Client need

A local government experienced rapid growth due to an influx of residents who relocated for new work opportunities. The community’s outdated enterprise resource planning (ERP) system used in conjunction with several standalone systems, homegrown databases and spreadsheets for utility billing, community development and human resources would not keep up with a rising population or meet the needs of new community members. To best serve its increasing constituent base, the public sector organization saw the need to upgrade its ERP system. This would increase efficiency in business operations and provide data analytics tools to inform strategic decisions.

Baker Tilly solution

Baker Tilly met with the local government’s leadership to understand the community’s strategic goals and clarify the intended future processes and programs a new ERP system would need to support. After conducting a system needs assessment through focus groups spanning all areas of public sector organization’s operations, our dedicated professionals drafted the request for proposal (RFP) that included nearly 6,000 requirements. In addition, Baker Tilly’s experienced team provided project management support for the government’s due diligence assessment, scheduling client reference interviews across numerous functional modules.

Results

The local government selected a vendor that could serve its core financial, utility billing, human resources, procurement, and project and grant management operations. After reviewing functionality of the prospective ERP vendors’ public works modules, the community decided to maintain its existing best of breed system. Additionally, prior to final contract negotiations, the community confirmed the interface needs of the new ERP system were compatible with their existing time management system. The Baker Tilly project team also assisted the local government with documenting the new finance processes that will result from implementing the new system.

For more information on this topic, or to learn how Baker Tilly energy and utility specialists can help, contact our team.