HomeMy WebLinkAbout2011 10 10 Regular 602 Requesting Approval of VoIP Phone System Project
COMMISSION AGENDA
Informational
ITEM 602
Consent
Public Hearings
Regular X
October 10, 2011
Regular Meeting
Mgr. / Dept.
Authorization
REQUEST:
The Information Services Department requests authorization to purchase a
Voice over Internet Protocol phone system including all necessary
equipment and services to implement the phone system in the amount of
$277,000 from the selected vendor Veytec and to authorize the City
Manager and City Attorney to prepare and execute any and all applicable
documents.
SYNOPSIS:
The current phone system utilized by the City has become outdated, has
limited support, and offers little room for expansion to service the City’s
growing needs and demands placed upon Staff. Therefore a new phone
system is recommended to meet these challenging and expanding needs.
With customer service and satisfaction of paramount importance to the
City and staff a new phone system will be a tremendous asset and tool in
achieving this goal. While the technology implemented to achieve this
goal has been in the marketplace for many years and has a proven track
record in the Private sector to achieve these same goals it is becoming
more mainstream and adopted in the Public sector. Finally, with the many
features and options available in a new phone system the City and staff
will be better positioned to handle new challenges in the future.
CONSIDERATIONS:
The City’s current phone system was purchased and installed at the Police
Department in 1997. City Hall came on board a year later with other sites
following shortly thereafter.
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With the age of the system it is becoming more difficult to maintain, as
parts are becoming harder to find as time goes on. The phone system
needs to be replaced. As part of our research, we polled surrounding cities
to see what type of phone systems they have. All of the surrounding cities
within Seminole County have a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone
system.
The Information Services Department released a Request For Proposal in
June 2011 for a new VoIP phone system that included all costs associated
with the system for a three year period. Five bids were received and a
thorough review was conducted to evaluate and compare the proposals
received. The proposal that best suited the City’s needs and met the
requirements set forth in the RFP was from Veytec. The proposal
received is lower than the State contract for the referenced equipment.
If approved, the new phone system will be the first phase of a potential
three phase initiative designed to aid in providing greater customer service
and greater efficiencies in all departments. The three phases include:
1)A new Voice over IP phone system
2)An Enterprise Resource Planning software solution
3)City hall modifications and Lobby improvements
While these phases are mutually exclusive and can be decided on a case-
by-case basis, they do work together to achieve the goal of providing
outstanding customer service to the residents and businesses of Winter
Springs.
The first step in the process is replacing the City’s current PBX phone
system. The phone system is outdated with limited parts support and
reduced functionality undermining staff’s ability to provide greater
Customer service and meet new challenges faced by staff and the City.
Current limitations placed on the City by the present phone system
include:
1)Lack of call volume accountability – Current reporting capabilities are
limited in scope and fail to provide management an in-depth look at
current call volume handled within each department
2)Limited hardware support – Most parts available on the market today
are refurbished and have a very limited warranty once purchased
3)No integration with financial application – Most new systems can
interact with database systems to provide an array of calling features
for customers and organizations
4)No integration with email system – The current system cannot provide
support of voice mails attached to email messages for staff
5)Additional resources in the form of personnel are often needed to meet
any new demands placed upon the City
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6)Additional programming charges are required to make even minor
changes to the phone system. With the new VoIP system, that will be
greatly reduced.
While this is just a short list of limitations placed upon staff to providing
greater customer service, many of these can be overcome. Opportunities
to provide greater service can be found in many of the features of a new
phone system. The proposed VoIP phone system will provide the
following benefits and features to the City:
1)Reduction in operational maintenance cost
2)Flexibility to meet new demands placed on staff
3)Leverages technology to help determine appropriate staffing levels
4)Utilizes technology to become effective, efficient and build capacity
into the system for future growth demands
5)Potential for future operational savings
6)Ability to train customer service representatives and provide quality
assurance levels are met and a consistent message is delivered
7)Provides the flexibility to provide a single phone number to reach any
individual and switch call from desk phone to cellular phone and vice
versa (Single Reach Number with Mobility)
8)Ability to provide instant feedback and communication with users in
the City’s network (Presence capabilities)
9)Provide for capability to mine databases for customer information and
pass this data to the Customer Service Representative on their display
(Data dips)
10)Reduces the need for Adds, Move, and Changes when users are
relocated throughout the City
11)Greater reporting capabilities for managers to conduct and review call
volumes to ensure Customer Service levels are being meet
12)Cradle to Grave call reporting capability to provide management the
opportunity to analyze call history and ensure Customer Service
personnel are provided the resources to answer the caller’s request
With the many features available in a new phone system the City will be
better positioned to meet new challenges in the coming future.
FISCAL IMPACT:
$277,000 and funding is available from the Public Building Impact Fee
fund.
COMMUNICATION
EFFORTS:
This Agenda Item Has Been Electronically Forwarded to the Mayor and
City Commission, City Manager, City Attorney/Staff, And Is Available
on the City’s Website, LaserFiche, And The City’s Server. Additionally,
Portions Of This Agenda Item Are Typed Verbatim On The Respective
Meeting Agenda Which Has Also Been Electronically Forwarded To The
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Individuals Noted Above; And Which Is Also Available On The City’s
Website, LaserFiche, And The City’s Server; Has Been Sent To
Applicable City Staff, eAlert/eCitizen Recipients, Media/Press
Representatives Who Have Requested Agendas/Agenda Item
Information, Homeowner’s Associations/Representatives On File With
The City, And All Individuals Who Have Requested Such Information;
This Information Has Been Posted Outside City Hall, Posted Inside City
Hall With Additional Copies Available For The General Public, And
Posted At Five (5) Different Locations Around The City. Furthermore,
This Information Is Also Available To Any Individual Requestors. City
Staff Is Always Willing To Discuss This Agenda Item Or Any Agenda Item
With Any Interested Individuals.
RECOMMENDATION:
Information Services requests Commission approve the purchase of a new
Voice over IP phone system from the recommended vendor Veytec in the
amount of $277,000 and authorize the City Manager and City Attorney to
prepare and execute any and all applicable documents.
ATTACHMENTS:
None