By Pepper Parr
October 30th 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
Burlington’s Digital Services department has grown to become massive; it just might be the largest in the city.
What does it all amount to?
In the next decade the city expects to spend $70 million on digital services.
As the city moves away from paper copies of documents the software systems being developed will allow each department to share what it has in the way of data with every other department. Linking everything is complex and requires software that can handle and manage the data flow. When a department makes a change to a document – every other department that needs that data will have it at their fingertips instantly.
The Pipeline to Permit dashboard is a very good example. Click on the link below and play with it. All kinds of data that is available in real-time.
You can access this dashboard by clicking HERE
The city web site to be upgraded:
The good news for those who use the city’s web site is that it is to undergo a revision.
The funding request is essential for the ongoing support, enhancement, and promotion of the City’s online communications and engagement platforms, as well as the customer service options they enable. To facilitate community use of online services and improve communication and engagement with residents, we must ensure that the City’s website remains inclusive, continuously evolves, and is responsive to customers’ needs. Investments in these areas are crucial to meet the growing demands of the city and its residents.
Upcoming initiatives include
- Enhancements to support ongoing phase 3 of web modernization project and potential impacts from KPMG web architecture review
- Enhancements to support any non-project scoped integrations to ERP, EAMS, AIMS, or other emergent projects
- Enhancements to support future development and integration of CIAM single identity login.
- Potential full site renewal in 2026
Wifi for buses
It was a service the public wanted. Will every bus route have the service?
Provide free Wi-Fi network on all conventional and specialized buses to all customers who board with a Wi-Fi enabled device such as a smartphone, laptop computer or tablet.
Once connected, customers will be directed to the Burlington communication channels. Enhanced digital connectivity builds on one of transit’s competitive advantages and provides the ability to dedicate attention to digital devices to get work done and remain connected while travelling.
Wi-Fi on buses will provide improved connectivity to the bus to support enhanced operations and maintenance, revenue opportunities, operator and public safety solutions and other future opportunities.
This initiative also aligns with customer survey feedback to provide Wi-Fi on buses.
Automated Speed Enforcement Program.
The software is in support of the Automated Speed Enforcement Program. The initial rollout of the program will look to implement 6 cameras. The program, with the cameras and this required software, will deploy an additional effective tool to mitigate speeding and the resulting impacts (collision severity and customer requests relating to speeding and aggressive driving).
Emergency operations
This is for the equipment required for the Emergency Operations Co-ordinator (EOC).
Emergency operations at the time were just not up to the job of managing the problems that resulted from continuous rainfall.
The city learned during the July flooding that there were not enough people with the right equipment to handle the increase in communications to stay on top of what was taking place in real-time.
As an outcome of EOC drills, additional IT accessories have been recommended to ensure that staff working from the EOC have the required equipment to operate during hybrid activations, and to ensure that there is sufficient redundancy in the telecommunications systems available to ensure that the EOC can continue operating effectively if there are outages with our primary telecommunications service providers.
Municipal election
This project provides funds to acquire technology that enhances the citizen experience for the municipal election. The funds will be used: for software, hardware to perform automated ballot scanning and tabulation, laptops, Internet connections, and barcode scanners.
Digital and business transformation
The Enterprise Asset Management Solution (EAMS) Project is focused on digital and business transformation in the areas of asset maintenance and asset planning, identified as a priority in Council’s Vision to Focus document. To date, a $4,356,300 capital order has been established for the project through the 2018-2030 capital budgets for the solution/implementation services, staffing resources, hardware and project contingency. Since the previous budget request submission, the EAMS solution/implementation services RFP was issued, proposals were evaluated, a recommended proponent was selected and contract negotiations commenced. During this period, the project schedule has been refined increasing implementation period by 18 months and additional expenditures were identified. Additional funding of $500,000 is required to support project delivery, bringing the total EAMS capital budget to $4,856,300. These additional funds are required to support staffing for additional 18 months, mobile devices for staff, additional technology infrastructure, data preparation and migration to the new EAMS solution and additional contingency reserve.
Customer experience
While the city is committed to enhancing its Customer Experience – making it happen has taken years. The strategy in place to address the challenges identified during the initial implementation of our Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system needed significant changes. In alignment with the evolving Digital Business Strategy, we are embarking on a new CRM rollout. This initiative began with the development and deployment of a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) in a specific area, allowing us to assess the system’s effectiveness before broader implementation.
The upgraded CRM solution will significantly improve our capacity to connect with customers, understand their needs and preferences, and cultivate more personalized relationships. It will streamline access to City services and information, optimizing customer interactions across all channels. Additionally, the new technology will provide enhanced data insights, supporting more informed decision-making and enabling ongoing refinement of our service delivery.
End of life for software is a reality.
Existing corporate and department applications and existing technology infrastructure all require scheduled upgrades. Upgrades provide vendor support compliance, improved functionality, issue resolution, and technology currency. Without upgrades, vendor support expires, technology becomes obsolete, performance is jeopardized and security concerns intensify. If left too long, systems fail and business continuity is at risk.
Each year systems and assets reach end of life. Support will no longer be available unless an upgrade is undertaken. Examples of anticipated renewals include the telephone system and network hardware.
In 2025 there will be a major focus on upgrades / enhancements to various software and physical hardware infrastructure.
Phasing m365 solutions
This project is a phased enablement of M365 (The M stands for Microsoft) solutions such as OneDrive and SharePoint to strengthen collaboration, data exchange and productivity throughout the enterprise while supporting a hybrid workforce. Enhancement of licensing for enterprise mobility and security licenses to improve our security and cyber readiness. A plan for future permanent administration and support requirements will be developed.
Public expects extensive online, enablement, and self-serve options for service delivery.
Citizens, businesses, and employees now expect extensive online, enablement, and self-serve options for service delivery. To meet these expectations and fulfill our commitment to a digital vision, we have identified significant resource, process, skill, and technology gaps that could impede our ability to achieve our Vision to Focus (V2F) and Digital Transformation goals.
To bridge these gaps, we are executing a multi-year roadmap. This project provides essential funds to acquire new applications and infrastructure, ensuring our business services remain robust and future ready. As technology evolves at a rapid pace, this capital budget allows for agile adaptation to emerging needs and opportunities.
Our focus is on several key initiatives (i.e. – portal and digital identity) and themes:
Digital Transformation: Investing in digital solutions to modernize our operations, enhance service delivery, and improve overall efficiency. By leveraging the latest technologies, we aim to streamline processes, reduce manual work, and provide better support to our staff and citizens.
Digital Twinning of Services: Developing virtual models designed to reflect our physical services, enabling more efficient management, decision making and delivery of services to our citizens and businesses.
Application Rationalization: Assessing and optimizing our existing application portfolio to eliminate redundancies, reduce complexity, and ensure we are using the best tools for our needs. This approach will not only improve performance but also result in cost savings.
Cost Optimization: Strategically managing our IT investments to maximize value and minimize expenses. By adopting a cost-conscious approach, we will ensure that every dollar spent contributes to our strategic goals and enhances our service offerings.
Emerging Technologies: Exploring and implementing cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and cloud computing. These advancements will enable us to stay ahead of the curve and provide innovative solutions to our community.
Positive Outcomes for Organizational Goals: Aligning our IT initiatives with the broader organizational objectives outlined in the Vision to Focus plan. Our investments will support the Red Carpet, Red Tape Initiative, environmental stewardship, housing pledges and other priority projects, driving success and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
Citizen-Centric Services: Ensuring our technology investments directly benefit the lives of our citizens. By focusing on user-friendly and accessible solutions, we aim to enhance the quality of life for all community members, providing them with efficient, responsive, and reliable services.
Chad Macdonald serves as the TITLE for the city. Before his arrival from Halifax the city didn’t have anyone with the depth needed to move the city into the digital world. Chad had the capacity to see the really big picture and convince then City Manager Tim Commisso that huge changes had to be made if the city was to move into the digital world.
Commisso bought the understanding Macdonald brought with him and it appears that CAO Hassaan Bait is going along with it as well. The city is certainly spending a tonne of money making it happen.
The Dashboard (Click HERE to look at it) that Mayor Meed Ward maintains is a leading practice that municipalities across the country will eventually use, is an impressive piece of software. Our question is – How many people actually use it. It just might be one of those “nice to have” but not really worth what it cost to create it.
Replacement of the current IT Service Management product
This project is for a replacement of the current IT Service Management product, which is unable to meet all required business needs. With the move towards cross departmental support teams for various corporate solutions, a new solution is required to better manage staff incidents and requests. Benefits will include improved customer satisfaction, reduction in turnaround time with requests and incidents, and better support as we move to a hybrid workforce. The request for this year is for the additional modules and consulting work for enhancements.
Establishing foundational common and reusable platforms,
The Customer Centric Digital Architecture Blueprint supports the Burlington Digital Business Strategy through establishing foundational common and reusable platforms, and at the same time is open to agility, flexibility and innovations so that the City can respond to ever-growing demand and expectations from the City’s customers in this new digital-era and other disruptive factors that drive the change. The funding is to support planning and implementing the Customer Centric Digital Architecture Blueprint, through an incremental approach, with initial focus on Portal and Web Form Platform and Customer Identity and Access Management Platform; Future platforms also include a Secure Online Payment Platform, a Unified Customer Notification Platform, Application and Data Integration Platforms, and other data and security platforms.
Fund and implement critical enhancements to the Workday platform188
This project aims to fund and implement critical enhancements to the Workday platform. The scope includes improving Payroll and Time Tracking (PATT), optimizing Benefits integration with OMERS and Sunlife, and enhancing system integrations. Additionally, the project will focus on streamlining financial operations, refining business processes for greater efficiency, and ensuring the necessary bi-annual professional setups are completed to maintain system performance and compliance.
IT Security
The City’s IT Security Program is an important aspect of corporate risk management. The goal of the Program is to protect information assets, be resilient to cyber threats and to enable our IT staff and City services to innovate while maintaining a secure environment. Technology enhancements are required to develop and maintain an IT Security Program. In 2025, the Program will address Security Event and Information Management and control enhancements outlined in existing work plans as well as audit recommendations.
Funds required to cover the hardware and software for each information technology new employee
Provide information technology equipment required for new positions. This may include laptops, mobile devices, monitors, annual increase in electronic document storage and back-up, etc.
Based on budget estimates, this expense reflects the average cost per new position with job requirements for information technology hardware and for software licenses.
Minor technology enhancement
Funds are allocated each year to support minor technology enhancement projects and consulting services.
What does it all amount to?
$70 million is justified to put right the mess made on a website update in 2022 and give taxpayers the ability to do their own resesarch rather than have staff having to do it now pre 2019. Compare this to the $60 million committed to Joe Brant equipment beginning as a budget item in 2012 which is the responsibility of the Hospital Foundation not the municipality.* (See Hospital and city negotiating team do kissy, kissy and figure out just how to get city money to pay for hospital equipment Burlington Gazette).
We are addressing the need for transparency on the JBH item on page 261 of the budget at CoW on Monday. We have had to have the Clerk`s office do the digging on this in terms of original staff reports and decisions which is clearly ridiculous when we could do it ourselves until the city wiped out our access to the archived minutes and staff reports etc..
*Anne worked at an internationally recogized hospital for 17 years in several positions in administration. Hospital equipment was not the responsibility of the municipality it was the responsibility of the Foundation but somehow while MMW was the city representative we got on the hook for 60 million. We need to know is it all paid and the budget item is a JBH/city slush fund or what? While dancing in Japan her big city colleagues were making the very valid point to the province that health care is a provincial responsibility not muncipal. Looks like MMW may not be seeing eye to eye with her colleagues on this one.