With the budget determined IT Staff will explain what they can do with the HR additions that have been approved.

By Pepper Parr

December 3^rd, 2023

BURLINGTON, ON

This item was placed as a Consent item on the Standing Committee Agenda – so it didn’t get discussed – unfortunately

Chad McDonald, Executive Director, Digital Service and Chief Information Officer was explaining to Council , before the budget was passed, that the city is committed to “reshaping its digital service delivery through strategic digital transformation that aligns seamlessly with our overarching business plans and goals.

Chad McDonald, Executive Director, Digital Service and Chief Information Officer.

“Our primary aim is to enhance the digital experiences of our citizens, businesses and visitors by offering intuitive services tailored to their needs. Internally, we’re driving towards more streamlined operations, aiming for efficiency and agility. With an eye in the future, we’re integrating sustainable environmentally conscious practices and tour operations as well.

“We’re on the brink of a profound shift for several core services. We’re not merely introducing new software, we are embarking on a comprehensive business transformation.

” The business transformation is set to re-calibrate our core functions of HR Finance, payroll and asset management into models of efficiency and effectiveness. The workday and cartographic platforms are instrumental of this change catalysts that will empower employees to work smarter, make better decisions and offer services that meet higher expectations of our community.

“However, this transformation is at a delicate juncture.

“Lacking experts to guide this process, we could encounter disruptions that reverberate throughout the organization.  What we are setting out to do is reshape the organizational culture to be more innovative, more efficient and more attuned to the needs of the public we serve. It is the people behind these tools, who will ensure that the step is not a misstep, but a leap into the future.

Chad MacDonald: “In conclusion, to bring this vision to fruition, we must embrace the full scope of the business transformation and the support it needs. “That’s it.”

“In conclusion, to bring this vision to fruition, we must embrace the full scope of the business transformation and the support it needs. Without it, we stand to lose more than we gain not just in terms of capital, but in growth, efficiency and the trust of those we serve.

“That’s it.”

It was a sound presentation, backed by the experience of a very talented information technology executive.

But a significant number of people didn’t buy the argument which is proving to be very expensive.

Today, Monday the 4^th, Chad will be back before Council to elaborate on what he believes he has to do.

He managed to get some of the people he needs as part of the 2024 budget.

Now he has to set out for Council, and a leery eyed group of people who just do not like the growth in Information Technology staffing, how he proposes to proceed.

While those opposed to significant spending have yet to adjust themselves  to the tonne of money that is being spent (and Council is not being is as transparent is as it should be on this) a way has to be found to bring the public around to what well qualified staff are setting out to do.

Councillors are going to have to get off their high horses and help the public understand the needs – so fat they are failing.

The IT people describe what they are going to talk about is as: Update on Customer Centric Digital Architecture and CRM.

Some time ago, before Chad MacDonald was brought in as the Chief Information Officer (CIO) the city struggled to create a new Customer Relationship Management system (CRM) platform.

It didn’t work out very well and the roll out of what was in place was paused with Animal Services being the final department onboarded in June of 2023.

The contract with the current CRM vendor allows 5 one-year renewals. The City will renew the contract on a yearly basis until a new CRM platform is implemented.

Two streams of work are focused  on the planning phase of the Customer Centric Digital Architecture blueprint implementation and the CRM re-platforming respectively.

Staff have planned and are recommending undertaking the following two platforms as the priority in fiscal 2024:

Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) platform;

Consolidated city portal and web form platform.

What they are going to make possible will be explained and debated later today.