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Committee moves to explore off‑the‑shelf auction software after legacy system problems
Summary
Committee members reviewed recurring system outages from a legacy 2008 auction server, discussed three options — custom build, off‑the‑shelf licensing, or third‑party support — and asked staff to obtain a vendor quote and invite a vendor representative to a subcommittee meeting.
Committee members discussed the Portland Fish Exchange’s aging auction software and the practical options for replacement or licensing. The existing system dates from roughly 2008 and staff described recurring failures that interfere with auctions and sales data migration.
Robert (staff member) said he had temporarily mitigated log-in problems by rebooting the server and acknowledged that the current system is not supportable long term. “Once I did it, the problems diminished,” Robert said of the reboot, adding that the underlying software still runs on an unsupported 2008 server.
The committee reviewed three options: 1) authorize a custom system built through consultants and city IT collaboration; 2) license an off‑the‑shelf auction product from a vendor already serving other exchanges; or 3) pursue a hybrid approach where a vendor adapts their system to accept local barcode/tally workflows. Robert reported that one vendor (referred to in the meeting as “Cassie/base”) has offered to adapt its product to incorporate the exchange’s barcode scanning and to provide support for deployment.
Greg (economic development director) advised the committee on procurement constraints and recommended engaging the purchasing office early to determine whether an exemption for a unique software purchase is applicable or whether a formal bid/RFP process is required. “It would be worth hearing a little bit more from representatives for the company that you’ve started kinda going down a path with,” Greg said.
Directions and next steps: The committee asked staff to obtain a ballpark quote from the vendor, to schedule a focused subcommittee meeting with the vendor to review product features (including barcode integration), and to consult the city purchasing office on procurement pathways and potential sole‑source justification. Members recommended the vendor meet with the committee’s subcommittee rather than using a full board meeting for the initial technical demo.
Ending: Committee members agreed the software issue is a near‑term priority because the current system is increasingly fragile; staff will return with vendor pricing and a procurement plan before the next board meeting.
