Maximizing Public Funds for State and Local Government Isn’t About Cuts — It’s About Visibility

Across the country, state and local governments are under mounting pressure to stretch every taxpayer dollar.

As the Government Business Council puts it:

“Government travel is necessary. It connects those who do the business of government with the people they serve, the partners they work with, and the colleagues alongside them... It is also a serious responsibility, a demonstration to the taxpayer that the stewards of their tax dollars are using them appropriately.”

Yet too often, the conversation around cost control starts and ends with cuts.

But what if that’s not the real issue?

The real problem isn’t overspending. It’s not knowing where the spending is happening.

When your systems lack visibility, you're left flying blind: invoices pile up, travel expenses go untracked, and policy compliance is more hope than reality. Budget overruns, duplicate payments, and fraud can hide in plain sight — simply because your team doesn't have the tools to see what's going on.

Let’s be clear: cost control isn’t about saying "no." It’s about knowing when, why, and where to say "yes."

And that starts with visibility.

San Bernardino’s Story: From Manual Mayhem to Mobile Control

One of the largest counties in the U.S., San Bernardino, faced the same manual challenge. With 25,000+ employees across 42 departments, their travel and expense processes were centralized and outdated.

“One person might handle everything from travel bookings to expense reports for as many as 20 people,” said Rowena Barcelona-Nuqui, SAP Division Chief.

Only 10% of employees were managing their own reports. Receipts were lost. Reconciliation lagged by months. And any hope of accurate oversight was buried in Excel files.

So, they made a switch.

With SAP Concur, the county:

• Shifted from 10% to 50% self-service for employees with expenses.
• Eliminated lag with real-time reconciliation.
• Empowered employees with mobile tools to track and submit spending.
• Cut down procurement card issues from “months behind” to nearly zero.

The result? A clearer picture of countywide spending. Happier employees. And a data-driven way to manage costs — without unnecessary cuts.

“Our success is because we knew our before and what we wanted for our after.”
– Rowena Barcelona-Nuqui

The Real Cost of Poor Visibility

If you’re still managing spend on spreadsheets, email chains, and legacy systems, you might be at risk.

According to a recent Wakefield Research survey:

• 38% of state and local leaders admit their current T&E systems don’t meet regulatory requirements.
• 47% report being stuck with manual data entry that wastes time and increases error.
• And nearly 1 in 4 say they lack real-time visibility to prevent fraud or budget overruns.

This isn’t about poor spending habits. It’s about poor systems.

Visibility Drives Smart Spending

Modernizing to an integrated, cloud-based spend platform gives agencies a clearer lens into:

• Where dollars are flowing
• Which departments are trending off-budget
• Whether policy thresholds are being followed
• Who is purchasing from non-preferred vendors

Because you can’t govern what you can’t see. And right now, according to SAP Concur internal data, 47% of all state and local government spend is categorized as "miscellaneous" or "other"— an audit risk waiting to happen.

It's Not About Reducing Spend—It’s About Redirecting It

When state and local government leaders gain visibility into their spend they:

• Don’t just cut costs—they maximize value.
• Reduce fraud and errors without adding headcount.
• Capture early payment discounts and avoid late penalties.
• Spot trends before budgets are blown, not after.

And with integrated, AI-powered platforms, agencies can automate these insights across travel, expense, and invoice workflows, enabling compliance, flexibility, and control from day one.

Why Now? Your Mission Can’t Wait

100% of state and local government leaders say they plan to invest in new T&E or AP technology in the next year. Not to spend more, but to spend smarter.

“Managing a government budget is no small feat, and outdated manual expense systems only make the task more challenging. That’s why an increasing number of state and local governments are turning to automated solutions like SAP Concur...”

— Government Business Council

Whether you’re aiming to:

• Meet evolving GovRAMP or NIST 800-53 standards
• Eliminate fraud and waste
• Empower employees with user-friendly tools
• Or simply stop chasing paper receipts—

The path forward isn’t more restriction; it’s more clarity.

The Bottom Line

Cost control is no longer a matter of spreadsheets and spot checks.

It’s about building end-to-end visibility across your travel, expense, and invoice ecosystem, so your team can focus less on paperwork, and more on the work that matters.

Don’t wait for cuts to force your hand. Start with clarity.

Learn more about how SAP Concur helps state and local government agencies modernize spending, ensure compliance, and improve budget visibility.