking about ways to save some money...we need every penny to help pay for something else that has gone up in price!We are reducing the number of times we run here or there for things we "want" but may not "need." We're working hard with our children to impress upon them the need to limit vehicle trips. We've even gone as far as to actually suggest they stay at home one night per week (this was a much bigger deal to them it seems) instead of "on-the-go" seven days per week. We are combining trips to include shopping for groceries, gas fill ups, video return, etc. Yes, money has become tighter and frankly the forecast for the immediate, foreseeable future doesn't look much better for any of these costs to fall.
So in essence, my family and I are PLANNING. We are giving conscious thought to how much money is coming in and where it's going out. Not that this is a revelation for us...we've always lived on a budget---the diff here is that we seem to have much less predictability over what our costs will actually be. When gasoline jumps 5, 10 or even 22 cents per gallon over night---it's tough to predict a monthly gas account. And then there's the grocery store....I've seen prices jump 10-20% on items during the course of a few days....on a several hundred dollar per month grocery bill--that jump can really add up. We are "on the hunt" for bargains...for ways to reduce our budget impact...lower priced items...or even not buying some less important "things."
You might be saying OK Jim...you're not telling me anything new...we are doing the same exact thing! My reply is COOL!, Great!....that's what I was hoping to hear. That means you understand budget limitations...the issues with needless or foolish spending during times of budget pressure!! Carrying your personal situation over to your work now.....things are becoming tighter for MDC now too. Revenue forecast aren't looking the best...that means tighter, leaner budgets. That means we must get much smarter about how and where we invest/spend our limited resources.
Let's face it folks.....it should always be that way...but we know human nature. When money influx seems to be pretty good, our decision making usually changes...purchases may be made that during tighter/leaner times wouldn't. Well so our current and immediate future seems to point to leaner times now...so we MUST adjust our thinking and how we conduct business. No different that you do at home.
Bring your home thought process over to your job....are you looking for ways at work to reduce costs? Are you trying to save money? Is it a conscious thought process you have every day??? ...like it is at home? If it isn't...it should be! At every level in this Org. employees are expected to contribute to working smarter and that includes financial aspects too.
Certainly the work we perform in IT can contribute to helping save some Agency greenbacks too. We should working diligently towards finding and implementing technology that could provide, at minimum, the same worker productivity level (or better yet improve it), while saving money. Look at service contracts...is there a better way to get service? Should we purchase spare hardware and drop some service contracts? What about boning up on your negotiation skills....negotiate for lower prices on hardware/software and other IT costs....push vendors to give us better pricing. Drive less---no brainer! THINK! and re-think business processes...how can we gain some efficiencies?
I challenge each of you...apply some of the thinking you do at home to save some of "your" money ...to help save "our" money. Put on your thinking caps and think EFFICIENCIES, Productivity gains, better processes, streamline...etc.
I eagerly look forward to hearing and seeing the results of your focused attention at helping to "work smarter"
TAFN
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