Agency Human Services Dept

Contractor Emerald City Software

SWIFT Contract Number 124090

Project Name Staff Scheduling Software

Project Number (if applicable) {Empty}

Summarize purpose of the contract, including why it was necessary: Contractor designed and implemented staff scheduling software

Project Duration

Start Date Mon, 05/01/2017 - 00:00

Original end date Tue, 04/30/2019 - 00:00

Actual end date Fri, 04/30/2021 - 00:00

Did project finish on time? Yes

Total billable hours utilized (if applicable) {Empty}

Contract Amounts

Original contract: $235000

Amendments $895054

Contract total $1130054

Did project finish within budget? Yes

What was the funding source? State appropriated

Is this a sole source contract? Yes

If this was a single source contract, explain why the agency determined there was only a single source for the services (if applicable) Contractor's proprietary software was in place at MSOP. PTK-124090 was to expand same software at other DCT sites.

Evaluator Name Marie Rose

Evaluator Email Address marie.rose@state.mn.us

Evaluate the contractor's timeliness Requests have improved in past 3 mos for MHSAT, CBS, Forensics and MSOP. Current projects are more timely, sometimes frustrating if you have to ask more than once. Each area may have different performance outcomes. Smart phones have been lagging in overall performance and quality for all sites.

Evaluate the contractor's quality Quality of overall work is moderate. Quality assurance to assure that new work does not alter existing functionality is tedious. This takes many DHS staff hours to complete due to fix of one issue may lead to a problem on a new issue on functionality. This is an ongoing issue. Vendor does address issue timely, but one fix may lead to another issue. Sometimes issues will reoccur after fix is in place months later.

Evaluate the contractor's cost Nothing to compare to.

Evaluate the contractor's overall performance Each area MHSAT, MSOP, CBS, Forensics/Atlas and Centurion/Payroll all have various program requests that need to be addressed in a timely manner. It seems there's too many requests that are needed in the various DCT programs and not enough support from Emerald City sometimes to handle all requests. Some sites have reported there work request have to be tabled to accommodate other division requests or new projects that may take precedent in request process. Case of MHSATS requesting Leave Balance addition and it took over a year to accommodate the request. Smart phones have not been working optimally for all users. application does not seem to accommodate updates to phones for the atlas application. technology is always changing and the application should accommodate for this.

Would you engage the contractor's services again? Yes

Describe any negative action taken during the duration of this contract (i.e., termination, pursuit of suspension, etc.): An audit of overall maintenance service hours used was given by Emerald City to each area recently. This has been the first audit given by vendor to DCT, even though DCT has been working with vendor for the past several years. No other audit has been given until this year. On the audit there was extensive maintenance overage usage by DCT. There was no transparency or prior warning given by vendor on exceeding hours. No transparency on when hours started or ended for each request, or when the request came through by the corresponding unit. Vendor did not give any advance notice of over hours exceeded at time of overage - vendor completed requested maintenance that was over hours without giving DCT the opportunity to access if request was an absolute necessity. Business was not able to access/ decide if need of request equaled the additional cost that would come with update. There was no opportunity for DCT to review the risks/ costs of needed upgrade to access need as high, medium or low. No monthly, quarterly or annual audit was given to DCT to review throughout the year and to act accordingly with used hours and needed work to be completed with hours given. Request falling outside of annual hours given that exceeded the areas of development, testing, data analysis, business process design hours were not transparent. Additionally, if request was not in the maintenance contract no transparency was given until project had already started. More transparency is needed by DCT to make a complete business decision on submitted request at time of request vs after the fact.

Please rate the overall experience with the contractor 3 - neutral