Gov. Sarah Sanders unveils plan to save Arkansas $300M

• The stated goal of the initiative is to improve the experience of Arkansas' citizens and state employees, as well as its savings and efficiencies.

State of play: The plans include more than 300 different initiatives in 15 of the state's departments.

• At a high level, they include integrating information technology systems across state agencies, centralizing purchasing and renegotiating contracts for better pricing.
• Arkansas also would sell old vehicles to lower maintenance costs and reduce the fleet, reduce state government's physical footprint and create a database of state-owned real estate to identify cost savings.

Flashback: As part of the Arkansas Forward push, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said last month she would back a new state employee pay plan during the legislative session next year that will cost about $100 million.

• Most of that will be funded by cuts within each department, she said.

By the numbers: Arkansas contracted with McKinsey & Co. for $5.5 million, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported.

• The firm has been paid about $4 million for its work so far.

The bottom line: Through the transformation, the state could see $500 million in "annual efficiencies" and 10% to 30% "effectiveness improvements across government processes and services," the Democrat-Gazette reported.