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TO JBC JLS f\trans\admln\councJl\gdl wpd Santa Momca, Callforma
Council Meeting June 22] 1999
TO Mayor and City Council
FROM City Staff
SUBJECT Recommendation to Authonze the CIty Manager to Negotiate and Execute
a Contract with Garg Data 1 nternatlonal for Computer Programming Services
to Develop and MaIntaIn a Dlspatchrng and Drrver labor Software System
for the TransportatIon Department and Authonze the Purchasing Agent to
Issue a Purchase Order for Project Management Services with Software
Magic
INTRODUCTION
ThiS report recommends that the City Council authorize the City Manager to negotiate and
execute a contract with Garg Data International (GOl) for computer programming services
to develop and maintain a dispatch and dnver labor software system for the Transportation
Department In an amount not to exceed $228,400 and authonze annual purchase orders
In an amount not to exceed $30,000 for software maintenance The report also
recommends that City Council authonze the Purchasing Agent to Issue a purchase order
for project management serVices With Software Magic In the amount of $58,000
BACKGROUND
Each day, the Transportation Department Dispatcher IS responsible for ensuring that
sufficient Motor Coach Operators are avaIlable to serve the nearly 70,000 dally Big Blue
Bus riders ThiS task IS accomplished by estabJlshJng a schedule for work assIgnments
three times per year From these schedules, Motor Coach Operators choose their
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IndiVidual work schedules, based on senlonty On a dally basis, the Dispatcher deals with
the exceptions to the work schedule drivers who are sick, on vacation, or on other paid
or unpaid leave for either part or the entire day The exceptions to the work schedule
average In excess of 100 each day
None of the dally scheduling IS automated Manual lIsts are kept for scheduled work
assignments, drivers willing to work on their day off, part-time operators avarlable to work,
drivers on vacatIon, drivers requestJng all or part of the day off, drivers on long term leave,
etc For every exception, two or more of the lIsts must be updated Dnvers who are
absent must have those hours accurately reflected In the work schedule and drivers who
are substItuting for absentees must also be recorded DIspatchers accomplish these tasks
while also respondIng to radio calls from dnvers on the road. answenng phone calls from
drivers and other department staff. and dealing wIth drrvers on non-scheduling Issues
Automation of the Information that the Dispatcher now manually records on a daily baSIS
would greatly Improve the effiCiency of the Dispatch Office
Once schedules have been established and dally changes made, the results of these
transactions are entered the next day Into the Operator Timekeeping System (OTS) The
OTS was developed In 1985 to serve two purposes First, thiS system IS a front-end
timekeeping system to the City's payroll system Second, the OT5 transfers data Into an
automated system (510 Reporting System) which reports driver pay in the federally
required format for the Federal TranSit Administration Neither the OTS system nor the
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510 Reporting System are Y2K compliant
DISCUSSION
While there are packaged programs for scheduling and timekeeping In use by other transIt
systems. they would require extensive customlzatlon In order to meet the operational
needs and work rules unIque to each transit system Consequently, ISD and
Transportation determined a custom bUilt program would best serve Big Blue Bus needs
Over the past year, TransportatIon staff worked wIth an outsIde expert to desIgn a new
system The result of thiS effort IS a set of functional requirements to automate Dispatch
Office functions regarding driver labor, record actual work performed, transfer the
Information to the City's payroll system and record the required labor hours In the Federal
Transit Administration format
USing the functIonal requIrements, a Request for Proposats (RFP) for custom programmIng
was sent to nine firms Four firms responded WIth proposals A revIew committee made
up of representatives from the Transportation Department and the Information Systems
DIVISion With the assistance of a transit Industry computer systems expert, rated the written
proposals based on scope of work, cost proposal, experience offlrm and personnel, past
performance, workload capacity, and financial capacity Three firms Applied Knowledge,
Inc, Garg Data International (GOI), and Paul Chu Enterprises, Inc (PCE) were chosen to
meet WIth the revIew commIttee to answer further questIons regardIng theIr proposals
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The review committee found that GOI was the best qualified and had the most competitive
rates GOI has worked with both private and public sector clients such as Ventura County
and Fox Broadcasting All references were positIve wIth several chents contractIng wIth
GDI a second time following the Initial contract GOI has experience with dispatching
systems through software they developed to track towing operatIons The firm has the
staff resources to complete this project In the required time frame
Assuming satisfactory performance by GO!. It IS anticipated that staff will return to City
Council to request amendments to this contract for enhancements to the system at a later
date
The proposed project IS under a tight tlmellne and must meet a highly complex set of
requirements Technical expertise of the eXisting Operator Timekeeping System and the
knowledge of the Big Blue Bus dispatch operations are cntlcal to ensure successful
completion of this project Software MagIC IS best equipped to assist staff In the technical
aspects of project oversIght and staff recommends that Software MagIC be hIred under a
sole source purchase order to oversee the project Software Maglc's total costs including
approXimately $20,000 spent to date on developing the functional requirements IS $58,000
BUDGET/FINANCIAL
The cost of the GDI contract based on the Transportation Department's functional
requirements including software maintenance for the first year and contingencies IS
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$228,400 Annual maintenance for FY2000-2001 and beyond IS $30,000 annually Total
FY1999-2000 project costs, Including Software Magic project management, are $266,400
Funds are available In account number 41-750-657 -20099-8900-99113
RECOMMENDA TION
It IS recommended that City Council
1 Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute a contract with Garg Data
International for programming and software maintenance services for a dispatching and
driver labor software system forthe Transportation Department In an amount not to exceed
$228,400,
2 Authorize the Purchasing Agent to Issue annual purchase orders for software
maintenance In an amount not to exceed $30,000, and
3 Authorize the Purchasing Agent to Issue a purchase order to Software Magic for
project management services In an amount not to exceed $58,000
Prepared by John B Catoe, Jr. Director of Transportation
Janet L Shelton, Transit Administration Manager
Jory Wolf, Manager of Information Systems
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