Pending approval from the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, Marin County staff will invite computer software firms with government expertise to propose a new financial and human resource system to replace the County’s existing system, SAP.
A request for proposal (RFP) has been developed by the County’s Information Services and Technology (IST) staff based on input from hundreds of employees and an 18-month long exhaustive review of technical needs and business practices to ensure the next computer system improves efficiency and saves the County money over the long run.
The County implemented its SAP software system nearly eight years ago. The previous implementation did not go well, and County officials are committed to do better.
“We have learned from the painful lessons of our previous implementation,” Hymel said. “We are taking a very deliberate and cautious approach this time.” For example, the RFP has been vetted by an executive steering committee of department directors, a working group of citizens and experts from other government agencies, and a subcommittee of the Board of Supervisors.
Responses to the RFP will be accepted until Dec. 16. County staff will consider vendor experience, software functionality, costs, implementation approaches, input from employees who will use the system, and ongoing savings to be generated in making its recommendation to the Board of Supervisors. Finalists will be invited to give product demonstrations in February and March 2014, and staff plans to recommend a vendor to the Board of Supervisors by summer 2014.