The IRS is consolidating its data centers to reduce data center space, cut costs, and save energy, but needs a plan to achieve future savings goals, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration has said.
It said that in response to a 2010 OMB mandate, the IRS set a goal of cutting its data center space by half and reducing the number of data centers from 15 to eight by the end of fiscal 2015. The agency exceeded its first two annual goals of reducing data center space and improving energy efficiency by closing two data centers and reducing the size of five other data centers by 76,560 square feet, TIGTA found.
However, it said the agency lacks a clear plan to ensure it meets future goals – it has not formalized a project management plan that addresses challenges and details decisions, milestones, and time frames related to how the IRS will meet its data consolidation goals, TIGTA said.
The agency agreed with recommendations to develop a project management plan and consolidate the Detroit Enterprise Computing Center in Detroit into another of its centers.
