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Council approves $260,000 ERP consulting contract to review city’s decades-old software systems
Summary
The council approved a professional services contract with Barry Dunn for an ERP systems review, authorizing budget amendments totaling $260,000 to fund a phased, 15-month evaluation of the city's enterprise systems.
The Stillwater City Council voted 5-0 on Jan. 27 to approve a professional services contract with Barry Dunn to conduct a comprehensive review of the city’s enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems and to appropriate $260,000 in capital funds for the work.
Brad Stewart, information technology director, told the council the city’s ERP — originally implemented in 1998 using HTE Incorporated software — supports accounting, community development, fleet, payroll, purchasing, land management, utility billing and work orders, and several modules are effectively still running in their original form. Stewart said many functions remain paper- or spreadsheet-driven and that a modernized solution could improve efficiency and reduce costs.
City staff issued a request for qualifications on June 15 and received 10 responses; a staff committee interviewed the top four respondents and unanimously selected Barry Dunn based on municipal experience, methodology, knowledge of municipal software providers and approach to change management. The consultant’s proposed scope includes five phases, an estimated 15-month schedule and a $260,000 fee. Stewart told council the selected firm is independent and not tied to any particular software vendor; he said one principal working with the city is based in Austin, Texas and the firm is headquartered in Connecticut.
Councilors asked about the consultant’s independence, the range of municipal ERP products and whether a single integrated platform or a best-of-breed approach would be recommended. Stewart said the consultant will lead the assessment with staff involvement at every step and will recommend the best path forward.
The motion approved staff’s recommendation to enter the contract, approve the needed budget amendments, and authorize the city manager to sign contract documents. Staff indicated the project would begin upon contract execution and that subsequent phases would include a current-state assessment, vendor evaluation and change-management planning.
