Xerox/Atos contracts and insourcing

Dear OCEA member,

As you know, OCEA members have been engaged with County IT management since 2012 to both mitigate the impacts of the County’s massive SAIC and Xerox/ATOS contracts and to monitor service levels and costs for the County. Since the inception of the Xerox/ATOS contract, the County has failed to receive the service levels required under that contract. Further, County workers have been required to double the efforts of the contractors just to ensure that County assets and resources are protected. These additional costs are above and beyond the fees charged by the vendors. Many of these failures have been highlighted through the media while service to County agencies suffered, most recently in the Voice of OC article which we emailed to OCEA members on August 31. 

In the early days of this contract, dozens of County workers gathered in the Hall of Administration to urge County supervisors to “let us do the work.” Instead of listening to its own staff, the County chose to outsource. Who’s paid the price? Fellow County workers and the taxpayers of Orange County.

There may be light at the end of this boondoggle. On September 26, a “sourcing strategy” recommendation is on the Board of Supervisors’ agenda to scale back the Xerox/ATOS contract and “insource” some work back to County staff. The County has the ability to begin to unwind this failed contract. County IT staff had not only lost control of vital IT services, but had also lost control of how to remedy the problems. 

This is one step toward a long-term solution. Your OCEA staff and stewards will be monitoring this situation very closely and we will keep you posted with developments in this fight!

In solidarity,

Jennifer Beuthin
OCEA General Manager

Publication Date: September 14, 2017