Item No.
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
BY: STEPHEN W. HANNAH, DIRECTOR OF FINANCE
DATE: JULY 25, 2023
SUBJECT: CONTRACT AND LICENSING AGREEMENT WITH SIMPLER SYSTEMS, INC. FOR THE PROVISION OF A CITYWIDE FINANCIAL DAT A AND
REPORTING INTERFACE
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City Council will consider approving a License and Consulting Services Agreement with Simpler Systems, Inc. for the provision of a financial data and reporting tool for a two- year term, beginning July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2025, with the option for three additional one-year extensions.
RECOMMENDATION
That the City Council:
Approve a License and Consulting Services Agreement with Simpler Systems, Inc. for the development and the provision of a Citywide budget and financial information reporting tool for a two-year term, beginning July 1, 2023 with the optional extension of three additional one-year extensions for a total contract amount of up to $$73,250.
BACKGROUND
The City has been using the Eden Financial System (Eden) since Fiscal Year (FY) 1999- 2000. During this more than 23-year period, the City’s Finance Department (Finance) and City staff have relied on SAP Crystal Reports to deliver budget and financial information and reports to departments for their management needs.
Unfortunately, these Crystal Reports do not deliver the financial data in an efficiently useable format. Additionally, each time there is a change to the City’s chart of accounts, such as the addition of a new fund or expense code, the Crystal Reports have to be manually edited by staff, which can be time consuming. Finally, the City relies on a single contracted employee to maintain the City’s Crystal Reports, which can cause reporting delays if the individual is not readily available.
Eden also provides a number of financial reports. While these reports have been sufficient to support Finance operations and program and annual audits, in most cases,
APPROVED BY
CITY MANAGER
APPROVAL OF LICENSING AND CONSULTING AGREEMENT SERVICES WITH SIMPLER
SYSTEMS, INC
JULY 25, 2023
PAGE 2
the format provided does not fit the needs of the department without significant and time - consuming efforts to mold the presentation into the format requested or needed. The inability to efficiently “mine” data from Eden results in a significant and costly amount of time being added to many day-to-day, weekly, monthly, and annual tasks.
Simpler Systems (Simpler) provides a user-friendly data tool that will allow the City to efficiently access data confined within the Eden system, and provide budget and Financial reports to City departments and Finance in a useable and scalable format. It also can be used to significantly limit data conversion costs when the City upgrades to a new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software over the next few years as Eden ends its supported lifespan.
With Simpler as the data warehouse for the City’s historical Eden-based data, Finance will be able to maintain financial history and transfer financial information data across Eden System’s lifespan into whatever new system the City procures. Additionally, the user interface to budget and demonstrate financial data will have minimal changes reducing change management issues related to a new system implementation.
ANALYSIS
Simpler is a more than 25-year old company that has specialized in providing government entities with an intuitive, scalable, user friendly interface to their data. Their product can and has been used to access data from multiple data bases outside of the finance world to include Utility Billing, Permits, Human Resources, and Public Safety.
Simpler compiles the data from a user's perspective leading to an intuitive interface that lets anyone navigate data independently. Simpler developers work side by side with clients and their data to create templates for common data presentations and customized data tools based on the client’s unique business needs.
Their unique approach which includes understanding of the size and use of the clients existing databases, allows the customized tool to more efficiently mine data and present it in a format both useable and understandable at all levels of the organization. The result is transparent data, with more efficient faster access and enhanced usability. City staff would then have data in a more accessible format to understand trends and help validate decisions.
Some key values of this system are:
• As data changes, the tool is automatically updated to include new codes and values.
• Immediate access to near real-time data, no need to send requests for support to extract data.
• Minimal training – Simpler is simple and intuitive for new users to learn.
APPROVAL OF LICENSING AND CONSULTING AGREEMENT SERVICES WITH SIMPLER
SYSTEMS, INC
JULY 25, 2023
PAGE 3
• Increases the data IQ and removes the risk of having a single data expert or process owner.
• Interactive experience, ability to view aggregated data, identify trends, and then drill down to see transaction or entry level detail.
• Data is easily portable to a pdf, Microsoft Excel, or comma separated values (csv) file in order to share with other applications or create a point-in-time report • Ability to share data by pasting the URL in an email along with relevant comments. • No desktop software installation or updates are required – no in-house technical support.
The initial implementation for Simpler would be for the Eden system and platform. The pricing for this implementation is structured as follows:
1. License – a one-time license fee for the Simpler product ($17,500). This is an enterprise license for an unlimited number of users and is based on the application, modules, and the size of organization.
2. Consulting/Professional Services – this is based on the number of hours required to setup, install, and customize Simpler for an organization. It is a not-to- exceed amount and will be invoiced for actual hours worked (up to 200 hours at $200 / hour).
3. Maintenance – The monthly maintenance charge ($1,750 per month) for ongoing use of the Simpler platform and synchronization of data.
Finance staff has begun the process of surveying City department ’s users to determine their desired financial information needs and presentation. Finance is also working to develop the chart of account roll-ups to be incorporated with the Simpler for Eden tool for the City of Downey.
As an example of a near-term benefit of this tool, Finance believes that by using Simpler they could save days to weeks of work related to the upcoming annual audit alone. This is done by reducing the time needed to format financial data for use and /or analysis, providing reports in the format needed for audit review and by p roviding the external auditors access to the Simpler reporting tool.
CITY COUNCIL PRIORITIES
Fiscal Responsibility
Efficiency and Adaptability
FISCAL IMPACT
Approval of the recommended action will result in an expenditure of up to $73,250 in the General Fund, Finance Department, Account No. 10-4-1350-0700 as previously
APPROVAL OF LICENSING AND CONSULTING AGREEMENT SERVICES WITH SIMPLER
SYSTEMS, INC
JULY 25, 2023
PAGE 4
approved in the FY 2023-2024 operating budget. For fiscal year’s after 2023-24, the annual cost will be $21,000.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A: Simpler Systems Licensing and Consulting Agreement Attachment B: Simpler Client List
Attachment C: Simpler References
SimplerforTylerEdenLicensing&ProfessionalServices1LICENSE&CONSULTINGSERVICESAGREEMENTBETWEENTHECITYOFDOWNEYANDSIMPLERSYSTEMS,INC.FORTYLEREDENLICENSING&PROFESSIONALSERVICESTHISAGREEMENTforconsultingservicesismadebyandbetweentheCityofDowney(“City”)andSimplerSystems,Inc.(“Consultant”)(togethersometimesreferredtoasthe“Parties”)asofAugust1,2023(the“EffectiveDate”).Section1.SERVICES.SubjecttothetermsandconditionssetforthinthisAgreement,ConsultantshallprovidetoCitytheservicesdescribedintheScopeofWorkattachedasExhibitAatthetimeandplaceandinthemannerspecifiedtherein.IntheeventofaconflictinorinconsistencybetweenthetermsofthisAgreementandExhibitA,theAgreementshallprevail.1.1TermofServices.Theinitialtwo(2)yeartermofthisAgreementshallbeginontheEffectiveDateandshallendonJune30,2025unlessearlierterminationasprovidedwithin.ThetermofthisAgreementmaybeextendedbythree(3)additional1-yeartermsbywrittenamendmenttothisagreementsignedbytheCityManagerandtheConsultant.1.2StandardofPerformance.ConsultantshallperformallservicesrequiredpursuanttothisAgreementinthemannerandaccordingtothestandardsobservedbyacompetentpractitioneroftheprofessioninwhichConsultantisengaged.Consultantshallcomplywithallapplicablecounty,stateandfederallaws,ordinances,rulesandregulationsnowineffect,subsequentlyamendedorhereafterenactedinthecourseofConsultant’sperformanceoftheservices..1.3AssignmentofPersonnel.ConsultantshallassignonlycompetentpersonneltoperformservicespursuanttothisAgreement.IftheCity,initssolediscretion,atanytimeduringthetermofthisAgreement,desiresthereassignmentofanysuchpersons,Consultantshall,immediatelyuponreceivingnoticefromCityofsuchdesireofCity,reassignsuchpersonorpersons.1.4Time.ConsultantshalldevotesuchtimetotheperformanceofservicespursuanttothisAgreementasmaybereasonablynecessarytomeetthestandardofperformanceprovidedinSubsection1.2aboveandtosatisfyConsultant’sobligationshereunder.Section2.COMPENSATION.CityherebyagreestopayConsultantasumnottoexceed$57,500notwithstandinganycontraryindicationsthatmaybecontainedinConsultant'sproposal,whichshallinclude:(1)paymentforprofessionalconsultingservicestobeperformedattherateof$200perhour;(2)reimbursablecostsincurredunderthisAgreementpursuanttoSection2.ofthisagreement;and(3)aone-timesoftwareLicensefeeintheamountof$17,500tobepaidtoConsultantonAugust1,2023orwhentheprojectbegins,whicheverislater_.Anadditional$1,750ongoingmonthlylicenseandmaintenancefeewhichisnotpartofthenottoexceedamountwillbepaidiftheCitycontinuestouseSimplerSystemsuponcompletionofimplementation.IntheeventofaconflictbetweenthisAgreementandConsultant’sproposal,attachedasExhibitA,regardingtheamountofcompensation,theAgreementshallprevail.CityshallpayConsultantforservicesrenderedpursuanttothisAgreementatthetimeandinthemannersetforthherein.ThepaymentsspecifiedbelowshallbetheonlypaymentsfromCitytoConsultantforservicesrenderedpursuanttothisAgreement.ConsultantshallsubmitallinvoicestoCityinthemannerspecifiedherein.ExceptasspecificallyauthorizedbyCityinwriting,ConsultantshallnotbillCityforduplicateservicesperformedbymorethanoneperson.Page1of1265186.00000\41399895.1ATTACHMENT A
CLIENT LISTING – 2023
MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT
City of Dublin
City of Long Beach
City of Louisville, CO
City of Monterey
City of Santa Cruz
City of South San Francisco
City of Tustin
COUNTY GOVERNMENTS
County of Mendocino
County of Riverside
County of San Bernardino
County of Santa Barbara
County of Santa Cruz
County of Solano
County of Sonoma
County of Tulare
County of Ventura
SUPERIOR COURTS
Superior Court of California, County of Yolo
Superior Court of California, County of Santa Barbara
Superior Court of California, County of Ventura
EDUCATION
El Camino College
Pepperdine University
San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools
Santa Barbara City College
Westmont College
1 | P a g e
ATTACHMENT B
CLIENT LISTING – 2023
2 | Page
SPECIAL DISTRICTS
Fresno Irrigation District
Marina Coast Water District
Soquel Creek Water District
South Coast Water District
West County Wastewater District
CLIENT REFERENCES
VENTURA COUNTY EMPLOYEES’ RETIREMENT ASSOCIATION
Ms. Amy Herron, Chief Operations Officer
(805) 339-4265 | [email protected]
Amy formerly worked at the County of Santa Barbara which use Simpler for Financial, Property Tax (legacy and current), Human Resources, and few smaller datasets. She then moved to the Auditor Controller’s officer at the County of Ventura where she implemented datapps for the Human Resources and Payroll system. We have just begun talks to implement datapps for the retirement data in her current organization.
COUNTY OF SANTA CRUZ
Ms. Edith Driscoll, Auditor-Controller / Treasurer-Tax Collector 831-454-2683 | [email protected]
Ms. Laura Bowers, Chief Deputy Auditor-Controller
831-454-2684 | [email protected]
The County of Santa Cruz has been a customer since 1999 for legacy data in FAMIS, a new implementation of OneSolution, and most recently for their move to Finance Enterprise. We also provide datapps for Property Tax and an ‘in-house’ developed payroll application.
COUNTY OF SONOMA
Ms. Debbie Lindley, EFS Program Manager
(707) 565-8328 | [email protected]
The County of Sonoma uses Simpler for Financial (legacy and new PeopleSoft implementation) and Human Resources (multiple data sources). We recently completed an upgrade of their Enterprise Financial System to our new Simpler Platform.
CITY OF DUBLIN
Mr. Christopher Rhoades, Financial Analyst
(925) 833-6604 | [email protected]
The City of Dublin uses Simpler for Financial data. The City has used Simpler with Tyler’s Eden software until recently. We are in the testing and validation stage of a Simpler Platform upgrade and moving to the Tyler Munis datapps.
ATTACHMENT C