HomeMy WebLinkAboutPurchase Request Tracking SoftwareCITY OF PALM DESERT
PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT
STAFF REPORT
REQUEST: Authorize Purchase of a Request Tracking Software Program
SUBMITTED BY: Mark Greenwood, P.E., Director of Public Works
DATE: September 13, 2007
CONTENTS: Quotation for Software Purchase and Implementation
Recommendation:
By Minute Motion, authorize staff to purchase "CivicaAssist," a software
program for managing information and service requests.
Discussion:
The Public Works Department manages a large volume of requests for services and
information. These requests come from or are generated by City Council, executive
management, staff, residents, business owners, and visitors. Requests may range in
nature from patching a pothole that can routinely be completed within 24 hours, to
installation of a traffic signal taking at least a year. Service requests and work orders are
occasionally referenced during investigations for claims and lawsuits and can be a good
source of information for defense against claims against the City. Due to the volume,
diversity, and varied sources of requests, effective management of the process has been
difficult and time consuming. The current recordkeeping system is inadequate in that it
consists of several different paper and electronic files created in-house by various people
with no central control or consistency.
Recognizing the need for an improved system, staff conducted a selection process to
identify an appropriate software product to track requests for services and information. We
performed Internet research, conducted phone interviews, and viewed web
demonstrations. The Public Works Department ultimately invited four vendors to present
their systems to a panel of staff from various departments. The panel evaluated the
products based on their ability to serve the needs of users including managers, staff, and
even citizens tracking their requests from home.
--7
Authorize Purchase of CivicaAssist Request Tracker Software
Page 2of2
September 13, 2007
Vendors interviewed were:
CivicaAssist of Newport Beach, CA
CivicPlus of Manhattan, KS
GovPartner of Murrieta, CA
CRW Systems of San Diego, CA
The panel ranked CivicaAssist the highest based on our needs. CivicaAssist software is
more expensive than initially anticipated; therefore, the Information Systems Department
conducted a secondary investigation to determine if a less expensive software product
could meet the needs of the Public Works Department. Although other, less expensive,
software programs are available, they do not fully meet our needs.
Therefore, staff recommends that City Council authorize the purchase of CivicaAssist
request tracker software in the amount of $39,000.00 with an annual maintenance fee of
$3,690.00. Funds are available in account number 110-4300-413-3090.
Department H-a
Mark Greenwood, P.E.
Director of Public Works
Paul Gibson
Finance Director
"1-624-
Carlos L. Orteg'
City Manager
Approvals:
Doug Van Gelder
Director of Information Systems
l42
Homer Croy
ACM for Development Services
CITY COUNCIL ACTION:
.APPROVED / DENIED
RECEIVED OTHER
'igETING DATE 61-I3-N -
A '135: (� Ferc�t�sor Fillet , eje'il e iIj
NOES: None
ABSENT: Rbne mini
ABSTAIN: 1J D( -
VERIFIED BY: ek_O Jv1
Original on File with/ City Clerk's Office
G:1Pub Works\Staff Reports120071September 13105 Authorize purchase Civica Request Tracker Software Authorize Civica purchase request tracker software.doc
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Citizen Relationship Management
Quotation for a Constituent Relationship
Management System for the
City of Palm Desert
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Offered by: Cl a
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June 4, 2007
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Introduction
Since its inception in 1997, Civica Software(Civica) has become a leading supplier of Wet�based
technologies by being able to bring each customer's unique project vision to fruition.
Our primary business is in developing Web-based technologies for governments, including:
• Customer Relationship Management(CRM)systems (CivicaAssist),
• HR tracking systems (HR Assist), as well as
• Building attractive Websites incorporating powerful content management systems (CMS)
that allow multiple departments to directly administer and update their own portion of
the site without possessing any technical skills.
About us
Civica is a division of Pixelpushers, Inc., a private,subchapter S corporation established in 1997. It is
currently based in Newport Beach, California,with an office in New York City.The company was
initially founded by its current CTO and President, Mark Kelly,to bring an innovative approach to
Website design and maintenance. Many of Orange County's largest companies became clients.
Two years after inception,the company shifted its focus in order to concentrate all design,
technological and software development in the Government sector. Civica has rapidly become a
leader in this sector.The company now includes over sixty counties, cities,special districts, and
police departments in a client list which continues to grow rapidly.The largest city to date that has
contracted with Civica has been the City of Long Beach, CA(pop.: 450,000).The smallest is
Hillsborough, (pop.: 10,850).
In addition to building nationally recognized local government Web sites, Civica was awarded a
substantial contract by the City of Irvine and the Orange County Integrated Law and Justice Group to
develop an interoperable online tactical crime information system designed to link all 21 of the
Orange County police jurisdictions.This system, branded CrimeConnect, has been built on the same
CMS technologies currently deployed by our other Government clients. It went live in March of 2004
with great success.
A similar system was installed in Santa Clara County in 2005, linking the cities of San Jose, Santa
Clara and Los Gatos with the County for the purpose of sharing crime information in real time. It will
be integrated with an automatic license plate recognition system, PlateScan,which will enable their
police departments to dramatically enhance their ability to resolve crime associated with vehicles.
Experience
Civica Software has a long history of producing Web-based technology solutions for local
governments on time and within budget.CivicaAssist is a relatively new product, but is building a
strong track record to match those we have gained with our content management systems for Web
sites and Intranets, our tactical crime information sharing system for police agencies(CrimeConnect)
or our automatic license plate recognition system (PlateScan).
Our experience with our initial clients,the cities of Irvine(Oct, 2005) , Santa Fe Springs(July, 2006),
Martinez(August, 2006), Lakewood (October, 2006), as well as with our two newest clients,
Roseville and Folsom, has enabled us to create a powerful product that meets the goals for cities to
interrelate with their constituents while enabling customization to occur when internal needs require.
C�ty of Palm Desert CRM - Page 1 of 20 - June 4,2007
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An example is the City of Lakewood, where a long standing service request system, including nearly a
quarter of a million entries, has been in place for many years.The CivicaAssist system was
customized allow those past requests to be integrated into the new system, thus allowing years of
history to be available to city staff.
It is this understanding of the way cities work that has enabled us to provide you with an attainable
means to achieve the goals you have set. Using the City of Irvine as an example, our involvement
with them went back to the most embryonic stage. We built their CRM system after extensive
consultations with department heads and staff throughout the City, as well as with constituents,so
that every potential detail could be reviewed and either selected for inclusion, rejected outright or
modified.
In addition, a great deal of care was taken with the interFaces both with the constituent as well as
with staff,so that neither would be "put off"from using the system because of difficulty in accessing
it.The system was also made"application rich,"so that it would be able to perform a variety of
functions,such as:
• real-time data and image processingforfile attachments (Civica Tools)
• real-time notification and publishing for informing staff of upcoming issues and
reminders(Civica Publisher)
� MS Word for mail merge and report generation as well as Excel for spreadsheet
generation
• IVR/FAQ integration, if appropriate (with TeleWorks)
• GIS mapping(ESRI) and similar mapping APIs(Google Maps, Intergraph, etc.)
Our system features an open architecture to communicate with third party applications to ensure
maximum flexibility in the future. This allows us to connect with various third party data sources,
such as, if appropriate, GroupWise, DataQuick, County Assessor's Information, MUNIS ERP, Class,
Hansen,Tidemark and SIRE.
We realize that not all staff users are located in City Hall. Therefore,the standard system is fully
browser-based and only requires connection to the Internet/Intranet to add and administer the
information. Field staff would be able to have full access to all information that they have permission
to view from the field via a standard laptop and/or PDA with wireless connectivity.As part of our
ongoing development efforts,a standalone application is currently in development to allow for field
reporting without the need for a persistent connection, allowing for auto-syncing on return to main
offices.
We came to understand that staff needed access to the data mining section of the application to
allow them to enter various search criteria to quickly find requests as well as staff responses to
those requests.City staff can use free-form text boxes to pertorm full text searches,select lookup
values from the drop-down boxes, and pick date ranges from calendar controls.
As one size does not fit all,as part of each deployment, additional reports are created for the agency
based on their specific needs and requirements. These reports,such as the following,can also be
created by City staff:
Requests by Status Request By Priority
Most Popular Request Category Most Active Department/Division
Total Requests by Month Average Requests by Day of the Week
Average Requests by Time of the Day Monthly -YTD Requests
Summary and Detailed Requests by Department
C�ty of Palm Desert CRM - Page 2 of 20 - June 4,2007
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Summary and Detailed Requests by Assigned to Staff
Summary and Detailed Requests by Source of Request
Since security is known to be of great importance, the system supports System Administrator,
Administrator and User security settings.System Administrator(s) can create Administrator and User
accounts and perform several other system wide tasks.Administrators can create other User
accounts and also given access to specific areas of the system to maintain.
All users in the system can be given an individual set of permissions and rights for each functional
component in the application. In addition, users can be given access to specific tasks such as the
ability to add, edit and delete request forms in the CRM system, based on the user's
department/division.
All staff actions are captured and saved as part of the action history on the constituent's request, as
well as part of the system audit trail. In addition, the system captures and stores activity on
administration side, such as adding or deleting departments, divisions, or request forms.We store
information such as: ID of the current user, date stamp, ID of the record, action taken, etc.The
system can be configured to the user"Trashcan"option where the deleted items are not physically
deleted from the tables but rather tagged as deleted, enabling them to be restored, if needed.
Therefore,the system we have built is more robust and capable,yet easier to use and administer
than systems of its kind on the market. However, we do not profess to know everything there is to
know about your constituent base.We look forward to discovering your specific needs and solving
them with you.
Project Overview
Constituents are consistently demanding better service from their government. In response,
governments have come to rely more and more on technology to meet those demands, as a)
personnel assets are being stretched to their budgetary limits and b)the constituent base increases
its access to communications technology,such as the Internet.
The goal of this project is to enable The City of Palm Desert to respond to constituent service
requests, whether by phone, in person,via email,through the Website, by US mail or over the fax
efficiently and effectively through the use of CRM software. It will also greatly improve internal
systems, such as:
• Tracking calls,
• Creating automatic escalation protocols,
• More effectively getting the pertinent information to the proper department or staff
member,
• Offering immediate response to service requesters that their issue is being dealt with in
the time frame set forth in the CSP,
• Standardizing form development and issuance,
• Providing details, such as driving directions to public locations such as City Hall or parks,
and
• Meeting the special needs of your customers, such as non-English languages and
handicaps
City of Palm Desert CRh1 - f'age 3 of 20 - June 4,2007
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The system needs to be affordable, as well as easy to use and administer, minimizing the impact on
existing personnel. It must integrate with existing systems, such as GIS, utility billing, parks and
recreation, as well as code enforcement.
In addition,the CRM is expected to provide contact histories,verify contacts, prioritize requests,
notify staff as to the outcome of responses, make supervisors aware if request have not had a
response, provide an audit trail for reporting purposes, integrate with 311 systems, provide for
customer surveys, be made available at multiple public locations, such as kiosks, and provide strong
levels of security to protect the privacy of constituents.
How CivicaAssist meets these goals and expectations
CivicaAssist is a Web-based Request and Issue Management system designed from the ground up
specifically for Government. The core architecture was designed by the same team that created the
award-winning Civica Content Management System that has been deployed in over 60 government
Web sites.
While it helps citizens get detailed information they are seeking in the shortest amount of time, on a
24/7 basis, CivicaAssist also has tremendous benefits for the city staff, including:
• Reducing paperwork,thereby improving productivity
• Automatically routing customer requests to the appropriate staff person
• Generating smart request-specific forms to facilitate entry of appropriate information
• Supporting automatic "nag"and reminder features informing staff and supervisors about
unresolved cases, reducing the number of requests going unfulfilled
• Monitoring trend analysis, customer concerns and types of issues coming into
CivicaAssist
• Generating rich reports for local government administrators and employees specific to
their needs and inquiries
With CivicaAssist, constituents can easily:
• Submit requests for information, trouble reports, and violation reports online through
your Website(or kiosk) and, unless anonymity is requested, receive e-mail, phone or mail
acknowledgements and updates
• Communicate directly with the correct staff member or department to resolve the request
orissue
• Verify the location of the reported incident using GIS technology
• Create "member" accounts allowing them to review the status of requests without re-
typing contact information
• Tap into the Knowledge Base/Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)to find out general
information related to their inquiry category
• Get instant answers via a departmental Live Chat feature
At the same time,employees can:
• Access the request queue of their specific area of responsibility via secure online
connections
• Respond online to requests associated with their department
• Assign maintenance teams to access and repair reported damage
• View complete historical request information, sorted according to their needs
• Add a request or report into the system on behalf of a resident
• Check the "member" list to review and validate request history for a specific person
C�ty of Palm Desert CRM - Page 4 of 20 - June 4,2007
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System Features
CivicaAssist can work in full integration with your Website, Intranet, Extranet and Kiosks.Acting as a
central management repository for customer issues and requests, the system can be integrated with
back end work order and other local government management systems.
Capable of integration with other self-service applications, like forms and payment processing
systems, it can be integrated with third Party IVR systems (TeleWorks, etc.)or call center systems to
deal with those who telephone in their request rather than input it directly via the Web. CivicaAssist's
GIS integration also allows for customers and staff to visually verify the location of a request.
CivicaAssist also offers variety of other important features and benefits, including:
External:
• It is a single access point for multiple areas within the organization,each with a custom
display environment designed for specific needs
• The CivicaAssist system allows for full searching on any open or closed issues/requests,
customer history or activity. The customer can log-in and view their own custom page of
requests, viewing the status for each request they have submitted
• Pre-populated issues and request lists enable rapid information entry
• Crime tips and public safety incident reports can be made available online
• User can be notified as progress is made on a request or issue, via email,
telephone/pager or mail
• Contact/marketing management capabilities are supported such as email alerts and
mass mail outs, working in conjunction with the Civica e-Notify system
Internai:
• Administration system controls user access levels, configuration and modification
abilities
• All issues and requests can be categorized based on location/geography, issue type,
department and personnel assignment, status, date ranges, etc.
• Issues/requests can be configured to be assigned to specific individuals or groups
automatically
• On-site training is provided for staff and administrators, along with a "Train the Trainer"
program and full documentation
• Multiple views can be created ailowing different status reports for each internal level
• Requests and accounts can be created externally or internally on behalf of a customer,
by local government staff
• Duplicate issues/requests can be detected based in information supplied (type, location,
time, person)
• Online surveys, questionnaire and specialized forms(crime reports, requests for public
documents, etc)can quickly and easily be deployed within the system
Tracking, Reporting&Analysis
CivicaAssist offers a robust reporting and analysis capability, automatically generating ticket
numbers which are e-mailed to the customer and used to track status via the online interface.The
tracking system's fields can include information on inspector assignees(inspectors, maintenance
team, etc), status, work required,times and dates estimates of completion.All historical
transactions, work requests, and other actions are stored and are fully accessible for reporting and
trend analysis.
Gty of Palm Desert CRM - Page 5 of 20 - June 4,2007
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The system monitors trend analysis, customer concerns and types of issues coming into CivicaAssist.
Additional summary and tracking reports can be created for multiple levels of management, with
specialized, predefined and ad hoc reports easily generated within the system.
Future Road Map of CivicaAssist(CONFIDENTIAL)
The CivicaAssist system has a number of new features in development and planned for upcoming
releases. These include:
• Wireless access via Origami/Tablet/Mobile PCs to view and update information while in the
field
• Live chat services online to assist the public in processing and handling service requests
• Further embedded integration to third party systems and applications allowing for fully
automated work order generation
• Further integration to the Civica CMS framework to allow reports and stats to be displayed on
the City's Website automatically
• Online RV permitting system to process and handle RV parking with the City
(Complete and now in final testing)
• Automatic Electronic Data delivery of custom files and cases to local law enforcement
• Addition reporting services features including traffic engineering, hardscape tracking, and
Court-ready code enforcement case files.
• Expansion of mapping service to automatically generate maps based on preset parameters
for display in live reports and on City Website
• Advanced knowledge base for City staff to assist them when handling requests via the
telephone(this functionality is also integrated with IVR systems like Tele-Works)
• Additional response mechanism to give staff a selection of custom responses based on the
request type, allow for quick public feedback and follow up.
• Graffiti management system to track graffiti release forms against an address to allow for
quicker response for defacement removal
A number of these features are complete and are now in final testing with existing clients and our
internal testing team.
City of F�alm L)esert CRM - Nage 6 of 20 - June 4,2007
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Detailed Work Plan
Userinterface
The CRM Web interface will be easy to use with little or no training, with easy navigation,field
tabbing, and pull down menus. It will have the ability to create logons and passwords and a link for
users to retrieve forgotten passwords or user names. It will also have the flexibility to allow for a
customer to create multiple accounts.There also is an online help feature.
To ensure data integrity and quality,the system will mark fields as required, allow for customized
forms, questions and responses, pre-populate fields already in the database, and accept a data
import of our customer information from an already existing system.
Featu res
User accounts can be created for both staff and external customers, with internal roles defined on
an individual basis by the systems administrator. Requestors are first offered the opportunity to find
the answers to their questions via a Frequently Asked Questions module.
If that answer is insufficient, or a specific information report needs to be filed, requests are
automatically assigned a unique tracking identification number.The system can be configured to
customize data fields by request type and can contain attached documents to a request,such as a
picture, map or document.Automatically,the requestor is emailed that the request has been
received. The email includes the unique request identification number.
Workflow within CivicaAssist is customizable by request type with the ability to edit or remove
components. Reminder and escalation notices are generated on a predefined interval by request
type. CivicaAssist's workflow system allows for sequential and parallel tasks as well as assigning
tasks based on location or other criteria.An audit trail is created for each request to determine who
worked on the request and what was done.
The following screen details how multiple staff members are quickly and easily assigned to a Service
Request Task/Category. Multiple people can be assigned to each step within the workflow cycle
ensuring that nothing slips through the cracks.
City of Palm Desert CRM - Page 7 of 20 - June 4,2007
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Each Service Request within the system can be setup independently allowing for specific staff and
workflow configurations to be established based on existing procedures and practices.
The closing of a task can be configured to trigger a notification to the next task owner,alerting them
that their portion of the work needs to occur.Alternative designees for notification, escalation, or
task assignment, can be set up for an assigned staff member who is out of office or on vacation.
Closing the last task in the work flow automatically closes the request,with the requestor being
notified of its completion.A customer survey can then be generated upon request completion and
store customer responses obtained for reporting purposes.Throughout the system spell check
features, as well as the ability to mark comments, notes and request types to be public or private,
are available.
As with all new systems and integrated projects,the key objective is to make the required tasks and
follow-up simpler and easier to carry out. The following workflow diagram details how the
CivicaAssist system integrates with West Coast Arborists Tree Inventory and Work Order
Management system for the City of Lakewood. The creation of the work order on the third party
system (in this case WCA) is completed with one button click within the CivicaAssist system. All
communications between the two systems is handled automatically with updates on a regular,
predetermined timeframe or when staff requests them.
City of Palm Desert CRM - Page 8 of 20 - June 4,2007
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Example Workflow Diagram-CivicaAssist to WCA Arbor Access
Outside ; l.akewood (ur Hosred} , ��%C�A lntrrnal
; � Stal�on Tree ;
� ; ' Plionc Supervisor ;
� 1 --�; �, 2 ,
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Citizens �3) WCA
on Phone : �f
� Web Interface
;,�___ ___ _ . : a
:. .
,�;;,,- : �,�y :
StaffUsing Assist
System ; �1�A��'
�" l � WCA
Cicizens �' j O ' WorkOrder
on Web O /' �
, ,-� ` J
Systcm
(Optional) . �' Schedulc ,
; � Reports i Auto � ; �1�/
; '�� Updates ; 'Ihcir Staff
1. Requests arrive via the Website or by staff entering the information receive on the phone.
The appropriate staff will be notified automatically on arrival, via email.
2. Tree related issues are assigned to the Tree Supervisor/PW Staff.On receiving an authorized
tree request, the Tree Supervisor requests service from WCA
3. Civica Assist then automatically sends all the required information to the WCA site,
requesting an inspection.
4. From within WCA,their system generates a work order number and sends back the details to
the CivicaAssist system.
5. On receiving the work order number,the information is stored within the service request, and
the Scheduler system is updated automatically to start checkingthe status of the new work
order number.As WCA works on the system request and updates their system, the updates
are handed back to the CivicaAssist system via the Scheduler interface.
6. Staff can then view the current status of all WCA work orders in the CivicaAssist system. An
immediate update can be requested, is required by a staff member at any time.On
completion, a close out message is sent back to the system, and staff can then close out the
req u est.
Core Technology
The technology requirement will function within the City's Windows-based server environment. It is
scalable in terms of data, number of users and versions. The required minimum environment
configuration for implementation of the CivicaAssist system is as follows:
Crty of Palm Desert CRh1 - Page 9 of 20 - June 4,2007
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• Microsoft Windows 2000/2003 server
• Microsoft SQL Server 2000/2005 database
• TCP/IP network protocol
• Fully ODBC compliant
• Active Server Pages 3.0
• IE 6.0(or better)for Administration system
Preferred Server Configuration
Web Server SQL S.erver
Dual Intel Xeon, 3.0 GHz, 1M cache, Dual Intel Xeon, 3.0 GHz, 1M cache,
2 GB RAM 4 GB RAM
Raid 1-(2+1) 80G6 SATA Hard Drives Raid 1-(2+1) 120G6 SATA Hard Drives
Dual 10/100/1000 Ethernet Controllers Dual 10/100/1000 Ethernet Controllers
DVD-ROM Drive DVD-ROM Drive
Windows Server 2003 Standard Ed. Windows Server 2003 Standard Ed.
SQL Server 2000 Standard
The user interface is continuously tested to work on all major browser types and versions.
Also, CivicaAssist is fully 508C compliant.
System and Data Integration
CivicaAssist has the ability to receive and send information to and from other systems. It integrates
with Active Directory, and has the ability to work with Microsoft Office applications for document
creation and attachments to requests. It is designed to enable the attachment and viewing of
pictures or maps, particularly thorough our integration with ESRI-based GIS systems.Therefore,
address validations can be made so the system could assign tasks based on location.
CivicaAssist can be set up to integrate with the Hansen,Accela Tidemark and SIRE via Web services,
assuming that they agree to enable such linkages. Once that integration is done, requests that are
entered into the CRM system,for example, will be able to create and populate work orders.Work
orders closed in Hansen,for example,will then close the request in CRM.These transaction types
may require specific features to be available within your work order system.
As for language translation, Civica has experience with a number of online translation services
including World Lingo. However, it should be noted that the responses World Lingo produces are not
necessarily completely accurate, so a review by a knowledgeable speaker of that language should be
undertaken.
Reports
CivicaAssist can deliver all reports required by this RFP.As one size does not fit all, as part of each
deployment additional reports are created for the agency based on their specific needs and
requirements.These reports, such as the following,can also be created by City staff:
Requests by status Request by priority
Most popular request category Most active department/division
City of P21m Desert CR�Y1 - Page 10 of 20 - June 4,2007
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Total requests by month Average requests by day of the week
Average requests by time of day Monthly -YTD Requests
Summary and detailed requests by department, staff member andjor requestor
All reports are downloadable to a flat file as well as to PDF, CSV, XML, HTML, etc.
The system is designed for the creation of customer reports, including graphical elements,such as
"look and feel" and logo insertion.These custom reports will be able to be previewed prior to
printing.
The main reporting engine features an ad hoc reporting framework allowing staff to setup detailed
reports as required. In addition to the core reports already in the system,we provide an open
architecture to allow reports generated from third party software including Crystal Reports and
Microsoft Reporting Services. Source code is provided for all reports created for Microsoft Reporting
Services to all for additional customization by staff.
City ot Palm Desert c;RM - Page 11 of 20 - June 4,2007
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Support
Service Level Agreement
Civica has a standard schedule for providing support and maintenance for CivicaAssist.These
deliverables are:
Priority 1: Emergency
Severe application problem resulting in complete work stoppage for a large number of City staff. Or,
complete loss of service to either Web site or intranet(application-related site outage).
Response: 60 minutes during prime hours (M-F 8AM-5PM)
120 minutes off-hours, holidays and weekends
Onsite response(if needed)within 4 hours
Resolution: 4-12 hour resolution time
Notifications: Project Manager is given a detailed report by the Civica on-call technician (for off
hours only)and distributes to the IT Manager.
Update: Hourly or as scheduled with Civica
Examples: Web server is up but application non-functional. SQL-server errors not related to
hardware. Patch updates from vendor or Microsoft cause incompatibility resulting in
service outage.
Priority 2: High
Application or service is available, but in a degraded mode. Work around is feasible or loss of
service for short time is acceptable. Impacts a small group or complete work stoppage for an
individual.
Response: 2-4 hours during prime hours(M-F 8AM-5PM)
Resolution: 3-5 business days
Update: Daily or as scheduled with Civica
Examples: Site is operational, but search,calendar or other modular functionality is non-
operational or impaired. Presentation layer is up but back-end is non-operational.
Priority 3: Medium
Moderate business impact; issues have affected customer productivity.Work around may exist or
problem is for non-business-critical task.
Response: 8 hours
Resolution: 5 business days
Update: City is notified when Civica completes repair
Examples: File attachments won't upload. Presentation layer is not rendering correctly.
Priority 4: Low
Limited business impact. Request can be scheduled.
Response: 2-3 business days
Resolution: As scheduled by Civica
Update: City is notified when Civica completes repair
Examples: Programmatic change to back-end to improve efficiency. Programmatic change to
front-end. Distribution of all patches and upgrades.
Our support team includes dedicated personnel to handle direct phone and email support. Our core
development team (the actual programmers who create the technologies) is also available to answer
and address issues directly. In addition, we have launched Civica Support- a new online Support
City of Palm Uesert CHM - Page 12 of 20 - June 4,2007
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management system allow clients to access online Help, a Knowledge base and Forums, submit
issues online via our issue tracking system and access all documentation.
Upgrade cycles occur on a structured calendar basis with the exception of security issues. Those are
addressed immediately - normally within a few hours of being brought to our team's attention. We
assist onsite tech staff with all updates. As part on the annual maintenance, all new features added
(by other clients and as part of our normal ongoing development cycle)for the modules and systems
you have purchased.The impact on City staff is normally no more than a few hours in total.
We are currently in the process of setting up a series of User Groups for Civica CRM systems to
provide additional levels of support and user communities to assist staff with our deployments. Part
of these services will include 24/7 access to technical staff to assist with your deployments and
hosted solutions.
Professional Services
Civica warrants the CivicaAssist system to be free of all bugs and defects for 12 months from the
date the new CRM system goes live.
Civica remains committed to a long-term partnership with all its Government clients and its
technicians will be available during regular business hours to assist City of Palm Desert personnel in
all aspects of the Website maintenance and also to advise City staff on the development of any
applications required by the City.These services will be provided free of charge for a three month
period post the system go-live date.
Should any additional professional services be required regarding the design, implementation,
content conversion or training either beyond that included in the proposal or after the three month
initial period the following rate structure would apply:
Principals: $150 per hour
Graphic Artists and Flash Designers: $85 per hour
Custom programmers: $95 per hour
HTML editors: $65 per hour
The requested business process review and work flow configuration will be estimated upon a more
detailed study of the issue. In addition, a portion of that process is included in our preparatory work,
thus would be included in the account management portion of this bid.
Training
Civica Software staff will provide three user training sessions for up to a total of 24 City of Palm
Desert employees in the full use of the Civica tools necessary to routinely use the CivicaAssist
system.This training session will run for up approximately 2 hours.This training will be provided at
the City's offices.
In addition, Civica Software staff will provide an in depth "train the trainer'session for 3 selected City
employees in the full use of the CivicaAssist administration system to set up all user rights and
privileges and all Civica tools necessary to routinely maintain it.This training session will run for up
approximately 5/6 hours.This training will be provided at the City of Palm Desert or Civica offices as
req u i red.
Detailed documentation and online help/support are available to our clients as part of their
deployment. Samples of the documentation can be provided on request.
City of Palm Desert CRM - Page 13 of 20 - June 4,2007
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Project Team
We provide quotes based upon the parameters of the project, not on a per-person-hour basis.The
underlying system that drives the CRM system being proposed has been developed over a period of
three years. Much of the time involved in the implementation of our system will be in information
gathering and customization to meet your specific needs. Following that period, implementation,
acceptance testing and "going live" will make up the rest of the program.
As such, we bid on a project basis and allocate resources as necessary to assure that the job gets
done on time and within the budget provided. Your implementation will be extremely important to us
and you will get the highest level of attention from our senior staff.
PrQject Leader: Mark Kelly. President and Chief Technology Officer
Mark graduated in 1986 in Design and Mechanical Engineering. His experience with the Internet
dates from the time when he used the Web on a daily basis to interface with MIT. His understanding
of the potential and capabilities of the medium has been refined during the past 20 years. His
advanced designs and teading edge database driven Web technologies quickly established Civica
Software at the forefront of corporate Web development.
A veteran computer game programmer and software producer with over 20 published titles to his
credit, Kelly has been able to attract and retain a strong technical team of Web developers with
similar skill sets. Under his leadership,they have honed the Wel}based Civica Suite of technologies
to focus specifically on local government needs. Mark has become an innovator in the field of
reusable modular Web technologies.That experience will ensure that Civica maintains a leadership
role in e-Government
Government Consultant• Bob Pinzler
Bob brings a wealth of public and private sector experience including being a local, regional,
statewide and national leader in bringing technology to government. He has served as city
councilman for the City of Redondo Beach, chairman of his local Council of Governments, Director of
both the League of California Cities and the Southern California Association of Governments and
served on the Information Technology committee of the National League of Cities.
His marketing experience includes some of the most innovative programs, including the introduction
of the Macintosh for Apple Computer, as well as Windows and many applications from Microsoft. Bob
will be available to provide as-needed support on planning and implementation of a Website that
meets internal needs, as well as those of the public and business. He is also available to provide
guidance on any policy matters that might arise as a result of the new Website redesign efforts.
Lead Programmer.Stuart Gregg
Stuart is programmer with over 10 years of experience of general systems coding. During the past 4
years, he has been responsible for developing the modules and interfaces for the Civica System. He
will be responsible for integrating the Civica System with the new Website,
GIS Integration: Ilya Gorelik
Ilya has been an IT professional since moving to the United States from Russia in 1991. In 2000, he
founded Gorelik Software Inc., a software development and consulting company. He most recently
worked as a Chief Technology Officer for CareerCorner.N, an educational startup in Orange County,
California. Prior to that,Ilya consulted for buy.com, the world's second largest e-commerce site,
where he initiated and led several IT projects. Ilya graduated from the Civil Aviation Engineers
City of Palm Desert CRh1 - Page 14 of 20 - June 4,2007
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University in Latvia. Ilya has considerable experience in the development of GIS applications and is
the Civica specialist in this area.
In addition to the core team, Civica has 12 additional full-time staff to assist with development,
integration, project management, design/layout and deployment of new client projects. All our
teams are trained in the workings of all our systems and technologies. Along with our experienced
staff, all Civica solutions feature extensive documentation (PDF for print and online)to assist staff
with during the training and later usage of the systems.
C�ty ot f�alm Desert CRM - Page 15 of 20 - June 4,2007
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Project Schedule
Based upon the information available to us now, project implementation will be performed over a
period of 14-16 weeks. While many of following elements will be performed in tandem, here is a list
of the scheduling milestones that make up the development process and an estimated length of
time that will be needed to complete each task. Please note that upon obtaining greater detail from
the City,the length of each milestone may change. However, we do not foresee a change in the
overall project implementation period.
Introductory meetings/initial information gathering: 2 days
Form configuration: 11 days
Category/sub-category management: 5 days
Staff administration: 10 days
Escalation/nagging/notifications: 7 days
Maintenance teams � 4 days
Email notification configuration: i 5 days
Site layout and interface: ' 12 days
FAQ integration: 9 days
Existing data migration: 13 days
Reports: 31 days
Communication interface: ' S days
GIS integration: 27 days
A detailed schedule of implement will be provided on commencement of the project.
Crty of Palm Desert CR11 - Page 16 of 20 - June 4,2007
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Project Cost
Based on the information available,we offer these costs for the implementation of the CivicaAssist
system in Palm Desert.
------- -- __ _ _ -1 - ------- - - - -
License Data Con- Projec* Training Customization Total Costs
Fees version Mgmt
_--_-.-:.:---_—: __.,:-_..:.,. _. _-..... . __
II � Citizen (Customer) $24,600 TBD** $11,200 $3,200 TBD*** $39,000
I� Relationship
Mana ement
_ .. . --------
2 Annual maintenance $3,690****
(optional) I (+5% per year
afteryear II)
3 Additional optional $11,375
capability: Code
enforcement
enhanced case
mana ement
4 Additional optional $8,840
capability: lnterfaces �
for third party ' �
applications I
* Since Website content management will be provided by another firm. This also includes business
process and workflow configuration assistance and advice
** Data conversion costs may be accrued depending upon whether legacy information is to be
included at the time of installation.
*** Custom forms costs may be incurred if they are to be included at the time of installation.
**** Based upon 15%of our license fees
C�ty oi Palm Desert CRM - Pagc 17 of 20 - June 4,2007
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Future project alternatives (CONFIDENTIAL)
Code enforcement enhanced case management
As an example, the following is a summary of the case management system being built of the City of
Lakewood.While details may differ, this provides you with a view of the potential capabilities of the
CivicaAssist system.
City of Lakewood Case Management System
This screen shows all new, due, and past due cases assigned to the user who is logged in and is the
first screen viewed when logged in. It is
divided into three separate categories with ,. „�.�. �.�,��..
---- -..__._._.
all open cases to be reviewed to provide � '""" "" "" ""' -�"--�""°
new direction based on current status.The " ""' �L`�`y � �: -- - w:�` a�� �
� - ---. . . --- - --....
�
supervisor iogin will display all cases . ,,,.. o�„oRr„��, , ,i
� _.. ..- - ---.
assigned to the entire team. n •��--• �°""' -""' °°" - -°'�'°--�' '�"`
���P✓.i �:l !19YA Be�!�r�
L',. tw�+�w�+ '__ �.Si SCS _:_V.y hwlw�.. _____� .
%: r"r'�
v.n o..
,...... 'erm aaae .w.r mcm+ am�.
•S55n^iS IiPl.l 9.w�n O.Yhr'A V.If^.' ____p
`�. --lilsw�___..._. ._1�?72__ .---_9cM^n—"1dvY_..bK?9! �t`
J� i yrvlc�R�pw�l�taCw�JP0p1
^'1[1PlM' il�� Owv4�� .—'_____'......_—_4u1w� S1Y� �
LiYdldOt i � _ j....N ._ _ . •.'e _—... . . ..
N6Yf:BY
!Ie@ L�a�
lHW'Lst
Case Management
This screen is the main tool of the case management module. It will manage and track property
violations, document all communication,
�„oo?!��,,.,�w.� ; ,� ; �� correspondence, and make a variety of
.,.
� .,...�. _ '-�. ..�'r
- .�.... .� . .
! , � x =_� � : F ; •• -� necessary resources available to the
; 4 � �� m �� M U... operator. Open cases can be changed
; . :.,,, i•�= -9^ � � �-� L�= � � here. Closed cases can be viewed here
� , ,..,_ � y.,i.:.,.-_., _ -- .:�— ��_
,:: ... .. �
a •.�:- - -::- ---�M��-. .,....---.�:- but cannot be changed. The operator may
� �•-°•-�-� I ' ;� � ' call up a case by entering the case
r '"""" � � � � " ��� �� number manually or via a case number
� -- - -..�.. , I
� 'Y°'°"" �` ''"�` `""`"` " ' ' � link from another screen.
l �� .. . I . . '
I `'`"Uw'�' .� I — �
. . —��- — � I,-
i J,
, ..�_.__
• --�-�--- ------ ---
I __..._ - --'---------------..__.........-�-,...- -- --_ .
. +.tan �I � �;
�eb,�..cw I • I I I
� i
j,,,�n,a„ . � . I �. G '�I .. . . �
,.. . .4
.�..,»� ,.; .._, . ..
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---------._.._ ----- -------------- ...,,. ,
;Ma�crd,e.me ,......R�..� .—� �
City of Palm Desert Cl2M - Page 18 of 20 - June 4,2007
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Case Notes Section -Review Cases View
The operator can click on this to show or hide the existing case notes. If Show is selected, this
section will expand to show all case notes
with a scroll bar on the right if necessary. �n �� ,�„ ,_,�,,,,,,, � �,:
Each case note will include the date and ;.� ; �„ �-; . „ ;_'-� -•• ` . �,., ••-- • � "
� __ _ _ .. -
time entered, the operator ID, the note, an � -�-� s...:. ,
optional scheduled review date associated ��
� � �, . � �
;. ... �.r���� u ��,
I:::a . - •I� ':.r IL- J «l.�
with the note, and a link to the ' "` `�`
o ..�..�... �- ..- -.;:.. —
..
attachments pertaining to that case note. � -�-�.-- ';'� � . '��= y
The operator may access the attachments � �-� - - . ,.�...
� •� .. . {
by clicking on the attachments link with a • � � " _ _ `':
case note. Case notes can be sorted by �,.�, �r`� .., ' , ' �n
""",aa .: ._._. .
ascending or descending entry date or :. „ ��`"
; , ,:- _
review date by clicking on the respective �u,,� - � . ��'
�I ` .
_
column heading. �� _. " " �^ � ~w
�
�:�. - _ _
��.� ��'----=— _o ' r�y
nreuo. I� ,� .. _ i ,..J L-1i
u�aer� �� ..._ ._ . .- _-� �P �. �..
ro�.wr:uc ..:�
Case History
This screen allows the operator to see a list of all cases (open or closed)that have ever been
assigned to the address entered with its
'� �••�_^ — � corresponding service requests.
� 'C •.a+w 4UOn�� � �— 41t�Si�...i
� �
---� . . . �. . !xe��
' _----
! '�. ewo jf�! MM/�� Blols�.._SEIsL� i� _..__"_" � �
. .� � .......� .. _ .. .r _. __.___"_'_ �
, '-- '_"_'__—_ " ' . �
'♦ ..s. �v1 .1.+�.� wosa . --____"'_
n;� ren...: oxwa� �o..w.x;,.— _'
.� ,�...�. __.._..._.___.___ .
F2:: LVMn+, 02.�602 �:WK0346^2
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n p.... I
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..,.., c.�en� �... �... _ � ;
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.. ���d I ..�. -� .. .� . . ... � I
r
� 4�„"aS . . i
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i �
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.__.__............ . . . .. . .. . . . .. ..... . . .. ...
Audit Trail
An audit trail must be maintained for the following changes to any case.
• staff assignment change
• service request status change
• entering a violation complied date
• closingthe case
• re-opening the case(in the case of an error)
City of Palm Desert CR41 - Page 19 of 20 - June 4,2007
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Optional interfaces for third parties
While many third party applications used in a City have been upgraded to enable Wel�based systems
to gather information from them and incorporate that information into the primary system. However,
there are some...occasionally many, systems which are not Web-enabled. In these cases, dedicated
interfaces need to be written in order to make those older systems provide essential information into
the newer ones. Civica Software, with its experience in dozens of local governments with highly
differentiated infrastructures, is highly adept at creating those interfaces.
Crty of Palm Desert CRM - Page 20 of 20 - June 4,2007