SR 05-08-2018 3H
City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: May 8, 2018
Agenda Item: 3.H
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To: Mayor and City Council
From: Joseph Cevetello, Chief Information Officer, Information Services
Department, Customer Experience and Support
Subject: Professional Service Agreement and Modification to Maintenance Agreement
for Selectron Technologies IVR/IWR system
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute an agreement with
Selectron Technologies, an Oregon-based company, for professional services to
upgrade the City’s Building Inspection Scheduling System and Integrated Voice
and Web Response systems. This recommended award is made as an exception
to the competitive bidding process pursuant to Section 2.24.080 (d), as
competition does not exist because Selectron Technologies is the only vendor
qualified to provide support for its proprietary software. The total contract
amount would not exceed $25,000. Future year funding would be contingent on
Council budget approval.
2. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute a first modification to
agreement No. 9745 (CCS) in the amount of $162,845 with Selectron
Technologies, an Oregon-based company, for software maintenance and support
of services over a period of five years. This would result in a ten-year amended
agreement with a new total amount not to exceed $251,905, with future year
funding contingent on Council budget approval.
Executive Summary
The City strives to offer outstanding customer service and uses the Selectron
Technologies Integrated Voice Response (IVR) and Integrated Web Response (IWR)
systems to enable the public to schedule building and safety inspections via phone or
online. The system is integrated with the City’s permitting system, Accela Automation,
and shares important inspection data between the two systems without requiring
redundant manual data entry. Some of the system components are outdated and fail to
function properly. A system upgrade is required. Along with upgrade services, staff
also seeks approval to extend the software maintenance and support services to
continue to receive software updates and technical support. At this time, staff
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recommends executing a professional service agreement with Selectron Technologies
(Selectron) for a one-time system upgrade in an amount not to exceed $25,000 and to
extend the software maintenance and support agreement for an additional five years in
an amount not to exceed $162,845, for a combined total not to exceed $187,845. This
would result in total cost not to exceed $276,905 over a ten-year period.
Background
On October 14, 1997 (Attachment A), following a solicitation process, Council approved
the purchase of the IVR system with Selectron. In 2006, the City upgraded the
Selectron software, including IWR. On June 11, 2013 (Attachment B), Council
approved a sole source agreement with Selectron in the amount of $89,060 to cover
software maintenance and support for an additional five years, extending the term to
June 30, 2018.
Discussion
Recently, integration between Accela Automation and Selectron has failed to function
properly due to the installed software version, which is outdated. This issue has resulted
in an increasing number of complaints from the public, as well as from City staff who
utilize the software and assist the public in resolving issues. Currently, customers
receive an outbound call from the IVR system to notify them of the inspector’s estimated
arrival time, as well as updates on inspections. Sometimes, these outbound calls are
cut-off due to the outdated software. As a result, customers could miss their inspection
window and feel negative about their service experience. Many industries now utilize
text messaging technology for notification purposes. Having the ability to use text
messaging instead of outbound calls is vital to improving customer service. Upgrading
the system would resolve all functionality issues, as well as enable new features and
system functionality, which would improve overall user experience.
Additionally, the current software maintenance and support agreement expires in June
2018. It is critical that the City extend the maintenance and support services to ensure
business continuity and to ensure that the City continues to receive system updates and
product support.
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Vendor/Consultant Selection
Originally purchased in 1998 and upgraded in 2006, the software licenses purchased by
the City for the Selectron IVR and IWR systems are perpetual and require no renewal.
In 2018, staff began to review other IVR and IWR system s. Staff researched the market
and found the only other competitive IVR and IWR system that would integrate with the
City’s Land Based Management System, Accela Automation, and determined that the
system would cost twice as much as the Selectron system. The City has made
significant investments in capital and dedicated considerable time in training staff and
the public to use the Selectron system. In addition, the additional cost to implement a
new system at this time would not be cost efficient.
The advanced technology and features that Selectron has developed for its IVR and
IWR systems are only supported and can only be maintained by Selectron. Therefore,
staff recommends that the award for the upgrade services be approved as an exception
to the competitive bidding process, as specified in SMMC 2.24.080 (d), as Selectron is
the only vendor qualified to provide support and enhancements of its proprietary
software.
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
The professional services agreement and modification to be awarded to Selectron is for
an amount not to exceed $187,845. Funds in the amount of $54,445 for the upgrade
services and year 1 software maintenance and support are available in the FY 2017-18
budget in the Planning and Community Development Department at account
01321.533580. Future year funding is contingent on Council budget approval.
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Prepared By: Andy Pong, Lead Systems Analyst - Permitting Systems
Approved
Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. 2017 OAKS INITIATIVE FORM
B. October 16, 1997 Staff Report (web link)
C. June 11, 2013 Staff Report (web link)
REFERENCE:
Agreement No. 10675
(CCS)
&
Modified Agreement
No. 9745
(CCS)