Efficiency: More than a financial consideration

Efficiency is a word that has become synonymous with saving money, but there are other resources that your local government has to maximize as well.

When a Local Government Evaluates Its Efficiency, Many Questions Must Be Asked

Ricoh has been a market leader in office innovation for almost a century.  Free markets in the private sector demand efficiency to remain competitive. Local governments and public institutions have an opportunity to benefit from this knowledge by applying the same processes that have been honed in the private sector.

Ricoh’s expertise has adapted many of these processes specifically for the unique needs and interests of the public sector.  We are currently a market leader in Canada and have provided solutions for a significant number of municipalities and governments across the country. These efficiencies cover many departments and multiple processes.  Let’s look at a simple example that applies to human resources.

One of the most important functions of an efficient human resources department is to maximize the amount of training a new employee receives in order for them to achieve greater productivity in a shorter time frame.

A training module that is improperly stored and not available when required can make the training process a negative cost for the municipality.  

On the other hand, a well-documented training plan can be pivotal in creating efficiency and maximizing money and other resources.

For example, let’s say a hypothetical training module takes 10 hours to create (setup the documentation; create the records, workflows, etc.).  If this training module is applied to 10 employees and creates a 1% increase in efficiency that translates to 1% of 20,000 hours per year = 200 hours. 

10 hours investment = 200 hours of savings

In reality streamlining training manuals can often create efficiencies of 5%, 10% or more and can be utilized by hundreds or thousands of employees over many years.

A properly implemented and organized records management and process automation system can play a central role in increasing efficiencies. Ricoh has successfully implemented HR records management systems for local governments all across Canada.

In addition to increasing efficiencies, having easily accessible records allows processes to be updated regularly. With the increase in technology and changes in the working environment, training processes must change too. Maybe it turns out that training is no longer needed because a process can be automated, optimized or eliminated. Often during training, better ways of doing things are uncovered and the records can be updated on the spot.