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4 ideas posted

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Department/Agency:

USAO

City:

Kansas City

Ideas contributed by Community Member

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  24 votes

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  Increasing Trade, Exports, and Overall Competitiveness »

  Why do we have cable?

  It is time to get rid of frivolous office expenses. Why does our office need cable? Why does an employee who never leaves the office have a blackberry? Why are people driving the SUV GOV vs. the hybrid GOV? When times get fiscally tough at home, we cut out the fat. Lower the cell phone plan, drop the cable, eat Ramen one night instead of fast food. Federal employees need to take this mindset as well! The private ...more »

  It is time to get rid of frivolous office expenses. Why does our office need cable? Why does an employee who never leaves the office have a blackberry? Why are people driving the SUV GOV vs. the hybrid GOV?

  When times get fiscally tough at home, we cut out the fat. Lower the cell phone plan, drop the cable, eat Ramen one night instead of fast food. Federal employees need to take this mindset as well!

  The private sector is always worried about their bottom line and where they can trim their budget. However, there seems to be no ‘ownership’ with federal employees and supplies. They spend willy-nilly because there is no one to make them realize we are all to blame for the ridiculous amount of spending our office engage in.

  We have people in charge of the budget who claim to have no money for necessities (e.g. paper, staplers, blank CDs, etc.) who all the while are ordering flat screens, paying for professional shredding services (when we have shredders in-house) and taking for granted that the office budget should be treated with the same respect that our family budgets are treated with.

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  1 comment for Idea: Why do we have cable?

  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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  Ideas to Make Other Parts of Government More Efficient and Effective »

  Network coputers for agencies that work together.

  There are many federal agencies that need to share information on a daily basis. For instance, the U.S. Attorney's handles SSDA appeals. For each person who appeals a SS decision at the federal level, their entire medical transcript must be mailed to the U.S. Attorney's office. SS pays approximately $30.00 to mail paper copies and another $5-$10 to mail the CD-ROMs of these same records. If there was a secure network ...more »

  There are many federal agencies that need to share information on a daily basis. For instance, the U.S. Attorney's handles SSDA appeals. For each person who appeals a SS decision at the federal level, their entire medical transcript must be mailed to the U.S. Attorney's office. SS pays approximately $30.00 to mail paper copies and another $5-$10 to mail the CD-ROMs of these same records.

  If there was a secure network where this information could be accessed, there would be no need to mail anything thus saving millions in postage. It would also eliminate the need to pay people to copy. While providing jobs is a good thing -- providing unnecessary jobs is costing this country billions.

  Streamline is such a catchy word thrown around when talking about the government, how about we try it out?

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  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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  Ideas to Make Other Parts of Government More Efficient and Effective »

  Because we have always done it that way.

  As a new federal employee, I was amazed at how unorganized many processes and agencies are in the federal government. Why do we print 3 copies? Because that's the way it has always been done. Why do we overnight packages that are not needed for weeks? Because that's the way it has always been done. Why can't we have electronic forms that can be sent via e-mail vs. paper forms that are passed by hand deliver? Same ...more »

  As a new federal employee, I was amazed at how unorganized many processes and agencies are in the federal government.

  Why do we print 3 copies? Because that's the way it has always been done. Why do we overnight packages that are not needed for weeks? Because that's the way it has always been done. Why can't we have electronic forms that can be sent via e-mail vs. paper forms that are passed by hand deliver? Same answer - because that's the way it has always been done.

  If we want a more efficient government, we have to get rid of this 'if it has always worked, why change?' attitude. Technology can make the government more efficient if we let it. That means we must provide training to those who are not familar with the new ways. That also means that we do not shut down positive ideas because we personally like to do it 'the old way'.

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  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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  Ideas to Make Other Parts of Government More Efficient and Effective »

  Stop Dictation - Use Voice Recognition Instead

  When dictation machines are used, you are paying for the machine, tapes, the salaray of the person dictating, the salary of the person transcribing and wasting money through the whole process.

  Instead, lets utilize the technology of voice recognition software. An huge amount of time (which equals money) will be saved along with supply cost decreasing since we already pay for the software.

  4 comments for Idea: Stop Dictation - Use Voice Recognition Instead

  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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