Client need

A midsize Midwestern city that housed information in multiple unintegrated and homegrown systems had multiple databases of “source data” and therefore was spending a significant amount of time manually creating and reconciling reports. The community sought a new enterprise resource planning (ERP) system that offered standard finance and human resources functions as well as department-specific modules such as public works, community development and adjudication. Priorities for the city’s ERP system included retention of a “single truth” through fully integrated modules, reduction of cross-module reconciliation needs and extraction of real-time, exportable data that could be manipulated for analysis.

Baker Tilly solution

Baker Tilly’s specialized state and local government team provided project management support and conducted a needs assessment to gather requirements for the city’s new ERP system. We also developed the request for proposal (RFP) which included more than 5,000 functional requirements, interface needs and community-specific nuances — demanding vendors clearly communicate if they could offer the desired integration and functionality to meet the city’s expectations of its future system. In addition, the dedicated advisors at Baker Tilly provided change management guidance by offering the city proven examples for maintaining transparency and communicating effectively with residents throughout the ERP system selection process.

Results

Using a Baker Tilly-prepared “total cost of ownership” analysis, the Midwestern city evaluated the proposed ERP systems’ projected five-year costs related to implementation, staffing and maintenance. Through cost considerations, system demonstrations and discussions with neighboring communities scheduled by Baker Tilly, the community selected a single ERP system with department-specific modules that met current data storage and reporting needs plus room to grow, limiting the need to purchase and integrate additional specialized systems.

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