Finance Committee to discuss request for proposals for long-awaited upgrade

Benicia Finance Committee on Friday will discuss the latest step in the city’s long-running drama over a computer system overhaul, including a review of a draft request for proposals.

In the draft RFP, the city defines a citywide computer software system used to manage and coordinate all the resources, information, and functions of a business from shared data stores as an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP).

An ERP, according to the RFP, has service-oriented architecture with modular hardware, as well as software units and “services” that communicate on a local area network (LAN).

This modular design allows the city to add or reconfigure modules while preserving data integrity in one shared database, which can be centralized or distributed.

The modules the city is considering in the RFP would replace the applications currently in use: SunGuard BiTech IFAS 7.6 for the financial system, general ledger, accounts receivable, accounts payable and payroll; DiscImage for document management; Custom Access Database for human resources; Acella for permitting and business licences; SAGE for fixed assets; RTA for fleet management; Telestaff for scheduling and time keeping (fire only); PlanIT for capital improvement planning; Harrist Northstar for utility billing; GovPartner Request Partner, a citizen request system; and GovPartner Gov Delivery, a citizen notification system.

The computer system upgrade has been in the works since 2011, when it initially was viewed as a $66,000 overhaul.

However, as various challenges arose, city staff determined that Benicia’s computers and existing programming were incompatible with the vendor’s recommendation.

At the same time, city employees recognized the existing system — which was heavily dependent on paper notes and typing information in by hand — was inefficient.

Meanwhile, according to staff reports given to the Finance Committee over the past two years, computers in the city’s Finance Department and Human Resources Department, which handles payroll and other matters, would not communicate with each other.

Across all operations, the city has been attempting to streamline and conserve costs, and initially the software conversion was seen as a step in that direction.

However, the conversion kept taking longer, while the city dealt with the recession and unexpected staffing and financial upheavals. By the beginning of 2014, staff told the Finance Committee the city was taking a new approach after learning that the project’s anticipated cost could go as high as $400,000 because city computers weren’t able to accept the new system with its current programming.

Among the city’s requirements for the new system are that several offsite locations — including the public library, the recreation center, the aquatic center, the police department and both fire stations — all have the same access and be able to transmit the same information. The RFP draft that will be discussed Friday by the Finance Committee states that a cloud environment would be most beneficial for the city.

Additionally, the city notes that some users will be data entry users, and some will be adminstrators who only provide approvals or want to complete analytics of data. The RFP requests a description of how the products will enhance the city’s work flow without overwhelming the user who is not familiar with the accounting side of the products.

The timeline outlined in the draft RFP indicates the final version will be released March 16. The city will allow vendor proposal responses until May 1, and finalists will be notified May 22.

Vendor demonstrations are expected to be completed in July, and the City Council will consider and award a contract in August.

Implementation and training of the new system is expected to occur between October 2015 and June 2016,

In other news, the Finance Committee will consider canceling its regular meeting scheduled for March 26, and schedule instead a special meeting for March 19.

The Finance Committee will meet 9 a.m. Friday in the Commission Room of City Hall, 250 East L St.