Money Talks

When agencies listen to employees' ideas, savings can be enormous. Here are a few examples.

• Taking the Marines to the Cleaners Phil worked for the U.S. Marines as a materiel manager at a San Diego recruiting depot. Incoming recruits were issued five sets of new uniforms. After a few weeks in basic training, the soldiers usually lost weight and needed smaller uniforms. Regulations prevented reuse of the uniforms, so the clothes were destroyed or given to surplus stores. Phil suggested washing and reusing them for the next batch of recruits, who also wouldn't need larger sizes for long. His idea, featured at the Reinvention Revolution III Conference in 1998, saved the government more than $500,000 in two years.
• Putting a Spark in Fleet Management Chester, an Oregon employee, suggested using platinum-tip spark plugs in state vehicles and also implemented a new service plan. This increased the fuel economy and life of the vehicles, saving $118,268 the first year, according to the Oregon Employee Suggestion Awards Program.
• Fixing a Bad Connection A Northeastern state forester came across a locked telephone box deep in the woods and wondered what it was for. He learned that in the 1980s his office had installed 17 phones in remote areas for foresters. In the mid-1990s, however, the agency had issued cell phones to all employees. The agency had been paying monthly bills on the forgotten phones for more than 10 years. They subsequently were removed, saving the agency several thousand dollars annually, according to corporate management expert Alan G. Robinson.