Santa Ana, Calif., recently completed the second phase of deployment of an enterprise software system from Lawson Software.

The new software has replaced the city's legacy business system, which required significant duplicate data entry and paper-based processes to complete many administrative activities. With the implementation of the new system, city administrators hope to see overall gains in efficiency by streamlining many business processes.

Santa Ana will use the applications to help simplify financial reporting, optimize procurement processes and integrate its administrative systems into an enterprisewide system. The system will help the city:

• create timely, accurate reports for city administrators by helping to automate manual processes such as those associated with purchasing, budgeting and project transactions;
• more accurately track spending against budgets and automate purchase approval processes; 
• strengthen strategic decision making and help increase transparency through better reporting capabilities; 
• reduce duplicate data entry; and 
• automate business processes.

"We face ever-increasing challenges to do more with fewer resources, which makes it even more critical that we look to technology solutions to help us operate more efficiently and effectively," said Francisco Gutierrez, executive director of the Finance and Management Services Agency for Santa Ana. "Our constituents expect and deserve greater transparency, and the Lawson system gives us access to relevant and timely information, which helps us make better informed business decisions."