San Rafael, CA – The Marin County Board of Supervisors have approved more than $14 million in expenditures for a new software system to support the County of Marin’s administrative functions of business operations, including budgeting, accounting, purchasing, payroll and human resources management.
After more than four years of research and due diligence, the County took a step closer to implement a new finance, payroll and human resources system using Tyler Technologies software. The Board authorized a contract with Tyler Technologies worth $8,171,357 as part of the ATOM project, short for Administrative Technologies of Marin.
The agreement is the culmination of extensive work by hundreds of County employees throughout the County and led by the departments of Finance, Information Services and Technology, Human Resources and the County Administrator Office. An exhaustive, 18-month review of the County’s business and technical needs concluded that the County could enhance its business processes and save the County money over the long run.
“It was a very thoughtful and deliberate process,” County Administrator Matthew Hymel said. “We brought in experts, established an ad hoc working group of outside advisers and engaged 150 of our employees to establish criteria and standards for issuing the request for proposals. All the vendors remarked that they had never seen employees so engaged in a vender review process. I feel, at this point, that we’ve done our best and we’re looking forward to implementing a new system. A lot of hard work is ahead of us.”
Napa County Auditor/Controller Tracey Schultze was a member of the ad hoc group that monitored the selection process. “When people look at government, they look at things like buildings and roads,” she said. “They don’t think about internal infrastructure such as a system like this. It’s the glue that holds it all together, and it’s a big investment. I’m excited for Marin County and I’m a little jealous.”
Texas-based Tyler Technologies, founded in 1966, is the largest software company in the nation solely focused on providing integrated software and technology services to public sector agencies including cities, counties, states and school districts.
The County implemented an SAP software system in 2006. Although it remains in use today and handles basic tasks, the system never achieved the desired functionality. In August 2010, the Board of Supervisors approved the exploration of a replacement system rather than upgrading the SAP system. More details were explained in a staff report presented to the Supervisors.
The value of the Tyler contract is not to exceed $8,171,357. The total allocation of $14,057,370 from the General Fund would cover internal costs such as additional staffing, equipment and third-party support. The one-time expenditure would be allocated from funds set aside over the past few years to replace the SAP system.