Title
Resolution to Approve a Professional Services Agreement with Brian Karcher, Independent Contractor for OnBase Development (Not to Exceed $125,000.00)
Memorandum
Attached for your review and approval is a resolution that will approve a professional services agreement between the City of Ann Arbor and Brian Karcher to provide OnBase Developer Services. This will allow OnBase, the City's Enterprise Content Management System, to be efficiently and effectively promoted to various City Service Units in a timely manner.
In June of 2009, City Council approved Resolution 09-0257, which approved the first phase of this initiative, including the City of Ann Arbor/Washtenaw County Enterprise Content Management partnership that saved approximately $500,000 in City project start-up costs. In August 2010, City Council approved Resolution 10-0732, which established an Enterprise Content Management project budget of $470,000 and authorized a Purchase Order Not to Exceed $200,000 with ImageSoft. ImageSoft had been the City's OnBase integrator for the last two years and has been successful in completing many OnBase initiatives including implementations for the City Assessor's Office, City Clerk's Office, Police Department, Project Management and Finance.
Enterprise Content Management is a very large, complex, city-wide initiative that involves the optimization of business workflows, the digitizing and cataloging of documents across the organization and the implementation of supporting systems for locating, integrating and managing electronic documents.
Document digitization occurs either by integrating an electronic document directly to the content management system or by scanning a paper document into an electronic format and then adding it to the content management system during a business process. Cataloging is setting up multiple search terms, or keys, for the digitized document so it can be retrieved later by authorized users. Supporting software provides services for searching and locating documents, integrating electronic documents into workflows, including electronic signatures, and managing the electronic document lifecycle from creation to destruction.
Near-term projects include further integration with the City's new financial system, integration with Legistar, elimination of paper reports in Customer Service and a new electronic professional services contracts workflow, including electronic signatures.
The long-term strategy for Electronic Content Management is to continue to build on OnBase, integrating with the City's enterprise systems as we can, bringing more "smart" documents into the greater system. This incremental approach, with an enterprise view, will build a true enterprise document repository where all related documents can be viewed from a single system. As we continue to populate the system, with appropriately keyed documents, we will be able to create views like these:
1. View the assessing card, building plan and permits for a specific parcel id.
2. View all documents related to a check, invoice, RFP or resolution.
3. View all citations, code enforcement actions, calls for service and false alarms for a specific address.
The City had planned on continuing to use ImageSoft as the integrator for these projects but the current demand for services along with the higher cost of using ImageSoft exclusively, has made it clear that another course of action is necessary in order move ahead with this initiative at a reasonable development cost to the City.
By bringing in a temporary onsite OnBase Developer, the City's Information Technology Service Unit can focus on OnBase development requests that the City Service Units have identified in a more cost-effective manner.
This phase of the project specifically includes the implementation of additional electronic contract types for the City Attorney's Office, integration of OnBase with Legistar and elimination of paper reports in Customer Service.
Project funding is available in the FY2011 Information Technology fund, reallocated from unexpended but previously approved OnBase project budget.
Staff
Prepared by: Kathleen M. McMahon, Information Technology Services Unit
Reviewed by: Dan Rainey, IT Director, Information Technology Services Unit
Reviewed by: Tom Crawford, Chief Financial Officer
Approved by: Roger W. Fraser, City Administrator
Body
Whereas, Enterprise content management is a very large, complex, city-wide initiative that involves the optimization of business workflows, the digitizing and cataloging of documents across the organization and the implementation of supporting systems for locating, integrating and managing electronic documents.
Whereas, Enterprise content management was identified as a strategic Information Technology initiative;
Whereas, The staffing strategy employed by the City's Information Technology Service Unit is to occasionally augment staff with contracted services when the demand for IT services outstrips the supply of in-house resources. This is the situation the City Information Technology Service Unit currently faces;
Whereas, Bringing a temporary OnBase developer onsite will, capitalize on the City's current OnBase investment, reduce the cost of offsite third party development and provide the City better financial controls, and allow the City's Information Technology Service Unit to focus on development requests that the City Service Units have communicated to IT surrounding OnBase; and
Whereas, Funding for the additional services being requested is available in the FY2011 Information Technology Budget, reallocated from unexpended but previously approved OnBase project budget;
RESOLVED, That City Council approve the Professional Services contract with Brian Karcher to provide OnBase Development in an amount not to exceed $125,000.00;
RESOLVED, That the Mayor and Clerk be authorized and directed to execute the professional services contract with Brian Karcher, after approval as to form and content by the City Attorney; and
RESOLVED, That the City Administrator be authorized to take all necessary administrative actions to implement this Resolution regardless of fiscal year.