Rhode Island EDC To Use Tracking Software Due to 38 Studios Deal

roseofbattle

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Apr 18, 2011
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Rhode Island EDC To Use Tracking Software Due to 38 Studios Deal

Prompted by the lack of record keeping in dealings with 38 Studios, the Rhode Island agency will track interactions with businesses.

Rhode Island does not want a repeat of the 38 Studios $75 million loan guarantee deal. The Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation will implement software for tracking any interactions between the agency and businesses. The tracking software will also provide information on demand and create a database of companies with whom the agency is working.

The system is expected to cost $85,000, according to the Providence Journal [http://www.providencejournal.com/breaking-news/content/20131101-rhode-island-edc-buys-software-to-track-interaction-with-businesses.ece ], and the agency has hired a Maryland consulting business to implement a management system. The system will be called Salesforce. Details on the system have not been disclosed. John C. Simmons, executive director of the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council, noted the EDC had no tracking system and needs to use one to inform the agency's next step in assisting any company.

The EDC failed to properly track its dealings with former Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling and his company 38 Studios in which the company accepted loan guarantees for relocating to Rhode Island from Massachusetts. The EDC sought to bring the game studio to Rhode Island to spur on state economic growth. Instead the state now owes an estimated $100 million to $110 million. 38 Studios released only one game, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, which did note sell nearly enough to pay the money it owed to the state. 38 Studios defaulted on the loan and declared bankruptcy in 2012. The state sued Schilling and some former members of the EDC. Oral arguments in the case against Schilling begin this week.

Source: Game Politics [http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/RI-agency-installs-software-to-track-business-work-4946086.php]

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DjinnFor

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"The EDC sought to bring the game studio to Rhode Island to spur on state economic growth."

Fyi state loans do not (by definition) spur economic growth. They may arguably reverse a temporary recession, but they negatively impact long term growth. So either you're misquoting Rhode Island's intent or the economists they employ are retarded.
 

CriticalMiss

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The system will be called Salesforce.
That sounds like some kind of cheapo Power Rangers knock-off meant to teach kids the power of retail. If Rhode Island gives me $75 million I'll turn it in to a game.
 

Frezzato

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Wait, the system is called Salesforce? Or is it that they're just going to use Salesforce [http://www.salesforce.com/homepage/index-f.jsp?r=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F&r=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F&s_tnt=63114:1:0]?

Oh right, first thing's first. Why the fuck is an entire state so bad at tracking its own Goddamn money? Welcome to government, boys and girls.

Now, regarding Saleforce, that $80,000 had better come with all the programming and design resources that Salesforce requires, because it's not even as good as Quickbooks when it comes to tracking money. The look and programmatic functions within Salesforce have to be made, relational tables need to be associated, and never mind the fact that actual information has to be entered and edited by hand.

Unless they intend to move the majority of their financial information regarding external interactions over to Salesforce, it's just another step in the bureaucracy to be made. It's the classic pitfall of groups relying on technology, thinking that they can buy their way to organization and management. It doesn't fucking work. Management still requires people to make good decisions, something which the state of Rhode Island clearly isn't capable of.
 

Dr.Awkward

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For those asking, Salesforce is not some cheap knock-off, it's very much a financial and analytical cloud computing and mobile app suite that's been picking up a lot of steam within the last year. I'd go as far as saying that if you're looking for a great-paying job in the tech sector, now would be the time to learn how to use and maintain Salesforce (or any major analytical software, to be honest) on the administrative end, and get certification - You'd be getting calls for employment instead of making them.
 

Albino Boo

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FizzyIzze said:
Wait, the system is called Salesforce? Or is it that they're just going to use Salesforce [http://www.salesforce.com/homepage/index-f.jsp?r=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F&r=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F&s_tnt=63114:1:0]?

Oh right, first thing's first. Why the fuck is an entire state so bad at tracking its own Goddamn money? Welcome to government, boys and girls.

Now, regarding Saleforce, that $80,000 had better come with all the programming and design resources that Salesforce requires, because it's not even as good as Quickbooks when it comes to tracking money. The look and programmatic functions within Salesforce have to be made, relational tables need to be associated, and never mind the fact that actual information has to be entered and edited by hand.

Unless they intend to move the majority of their financial information regarding external interactions over to Salesforce, it's just another step in the bureaucracy to be made. It's the classic pitfall of groups relying on technology, thinking that they can buy their way to organization and management. It doesn't fucking work. Management still requires people to make good decisions, something which the state of Rhode Island clearly isn't capable of.

They are buying Salesforce crm platform. The reason why they are buying the software is because it creates a log of telephone, email and social media contact between the EDC and the people it is dealing with. The point is you know who spoke to whom and when. This creates transparency which reduces the possibility of collusion which is alleged to have taken place between members of the EDC and 38 studios.
 

Frezzato

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albino boo said:
FizzyIzze said:

They are buying Salesforce crm platform. The reason why they are buying the software is because it creates a log of telephone, email and social media contact between the EDC and the people it is dealing with. The point is you know who spoke to whom and when. This creates transparency which reduces the possibility of collusion which is alleged to have taken place between members of the EDC and 38 studios.
I see what you're talking about because of the Cisco Unified Communications module. The problem is that the deal between Schilling and whoever made the deal on the Rhode Island side happened at a fundraising event, entirely separate from their finance/purchasing systems. And in order to get 38 Studios the money, it was openly discussed in the state legislature [http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/blog/mass-high-tech/2010/12/inside-38-studios-deal-schillings-outreach.html?page=all] (had to edit, posted wrong link). Everybody had their chance to inspect the deal, but it was rushed through. They made a bad choice without doing their homework, and I don't think spending an additional 80 grand is going to solve that problem. I mean, how could that have happened when there's a Request For Quote on the Rhode Island state purchasing website for one (one!) 50 hp outboard motor [https://www.purchasing.ri.gov/RIVIP/StateAgencyBids/7527364.pdf]. A single motor. All of that red tape, all of that stupid bureaucracy didn't stop the Schilling deal from going sour. On that note, I don't think 38 Studios is entirely to blame.

However, that Cisco integration looks really fucking cool! No more days of having to create individual call logs--that's such a huge step in the right direction. I bet that the purpose of the call and additional notes still have to be manually entered though. Eh, it's gotta cost extra for that module though, right?
 

Sarge034

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So there was no tracking of business deals before this...? Either they are completely incompetent as a bureaucratic body or, ya know what? I got nothing. So they were just completely incompetent as a bureaucratic agency, and damn is that hard to do.
 

Albino Boo

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FizzyIzze said:
albino boo said:
FizzyIzze said:

They are buying Salesforce crm platform. The reason why they are buying the software is because it creates a log of telephone, email and social media contact between the EDC and the people it is dealing with. The point is you know who spoke to whom and when. This creates transparency which reduces the possibility of collusion which is alleged to have taken place between members of the EDC and 38 studios.
I see what you're talking about because of the Cisco Unified Communications module. The problem is that the deal between Schilling and whoever made the deal on the Rhode Island side happened at a fundraising event, entirely separate from their finance/purchasing systems. And in order to get 38 Studios the money, it was openly discussed in the state legislature [http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/blog/mass-high-tech/2010/12/inside-38-studios-deal-schillings-outreach.html?page=all] (had to edit, posted wrong link). Everybody had their chance to inspect the deal, but it was rushed through. They made a bad choice without doing their homework, and I don't think spending an additional 80 grand is going to solve that problem. I mean, how could that have happened when there's a Request For Quote on the Rhode Island state purchasing website for one (one!) 50 hp outboard motor [https://www.purchasing.ri.gov/RIVIP/StateAgencyBids/7527364.pdf]. A single motor. All of that red tape, all of that stupid bureaucracy didn't stop the Schilling deal from going sour. On that note, I don't think 38 Studios is entirely to blame.

However, that Cisco integration looks really fucking cool! No more days of having to create individual call logs--that's such a huge step in the right direction. I bet that the purpose of the call and additional notes still have to be manually entered though. Eh, it's gotta cost extra for that module though, right?
The allegation is that senior members of staff at the EDC were complicit with 38 studios in falsifying the numbers in the bid document in order to secure the loan. It may have been discussed on the floor of the state legislature but if the discussions were based on false information they cease to be relevant.

Its public money any spending has to be accountable and transparent. Yeah it cost money, but the alternative is leave officials in place 15 years with no way of showing what they have spent money on. It far cheaper to publish online and let the public and press scrutinise spending than have layers of management and auditors to do the same job.