Finance And Procurement Of The Lexington City Council

Finance and Procurement In 2008, the Lexington City Council (LCC) initiated its first first attempt to overhaul the procurement and finance infrastructure located in the city of Lexington, NC. When the overhaul began the primary focus was upon updating very outdated systems that were left over from the early 1990s. Many believed that significant growth could be achieved by upgrading the finance, human resources and payroll information technology and communication (ITC) systems. Not only had technology and services become more advanced and complex, but also the requirements of the LLC staff had advanced beyond the technology currently being utilized. In, 2009, the leading requirements pursued were: †¢ A more manageable, receptive, unified†¦show more content†¦The LLC board of directors requested a comprehensive report of requirements including an examination of major procedures. Requirements were acknowledged by conducting workshops and meetings with the most substantial platform users. In order to identify strategic areas for potential upgrading, flow charts were developed to explain the municipal ITC platform structure. Suppliers were asked to give precise instructions as to how these requirements would be met and responsiveness was a key consideration for the issuance of contracts. In addition to responsiveness, stability, longevity within the industry, technical capacity, track record, future business objectives and cost were also important considerations. Risk management concerns were key as well and strategic plans for managing risk were included as part of the whole strategic initiative. In addition to considering current risk management issues, proper c onsideration was given to being every vigilant with regard to future risk. The major risks considered were: †¢ Insufficient software with complex licensing requirements. †¢ Lack of capable employees. †¢ Scope extension due to ongoing LLC plans. †¢ Insufficient responses to contract offer. †¢ Mismatch between software and end user needs †¢ Difficulty accomplishing the outstanding requirements by modified development or de-scoping. By 2010, the LCC had put out a Request for Proposal (RFP) and held onsite appointments.