HomeMy WebLinkAbout09 ALLOCATE FUNDING FOR THE ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING (ERP) SYSTEM REPLACEMENT PROJECTDocuSign Envelope ID: AB8635DC-E195-479A-B05B-06EO8E351C67 9
Agenda Item
DS
Reviewed: 5W
AGENDA 173UFT0RT City Manager
Finance Director
MEETING DATE: OCTOBER 17, 2023
TO: MATTHEW S. WEST, CITY MANAGER
FROM: JENNIFER KING, FINANCE DIRECTOR/CITY TREASURER
SUBJECT: ALLOCATE FUNDING FOR THE ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING (ERP)
SYSTEM REPLACEMENT PROJECT
SUMMARY:
The City's 2018-2023 Strategic Plan outlined several strategies that were directly related to an
enterprise resource planning (ERP) system replacement plan. They included plans to evaluate
and acquire new utility billing (UB) software as well as to improve and update technology for better
efficiency and customer services. Staff and the City's ERP consultants, SDI Presence LLC (SDI),
completed an ERP system needs assessment study. The study identified many shortcomings in
the current ERP system, including its UB module. It also summarized specific functional
requirements that the City needs to streamline its operations to become more efficient. The next
step is to conduct a formal procurement process to secure a suitable ERP solution.
RECOMMENDATION:
Allocate $2.5 million from the General Fund's reserves for the ERP system replacement project and
transfer this amount to the IT fund.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The cost of a formal ERP procurement process is estimated at $42,920 and is already included in
the Fiscal Year 2023-2024 budget. The recommendation in this report will set aside $2.5 million for
the implementation phase of the project, which includes software and associated professional
services. Upon conclusion of a successful procurement, staff will bring the contracts and a request
for appropriations to the City Council for approval.
CORRELATION TO THE STRATEGIC PLAN:
Correlates with the City's Strategic Plan Goal C: Financial Strength, item 6 and Goal E Organizational
Excellence and Customer Services, item 5(b).
DISCUSSION:
The City's current legacy ERP system has several modules, which include but are not limited to
financial, accounts payable, payroll, UB, etc. The system has been in service since 2010 and
lacks many features and functionalities that are readily available in a newer modern ERP system.
Staff is concerned with the lack of effective customer support and security updates on the legacy
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ALLOCATE FUNDING FOR ERP SYSTEM REPLANCEMENT PROJECT Page 2 of 2
system. Additionally, it is more efficient to evaluate and configure a new UB software in
conjunction with the evaluation of a new ERP system. The legacy ERP system lacks the
necessary application programming interfaces (API) which would have allowed data to
seamlessly transfer between different software platforms/solutions.
There are three phases to a typical ERP system replacement project. Phase one is the needs
assessment study, phase two is the procurement process, and phase three is the implementation.
In 2022, staff conducted a formal Request for Proposal (RFP) for ERP Consultant Services and
evaluated eight proposals. SDI was selected to assist with all three phases of the City's ERP
replacement project. SDI is an independent information technology management consulting firm
that has worked with over 50 municipalities on their ERP replacement programs.
In phase one, SDI reviewed the City's current procedures, policies, and processes. They also
documented specific functional requirements that are needed to improve efficiency and productivity,
with consideration given to industry best practices. The major outcomes of this phase include a
requirement specification document, a list of potentially suitable ERP solutions, and a cost estimate
for a suitable ERP system. This will also include exploration of functionalities needed to support the
possibility of a future budget -based water rate structure and/or compatibility with external agencies.
This phase is expected to be completed early in 2024.
In phase two of this project, staff plans to engage SDI to conduct a formal procurement process using
specific functional requirements developed from phase one. It is expected to take four to six months
to complete this phase of the project. The major outcome of this phase is a negotiated contract with
a suitable ERP provider for the City Council's consideration. If no additional study is needed, staff
expects to bring the procurement results, a request for appropriation and for contract approval to the
City Council by June 2024.
The final phase of this project is the implementation of a new ERP system, which is expected to take
18-24 months. Staff has estimated the total cost of the ERP replacement project to be approximately
$2.5 million, which includes the software, testing, configuration, conversion, documentation, training,
project management, staff augmentation during implementation, etc. Additionally, the annual
software maintenance costs are projected to range from $250,000 to $400,000 depending on the
software and will be budgeted separately in the annual operating budget.
JenniferRing
Finance Director/City Treasurer