I remember when I was a kid growing up in East Texas, at Christmas time, my mom (sometimes joking, sometimes not) would say, “…it’s going to be very slim this year, kids.”  As an adult, I sometimes hear my City Manager say the same thing. Rather than get bummed, I try to remember that as I.T. leaders it’s our job to use technology to make operations more efficient and create savings where none exist.

If we are doing our jobs, and using technology to the fullest extent, then maybe that position that was just vacated doesn’t need to be refilled.  Maybe instead of shuffling 20 boxes of paper around to complete a process, we can use a workflow to do the same job in 10 minutes instead of 3 days.  My point is, these are the things that fall to us to not only suggest, but to design and implement (with the help of our brilliant employees and coworkers).  I would encourage you to think about these kinds of things, whether you’re facing a budget issue or not.  Adding value, above just the status quo, is never a bad thing. 

Speaking of value, registration has opened for the 2020 Annual Conference in San Antonio.  I said it last month, but it’s going to be great!  The agenda is posted on the website, too, so you can read about our education sessions and decide which ones you want to attend.  Get your registration and hotel accommodations done as quickly as you can. 

Have a great month!

Scott