Council recommits Accenture CRM expansion after members raise 3-1-1 performance concerns

PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh City Council on July 28 voted 6-3 to recommit a proposed amendment that would increase funding for the city’s Accenture customer relationship management (CRM) system, after several council members said they had received complaints about the 3-1-1 service and other users reported functionality problems.

The amendment under consideration (filed as bill 20-58) would increase a previously authorized Accenture contract by $30,000 to expand user licenses and related capabilities. Council members who spoke during debate said they want more information about system performance and user experience before expanding access.

Councilman Charland said he reviewed the procurement history and that the previous vendor did apply for the current RFP under a new name. “QSEN did apply. Their new name is Catalyst, and they did apply under that name,” Charland said, arguing the record should be corrected. He also noted the Accenture contract contains no break-up fee and said he would vote no on the expansion as presented.

Councilman Coghill said he had received calls about the system’s efficiency and said he planned to vote no. Councilwoman Deborah Gross, who sponsored the item, described the amendment as a modest expansion intended to give more employees full desktop access rather than just mobile access. “This $10,000 this year and $10,000 next year would allow the employees who are the users who need to use it every day to have the access on their desktop computers,” Gross said, arguing that expanding access would yield more user feedback to guide fixes.

Council members expressed differing views on whether to pause the vote to gather more information from system users and managers. Several members urged that the city’s 3-1-1 director and other departmental users be present for further questions; one motion to recommit the bill to the next standing committee passed 6-3. The clerk recorded the recommitment as “Bill 20-58 will be recommitted to our next standing committee agenda.”

Action taken was procedural: the council did not adopt the contract increase at this meeting. Council members requested additional information and said they will revisit the matter at committee with staff and 3-1-1 management present.

The recommitment means the proposed $30,000 increase will not be implemented until the council or its committees next take up the item and vote again.