Sometimes, the example you need to prove a point falls right into your lap.

That was the case for Oscar Poloni,  a partner with consultants KPMG as just as he was ready to talk to Lambton County councillors about the need to move a lot of the county’s paper processes online.

As Poloni sat in the audience waiting to make his pitch for the county to spend another $3.45 million over the next three years to upgrade computer systems, the meeting was delayed. 

A staff member returned with a sheet of paper and the council meeting began.

“You held this meeting up because you needed a piece of paper,” Polini said as he began his presentation, calling it the perfect example of the problem Lambton is facing. 

“It’s exactly what we want to avoid.”

Poloni says half of every process in the County of Lambton is paper based. 

By spending $3.45 million over the next three years on things such as Enterprise Resource Planning software and the new Microsoft Suite, Poloni says the county could not only be more efficient by saving time getting things done, but will also save money on something as simple as printing, copying, and sending out information by Canada Post or couriers. 

Poloni’s suggestions will be discussed at the budget meeting in February.