Financial Systems for Small Cities

1
Financial Systems for Small Cities

• Roundtable discussion successes and lessons
  learned

2
Financial Systems for Small Cities

• Laurie Brewer, Director of Finance, City of Hutto
• Sidney Kirk Assistant Finance Director City
  of White Settlement

3
Financial Systems

• How to determine whether you should upgrade your
  current system or purchase a new system
• Right-sizing your system
• Should you prepare an RFP
• Choosing the RIGHT software for your city
• Implementation
• Lessons Learned
• Questions and Answers

4
Upgrade or New System?

• Identify what is not working in current system
• Document your calls to the software help desk
• Training issues
• Set up issues
• Did you purchase all of the modules or
  functionality that makes the software work well
• Some companies will scale down their software
  to make it affordable, but you lose functionality

5
Upgrade or Purchase?

• Meet with your software representative or
  salesperson
• Review alternatives
• TML is a good opportunity to see many different
  software in various price ranges
• Set up a demo for your City from a couple that
  you like
• Decision time!

6
New Systems Rightsizing PLAN AHEAD!

• What are your needs for the next 10 years
• Will the software I am looking at grow with my
  city (if you are growing)
• Will I be able to add functionality as the citys
  needs change
• Review the basics
• Utility Billing G/L payroll budget
  purchasing, etc.
• Review additional functions that you could add
  later, as needed (and as you can afford them)
• Budget preparation for depts purchase
  requisitions centralized warehouse time entry
  employee benefits administration, GIS, etc.

7
Request for Proposals for New Systems

• Many software companies are on the state
  purchasing program
• Pros
• No RFP process required
• Easy and efficient
• Great process if you know what you want
• Cons
• May can get a better price if you do an RFP
• All software not on the program

8
Request for Proposals for New Systems

• Preparing an RFP
• Pros
• Forces you to identify the specifications that
  you are looking for
• No surprises
• Easier to compare two or more companies
• Governing body may support decision more if you
  use this process
• Cons
• Time consuming to prepare
• Time consuming to review and analyze

9
RFP Tips

• Keep the specifications simple
• Have all staff review and participate
• Identify your current technology infrastructure
• Request that each responder give you financing
  options
• May give you leasing or other options that make a
  better software more affordable for your city

10
Requests for Proposals

• Who has prepared an RFP for software?
• Who has purchased from the state program?

11
Choosing the right software

• Get everyone involved in the decision
• City Manager, down to the users
• Departments that may use modules of the software
  later
• Information Technology staff!!!!
• Prepare a script for each demonstration
• Helps you control the demo not the sales person
• Tasks you spend the most time on - examples
• Utility billing set up an account disconnect
  bill calculation
• Payroll set up an employee enter hours

12
Choosing the right software

• What process have you used to select the right
  software? What would you do differently?

13
Planning Your Implementation

• Steps
• Determine which system should be implemented
  first review with software rep
• Set a calendar for implementation
• Set up your General Ledger
• Take your time plan ahead so that you have a
  flexible G/L structure
• Be flexible
• Utilize your time with the trainer/software
  implementer wisely!
• Use your best personnel to learn the software
  either backfill daily operations with temps or
  close (if possible) to dedicate time to set up
  and training
• Spend the money to have the software company help
  you set up the system
• Pays off for years

14
Planning Your Implementation

• Implementation Stories Does anyone want to
  share their successful or challenging
  implementations?

15
Lessons Learned

• Tips from the group
• Questions and Answers