House, Senate agree on measure requiring standard format for spending data

http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20100908_9226.php?oref=rss?zone=NGtoday


Standard format for spending data - while this seems almost common sensical, it is a big step forward for the government. The idea of agencies doing things the same way is a major opportunity to eventually streamline government at the federal level, and eventually filter this down to the states and local level.

It also allows interface to business, making the entire process simplier, faster, more efficient and ultimately less expensive. There are millions if not billions of dollars spent on proprietary interfaces for data today. Kudos to the people thinking out of the box!