GovGuam’s computer crash reminds – once again – of a necessity that has waited decades for action | Editorials

It is uncommon for a local people to know what laptop and working software program system its authorities makes use of for making funds and receiving funds.

However we do. On Guam, many in our neighborhood know the applying system 400, which plenty of individuals generally check with because the AS400, prefer it’s a family identify.

And on Friday, we have been reminded as soon as once more that the need to switch this outdated system should bounce to the highest of the federal government’s listing of wants. It has been ready to land that spot for many years.

The AS400 is a monetary info administration system. The Division of Administration makes use of it to ship info to banks and credit score unions in order that paychecks may be straight deposited to the accounts of almost 12,000 authorities workers and officers. Final Friday, the paychecks for GovGuam personnel have been delayed by hours for some and a day for a lot of.

{Hardware} within the AS400 failed, in response to the Division of Administration.

Division Director Edward Birn was left with the fragile job of getting to apologize to the 1000’s of presidency of Guam personnel whose paychecks have been delayed on one of many busiest days of the yr for individuals to depend on their financial institution accounts to have cash.

“We are going to proceed to take the required steps to stop future delays in payroll because of software program. We apologize for the inconvenience this has triggered our workers and their households,” Birn said.

Nonetheless, Birn dealt with it properly, contemplating what he mentioned gave little consolation to those that checked their accounts Friday morning and noticed that no cash had are available in.

GovGuam personnel who’ve accounts with Financial institution of Guam ultimately had their pay electronically deposited later that day as a result of GovGuam accounts sit in the identical financial institution. However for workers whose direct deposits are with different banks and credit score unions, it took no less than a day of delay to get their pay to kick in.

It was Black Friday, the Thanksgiving weekend and, extra importantly, the top of the month, which suggests automated deductions for invoice funds normally kick in.

There have been different points the {hardware} crash may have triggered delays on, such because the issuance of Division of Administration receipts, or paying or receiving funds to or from GovGuam, however the division was in a position to do some workarounds. Funds to GovGuam suppliers of services and products weren’t disrupted, mentioned Birn.

Whereas it was unhealthy timing for the AS400 to fail, it wasn’t a shock it did fail.

Even Birn acknowledged the underside line with GovGuam’s use of the AS400 is that it is outdated.

In tech phrases, the AS400 is a dinosaur. IBM rolled out this method in 1988, and even an upgraded model of the system was rolled out 20 years in the past.

GovGuam has identified for greater than 20 years the AS400 ought to be changed.

When requested why this method has not been changed, Birn politely mentioned that no funding was made obtainable for it.

This brings us to the considered the various frivolous expenditures our authorities prioritized, corresponding to junkets and banquets on the taxpayers’ tab – however we digress.

There have been makes an attempt to switch this monetary info administration system way back to 2005, if not earlier, in response to information with the Guam Workplace of Public Accountability.

The price of changing the AS400 is unknown.

What’s sure is the necessity for GovGuam to make a brand new monetary info administration system a precedence not simply by way of funding but in addition for the method of buying it to not drag on.

One other crash of the AS400 is ready to occur.

It is only a query of when and the way a lot harm it will possibly inflict.