Sacramento -- During the upcoming Government Technology Conference May 11-15 at the Sacramento Convention Center, the Department of General Services (DGS), the state's business service provider, will showcase how it helps make state government operate smarter, faster and more efficiently. Under the banner of "Smart Government Starts Here," DGS representatives will show attendees how DGS serves state and local government customers with an array of innovative products and services.

 

The 12th annual Government Technology Conference will draw more than 300 exhibitors and over 20,000 attendees. Keynote speakers include futurist and best selling author John Naisbett, whose books, "Megatrends" and "Megatrends 2000," examine the interplay between people and technology.

 

DGS will make presentations on a number of procurement reforms, including the following:

 

CAL-Card is the state's VISA program. It allows agencies to make small purchases up to $15,000 for office supplies and other products with a credit card. The program cut red-tape and paperwork associated with the thousands of transactions it takes to run the state, saving taxpayers approximately $11 million last year in processing costs.

 

GS $Mart allows state departments to shop for favorable loan rates under a financial information system that is available on the internet. Through GS $Mart agencies have experienced more than a 60 percent reduction in the time it takes to process financial paperwork, as well as a savings of $7.5 million in interest costs.

 

California Multiple Award Schedules (CMAS) enable California state agencies and local governments to select products and services from many different contractors who offer similar items, without individually bidding each contract. The program offers competitively assessed pricing, saving government time and money.

 

Central Stores Reengineering replaced the DGS Procurement Division's distribution of office supplies through central warehouses with an office supply contract. Office Depot now provides supplies at reduced prices, saving taxpayers $9 million annually.

 

Master Agreements have made it possible for DGS to save thousands of work-hours for its customer agencies by creating competitively bid, multi-year master agreements with suppliers for services, purchases, and leases. These agreements leverage the state's collective buying power to get the best prices, while saving individual state agencies time and money by allowing them to contract directly with approved suppliers.

 

In addition, DGS will host a "Smart Government Starts Here" information booth at the conference, staffed by experienced employees who will answer questions and distribute materials about the department's various programs including electronic commerce, information technology services and training, transportation and energy solutions, and publishing services. To learn more about the conference, DGS, and its innovative programs, please visit the DGS web site at www.dgs.ca.gov.