Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Assessment
The Office of Financial Management (OFM) is working to identify and assess the total cost of common information technology infrastructure and application services used for government business during the last year (July 2010 to June 2011).
Forty executive departments and offices will complete a cost-allocation exercise under (consultant) Gartner’s direction to report what they spent for hardware, software, personnel, transmission, connectivity, disaster recovery and occupancy related to information technology. This will enable OFM and directors to look across differently configured agencies at how basic infrastructure services, computing environments and products are exercised by agencies. This study includes a first-time look at their fully-burdened, localized cost to develop and support business applications.
Knowing TCO helps any organization optimize costs. OFM is pursuing this industry-tested tool, and operating baseline to approximate and measure productive change the State is making concerning information technology. Gartner has a deep research basis for IT infrastructure and application assessment modules agencies will use. The expected results are illustrated in the presentation links below. OFM hired Gartner to convey its know-how to analysts as well as business specialists and information technologists working for state government.
Assessment materials and presentations
- Gartner Overview and September Kickoff
- Personnel Allocation Worksheet for Agencies
- Infrastructure Workbook for Agencies
- Gartner Reference Material for Infrastructure Modules
- Visualize Infrastructure @ School of Gartner
- Reporting the occupancy cost (rate) for general purpose State offices
See table on page 10 of the linked OFM Report entitled “Cost of Leased Facilities (Rent and Services)” - Applications Workbook for Agencies
- Gartner Reference Material for Applications Module
- Gartner Applications Breakout Session
- Gartner’s Primary TCO Metrics
- Status update
Training for agencies’ core teams
Gartner will be training agencies’ core teams over three business days in September. For more information about the kickoff sessions, write to OFM’s first point of contact.
Office hours post Gartner training
OFM will take questions from agencies as they proceed to complete workbooks and forward those to Gartner’s attention when needed. Write to: tcohelp@ofm.wa.gov and register to attend “office hours” where specific questions will be taken up and discussed live with TCO support team. These recorded, WebEx “meet-ups” will occur on Tuesdays and Thursdays to assist agencies required to complete this assignment. Point your browser to this page to get started.
- Frequently asked questions - Updated 12/06/11
Cost reports due from agencies
OFM expects agencies to attend training then complete their IT infrastructure module, filing a complete workbook by October 21; the applications module is due by November 18. Send your finished workbooks electronically to OFM’s first point of contact.
First point of contact at OFM
Karen Barrett, Office of the State CIO
Suite 300 General Administration Building
210 11th Avenue SW / Post Office Box 43113
Olympia, Washington 98504-1027
360-902-3519
