HomeMy WebLinkAboutDTS-08-075 - Automated Staffing Software PurchaseFIRE DEPARTMENT
Report To: Councillor B. Vrbanovic, Chair & Members of Finance and
Corporate Services Committee
Date of Meeting: 2008-05-26
Submitted By: Tim Becket, Fire Chief
Prepared By: Gary Mann, Deputy Fire Chief
Wards}Involved: All
Date of Report: 2008-05-06
Report No.: DTS - 08-075
Subject: Automated Staffing Software Purchase
RECOMMENDATION:
"That the Purchase of Telestaff Enterprise - an Automated Staffing and Notification
Software Program be approved from a single source provider, namely Principal Decision
Systems International (PDSI)."
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Kitchener Fire, Operations and Utilities have budget approval from Council to purchase automated
staffing, reporting, and notification system software. Telestaff Enterprise is the most advanced
scheduling and notification solution available at this time. The system is proven to significantly reduce
time, resources and overall costs associated with scheduling and notification of employees. Telestaff
features enable automated outbound phone calls for emergency recall and daily scheduling
purposes. Scheduling processes can be automated, resulting in improved workforce efficiency in
compliance with Collective Bargaining agreements, labour laws and other agency policies. Telestaff
is used by over 475 departments across North America and is the only provider that meets the
requirements of our service. It is recommended that Council approve the purchase Automated
Staffing Software from Principal Decision Systems International ~PDSI}. Mr. Larry Gordon, the City's
Director of Purchasing, concurs with the above recommendation.
BACK GROUND
To date, Kitchener Fire, Operations, and Utilities attendance is collected manually on hard copy
and forwarded to administration staff where the data is entered into a computer. Vacancies are
manually filled by telephoning replacement personnel. Managers/Supervisors spend several
hours per day maintaining a paper roster and contacting replacement staff. During major storm
events, Operations supervisory staff could call between 40-160 staff for each response. Full
DTS - 08-075
Automated Staffing Software Purchase
May 6, 2008
call-ins typically occur 4-5 times per winter and reduced staffing call-ins for salting events up to
60 times per winter. An automated staffing program as outlined in the program business plan
will efficiently schedule, replace and record associated attendance issues.
Kitchener Fire, Operations, and Utilities require an automated notification program to facilitate the
routine and emergency notification of staff for unscheduled work and emergency callout of the
Community Control Group. To facilitate this, an automated software solution must operate continually
"live" and is accessible from multiple locations in an existing network environment is required. For
ease of shift confirmation and employee contact, it must have a menu driven, touch-tone telephone
component. It must be compatible with existing corporate software applications and must function on
existing standard corporate equipment.
The software must also produce comprehensive individual, daily, monthly, and year- to-date reports.
Based upon local policies, it must accept time reporting from supervisory staff, accurately track and
report attendance management concerns, compute and contact replacement lists automatically,
record the results of those contacts and produce special schedules. Employees must be able to
independently contact the system, make changes permi~ed by policy, (ie requesting time off, shift
exchanges, availability for extra duty), and have independent access to their schedules for
verification by computer or telephone. Employee records must be secure from unauthorized access,
through apassword-protected interface.
REPORT:
The Automated Staffing Business Plan examined the current mechanisms and staff requirements
to maintain a~endance records and the notification of replacement staff at Fire, Operations and
Utilities. As a result of the materials presented in the Business Plan, Council has approved the
funding expenditure to purchase of Automated Staffing computer hardware, software and
implementation services as part of the 2008 Capital forecast.
Fire Department staff have contacted (5) known suppliers of Automated Staffing Software and
determined that only TeleStaff and Speedshift providers have both inbound and outgoing
notification capacities. Speedshift software is solely focused on Law Enforcement at this time
and as a result has no experience in working with the unique staffing needs of Fire
Departments, Operations or Utilities. Clearly, the representative expressed no confidence that
Speedshift would be able to meet our expectations at this time. TeleStaff is an established
provider and is currently used by 475 Fire Departments across North America and currently
deployed in Chatham-Kent, Woodstock, Cambridge, and Ottawa Fire Departments. This single
source recommendation for purchase of TeleStaff has been presented to Mr. Larry Gordon, the
City's Director of Purchasing, who concurs with the above recommendation to Council.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
Council has approved the funding expenditure to purchase an Automated Staffing Computer
System consisting of hardware, software and implementation services as part of the 2008
Capital forecast.
Total Initial Acquisition Cost -Canadian Dollars $165,000.00
Annual Service and Support $7,700 (Max, 5% increase annually)
2009 projected Service and Support $8085.00.
2010 project Service and Support $8489.00.
DTS - 08-075
Automated Staffing Software Purchase
May 6, 2008
CONCLUSION:
Principal Decision Systems International (PDSI) is the only provider that meets the requirements of
our service. It is requested that Council approve the purchase of TeleStaff Automated Staffing
Software from Principal Decision Systems International (PDSI).
T. Beckett G. Mann
Fire Chief Deputy Fire Chief