In a April 2004 review of the Dallas Convention Center, the City Auditor's Office determined that the Department of Convention and Event Services wasn't using software -- called Convention Center Resource Information and Control System -- purchased in 2001 that was intended to "enhance event scheduling and processing" at the Dallas Convention Center. The recommendation was made, four years back, to test the software and train the staff -- pronto -- lest the city's purchase go to waste. At the time, city management concurred with the audit's findings and said it'd get right on that no later than the summer of 2004.
Well, four years later, it turns out the software purchase was a waste after all. This morning, city auditor Craig Kinton sent out his follow-up to the '04 audit, and he's determined that Convention and Event Services never followed his office's recommendation. Why not? "Because [the software] does not meet CES processing needs and ... does not integrate with the City’s accounting system." Kinton's supposed to call back with the exact price tag. --Robert Wilonsky
