Committee debates ERP software consultant; seeks more comparisons before decision

Barry County staff briefed the committee on the county’s Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software replacement project and a proposed consultant contract to help design an RFP and evaluate vendor demonstrations.

Staff said the current vendor is sunsetting the county’s existing software and that vendor support is diminishing; an ERP replacement affects finance, payroll, courts, clerk, planning and other departments. Administration proposed contracting a consultant (a local Raymond office was discussed as an option) to perform a process audit, coordinate department input, schedule and attend demos, evaluate proposals and recommend a vendor. Staff requested a waiver of standard competitive procurement to retain a consultant quickly due to time pressure.

Commissioners asked for additional information, client references and competitive proposals. Several commissioners expressed concern about deviating from the county’s purchasing policy and asked staff to obtain additional proposals and references (including confirming experience referenced with Monroe County). Others said a consultant could help produce apples-to-apples comparisons across options. Staff took direction to return with more information and no motion was made on the item.

The committee did not vote to award a contract; staff will gather more proposals and references and bring updated information to a future committee meeting.