The Public Works Department's non-routine work plan includes the task of researching and selecting a work order software system for use in the Department, with funding for the package provided for in the Capital Projects Fund budget. The Public Works Department currently does not have a formal, automated work order system. While the Public Works staff has performed well using the current manual system, the sheer volume is becoming unmanageable. It is difficult to predict backlog levels, evaluate performance, and predict accurate resource needs for the Department's programs and services. For the past year, staff has worked hard to research numerous software solutions, vet their capabilities against the department's needs, and ensure efficient and proper collaboration with the Technology Department, including GIS resources.
After a lengthy review of available software solutions, the Public Works Department drafted and released a formal Request For Proposals. Four companies were directly invited to submit a proposal, while the RFP was widely publicized in an effort to encourage participation by numerous qualified vendors. On August 9, 2019, the Public Works Department received ten different proposals for software solutions. Each proposal is structured a little differently, however most have an upfront cost to cover software licenses, implementation, data migration, and training. After the initial purchase, most solutions offer a less expensive annual renewal fee for subsequent years of service.
After reviewing all ten proposals, a more comprehensive review of the most competitive four proposals was completed. A selection committee was organized to review the three finalists. The committee was comprised of representatives from Public Works, Engineering, Water Services, IT, GIS, and Administration. The committee participated in back-to-back webinar demonstrations of each software and had the opportunity to ask questions. Then, IT and Public Works continued to narrow down the search to two finalists based on pricing and capability.
After much consideration, staff recommends the software solutions provided by iWorQ, with a complete start-up cost of $34,750, which includes migrating our existing data stored in an Access database over to the iWorQ platform. iWorQ maintains a solid pricing structure that allows them to lock the annual renewal cost at $20,250.00 without incremental increases. This allows us to more effectively budget for annual operation, maintenance, and training which are all included. A copy of their proposal and pricing detail are attached. The iWorQ package also includes an enhanced pavement management module that will help us more efficiently manage our largest asset and capital expense.
As part of this system, administrative personnel will be trained to receive and enter work requests from residents and other sources. After the work requests are evaluated, they will be transitioned to work orders which maintenance staff will complete, logging the work hours, location, materials and equipment used, etc. This history, combined with notes that can be added throughout the life-cycle of a task, will facilitate the development of a comprehensive archive of data that can be used for reporting and decision making in the future.
Staff contacted some of the current users of the iWorQ system and received good feedback. Therefore, we have additional confidence this is the best solution for us.
Please direct any questions to the Public Works Director. |