HomeMy WebLinkAboutCSD-2025-254 - Customer Service Software Implementation VendorCommunity Services Department www.kitchener.ca
REPORT TO: Finance and Corporate Services Committee
DATE OF MEETING: June 16, 2025
SUBMITTED BY: Jana Miller, Director, Corporate Customer Service
PREPARED BY: Jana Miller, Director, Corporate Customer Service
Ryan Scott, Chief Procurement Officer
WARD(S) INVOLVED: N/A
DATE OF REPORT: May 1, 2025
REPORT NO.: CSD-2025-254
SUBJECT: Customer Service Software Implementation Vendor
RECOMMENDATION:
That MuniPaaS Corporation, King City, Ontario, be the sole source provider for
licensing, implementation and support services for Salesforce Case Management as
, at their quoted price of
$327,000, plus H.S.T. of $42,510, for a total of $369,510, for a three (3) year term plus
two (2) optional one (1) year terms, provided a satisfactory contract is executed.
REPORT HIGHLIGHTS:
This report explains the rationale for Ontario-based MuniPaaS Corporation as the sole
implementation vendor for the City's customer relationship management platform.
The first phase of the project is complete with the City successfully onboarding its 24/7
Corporate Contact Centre through a 2024 pilot of the platform. Plans are to expand its
use to other service areas to create more centralized customer interaction management
for the organization.
This phase of the project is fully funded through $275,000 of operating and capital
funding approved in the 2025 budget process and a pre-existing capital balance.
This report supports core service delivery.
BACKGROUND:
In 2014, the Region of Waterloo negotiated an agreement for a Customer Relationship
Management (CRM) platform and the City was able to utilize it with free licensing and
maintenance costs. In 2023, the Region negotiated a new contract with the CRM provider
and that did not include continued free licensing and maintenance costs for the City.
The Corporate Customer Service Division began exploring more robust cloud-based CRM
platforms that could support improved customer service tracking and management for more
service teams across the organization, including: the Corporate Contact Centre (CCC),
*** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. ***
Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994 for assistance.
Kitchener Utilities Dispatch, Revenue, Office of the Mayor and Council and Bylaw. After
assessing existing city-owned software, it was found that MuniPaaS Corporation had
already implemented Salesforce Case Management in another division. Salesforce is a
global leader in case management solutions while MuniPaaS, which specializes in
implementation and customization of the platform for municipal government usage, came
highly recommended internally, and by other cities.
In 2024, MuniPaaS was retained through a non-standard procurement process to pilot the
platform in the Corporate Contact Centre, and after a successful rollout in early 2025, the
platform now serves as the foundation for the potential expansion of system integrations
and corporate-wide connectivity and automation intended to further enhance service
delivery to residents.
The work to expand the platform organizationally will create more connected staff teams
and processes, enabling better service for residents by centralizing customer inquiries,
through a single user interface that allows staff to access previous interactions, and service
and information continuity. Further automation and integration will also enhance efficiency,
reducing manual tasks and enabling staff to focus on resolving issues. Residents will also
experience improved self-service options, quicker resolutions, and a more seamless
interaction with municipal services, fostering a more responsive and transparent
government.
Onboarding additional service areas including integrations to other enterprise systems
will occur between 2025-2027. A non-standard procurement process is required because of
the recommendation to sole source this work through MuniPaaS, -
based implementation vendor.
REPORT:
In accordance with the Procurement By-law 2022-109, Section 15 Non-Standard
Procurement, as the total value of the deliverables for this
non-standard procurement exceeds the delegated authority.
A non-standard procurement is the acquisition of goods, services or construction through a
process or method other than the process and method normally required for the type and
value of the required deliverables, as identified below:
Requirement Procurement Procurement Approval
Value Excluding Process Authority
Taxes
Goods, Services or $40,001 - Non-Competitive or Chief Procurement
Construction under the $250,000 Limited Competition Officer
circumstances included in
Goods, Services or $250,001 or more Non-Competitive or Council
Construction under the Limited Competition
circumstances included in
In accordance with the Procurement By-law 2022-109Goods, services and
construction may only be acquired through a non-standard procurement process under the
following circumstances:
Item 4: The procurement is for additional deliverables by the original supplier of the goods
or services that were not included in the initial procurement if a change of supplier for such
additional goods or services:
a) cannot be made for economic or technical reasons such as requirements of
interchangeability or interoperability with existing equipment, software,
services or installations procured under the initial procurement; and
b) would cause significant inconvenience or substantial duplication of costs for the
City.
Ontario-based MuniPaaS Corporation is the original provider of implementation services
for the Salesforce Case Management platform for the City. Specializing in the deployment
and customization of the platform for municipal government applications, MuniPaaS first
introduced the system to the City's Economic Development Team in 2018.
Leveraging a proven service provider with an established relationship with the City,
alongside existing technology already successfully in use, ensures a cost-effective
approach by streamlining the number of corporate systems in use, while enhancing,
operational efficiency and service delivery.
The documentation was reviewed by J. Miller, Director, Corporate Customer Service, M.
May, General Manager, Community Services and Deputy CAO who concur with the above
recommendation.
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT:
This report supports the delivery of core services.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
The anticipated total cost of the expanded implementation of the customer relationship
management platform ($327,000) is fully funded. Capital and operating funding totalling
$275,000 for licensing, implementation and support to expand the use of the Salesforce
Case Management platform to Kitchener Utilities, Revenue, Bylaw and the Office of the
Mayor and Council was approved through the 2025 budget process. An existing capital
balance of just over $90,000 will be used to fund the remaining balance of the contract as
well as any other incidental cost required as part of the implementation. Any surplus funds
will be returned to the appropriate reserve at the end of the project implementation.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:
INFORM website with the agenda in advance of
the council / committee meeting.
PREVIOUS REPORTS/AUTHORITIES:
There are no previous reports/authorities related to this matter
APPROVED BY: Michael May, General Manager, Community Services and Deputy CAO