Gov. Wolf Tuesday announced state agencies saved over $156 million through the Governor’s Office of Transformation, Innovation, Management and Efficiency (GO-TIME), exceeding the $150 million savings goal for the 2015-16 fiscal year.
“Across our departments, leaders and employees are working together and sharing ideas to be more efficient, provide better service, and reduce costs,” said Wolf. “Many of these improvements will continue to generate savings and other benefits for years to come.”
“There is more that we can do. That is why I am now challenging GO-TIME to save $500 million by 2020.”
The Governor was joined by state employees who worked on projects that contributed to the $156 million savings total. The employees were recognized for their efforts at a ceremony earlier in the day.
“I want to thank our state employees for all of their work to achieve this milestone for taxpayers,” said Wolf. “From clerks to cabinet secretaries, all of us have a role to play in making government work better for the people of Pennsylvania.”
Some examples of projects contributing to the $150 million in savings goal include:
-- Improving Procurement Strategies. The Department of General Services saved state agencies over $68 million in 15/16 on purchases of goods and services through negotiated price reductions, contract renewals and reverse auctions.
-- Consolidating Mailrooms and Services. The consolidation of outgoing mail services by DGS will save $2.5 million annually through presorting, volume discounts, reductions in staffing and equipment and repurposing space previously used for mail activities. Changes to mail routes and equipment reductions will further reduce operating costs by over $1 million.
-- Updating the Online Park Reservation System. The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources updated the online state park reservation system to be more user-friendly and lower its transaction costs, saving the department over $100,000 per year while increasing online reservations by 5 percent.
-- Reducing Inmate Transportation Costs. The Department of Corrections is saving more than $500,000 a year in transportation costs by temporarily relocating inmates receiving radiation treatment to a single facility.
-- Online Voter Registration. This new system launched by the Department of State allows eligible citizens to register to vote and update their voter information online, providing added convenience for citizens, greater engagement in the democratic process, as well as improved data accuracy and reduced costs for counties.
-- Providing Mobile Technology to Construction Inspectors. PennDOT deployed mobile applications to its 380 construction inspectors, increasing productivity by $11 million by eliminating the need to travel back to the office to input data and access project documents and enabling them to spend more time engaged in valuable inspection and quality assurance.
-- Using Technology to Improve Public Safety. PennDOT outfitted over 700 of its plow trucks with vehicle location devices in order to respond more quickly to changing winter storm conditions and reduce salt usage, saving an expected $1.4 million over the next four to six years. The public can also monitor plow truck locations using the 511PA traveler information website.
To date, GO-TIME has identified over 200 initiatives by departments to modernize operations through process improvements, using technology and identifying opportunities to collaborate and share resources.
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