HomeMy WebLinkAboutFIN-19-042 - Sole Source - Website Upgrade to Enhance Online Customer Service ExperienceREPORT TO:Committee of the Whole
DATE OF MEETING:2019-05-27
SUBMITTED BY:Margaret Fisher, Director of Procurement, 519-741-2200 ext. 7214
PREPARED BY:Laurie Stecho,Supervisor of Procurement,519-741-2200 ext. 7089
WARD (S) INVOLVED:N/A
DATE OF REPORT:2019-04-29
REPORT NO.:FIN-19-042
SUBJECT:Sole Source Website Upgrade to Enhance Online Customer Service
Experience
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RECOMMENDATION:
ThateSolutions GroupLimited, Waterloo, Ontario, be the sole source provider ofthe
website upgrade to www.kitchener.ca, including the development and implementation of
the enhanced online customer service portal, at acost of $273,520.,plus H.S.T. of
$35,557.60for a total of $309,077.60, provided a satisfactory contract is executed.
BACKGROUND:
since 2006.Theyare recognizedfor their
work in the public sector and provide website design, development and support for the Region
of Waterloo, including its municipalities and townships and forty-five other Canadian
municipalities. eSolutions Group offers valuable experience and understands the unique needs
of the municipalities they serve.
The longstanding relationship between eSolutions Group and the City of Kitchener has resulted
in many custom solutions, upgrades and expansions of existing web properties. The
development of the online customer service portal is one component of the next regularly
scheduledwebsite refresh,scheduled to take place in 2020. The portal represents the next
ere
citizens can perform online interactions without leaving the corporate website and going to a
separate service portal.
With eSolutions Group as the sole source provider, the City will benefit from the continued use
of a centralized and consistent content management system (CMS). Staff are already trained on
and have extensive experience with the eSolutions CMS, which is used to update content on the
be able to integrate services and content across its eight websites (which are also built on the
eSolution platform), as well as leverage other eSolutions technology we have already paid for,
including online forms. Further, a single CMS will create efficiencies for staff and allow for
***This information is available in accessible formats upon request. ***
Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994for assistance.
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business continuity among website services, not only within the City of Kitchener but also across
the Region.
eSolutions Group isthe only provider able tobuild this experience as part of theexisting
corporate websitewebsite provider. An alternate vendor would not be
able to deliver the vision for the upgraded website with an embedded online customer service
portal experience without building a brand new corporate website, which would require
substantial financial investment.
REPORT:
As per clause 170.8.2of the Purchasing By-law 2017-The use of a Non-Standard
Procurement process is only permitted under the following circumstances:
b.where only one Supplier is able to meet the requirements of a Procurement in order
to:
i.ensure compatibility with existing products;
ii.recognize exclusive rights, such as exclusive licenses, copyright and patent
rights; or
iii.maintain specialized products that must be maintained by the manufacturer
or its representative;
As per clause 170.8.3 of the Purchasing By-law 2017-106, it states, All non-standard
Procurementprocesses must be approved and conducted in accordance with this By-law
including the table set out in this section and all applicable procedures.
RequirementProcurementProcurementApproval Authority
ValueProcess
Excluding Taxes
Goods, Up to $99,999Non-Competitive or Director of Supply
Services, Construction, Limited CompetitionServices
Consulting Services
Goods, Greater than Non-Competitive or Council
Services, Construction,$100,000Limited Competition
Consulting Services
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In summary
vendor able to provide the envisioned upgrade to a customized and integrated online customer
experience for the following reasons:
i.eSolutions ensures cross-site compatibility with the existing corporate website,
microsites;
ii.eSolutionsowns the rights to specialized products already purchased by the city
including the content management system (CMS), online forms, the municipal consent
form, property tax calculator, calendar, website notification system and other online tools
used by the City which will be integrated into the portal;
iii.and, the website is a specialized product that has been built and maintained by
eSolutions. Significant financial investment would be required for a different vendor to
build the envisioned portal experience because, aside from the development of the
portal, it would require them to rebuild the corporate website.
The recommendation was reviewed by J. Miller,Director of Corporate Customer Service, who
concurswith the above recommendation.
ALIGNMENT WITHCITY OF KITCHENER STRATEGIC PLAN:
the delivery of core service.
Sole sourcing the website upgrades and enhanced online customer service portal aligns with
the following strategic initiatives:
Strategic Priority:
Effective and Efficient City Services
Strategy:
5.2: Improve the design and delivery of city services so that they provide what citizens want in
the most reliable, convenient and cost-efficient way.
Strategic Action:
OG19 Development of the Online Customer Service Portal
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FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
The net cost for this tender (A), is fair and reasonable for a project of this scope and the upset
limit is above the funding available (B) for thisproject. Funding for this project is included within
the approved capital budget. The estimated surplus (D) will remain in the Customer Relationship
Management account to fund future phases of this project.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:
INFORM
council / committee meeting.
CONSULT The need for an integrated and seamless online customer experience was
validated through the 2018 Corporate Customer Service Review. Extensive public consultation
with over 5,000 staff and citizens was conducted to determine how citizens value existing
customer service, and what improvements can be made to service. Information about the review
and its recommendations can be found in staff report CSD-19-002.
ACKNOWLEDGED BY: Jonathan Lautenbach, Chief Financial Officer, Financial Services
Department
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