Explanation
BACKGROUND
This ordinance authorizes the City Auditor to contract with OnActuate Consulting US Inc. for professional services to support, maintain, and enhance the City’s financial system, Dynamics 365 Finance (D365). It also authorizes the expenditure of $675,000.00 for maintenance and support services and $450,000.00 from the Auditor Bond Fund for software capability enhancements, for a total of $1,125,000.00.
D365, developed by Microsoft, has served as the City’s financial system since January 1, 2021, supporting essential functions such as accounting, accounts payable/receivable, budgeting, cashiering, fixed assets, procurement, sealed bidding, and vendor management. It also serves as the primary data source for the City’s Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) and debt issuance reports. Keeping this system fully operational, current, updated, and adaptable to evolving needs is critical to City operations.
OnActuate Consulting US Inc. will act as the City's designated Microsoft partner, filing support cases and assisting City staff with Dynamics updates, fixes, and feature applications. They will also provide consulting and technical expertise for the Auditor’s cloud environment in Azure, Point of Sale extensions, and Power Platform development with authorized access to the City’s environments, DevOps, and Visual Studio subscriptions. The City lacks the in-house staffing and expertise to manage these services or develop new system functionalities using Dynamics 365, Azure, and Power platform tools. These tools enable developers to extend system functionality, adjust the user interface, and implement custom business logic without altering the core application code. Having Microsoft certified and platform experienced professionals is essential for maintaining operational readiness and enhancing this critical system’s capabilities.
To procure these services, the City Auditor’s Office issued Request for Proposals (RFP#RFQ027970) in accordance wit...
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