Shri S.M. Singru, ex-FA&CAO/WR.
In Indian Railways, Divisions work largely as per Railway Board’s and Zonal Headquarters’ instructions, but still this could be a good principle to be kept in view and, in any case, this could also be a guiding point for making appropriate suggestions to these two tiers.
1) The emphasis should be on simplicity rather than on creating a highly fool- proof but highly complex system, which aims at preventing mishaps and misuses “at any cost”. More errors get committed in a complex system and the advantage of being foolproof is probably lost. The exception to this is safety where one has to balance the objective of being foolproof with that of being practicable.
2) Use computers to the maximum extent, this is the right time for computerization of systems.
3) Do not load the computer with donkey’s burden, rather simplify the system and then put it on the computer. Once you put systems on computers, a feeling gets generated that, since now the humans do not have to slog, the system is simple and then it never gets simplified.
4) In establishment matters, create transparency unless, for some reason this, is not advisable.
5) In a normal DAO’s office functioning, in matters of bill passing (both establishment and outsider’s bills) things get attended to and “resolved” automatically because there is human pressure to get the bills passed. It is the Books and the Budget sections, which need patient, skilled and persevered reorganization and the neglect of these sections leads to long-term confusion and errors in the management info, which we furnish to user departments leading to a loss of the credibility of Accounts Department.
6) A
lot of staff training is needed at this stage, and this ought to be classroom
training coupled with hands-on training. Every hour invested in this is bound
to save much avoidable labor later on.