By Andrea Nicholl
The Lloydminster Chapter of Big Brothers Big Sisters has received the gift of technology and efficiency this holiday season.
The local BBBS beat out more than 400 applicants in a provincial-wide contest, earning the agency a $50,000 technology prize.
“It’s the best Christmas present this agency could ever receive,” said Lloydminster BBBS executive director Brenda Robinson.
Horizon Computer Solutions and primary partner, SaskTel, designed the contest for Saskatchewan businesses and not-for-profit organizations as a way to give back to the community and help improve business/agency operations.
The contest was promoted through the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce though word quickly spread amongst the province through local chambers.
Raj Randhawa of Horizon Computer Solutions said the response was phenomenal, with 130 participating communities and 438 applicants. Judges deliberated for more than an hour over a shortlist of 10 applicants, but chose the local BBBS chapter because the injection of technology would bring services, efficiency and productivity to the next level.
“Everybody in Lloydminster will benefit from this, not just this organization; the whole community will win in the end,” said Randhawa.
The technology prize money will help upgrade services at the agency, improve community and volunteer communications, fund new equipment and replace outdated technologies.
An IT assessment is currently underway to identify technology priorities and service needs. The assessment will concentrate on improving and upgrading desktop computers, monitors, the server, printing, security, software, telephone systems, backup systems, conductivity, data connections and training.
“This is something we’d never be able to do (without the prize),” said Robinson. “The IT assessment identifies where we’re at today, where we need to be next year and how we can move forward into the future.”
Representatives from SaskTel and Horizon Computer Solutions agree the opportunities are endless and the greatest challenge will be determining how to get optimum value and service while keeping operational costs to a minimum.
“We want to balance what we bring forward today to operational costs in the future,” said Mel Matthies of SaskTel. “We respect that this is a very highly tuned budget, so we have to be sensitive to ongoing costs.”
A review of the current and potential technologies will continue in the coming weeks and the implementation of upgrades is planned for early in the new year.
Photo Caption: Raj Randhawa and Duane Carruthers, far left, partnered with Darla Conley and Mel Matthies, far right, to present Brenda Robinson, centre with the $50,000 technology prize for BBBS in Lloydminster. - Andrea Nicholl Photo