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Common Questions
What services do I need to budget for?
What technology budget information will I need to complete as part of the
budget process?
Why does technology budget information seem to change during the budget
process?
What kinds of services does TSD provide that are included in the budget?
What is the difference between items that are “charged back”
and those that are not?
What does the term “Cost Element” mean, and what do each of the
three sets of numbers that comprise it represent?
Are there supplemental “back up” forms that contain technology
budget information?
Who can help departments understand, develop and manage the technology
budget?
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What services do I need to budget for?
Technology services are provided to PA department in three ways, by:
- TSD staff
- Vendors with whom TSD contracts for service delivery
- Vendors with whom departments contract for directly for service delivery
Services provided by TSD staff (including TSD contracted staff) are charged back to
departments. TSD provides budget figures for departments to use in estimating their
technology budget through the budget book published through Financial Services/
Comptrollers Department ( ? ) . Additional data is available through the
department’s CTM.
Regardless of whether services are provided through TSD or not, departments need to
budget for these expenses. (Do we want to give examples of what some of these
expenses might be?
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What technology budget information will I need to complete as part of
the budget process?
Each year the Finance Department ( ? ) sends out a “budget book,” with
instructions on the process.
Click here to view a copy of the actual budget form
Click here to view a copy of the Technology Project Profile
Click here to view a copy of the Technology Projects/Systems Summary
Other forms?
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Why does technology budget information seem to change during the
budget process?
The budget process starts in the summer and continues through the fall for
the next calendar year. This means that TSD has to provide Financial Services its
input very early in the current year for the following year’s plan.
There are a number of factors that complicate the budget process:
Expenses are not always allocated in the same cost code from year to
year.
Data for actual expenses incurred are not always complete or available
when the budget book is put together.
Contracts for service delivery may not be in place when the budgets are
developed, so figures may change as more accurate information becomes available.
Many expenses related to TSD services are charged back to
departments. TSD is also a department going through its own budget process at the
same time as other PA departments. As a practical matter, that charge back figures
for items that are not directly attributable to an individual department may change during
the course of the budget preparation process.
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What kinds of services does TSD provide that are included in the
budget?
Technology plays a big part in everyone’s daily work routine -- phones, computers,
fare collection, security, facility operations, traffic management – it’s become
such a part of everyday life that it’s hard to remember life without modern
technology. But the fact is, that even though we think of technology almost as a
commodity, computer technology advancements are hard to keep up with. They make work
more efficient and simpler for people. At the same time, the complexity of the building,
acquiring, integrating and maintaining this technology is ever increasing.
TSD provides PA departments with a full range of technology services, through both
internal and outsourced resources managed through TSD:
- Network and enterprise-wide technology infrastructure services (for example, phone,
blackberry, servers, and computers);
- Services required to maintain and upgrade equipment (for example, services provided
through the help desk);
- Services that enable us to use the equipment (for example, network support and access to
the internet).
- Internal technology consulting, program and project staff services (for example,
services provided through department CTMs, project, program or infrastructure staff); and
- Services related to the evaluation, acquisition, integration ongoing operation and
maintenance of new and existing technology applications used by individual departments
(for example, fare collection systems or AirTain) or across the organization (for example,
PeopleSoft, SAP, Outlook or messaging systems.)
Click to find out more details about TSD services
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What is the difference between items that are “charged back”
and those that are not?
Staff services provided through TSD (that is, TSD staff and contracted outside staff
services retained for projects or other technology assignments) are “charged
back” to departments in two ways:
- Those TSD expenses that can be identified with a specific department or system
“business owner” are directly charged back to the department. In some
instances, departments may view these expenses as “discretionary” or under their
control in the sense that they can make a business decision as to whether or not to
implement these systems. This evaluation process is done with guidance and technical input
from TSD or other experts retained by TSD to assist in the department in understanding the
costs, benefits, and risks associated with the technology.
- Those TSD expenses that cannot be directly identified with a specific department or
system “business owner” are allocated by the Comptrollers’ Department so
that they are shared by all departments. These are not discretionary and departments
have limited (if any) control over them. The decision to use these systems has been
made at the PA-wide level, for example, SAP, PeopleSoft, Microsoft Office.
Standardization of these types of systems is the most economical way for the organization
as a whole to manage its technology budget.
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What does the term “Cost Element” mean, and what do each of
the three sets of numbers that comprise it represent?
Each category of expense is associated with a cost element, or general ledger account,
assigned by the Comptrollers’ Department. The combination of three sets of
numbers together comprises a “Cost Element.” A combination of “Cost
Elements” comprise a “Cost Pool.” (Is this right?)
For example: Expense
Category: TSD Telecommunications
Chargeback
Click here for a list of valid codes and descriptions.
Object Codes 92, 93 and 97 may be thought of as “controllable” expenses, in
that departments can exercise some discretion in the extent of usage they are paying
for. These services are not charge back services.
Object Code 88 contains “noncontrollable” expenses over which departments
have no discretion. They are charged back based on an allocation developed with Financial
Services.
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Are there supplemental “back up” forms that contain
technology budget information?
Technology Projects/ Systems Summary
Technology Project Profile
Others?
We should have links to sample forms. Also, we should indicate which of these forms
contain numbers that are also used for a particular cost element.
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Who can help departments understand, develop and manage the technology
budget?
CTMs and Technology Capital Program Managers partner with department budget
administrators, managers, and GM, Financial Services, who collectively bring experience
and knowledge to the process.
The Customer Technology Manager (“CTM”) assigned to work with each department
is the front-line TSD staff member responsible for assisting departments in this
process. The CTM:
- Helps departments estimate the required information
- Helps provide estimates of maintenance expenses for infrastructure, ongoing projects,
systems and applications
- Access SAP tools, Acumate/ Project Pro, Comsoft, RMDS reports, and internal TSD experts
to help departments get a handle on actual usage. (Would it be helpful to be
able to click to either explain what these reports are, or to view a sample?)
Technology Capital Program Managers are also available to help. They can provide IT
estimates for capital projects. |
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