Financial System Customer Information System and Utility Billing System

The Vendor is required to provide a fully integrated, Cloud-Based application information system for Financials, Customer Information System (CIS), Utility Billing System and a Customer Self Service Portal that allows the Utility to achieve goals.
- New solution:
• Reduce the need for staff to work around the system to accomplish a task
• Provide the customer with more options via self-service
• Automate time-consuming manual processes
• Avoid entering data manually between modules of the solution
• Increase proactive management in all areas of utility
• Increase overall engagement with customers
• Increase staff awareness of large-scale solution processes and downstream impacts
• Improve/Maintain current bill accuracy
• Enhance Business Intelligence and reporting capabilities
- After a manual bill correction process, a file is created and sent to a third-party printer for bill printing and mailing.
- System will include
• Finance Software modules
• CIS or CRM Software modules
• Utility Billing Software modules
• CSS Solution
• Implementation Services
• Integration Architecture
• Training
• System Documentation
• Data Dictionaries for all System Components
• Software Maintenance and Support
• Software Upgrades
• Software Licenses
• Hosted Environment Architecture
• Hosting fees
• Anything as a Service (XaaS/SaaS) fees
• Software Warranties - The selected software must be a COTS solution that has been successfully implemented in several other agencies similar in size, requirements, and function.
- CSS Solution may be a stand-alone system (keeping in mind that an overall goal of the new system is to minimize API’s) or may be included in the CIS system functionality.
- All modules must be cloud-based or hosted.
- The system must have a well-defined, all-inclusive upgrade process for future software releases.
- Development licenses for all system utilities and tools must be provided and will become the property of the utility upon system acceptance.
- The utility shall be the owner of all data contained within the solution.
-  The proposer shall provide the utility access to utility data at the utility's request in a mutually agreed upon format. 
- Such agreement shall not be unreasonably withheld.
- The proposer shall also provide access to any derivatives or alterations of utility data at the utility’s request.
- The selected system must be covered by continuing maintenance and enhancement services to guarantee a long useful life of product (use 10 years or more as a reference).
- All the utility data must be processed, stored, transmitted, and disposed of within the jurisdiction of the country.
- The vendor will not give access to the utility’s data to others.
- The solution must comply with all current government laws, rules, regulations, standards, and web-based transaction encryption standards.
- The system provider shall comply with the national institute of standards and technology guidelines for cyber security requirements.
- The system must be highly configurable. 
- Initial tailoring must be performed by proposer with the utility input.
- The utility prefers systems that do not require modification to the base code (customization). 
- Customizations must be properly documented and must be included with all future releases as part of the base code.
- The solution shall manage the inventory for several device types including water meters, sewer flow meters, transmitters, other associated devices, and backflows.
- The system shall manage meter reading routes and reads.
- The solution shall support multiple complex rate structures.
- The system shall allow a variety of complex bill types and scenarios.
- The system must support billing in gallons (GAL).
- The system must calculate the correct charges based on consumption and rates.
- Manual bill adjustments or corrections should be provided when necessary.
- The system must allow cashiers to accept various payment methods, including cash, checks, credit/debit cards, etc.
- The solution shall provide multiple and complex collection paths for managing outstanding balances.
- The system acts as a receivables subsidiary ledger keeping all debit and credit transactions in balance.
- The system must support OCR and have the ability to input invoices via scanning the paper document or drag and drop of an electronic copy of the invoice.
- The Solution shall allow users to create and manage a wide variety of Service Order types including, but not limited to Emergency, meter readings, meter exchanges, and turn on/off service with real-time updates between the office and field.
- The system shall provide in-house reporting capability for pre-programmed and Ad-Hoc reports made accessible within a system dashboard or internal web page.
- The Solution shall provide a modern customer self-service web portal for customers to see payments, bill history, pay bills, access My360, and obtain information regarding their services and account status all under a single sign-on.
- The customer self-service web portal shall allow customers to schedule future onetime payments. Online payments are processed via Authorize.net.
- Payment card data is not processed or stored within the solution, otherwise the solution shall be PCI compliant. 
- We have no Centralized Cash Receipt (CCR).
- The new solution needs two-way interfaces with banks and financial institutions to process customers’ payments and returned item files.
- Contract Period/Term: 1 year
- Mandatory Pre-Proposal Teleconference Date: July 11, 2025
- Questions/Inquires Deadline: July 25, 2025