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PCD:SF:LWG OCT 1 4 1997
f.\plan\admin\ivr
COUNCIL MEETING October 14,1997 Santa MOnica, California
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM City Staff
SUBJECT Recommendation to Authorize the City Manager to Negotiate and
Execute a Contract with Selectron, Inc for Design and Purchase of an
Interactive Voice Response System for the BUilding and Safety
Division.
INTRODUCTION
This report recommends that the City Council authonze the City Manager to negotiate
and execute a contract with Selectron, Inc. to furnish, Install, train and prOVide staff
support for the purchase of an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system for the
Building and Safety DIvIsion In an amount not to exceed $48,604, and that the City
Council authonze the budget changes necessary to place sufficient budget authonty
in the appropnate expenditure account
BACKGROUND
In January 1997, InformatIon Systems staff began evaluating options for automation
available to the BUilding and Safety DIvIsion to assist in Improving customer service
and overall DIvIsion efficiency related to inspection services and permit issuance
FollOWing extensive research, Information Systems recommends the BUilding and
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OCT 1 It 1997
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Safety DivIsion purchase an IVR system to manage building permit inspection requests
and dlstnbute Inspection results via touch-tone phone Currently In use by the City of
Beverly Hills, Selectron's IVR system has been serving that city's inspection needs
successfully for almost two years
System Description
Working in tandem with the City of Santa MOnica's Permlts/3DDD System, IVR will
provide both the link to the touch-tone phone network and to the Permlts/3000
database, shuttling permits data back and forth as necessary per contractor's request
The IVR system will electronically receive inspection requests from customers, link that
information to the pennit history and automatically pnnt out daily route sheets assigmng
Inspectors to jobs based on the history of Inspection and the project's geographical
location. In addition, the IVR system WIll provide online service and/or faxed reports
directly to the customer supplying information on plan check reViews, site Inspection
results, and complaint status This service will be available on a 24-hour basis.
Currently, requests for inspection are left on the DIVision's vOice mail system The
information IS retrieved via phone by the counter assistants, manually recorded onto
a daily request log and delivered to the Supervising Inspector for assignment This
activity occupies between 1.5 and 3 hours per day Contractors and/or owners
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currently receive inspection results, information regardmg approximate time of
inSpections, and other Information by speaking directly to the Inspectors. Since the
Inspectors spend most of the day In the field, they are available for questions only from
7.30 to 8.30 a.m. and from 4.00 to 5'00 p.m
The IVR system, will save clerical and inspector time. More time will be available for
record management, training and for responding to contractors and/or owners on more
complicated jobs. In short, the IVR system will save up to two to three hours of staff
time daily and provide faster, continuous and more comprehensive service to the public
24 hours a day
SELECTION OF FIRM
Selectron, Inc. IS the only company that has developed and successfully installed their
IVR software and the necessary Permits/3000 link In several mUnicipal sites. This
symbiosIs of the two systems is the key to a successfulmstallatlon Selectron, Inc
provides a complete turnkey solution All hardware, software, configuration, training
and maintenance is included in the purchase price
BUDGET/FINANCIAL IMPACT
The proposed system will be provided to the City by Selectron, Inc for an amount not
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to exceed $48,604. Funds are available for this procurement. However, the following
budget changes will be needed to place sufficient budget authonty in the appropriate
expenditure account and to reflect Incremental revenue for the Computer Equipment
Replacement (55) Fund resulting from partial use of General Fund appropriation
authority for this purchase:
55-710-223-20098-8900-99003 ($42,000)
01-210-265-00000-4401-00000 ($ 6,604)
01-710-223-20098-8900-99003 $ 6,604
55-710-223-32198-8900-99003 $48,604
55-110-223-00000-0594-10000 $ 6,604
RECOMMENDATION
It IS recommended that the City CouncIl authOrize the City Manager to negotiate and
execute a contract in the amount of $48,604, With Selectron, Inc. for the purchase of
an Interactive Voice Response system for the City's BUilding and Safety DIVISion and
that the City Council authonze the budget changes necessary to place sufficient budget
authority In the appropnate expenditure account.
Prepared by: Suzanne Frick, Planmng and Community Development Director
Jory Wolf, Information Systems Manager
Nagy Jacob, Building OffiCial
DaVid Yeskel, Systems Analyst
Lynn Wolken, Sr Administrative Analyst
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