HomeMy WebLinkAboutOpening of Proposals - Utility Billing System - North Star Utilities Solutions - Part 1rg It! -1 - =I- 0- 1 re
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Submitted by:
E.J. Foreman
Regional Sales Representative
NorthStar Utilities Solutions
1 Antares Dr., Suite 400
Ottawa, ON K2E 8C4
Phone: 613-226-5511
Email: EforemanpharCiscomputer.com
www.northstarutilities.com
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Transmittal Letter.......................................................................................................................3
2. Firm Qualifications.....................................................................................................................5
1.1 Company Background...................................................................................................................7
1.2 Financial Stability..........................................................................................................................8
1.3 NorthStar's Experience.................................................................................................................8
YEARSOF EXPERIENCE..................................................................................................................................
10
ACCOMPLISHMENTS....................................................................................................................................11
INVOLVEMENT IN ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATED WITH PUBLIC SECTOR UTILITIES...........................................................
12
BACKGROUNDON CIS..................................................................................................................................
12
1.4 Sub Consultants..........................................................................................................................12
3. Proposed Solution....................................................................................................................13
3.1 Software Components................................................................................................................13
3.2 Current Installations....................................................................................................................13
3.3 Computing Environments...........................................................................................................13
3.4 On Premise/Hosted Solutions.....................................................................................................14
3.5 System Overview.........................................................................................................................14
3.6 Proposed Modules......................................................................................................................14
3.7 Software Licensing Model...........................................................................................................23
3.8 Roadmap.....................................................................................................................................23
3.9 Integration Approach..................................................................................................................25
3.10 Implementation Approach..........................................................................................................26
PhaseOne: Planning and Scoping...........................................................................................................27
PhaseTwo: Design..................................................................................................................................28
PhaseThree: Development.....................................................................................................................29
PhaseFour: Test.....................................................................................................................................30
PhaseFive: Deployment..........................................................................................................................31
PhaseSix: Operate.................................................................................................................................. 31
4. Optional Solutions....................................................................................................................37
S. Proposed Staff..........................................................................................................................37
5.1 & 5.2 Credentials & Resumes..................................................................................................37
5.3 Expected Level of Involvement from Project Teams.................................................................. 39
5.4 Tasks............................................................................................................................................43
5.5 Project Organization Chart..........................................................................................................46
6. References...............................................................................................................................47
7. System Requirements...............................................................................................................49
8. Work Plan..............................................................................................................................125
8.1 Approach to Project..................................................................................................................125
8.2 Sequential Outline....................................................................................................................127
8.3 Project Plan...............................................................................................................................129
9. Terms & Conditions................................................................................................................130
10. Safety Requirements...........................................................................................................137
11. Affidavit.............................................................................................................................138
12. Appendices.........................................................................................................................141
NorthStar Proposal Response - South Bend Indiana
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1. `TRANSMITTAL LETTER`
Linda Martin
City of South Bend
Board of Public Works, County Building 227 W Jefferson Blvd.,
Ste. 1316
South Bend, Indiana 46601
RE: Request for Proposal — Utility Billing System Replacement
Dear Linda,
NorthStar Utilities Solutions ("NorthStar") is pleased to respond to The City of South Bend's ("South
Bend") Request for Proposal for a customer information and utility billing system and are pleased to
offer our suite of utility specific solutions to meet or exceed South Bend's requirements as outlined.
For over 40 years, NorthStar has offered industry specific solutions built and delivered by utility
professionals. Our solutions are in use daily by over 300 reference -able customers throughout North
America and we encourage South Bend to speak with our customers to learn more. Similarly, we are
committed to ensuring South Bend's success and are confident that NorthStar version 6.4, our latest
example of continuous innovation, will address South Bend's existing and emerging requirements.
We have supported many utilities migrate from legacy systems into NorthStar's modern solution
offerings and are uniquely qualified to support South Bend's path towards a modern platform that
allows for agility, mobility and lightweight deployment and maintenance. We look forward to working
with South Bend's Project Manager for the development of an acceptable project plan and schedule as
well as provide guidance to ensure best practices are followed with forward compatibility in mind.
We are pleased to offer South Bend the highest value offering at the lowest risk through:
•Successfully replacing the existing utility billing system
*Improving internal processes (where possible)
*Advancing South Bend's growing software -as -a -service implementation strategy
*Supporting consumer engagement through industry leading solutions for utility billing presentment
and payment, account tracking, and other customer service related functionality.
NorthStar understands that South Bend's customer service and billing departments are the frontlines
of managing relationships with consumers. From new account set-up to credit history profiling,
NorthStar supports all customer interactions through a robust, reliable and highly configurable
application suite that addresses real -world challenges in a cost effective manner. As always, we
remain dedicated to supporting new and emerging market demands through significant investments
in R&D and encourage South Bend to explore our complete suite of utility specific solutions which
provide tangible return -on -investments.
Key benefits of NorthStar version 6.4 include, but are not limited to:
✓ Enhanced customer service through streamlined workflow and business process improvements.
NorthStar Proposal Response —South Bend Indiana
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✓ Increased flexibility through a robust commercial -off -the -shelf (COTS) solution that supports
configuration, as opposed to customizations, to meet dynamic business needs.
✓ Improved operational performance through robust industry specific products and functionality.
✓ Improved visibility into key status and performance indicators through end -to -end data capture,
analysis, processing and presentation.
✓ Reduced project and financial risk through financial stability, proven implementation and
integration methodologies (le. REST API) and many long-term industry partnerships.
✓ Reduced costs, effort and duration through repeatable "standards based implementations' using
RESTful Application Program Interfaces (REST API) and template solutions to deliver all required
interfaces.
✓ Reduced ongoing resource requirements from IT/Support staff, due to dedicated NorthStar
Support team, allowing for reallocation of resources towards other critical initiatives
✓ Future proofed technological strategy that will scale with new and emerging business needs.
NorthStar is commitment to significant ongoing investments in innovative research and development
initiatives.
We acknowledge that we have received the addendum 1.
As Vice President of Sales & Marketing, I certify that I am authorized to bind NorthStar Utilities
Solutions (a division of N. Harris Computer Corp) contractually and this proposal shall remain valid for
a period of 90 days after the closing date for receipts of proposals. E.J. Foreman, a utility industry
professional with knowledge of our solutions and the value they offer our customers, will be the main
contact for this RFP response. Please feel free to contact E.J. directly with any questions you may
have:
E.J. Foreman
Regional Sales Representative
P: 613-226-5511
E: EForeman@harriscomputer.com
We appreciate the opportunity and we look forward to next steps.
Sincerely,
Steve Morris
Vice President of Sales & Marketing
NorthStar Utilities Solutions, 1 Antares Dr., suite 400, Ottawa, ON K2E 8C4
Phone: 613-226-5511 ext. 2157
Email: SMorris@harriscomputer.com
NorthStar Proposal Response — South Bend Indiana
Please complete all information as specified below.
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NorthStar Utilities Solutions
Jeff Bender
Prinaar Street Address .:
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1 Antares Dr.
Ottawa
Ontario
K2E 8C4
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Contact Email
Telephone number
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613-226-5511 ex 2094
Leslie Faulkner
Years, m Business::
Number of Eiu to ees
40+ est 1976
70 Full -Time
Part -Time
W�i5ite
www.northstarutilities.com
ase describe your US and Canadian based staff organization and resource levels, within the following
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NorthStar Proposal Response —South Bend Indiana
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70
Total FTE'Vendor Staff in Any/AlI Areas
PENDING LITIGATION AND LIQUIDATED DAMAGES
Please complete the following two (2) tables regarding any/all litigations and damages, if applicable,
encountered in the
Not applicable
Not applicable
NorthStar Proposal Response —South Bend Indiana
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1.1 Company Background
NorthStar Utilities Solutions (NorthStar) is a division of Harris Computer Systems (Harris). However NorthStar
is the original Harris and can trace its roots in providing CIS solutions to the utility market back to the 1980s.
As a result of continued growth, Harris moved to a divisional structure in 2004. Harris now has over 38 offices
throughout North America, over 1,200 employees and owns some of the most powerful CIS solutions in the
utility market.
In 1996, Harris was purchased by and remains a fully -owned subsidiary of Constellation Software
Incorporated (CSI). CSI is an international provider of market -leading software and services to a select number
of industries, both in the public and private sectors. Their mission is to acquire, manage and build market -
leading software businesses that develop specialized, mission -critical software solutions to address the
specific needs of specific industries.
CSI was founded in 1995 to assemble a portfolio of vertical market software companies that have the
potential to be leaders in their particular market. Since then, CSI has grown rapidly through a combination of
acquisitions and organic growth, and established a strong constellation of companies with a large, diverse
customer base comprised of over 14,000 customers operating in over 30 countries around the world.
In May of 2006 Constellation Software completed a successful public offering on the Toronto Stock Exchange
under the ticker symbol CSU. Constellation is the third largest software company in Canada and among the
two hundred largest in the United States. For additional information on Constellation Software you can visit
their web site at http://www.csisoftware.com. CSI is publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange
(www.tmx.com).
Our company is financially strong and established. We've been there for our customers for over 40 years, and
continue to experience consistent, profitable growth.
Additional information about NorthStar Utilities Solutions:
Description
Company Legal Name
Company StructureW
Year Established
Complete Street and Mailing Address
Legal form of Business
Detail
NorthStar Utilities Solutions, a Division of N.
Harris Computer Corporation (Harris)
NorthStar is a Division of Harris, Harris is
owned by Constellation Software Inc. CSI is
a publicly traded company.
1976
NorthStar Utilities Solutions~
1 Antares Drive, Suite 400
Ottawa, ON K2E 8C4
Corporation
NorthStar Proposal Response —South Bend Indiana
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Name and Address of Parent Company
1.2 Financial Stability
N. Harris Computer Corp.
1 Antares Drive, Suite 400
Ottawa, ON K2E 8C4
Over 200 Customers
Steve Morris
smorris@ northsta rutilities.com
613 226-5511 _.._. _.,....
613-226-3377
www.NorthStarUtiIities.com
70
Copley, Ohio
Kelowna, BC
Tillsonburg, ON
Marion, ON
Aurora, ON
Memphis, TN
NorthStar Utilities Solutions is a division of N. Harris Computer Corporation (DBA Harris Computer Systems).
Harris Computer Systems is in turn a division of Constellation Software Inc. As a subsidiary of a public
company, Constellation Software Inc. (CSI — Toronto: CSU.TO), SEC regulations prohibit us from providing
separate Harris Computer Systems financial information.
However, Constellation Software's annual revenues are in excess of $16 (U.S.) annually. We are a well -funded
and well managed publicly traded organization. We would be happy to provide a copy of Constellation's
most recent financial statements upon request.
NorthStar has consistently maintained annual revenue growth in the 8-10% range for the last ten years.
NorthStar has just over two hundred customers throughout North America and the Caribbean and on average
add between four to six new clients per year.
On average NorthStar invests 13 - 15 %of its revenues in software development.
We do not have any pending litigation, bankruptcy, planned office closures, or impending mergers that would
impede our ability to complete the project.
1.3 North5tar's Experience
NorthStar Utilities Solutions is a division of N. Harris Computer Corporation and has been providing
customer information systems to the utility industry since the mid 1980's and our first implementation is
still an active customer. Since our beginnings we have grown to over two hundred separate
NorthStar Proposal Response — South Bend Indiana
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customers/implementations throughout North America and the Caribbean and continue to be a leader in
the utility market. Although our corporate head office is in Ottawa, we are a very dispersed organization
with employees spread throughout North America and the Caribbean.
The following information will help to portray who our customers are and the market that we serve:
Customers Relative Size, Location and Services Billed
Over 300 CIS customers
Furthest North = Alaska
Furthest South = Aruba
Furthest East = Grenada
Furthest West = Hawaii
Largest > 120,000
Smallest < 1,000
Average Customers Served = 24,000
A large portion of our customers are multi -service utilities billing services including water, sewer, electric,
gas, and solid waste (trash). We have one customer that bills for 11 different services. One customer bills
for campus services that includes electric, water, sewer, gas, distilled water, chilled water, and steam.
Below is a summary of our successful implementations. Although no cost information is provided, we do
have a track record of implementing our solution on time and on budget.
State
# Customers in
State
Services Billed
Range in Size
# of Accounts
AB
1
E,W,S,G,Steam
S00
AK
1
E,W,S,TR
2,500
AL
1
1_,W,S,G,TR
26,469
AR
1
E, Rec, TR
43,000
AZ
3
W,S,T
45,000 - 85,000
BC
9
E, W, S, G, TR, Propane
220 - 17,200
CA
15
E,W,S,TR,Int,FP,Rec,AMB
6,000 - 89,000
CO
1
W,S,TR
28,500
CT
2
E, W
5000 - 11,500
DE
1
E,W,S,TR
12,000
Dutch
Carribean
1
W
36,000
FL
3
E,W,S,TR, SW, Tel
1027 - 40,000
GA
7
E,W,S, TR, Tel, Int, Cb1
3,500 - 75,800
Grenada
1
W,S
40,000
HI
2
W,S,TR,L
37,000 - 38,500
IL
3
W,S,Recy, SW
6,500 - 16,000
IN
2
E,W,S,TR
7,000 - 9,139
KS
1
W, S, TR
45,000
MA
7
E,W,S,Int, Tel, Cbl
8,000 - 26,000
MI
5
E,W,S,TR
5,580 - 40,000
NC
14
E,W,S,TR, SW
2,400 - 36,000
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NE
2
E,W,S,G, T
12,670 - 14,456
NM
1
G
35,000
NY
2
E, S
11,000 - 110,000
OH
1
E,W,S,TR
7,200
OK
1
W,S,TR
16,000
ON
45
E, W, S, Int, Hot Water Tank, SW
1,200 - 106,275
OR
1
E, W
4,600
PA
1
W,S
60,000
SC
1
G
31,000
SID
1
E, W,S,G
12,000
TN
2
W,S,SW
30,000 - 44,357
TN
W, S
30,000
Tortola
1
E
15,000
TX
6
E, W, S, TR, Irr
2,700 - 47,777
UT
1
W,SW,TR,I rr
27,000
VA
3
E,W,S
6,000 - 68,700
VT
4
E, W, 5
2,009 - 5,282
WA
7
E,W, S, SW, G, TR, Tel
10,000 - 48,300
WI
35
E, W, S, TR, G, SW, Irr, Int
1,078 - 37,000
YEARS ®F ExPERiENCE
NorthStar Utilities Solutions has been serving the municipal and utility market since inception in 1976, and
our first billing system was introduced to the market in 1985. Since then NorthStar Utilities Solutions has
continued to grow and now has over 300 customers throughout North America and the Caribbean. Utilities
are not one of many markets we serve; they are the only market we serve.
The customer information system we are proposing has a long history and has evolved considerably since its
introduction. However, unlike other vendors, we have evolved and grown our CIS versus replacing it. All
customers using NorthStar today share many core aspects as NorthStar is a configurable versus customized
solution. What this means for our customers is a smooth transition from older to newer versions of our
software and reduced costs. The following diagram shows the evolution of NorthStar right up to the release
of version 6.4.
NorthStar Proposal Response — South Bend Indiana
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1976 1984 ON 1996 [2000 2101 2612
tlewZeelend 100^ J( KewGuf 200-11299
Oem9u4i ion Customer Customer
The move to newer versions of our software is dictated by our customer's desire and needs for the new
features and functionality and not by mandated support models. To date we have not discontinued support
for legacy versions of our software and we still have a few customers utilizing version 5.0.
NorthStar has evolved from simply being a billing system to a complete solution for revenue and customer
management. As the central point for revenue and customer management, NorthStar has a high level of
integration with other utility systems such as financial systems, GIS, asset/work management, banking
systems, etc.
NorthStar Utilities Solutions is both the developer of the solution we are proposing as well as the systems
integrator. We will be responsible for all aspects of the project from initial business consulting and FIT/GAP
Analysis, through software installation, configuration, conversion, training, go -live assistance and finally
ongoing product support.
CCOMt'LISHMENT5
NorthStar is a market leader in providing solutions to the utility market and has been the breeding ground
within Harris for product innovation. This includes customer web portals, mobile, meter data management,
and more recently automation.
NorthStar's Meter Data Management solution, MeterSense, has become the system of choice for utilities
throughout North America and the Caribbean and offers a sophisticated, cost-effective and mature solution
that is easy to implement, simple to use and which is the key to unlocking the immense value of smart meter
data.
Our latest achievement is the creation of our Automation Platform, which is a highly configurable and flexible
tool that can be used to automate business processes and unburden resources while increasing accuracy,
consistency and auditability. Our Automation Platform provides utility staff with more time during their day
by freeing them up from routine tasks, enabling them to interact more frequently with customers, and to
spend more time analyzing data and results.
We are integration experts. We have a large portfolio of seamless integrations between our CIS and a good
number of utility centric applications and solutions including integrations to Financial Management Systems,
GIS, MDM, AMR, AMI, OMS, Asset Management, Work Order & Service Order Management and more. Our
integration services are second to none and we have our live, installed, referenceable integrations in place at
numerous customer sites across North America.
NorthStar Proposal Response —South Bend Indiana
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Our NorthStar customer information system has a long history and has evolved considerably since its
introduction. finlike other vendors, we have evolved and grown our CIS versus replacing it. All customers
using NorthStar today share many core aspects as NorthStar is a configurable versus customized solution.
INVOLVEMENT IN ACTIVrnEs AssocIATED WITH PUBLIC SECTOR UTILITIES
NorthStar is very interested in activities which impact our customers. We are heavily invested in our
regional user groups, our Product Advisory Council, and our NorthStar Strategic Council.
In addition, we are a member of the following Associations:
• Tennessee Valley Public Power Association
• Caribbean Electric Utility Services Corporation
• American Public Power Association
• American Water Works Association
• Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority
• Minnesota Municipal Utilities Association
• Texas Association of Governmental information Technology Managers
• Texas Public Power Association
• Municipal Information Systems Association of California
• Electricity Distributors Association
• Southern States Energy Board
• Washington Public Utility District Association
BACKGROUND ON CIS
NorthStar Utilities Solutions has been serving the municipal and utility market since inception in 1976, and
our first billing system was introduced to the market in 2985. Since then NorthStar Utilities Solutions has
continued to grow and now has over 200 customers throughout North American and the Caribbean. Utilities
are not one of many markets we serve; they are the only market we serve.
NorthStar Utilities Solutions is the original billing system and organizational structure of Harris Computer
Systems and became a division of Harris as Harris continued to expand through organic growth and
acquisitions. NorthStar Utilities Solutions has also been the breeding ground within Harris for product
innovation. This includes customer web portals, mobile, meter data management, and more recently
automation.
1.4 Sub Consultants
NorthStar will not be using a sub consultant on this project.
NorthStar Proposal Response —South Bend Indiana
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3. PROPOSED SOLUTION
3.1 Software Components
Customer Information and I
6.4 MR 10.4
Billing System
3.2 Current Installations
2004 Q2
2017 Q3
NorthStar Utilities Solutions has over 300 customers throughout North America and the Caribbean using the
customer information system we are proposing for the City. The following is a breakdown of the utilities we
serve by relative size:
Utility Size
Less than 10,000 customers served = 96
10,000 to 50,000 customers served = 94
Greater than 50,000 customers served = 13
Services Billed
Water/sewer only = 59
Electric only = 54
Multi -service = 90
A large portion of our customers are multi -service utilities billing services including water, sewer, electric,
gas, and solid waste (trash). We have one customer that bills for 11 different services. One customer bills
for campus services that includes electric, water, sewer, gas, distilled water, chilled water, and steam.
3.3 Computing Environments
Customer Information Software Compatible with both Windows SQL
• Windows XP (32 or • Windows 2012 64
64) Bit
• Windows 7 (32 or 64) • Wildfly
• JRE 8.0 • Java 8
• Microsoft Office 2010 • SQL Server 2014
NorthStar Proposal Response — South Bend Indiana
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3.4 On Premise/Hosted Solutions
NorthStar is please to support both on -premise and hosted/cloud/SaaS server and database
options. As far as which we recommend, we typically leave that decision up to our customers, there
are benefits to either.
For over a decade, NorthStar has offered secure hosting for customers through our data center and
storage facilities located in Expedient's Pittsburgh, PA facility.
From the perspective of Expedient service offerings, we are able to manage certain Microsoft specific
applications (Active Directory, Exchange, etc) as well as firewall applications and load balancing
applications. As a provider, we do not manage software applications beyond the Microsoft applications
noted. With respect to software that our customers host on their physical servers in our facilities or our
virtual platform in our facilities, they run the gamut. Again, being that we do not manage software
applications, often times we are not privy to the applications that our customers host in our facilities. We
do know that they range from Oracle to SAP to SQL as well as various custom applications, CRM
applications, and ERP packages including JD Edwards, Sage, Epicore among others.
Expedient is SSAE16 audited as well as SOC 2 and SOC 3 audited. Applicable documentation regarding these
audits are available upon signing a Non -disclosure Agreement. We are also PCI-DSS compliant and as such,
we are able to work with customers to ensure the data center portion of their environment is compliant. If
there are specific technical and/or operational documents that you wish to review, please let us know.
3.5 System Overview
NorthStar CIS is based on the widely supported and industry endorsed Java Enterprise Edition (JavaEE) Model.
The JavaEE model provides 3+x layers of tiers, database independence, scalability, modularity and object re-
use. A JavaEE system is typically composed of three logical parts; the client, the application server and the
data store. The patterns and technologies used within the JavaEE specification are designed to layer the
business processes, data access, communications and software. The JavaEE specification was developed to
enable a standards based approach to developing and deploying enterprise class business systems.
NorthStar CIS's architecture focuses on leveraging JavaEE, addressing issues around the modularity of
business components, flexible integration with third party systems, and supporting various options for
effective GUI interfaces. The architecture also ensures NorthStar CIS deployed in secure network and
accessed through SSL.
The communication between client and server is supported within secure network, through JNDI lookups.
Only lookups granted by application server is to be performed.
For more information, please refer to the Technical Requirements Guide
3.6 Proposed Modules
NorthStar CIS and Product Extensions
NorthStar Proposal Response —South Bend Indiana
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NorthStar. Customer Information System
NorthStar CIS is an easy to use, accurate, feature rich solution, designed with modern Service Oriented
Architecture. Our Utility Billing/CIS system provides a single solution for tracking all interactions with
customers, including consumption history, billing history, adjustments, credit history, meter inventory,
premise and meter history, service order history and more. Utilizing NorthStar's powerful Automation
Platform, many of the day to day business processes can be automated, providing users with more time
during the day than ever before, allowing them to focus on other tasks. The rich graphical user interface has
been designed to optimize workflow and information accessibility.
Automation Platform
The NorthStar Automation Platform, is a highly configurable and flexible tool that can be used to automate
business processes and to integrate with other systems and maintain data integrity. Its' pluggable
component -based design provides a framework for the automation of complex business 'rules' and to
streamline a Utility's business operations through efficient and optimized workflows. Notifications and
approval requests are provided to specified recipients based on triggers identified through database updates
or process completion. The Platform is also used to schedule processes and to run and save reports and
listings for auditing purposes.
Customer Management
Each customer in NorthStar is assigned a unique identifier that follows them throughout their relationship
with the utility. Associated information - including phone numbers, SSN, driver's license - are automatically
moved with them if they change location. Additional information such as ACH banking information,
emergency contacts, employment details, secondary or seasonal addresses, and family members can be
entered and linked to that same customer number for transfer to anew premise. When a customer calls to
initiate service, NorthStar provides the ability to quickly scan existing customer records and link that customer
with their already established customer identifier. It also indicates if there are Collection issues with that
customer's previous accounts so CSRs can respond appropriately. NorthStar is fully compliant with Red Flag
requirements, encrypting critical customer information at the database level. As an additional measure, field
level security can be defined by user id or by user group to limit access to customer data.
Account Management
Customer identification numbers are associated with particular service locations to create accounts in
NorthStar. There is no limitation to the number of accounts for which one customer can be responsible, and
changes to the customer information can be cascaded to all associated accounts with the click of a button. If
a user wants to update only one of those accounts, this can be accomplished quickly and easily without
impacting the rest. For example, a restaurant chain might have a central mailing address with local telephone
numbers. The mailing address can be changed on all accounts by updating the customer record, and each
account can be updated with a local phone number while preserving the central phone number on the
customer record. NorthStar also provides the ability to view the total balance owing on all accounts at a
glance as well as take payments based on the customer number rather than multiple account numbers,
significantly reducing time and effort for cashiers and customers. Finally, NorthStar provides functionality
that quickly retrieves information for all accounts associated with a single customer number. This
information can be scanned onscreen or exported as needed.
Premise/Location Management
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NorthStar provides multiple data points for all premises. Standard information such as service address is
supplemented by system defined and user defined fields to contain any required premise -related data. This
could include technical data such as GIS coordinates or transformer location as well as service related
information such as impervious area or dwelling type. The unique premise identifier is used as a foreign key
in most critical tables to support relationships between the premise and premise specific information (e.g.
meter location notes). NorthStar's integrated security allows a system administrator to assign
View/Add/Edit/Delete privileges to users or user groups as necessary which maintains data integrity.
Service Management
NorthStar can bill for up to 26 different services and will maintain balance, status, and critical dates for each.
In NorthStar, each service is a unique entity that can be configured in isolation from other services on the
account. Categories, or classes, of customer are defined at the service level, and each service maintains its
own associated rate. Other items defined at the service level include SIC or NAICS code, billing frequency,
number of units, exemptions (e.g. late fees or disconnect), and Collection status. Service -specific reports are
available, and many of NorthStar's batch functions can filter accounts based on the service type. Because
each service is a separate entity, NorthStar also has the ability to inactivate one service without inactivating
the entire account. With a seasonal customer who wants to turn off their water and phone but leave their
electricity connected, for example, the utility is not required to final bill the customer and then recreate the
account when the customer returns. They can simply inactivate those two services and reactivate them at
the appropriate time.
Billing Management
NorthStar's billing process is comprised of four steps: calculate, verify, print and post. Pre -billing activities
include verifying and correcting meter reads to ensure that the reported consumption is valid. Bills are
calculated and anomalies identified through standard reports. Accounts can be corrected and the batch
recalculated as often as required until the biller is satisfied with the results. Bills can be printed locally or
sent to file for transfer to another location. Multiple sorting options are available including zip + four order,
or grouping based on common criteria such as ACH accounts, or master billing for customers with multiple
accounts. NorthStar also has the ability to hold bills based on a common customer number to allow the utility
to send all their bills together at a predefined time of the month. Each batch of bills results in a billing journal
or register which details each account and its charges as well as summary information; the latter includes
statistics such as counts of the types of bills generated, and a summary of the G/L transactions for the batch.
The post process updates relevant information on each account - balance history, read history, collection
dates, and current balances. NorthStar is able to include multiple bill types and frequencies within one batch;
this is typically based on utility business processes and the characteristics of the accounts in each cycle.
Financial Management
The cashiering module in NorthStar provides the utility with the ability to take payments from multiple
sources. Electronic files and ACH files are batch processed as are payments from the web and IVR. Counter
payments can be assigned a user -defined payment method with an associated description for display in the
balance history. Rapid entry of payments received through mail or drop box is facilitated through specifically
designed screens which are completely keyboard/keypad driven. Adjustment types are defined by the utility,
and dollar values can be defaulted to avoid keying errors and improve efficiency when processing.
Adjustments are entered into a journal and can be reviewed prior to posting to ensure accuracy. Refunds in
NorthStar are automated through a journal process that allows a user to create a refund transaction for a
single account or for multiple accounts based on the criteria they enter. Once posted, a file can be generated
that will interface with the utility's AP system to enable a check to be issued. All financial transactions in
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NorthStar are held in specific database tables until they are loaded to a G/L interface file. Once the file has
been generated, the transactions are moved to NorthStar's internal G/L archive tables. These archives can
be searched and reported upon through specifically designed screens. Searches can be based on a specific
G/L account number, a particular type of transaction, or a specific day or month. G/L archives are never
purged, so historical data is readily available if required.
Rates and Fees Management
NorthStar has an extremely flexible rate engine. Standard rates based on consumption can work
independently or in tandem with flat rates, minimum charges, and charges per unit. Each rate element is
configured as taxable or tax exempt and multiple tax rates can be assigned if necessary. Rates are driven by
effective dates, and NorthStar can automatically prorate over any rate changes depending on the utility's
practices as well as on first and final bills. For metered services, NorthStar can be configured to bill for
standard consumption, peak demand, net metering, master/deduct, and wastewater. Minimum charges and
fixed charges can both be accommodated. For trash billing, NorthStar can use flat rates, can bill by container,
or a combination of both. For storm water services, NorthStar can be set up to bill based on impervious area,
or it can calculate the impervious area from the total square footage of a property and bill based on the
results of the calculation. Miscellaneous fees can be created on an ad hoc basis, or set up as a temporary fee
to be billed over multiple months. Through NorthStar's Miscellaneous Accounts Receivable, or MAR module
(an additional license and services are required), one time fees can be invoiced without having to create an
entire account in NorthStar.
Device Management
NorthStar tracks all equipment inventories and provides simple methods for removals, installations, or
exchanges. Inventory management is supported through specific screens and reports that can be secured
for use by appropriate field resources. Counts, status reports, bulk loading and deleting are all included in
standard functionality for all equipment. Specific modules include electric meters, transformers, PTs/CTs,
water meters, backflow devices, and refuse containers. Functionality specific to each type of equipment is
easily accessible and consistent in process to facilitate easy adoption by staff. Equipment information
associated with a premise can be available for viewing by CSRs and others as defined through the security
setups while preventing access to more sensitive information suitable only for technical staff.
Contact Management
The CARe module in NorthStar provides a vehicle to track all contacts with a customer. Call types are entirely
user -defined and can be targeted for specific types of accounts, specific services, or specific departments
within the organization. NorthStar automatically records a date/timestamp and user id when the contact
record is created, and provides extensive room for even the most complicated notes. Multiple statuses are
available to assist in managing ongoing issues, and reports can be instantly generated based on status, call
type, user, department, and created date, as well as many other criteria. Contacts are presented in grid
format so the user has instant access to the contact history; entries are completed in real-time and can be
made available to any user through the security configuration. A CSR could answer a call, document the issue
while transferring the call to the field office, and the field technician would be able to review the contact
details instantly thus negating the requirement for the customer to restate their problem. NorthStar provides
a seamless customer experience and enhanced efficiency for all employees who serve them.
Service Order Management
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Service orders in NorthStar are integrated into the CARe module and have the same inherent benefits
described above. In addition, service orders have requested and scheduled dates, priorities, and
assignments. Departments, and the employees in them, can be defined and assigned to specific service
orders. This allows each department to access only their own orders and assign them accordingly. Once
created, the Scheduled Notes allow CSRs to communicate with field technicians, and user -defined checklists
can assist CSRs with asking the right questions while the customer is still on the phone. NorthStar
automatically tracks the date, time and user id when a service order is completed and provides extensive
space to enter notes coming in from the field. The same reports described above can be run for service orders
including lists of incomplete and/or overdue tasks.
Credit and Collection Management
NorthStar's Collection module is entirely date -driven and configurable by the utility. For Collections based
on the billing cycle, there are three definable levels for active accounts, and the same for finalled accounts.
NorthStar also provides the ability to collect based solely on aging rather than on the billing schedule. In each
case, letters or notices can be automatically generated for the entire group, charges can be assessed, and in
the final step, disconnect orders created. As part of the Collections process, customers with active payment
arrangements can be automatically excluded while those in default can be included. Accounts are updated
with the Collection status so CSRs can easily identify those with pending actions. Credit events can also be
tied to the Collection process so a customer's credit rating is impacted when the utility deems it appropriate.
Available alternatives to mailed notices include generating files for use with an outbound dialer, or bill
messages specific to the Collection activity.
ReportsAnywhere: Embedded Report Writer
NorthStar Reports Anywhere is a powerful reporting solution that provides a unified and consistent reporting
solution for the NorthStar Enterprise Portfolio. ReportsAnywhere is powered by the powerful Business
Intelligence technology of IBM Cognos. The end result is a powerful and seamlessly integrated Utility
reporting solution. Some of the Cognos BI tools and features incorporated in the solution includes Report
Writer (which feature a graphical drag and drop report design studio), Report Scheduler, Report Distribution
(email or web publishing), multiple pre -designed report templates, charts and graphs. The reporting solution
is extremely flexible and easy to use and has some very nice features such as full drill through capabilities,
which means users can double click on an item in a report and have it launch NorthStar and load the screen
that created the original transaction.
With the Consumer License every NorthStar user will have the ability to:
• Print embedded reports
• Save reports to HTML, Excel, PDF
• Email reports with embedded links highlighted for attention
• Set reports to run automatically
• Access all reports from Web Reporting Portal
• Hyperlink from reports to NorthStar screens
• Drill through from one NorthStar report to another
Report Designer
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Included in the solution is a graphical, drag and drop based report designer which allows users to rapidly
design or customize any reports, dashboard or performance scorecards. The report designer features an easy
to use interface and a large set of predefined reports templates to get you started quickly.
Hyper Links & Drill Through
Hyper Links & Drill Through is a feature that allows you to navigate the reports to either access more detailed
information (Drill Down), or return to a high level view (Drill Up). Similar to web navigation, this feature allow
you to rapidly access more detailed reports on information that is presented to the users. The report library
provided with Reports Anywhere has been carefully designed to take maximum advantage of this feature and
all reports make extensive use of Hyper Links and Drill Through.
Smart Prompts
Smart Prompt is the first screen you will see when running a complex reports. It allows the user to set specific
criteria or filters for the reports that is about to be presented. For example on a customer listing report, the user
might specify that he only what to see customers within a specific zip code. All Smart Prompt have been designed
to be easy to use and provide maximum flexibility to perform advanced filtering of information.
Report Scheduling & Publishing
Report scheduling allows users to automatically execute a report, or a set of report at a predetermined time and
date. This feature also has the option of publishing the reports after automatic execution. For example, a report
can be published to an internal web site, or distributed to an e-mail list.
Format Conversion
Reports can be generated in multiple formats including HTML, PDF, XML or Excel. Existing reports can also be
easily converted from one format to another by a single selection.
Multi -Nested Lists
Multi -nested lists are used primarily in batch driven processes (Billing Journals, Cash Receipts listing, etc).
They may contain several too many accounts that need to be printed sequentially on the report. Each
Account will have one or more nested lists that need to appear immediately after the parent account list. In
this example, "Accounts" are the primary list while "Services", "Meters" and "Charges" are the child lists.
Forms/Letters/Correspondence
Reports will typically print one account per page. Each account would have one or more detail sections
which can be grouped logically on the page to maximize the readability and organization of the information.
Examples of these types of reports are utility bills, overdue notices, other letters or correspondence, etc.
Simple List Reports
There are probably hundreds of these types of reports. They are important reports but typically not used
heavily.
These reports will vary in their complexity; some will be just a single list with some sort of grand total on the
last page. Other reports may contain additional subtotaling and grouping depending on the nature of the
report.
EIS: Executive Information System
NorthStar's Executive Information System is a sophisticated reporting and query tool for management staff
and casual users that require real-time access to reports and/or customer information. EIS allows users to
build reports using underlying real-time data from NorthStar's billing system; however, access to critical
NorthStar Proposal Response —South Bend Indiana
customer information is inquiry -only. This protects sensitive customer billing and payment data. EIS is a
browser -based solution which means it can be deployed with little to no training and minimal IT support.
CustomerConnect
Electric, water and gas utilities are always looking to improve connections with their customers — to share
information, save money, increase awareness, built trust and adapt resource consumption patterns.
CustomerConnect is the customer engagement solution that transforms the relationship between utility and
consumer through unrivalled levels of online functionality and interaction. The solution gives customers
direct, web -based access to their account information — and unprecedented control of resource use.
CustomerConnect's highly personalized account management tools enhance customer relations by clearly
showing the relevance of personal consumption. With this fresh, valuable insight, people can make smarter
energy and resource choices — and save money on their utility bills.
By putting control in the bands of end users, CustomerConnect dramatically reduces demands on utility
customer service representatives (CSRs). When support is needed, CustomerConnect's simple, intuitive
interface saves time and speeds call resolution by enabling CSRs to see exactly what customers see.
CustomerConnect enriches these customer interactions through extensive information and reporting
capabilities that give CSRs added insight to provide direct, personable advice on resource use.
The platform consists of two components, the framework of CustomerConnect and CSRConnect. These
components are essential in all implementations and allow for application level components to be activated.
CSRConnect
CSRConnect enables the utility staff, typically the customer service representatives to be able to assist the
user by navigating the portal as they would, while making use of some additional administration functions.
Masquerading as the user also allows for the CSR to make changes to the portal that would bring the most
relevant information for that customer to the forefront.
Application Level Modules
The application level currently consists of three modules, which provide full functionality across its specified
domain. From a software implementation perspective, one or more of the application level modules must be
in place for any implementations. The modules at this level are HomeConnect, BillConnect and
ServiceConnect.
HomeConnect
HomeConnect consists of functionality that relates to the evolving requirements of the smart grid. Including
display of usage history in graphical and tabular formats, content targeted for the education of users towards
reducing their bills, targeted alerts and notifications based on defined thresholds and general managing of
the user's home environment.
BillConnect
A continuation of NorthStar's customer portal, this application level module builds upon the relationship
between the utility and its customer. Includes functionality related to billing and general account
management. Deploying this module will allow the utility to take payments from its customer and for its
customer to analyze his/her bill over time, including future estimates.
ServiceConnect
A continuation of NorthStar's customer portal, this application level module builds upon the relationship
between the utility and its customer. It includes functionality related to billing, service order management
NorthStar Proposal Response — South Bend Indiana
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k and general account management. Deploying this module will allow the utility to take payments from its
customer and for its customer to request service from his/her utility.
Add -on Level Modules
The add -on level modules are completely optional but add extra functionality to any of the application level
components.
BizConnect
BizConnect is the third application level module in the CustomerConnect suite, its features and functionality
are targeted towards the commercial and industrial users within the network. Providing richer analytics into
the C&I environment, ultimately allowing these users to manage their utility usages in a more precise manner.
Reports include Interval Line Plots, Variance Analyses, Load Duration Curves and Statistical Summaries
amongst many others.
eDOCSs: Document Management System
NorthStar offers a Content Management solution called eDOCs. eDOCs for NorthStar gives the City the ability
to electronically store and retrieve files (documents, pictures, spreadsheets and images) within NorthStar
and link them to accounts, premises and/or customers. This opens up a whole new area of convenience for
the storage, management, and retrieval of customer related information. eDOCs allows for any file type to
be stored and associated with a customer. eDOCs for NorthStar also centralizes storage and management of
files as they are uploaded onto a central server.
Were are just a few examples of how the City could use eDOCs for NorthStar to enhance or improve the
organization's use of information:
• Attach incoming letters, facsimiles and/or a -mails directly to the customer account.
• Store related files, such as spreadsheets or documents, with the customer account.
+ Scan credit references and attach them to the customer account.
• Store and retrieve pictures, such as driver's licenses.
• Store images, such as schematics, floor layouts, meter locations, with the customer; account or premise.
• Store and retrieve pictures of meter readings or damaged meters with the customer account.
mCARE: Mobile Service Orders
mCARE is a NorthStar CIS add -on application designed to automate and streamline the service order process
by providing field service personnel with a tool seamlessly linking them to the organization's customer
information and billing system.
Through an easy to use web -based dispatch application, service orders, generated by customer service
representatives or account managers, form a task list to be assigned to available field personnel. Service
orders are assigned complete with electronic forms, surveys, or questionnaires specific to the service order
nature. Field personnel 'pick up' their orders right from their mobile device. Upon completion of the work,
field personnel record the results on their mobile device and upload the information back to the NorthStar
CIS. In a wireless environment, further efficiencies are achieved through real-time data transmission between
the office and the field personnel.
The mCARE process reduces time consuming paperwork and ensures data integrity through the elimination
of re -keying. With the addition of a real-time wireless network, response times increase, and downtime is
reduced through continuous data communication. Whether deployed in a wireless network, or used with
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regular dial -up or networked docking stations, mCARE is a powerful extension of the NorthStar CIS. The
results are improved customer service and increased production from service personnel.
By utilizing web -based technologies, mCARE is easy to set up, learn and maintain. As a result, this product
has a very high return on investment and low total cost of ownership.
For dispatchers and field personnel, mCARE is extremely quick to learn and easy to use. mCARE is completely
web -based, operating on any mobile device equipped with Microsoft Windows XP Tablet Edition.
Many of our customers are facing extensive meter replacement programs that will create a tremendous
amount of paperwork to track and eventually enter into their billing system. To reduce the paperwork and
effort associated with this process, NorthStar has enhanced mCARE to fully automate the meter replacement
process. This will include the scheduling of the replacement, recording the final meter read, and recording
the meter number for the new smart meter. We believe the key to mCARE is the direct link and integration
to NorthStar's customer information and billing system.
We have also increased the functionality by allowing field service staff to sequence and re -sequence service
orders dynamically in the field based on geocodes stored from their GIS systems.
There are two main components to mCARE; mCARE Dispatch and mCARE Field.
mCARE Dispatch
With mCARE you can have multiple dispatchers set up by department, service type (electric, water, sewer,
etc.), service order type, or even who they can dispatch service orders to. Dispatchers can create bulk service
orders for a specific type such as meter changes or search for orders based on multiple criteria. This can
include historical service orders or orders for future dates. Once they have their list they can review
outstanding service orders and assign them to specific field service representatives or put them into a general
queue that any field service representative can see and pick orders from.
mCARE Field
Once service orders are dispatched to a field representative they can be picked up in one of two methods. If
the field rep is connected to the network either physically or via a wireless connection they will receive
notification that new service orders have been assigned to them and are ready to be downloaded on to their
tablet/PC.
Field representatives can then sort through their orders based on a number of criteria that they can select in
the field. Field representatives also have the option of sorting them using popular mapping software such as
Microsoft Streets & Trips or Microsoft Map Point and creating drive routes. With a wireless connection, field
representatives can check on the status of orders to see if they have been cancelled prior to performing the
service order. A good use of this functionality would be to check the status before completing a shut off
service order.
Once a service order has been completed it can be uploaded immediately in a wireless environment or at the
end of the day when the service rep returns to the office.
mCARE is a highly flexible tool that can be adapted to each utility. For example mCARE allows utilities to
create their own electronic forms for South Bendlecting data and are specific to service order type. Once the
data has been South Bendlected it is then available for reporting or by customer service representatives when
viewing an account.
NorthStar Proposal Response —South Bend Indiana
integrated Solution
One of the key benefits to mCARE is its high degree of integration with the utility's customer information and
billing system. In a wireless environment mCARE is providing real-time information on the status of orders
in the field. Whether it is a manager, dispatcher, or customer service representative, each would have
visibility on the status of a service order including who it was assigned to, when and if it was completed, and
any notes the field service person added.
In addition, when service orders are completed and sent back to the office there is intelligence built into
mCARE to perform validation when necessary. For example mCARE will prevent changing a meter if the meter
is not identified in inventory or if the account associated with the meter is in a billing batch. There are visual
indicators in mCARE that assist staff in guiding them through the completion process.
3.7 Software Licensing Model
In all cases, NorthStar offers per user licensing.
On -premise: Licensing is available in either an outright capital purchase model, with corresponding annual
maintenance and support fees, or as an annual subscription which includes annual maintenance and
support fees within the one annual payment.. .
Hosted: Same as on -premise.
SaaS: As with most software -as -a -service offerings, licensing is available as an annual subscription which
includes annual maintenance and support fees within the one annual payment.
3.8 Roadmap
NorthStar Utilities Solutions has a strong track record of releasing and continuously improving our products
and solutions. This is best demonstrated by our series of major software releases over the last 25 years. The
features and functions of our solutions have continued to grow as our large customer base utilizes the
software to increase their level of customer service and optimize their operations.
NorthStar Utilities Solutions remains committed to continually improve and invest in our products. Ourvision
is about building utility solutions that reach a new level of enterprise integration and automation. This means
having products and technology that exchange information seamlessly and in real time. We also believe the
solution should enable utilities to completely automate their business processes, enabling customers to
optimize their operations, reduce costs and improve customer satisfaction. The current plans include
releases of NorthStar with multiple new features and enhancements that enable this vision.
NorthStar Utilities Solution's current R&D activities are geared towards a number of short term
objectives. These objectives are also consistent with our long term vision and overall strategic direction.
NorthStar's R&D focus areas include specific attention to the following:
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• Automation is a key focus. We are continuing to invest in our core Automation Suite with
enhancements planned for workflow and exception based reporting. Our Automation
functions significantly reduce workload while also improving process accuracy.
• Enhanced integrations -- NorthStar maintains a robust and comprehensive library of
integrations and we are continuously expanding and improving our integration capabilities.
• Incorporate value added functionality and User Interface improvements as identified by our
Product Advisory Council and by our customer base.
• Modernization through technology advancements.
• Ongoing improvements in our tools that enable our customers to engage with their clients
through advanced technologies
• Strive to minimize total cost of ownership for our customers by simplifying upgrades and the
adoption of new technology.
Release
Status
Internal Release Date
............. .
External Release
Date
6.4 Update 10.15
IN DEVELOPMENT
January 2018
Q1 2018
6.4 Update.11
March 2018
TBD
6.4 Update 11.1
IN DEVELOPMENT
April 2018
6.4 Update 11.2
IN DEVELOPMENT
May 2018
6.4 Update 11.3
PENDING
June 2018
6.4 Update 12
July 2018
TBD
6.4 Update 12.1
PENDING
August 2018
6.4 Update 12.2
PENDING
September 2018
6.4 Update 12.3 October 2018
PENDING
The current NorthStar CIS, version 6.4, was released in February 2012. There have been several upgrades to
our version 6.4 since:
Product Name
Version
j Date Released
NorthStar
6.3.1
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3.9 Integration Approach
As with any project, full team collaboration and agreement on the overall approach to the project and
specifically with many of these points is important to ensure success. As an example, phasing out the legacy
system can be done in several ways; without completing our Planning and Scoping/Discovery phase, it would
not be prudent to suggest a specific phase out strategy.
NorthStar has a very adaptable implementation methodology that allows for unexpected events. and
challenges. During our Planning and Scoping phase, the solution is reviewed and any required
customizations will be identified and discussed with the customer. It is important to bring all items to the
customer and ensure they understand the implications of customizations to their solution, maintenance.and
upgrade path. NorthStar considers customizations as a last resort, but in certain circumstances, a
customization provides the most fitting solution. In these cases, our expert knowledge of the NorthStar
product and extensive experience in working with it allows us to design the best solution for the customer's
needs. We have a team of 8 working solely on integrations and customizations. The team has specific policy
and procedures to ensure that any customization or integration is done within very strict rules to ensure
solid stable solutions for our customers.
NorthStar Proposal Response -South Send Indiana
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With our Enterprise Service Bus, NorthStar uses API's to interface with other external systems, these include
payment processors like Paymentus and Invoice Cloud, many financial systems like Great Plains, Oracle and
SAP.
Further details can be found in NorthStar's Implementation Methodology, in the next question.
3.10 Implementation Approach
This project will follow the best practices outlined in the NorthStar Utilities Solutions Customer Information
System (CIS): Implementation Methodology Guide.
Our Implementation Methodology Guide has been developed and refined by NorthStar Utilities Solutions'
staff over the course of more than 200 CIS individual projects in various lines of business in private, NGO and
public sectors. The NorthStar Utilities Solutions CIS Implementation Methodology is based on Enterprise
Software Implementation Best Practices and improved by NorthStar Utilities Solutions' Continual
Improvement Process which focuses on lessons learned as well as PMP and CIS industry best practices.
Moreover, NorthStar Utilities Solutions CIS Solution Delivery personnel are highly trained and experienced
professionals whose primary objective is to ensure that our client's implementation is successful.
The Implementation Methodology (as outlined below) is NorthStar Utility Solutions' standard foundation for
the implementation of an Enterprise CIS solution. The project phases within the NorthStar's Implementation
Methodology are a logical organization of the work combined with NorthStar's risk reduction strategy. The
conclusion of each phase is used as a checkpoint and provides the opportunity for the client and NorthStar
to evaluate the quality and progress of the implementation. For this reason, NorthStar Utilities Solutions
requests a formal acceptance signoff for each phase prior to proceeding to the next phase. Further details
of the implementation plan can be found in the following Implementation section of this response.
Figure 1- NorthStar Utilities Solutions Customer Information System Solution Deployment Methodology
Model
NorthStar Proposal Response — South Bend Indiana
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Implementation
As can be seen in Figure 1- NorthStar Utilities Solutions Customer Information System Solution Deployment
Methodology Model, the NorthStar Methodology Model is broken into six (6) phases. The following figure
and text breaks out each of these phases in further detail.
Figure 2 - NorthStar Project Phases
Phase One: Planning and Scoping
NorthStar Utilities Solutions CIS Delivery Leaders begin the implementation by facilitating Project Planning
and Scoping sessions to define and set the project's objectives, scope, and expectations. Attended by the
organization's key stakeholders, these sessions will include a review of the CIS solution's functionality, the
organization's current business processes, and an introduction to the NorthStar Utilities Solutions Customer
Information System Implementation Methodology. The deliverables from the Project Planning sessions can
include the following:
• Project Charter and Project Plan
• Project roll -out strategy and key success factors
• Common definition and understanding of all requirements
• Understanding and documentation of the Clients current business process, roles and
responsibilities and IT Infrastructure
• Outline of the project's objectives and scope
• Definition of the Project Team's governance, roles and responsibilities (Methodology training)
NorthStar Proposal Response — South Bend Indiana
NORTHISTAR-
• Implementation and rollout strategy
• Communication and Change Management Plan
The Project Plan is the primary deliverable of the Planning and Scoping Phase that documents the milestones
and deliverables identified during the Project Planning Session. It includes a detailed project schedule,
identifies the resource requirements, outlines the project management processes to be followed throughout
the implementation, and forms the baseline upon which the project's performance is measured.
It's in this phase that we help the customer finalize their Customer Information System Solution
Requirements using NorthStar Utilities Solutions requirements templates and NorthStar Utilities Solutions
interview guides. NorthStar Utilities Solutions can also help the customer in its selection of a Customer
Information System solution and provide a recommendation. This is performed using NorthStar Utilities
Solutions' Solution Selection Tools and Methodology.
The major activity during the Planning & Scoping phase is a weeklong on -site discovery workshop performed
in South Bendlaboration with the City of Arlington. During this time, the respective project managers will
review critical project planning deliverables and agree on a path forward. At the same time NorthStar and
Arlington technical teams will perform an on -site discovery of current processes and environments in place
in order to develop function and technical solutions utilizing the NorthStar software.
The Planning and Scoping Phase also includes the development of a Change Management and
Communication Plan. It is important to communicate the new system's value proposition to the
organization, and to ensure that all users are properly prepared for the impact of a new system on their day
to day activities. The communication plan also provides for ongoing updates to keep the user community
informed on the projects progress throughout the project lifecycle.
NorthStar Utilities Solutions Consultants play an active role throughout the entire implementation, and are
the primary contacts until support responsibilities are transitioned to the Client Customer Information
System Help and Support Desk in a later stage within the implementation. NorthStar Utilities Solutions
Consultants facilitate implementation activities while working hand -in -hand with the organization's CIS
project team to ensure a successful implementation.
Phase Two: Design
In this phase, NorthStar Utilities Solutions Consultants will be focusing on the development of the Solution
Design Workbook. This workbook, when completed outlines all aspects of the solution design. The Solution
Consultants provide product review covering core CIS functionality to the organization's project team. The
Functional Analysts work with the customer's project team and other stakeholders to analyze and refine the
business processes that are impacted by the CIS. Throughout a series of analysis and design sessions focused
on each functional area, a baseline NorthStar Utilities Solutions configuration is defined to support the
organization's business processes. In each session, NorthStar Utilities Solutions Consultants lead the
organization's project team through actual scenarios presenting business process best practices and
configuration options. Each session addresses CIS functionality focused on a business function, but also
includes a review of CIS cross -functional tools, such as Knowledge Management, Performance Management,
Workflow Management, and Reporting Tools.
The agenda for each design session is typically composed of the following steps:
• Review client's existing business processes
NorthStar Proposal Response —South Bend Indiana
NORTH sTAW
• Design new and/or refine business process maps and workflows and document in the Solution
Design Workbook
• Produce go forward business process Use Cases along with roles and responsibilities
• Document data elements and screen layouts
• Define system configuration options
• Complete the Solution Design Workbook
The desired configuration and process documents generated within these sessions are used to facilitate the
configuration of the CIS solution, which is performed in the next phase by a NorthStar Utilities Solutions
Consultant and Implementation Specialist.
Certain aspects of the solution design, such as product extensions and integrations, may require refinement
beyond the scope of these sessions. The focus upon customizations and integrations during the design
sessions is requirements gathering, not detailed design. Where a business need is identified that requires
code development to customize the CIS system in order to integrate with other systems, NorthStar Utilities
Solutions offers complete customization and integration consulting services for CIS solutions.
Items that may be defined at this point include:
• Extending CIS core functionality
• Custom reports that are required to support informational and control points identified within the
process
• Custom interfaces and integrations
• Data conversion and migrations
Finally, the second phase of the NorthStar Utilities Solutions implementation involves understanding the
relationship between the organization's business processes and the CIS. The primary deliverable within the
Design Phase is the Solution Design Workbook that documents the NorthStar Utilities Solutions
configuration in accordance with the organization's business processes.
Phase Three: Development
Within this phase the CIS software is installed on the organization's servers, except for SaaS customers. The
primary deliverable within the Installation sub -phase is the Technical Validation spreadsheet that documents
the organization's technical infrastructure. This spreadsheet is initially created by the NorthStar Utilities
Solutions Implementation Specialist performing the installation during the Planning and Scoping phase, and
should be maintained by the organization's CIS System Administrator any time a change is made to the
infrastructure. At the end of the project, we recommend that the Technical Validation spreadsheet gets
forwarded to the Technical Support Desk, in order for the Technical Support team to better understand the
environment.
When the CIS software is installed on the organization's production and test servers, these CIS environments
contain blank databases in preparation for configuration specific to the organization's business processes.
The installation of the CIS software is done South Bend laboratively with the customer's designated System
Administrator for the CIS software.
This approach provides the organization with the benefit of maximizing knowledge transfer about the
installation process and the CIS Administrator's role. The NorthStar Utilities Solutions Implementation
Specialist delivers administrator training to ensure that the organization's CIS administrator(s) can take on
the role of internal experts for the installation, configuration, and ongoing administration of the system.
—South Bend Indiana
NorthStar Proposal Response
NORTHSTAR'"
Once the CIS software has been installed on the organization's servers, end -user workstation configurations
are reviewed to ensure they are in alignment with the CIS hardware and software recommendations, such
as the appropriate web browser version. From this point until the end of the project and the subsequent
transition of support responsibilities to the CIS Client Management and Support Desk, NorthStar Utilities
Solutions Consultants and Implementation Specialist remain the primary contacts for support issues.
Once the Servers are installed, NorthStar Utilities Solutions' Technical Resources configure and customizes
the CIS based on the approved deliverables of Phase 2. On -going validation at the unit level is performed on
the work that's being performed for quality assurance purpose.
In preparation for validation testing, validation scenarios which mirror the organization's day-to-day
operations are developed. These organization -specific scenarios and their responses are the foundation for
the Base System Review, in which NorthStar Utilities Solutions Consultants will facilitate a step-by-step walk-
through of the configured system in the Testing phase.
The Development Phase concludes with the delivery of a configured system where the entire project team
participates in a walk-through of the configuration.
Phase Four: Test
The purpose of the Test Phase is to verify that the NorthStar Utilities Solutions configuration and extensions
defined in the Design Phase supports the organization's business processes. The first step within the Test
Phase is an initial data load. The data load can be manual, automated, or a combination of methods.
The First component of the Test phase is for representatives from all functional areas within the organization
actively participate in the process by entering transactional data, in a hands-on manner, which simulates the
organization's day-to-day operations. The objective of the Base System Review is to ensure that the CIS
configuration meets the organization's process requirements. Necessary process and setup adjustments are
made in order to fine-tune the configuration. The steps within this process traditionally include:
• Process review
• Test scenario execution
• Process and configuration fine-tuning
The second component is the Technical Audit and Performance Tuning, where an NorthStar Utilities
Solutions Implementation Specialist reviews the technical setup of the servers and application to ensure
they are production -ready.
The Test Phase also includes End -user Materials Development in preparation for end -user training.
NorthStar Utilities Solutions can provide services to prepare a Train -the -Trainer product as a starting point
to assist organizations in building a set of training and on-the-job tools. The Train -the -Trainer package is a
complete set of easily customizable training materials as per the customer's needs. From Quick Reference
Guides to Agendas, Outlines, Exercises, and Tip Sheets, these materials can provide the organization with
the benefit 'just-in-time'job aids to enhance the adoption of the CIS solution.
Before the solution can be deployed to the user community, the next events that take place are an import
of legacy data and a final Go -Live Review of the system. In this review, project team members conduct
another end -to -end walk-through of the configured system, including the configuration, customizations,
interfaces, or data imports to be used upon Go -Live.
NorthStar Proposal Response —South Bend Indiana
NORTH STAR"'
Phase Five: Deployment
f Upon reaching the Deployment Phase, the CIS implementation has been validated and is ready for
deployment in the production environment. The Deployment Phase focuses on training the organization in
(' the use of the CIS, an end -user system Readiness Assessment and Go -Live Support. During this phase, the
NorthStar Utilities Solutions Consultants and Implementation Specialist provide project management and
implementation Go -Live Support, as required.
This phase of the implementation is traditionally composed of the following steps:
• Setup of user profiles
• Training environment setup
• End -user training or Train -the -Trainer training
• Implementation support
Training is critical in the process of promoting and enhancing adoption of a new system. Training all users
in the use of a new system is the culmination of months of effort. Increasing the rate of adoption and
acceptance of a new system are key factors that contribute to the success of the implementation, and
subsequently, to support a change in the strategic alignment between IT and corporate initiatives.
Based upon the organization's needs and preferences, training is usually offered at the organization's site(s)
or at the CIS vendor's facilities. Training is role -based and specific to the organization's operational needs
and business processes.
The Train -the -Trainer program is offered as a means of developing internal experts who become CIS trainers.
More advanced training by business function is delivered by NorthStar Utilities Solutions Consultants or by
the organization's trainers. Many customers elect to engage NorthStar Utilities Solutions Consultants in a
supportive role when advanced training is delivered by the organization's trainers.
Training is followed by a Readiness Assessment in order to make a Go -Live decision. Subsequent to the Go -
Live decision, a final data conversion is performed, and the user community begins using the CIS solution.
NorthStar Utilities Solutions Consultants continue to offer support until the organization's transition to the
Client Management and Technical Support Desk group within the next phase.
Phase Six: Operate
The Operate Phase of the implementation involves two events, including a Project Review and the transition
to Client Support and Technical Support Desk teams.
Traditionally conducted in the form of a conference tali, the objectives of the Project Review are to assess
the lessons learned from the implementation, and to plan any subsequent phases. The Operate Phase
provides an opportunity for both teams to review and confirm that the project's objectives are met, and to
prepare for the next step in the phase, which is the transition of support responsibilities.
In the transition to the CIS Client Management and Technical Support Desk Team, NorthStar Utilities
Solutions Consultants co-ordinate transitioning the organization from the NorthStar Utilities Solutions
Project Team to the CIS Client Management and Technical Support Team for all day-to-day CIS technical and
user support issues.
NorthStar Proposal Response —South Bend Indiana
High level activities are listed in the chart below.
Implementation Phase
Planning & Scoping
(Month 0 —1)
Objectives:
-Kick-Off engagement and
establish a successful working
relationship
-obtain agreement on "What"
is to be delivered.
Design
(Month 1-2)
Objectives:
-determine and define "How"
the solution will be delivered
in terms of customizations
versus configurations.
Development
(Month 2-4)
Objectives:
- configure and build the
solution components
-write associated artifacts.
Vest
(Month 4-5)
Objectives:
-To move the solution to a
known state of quality, ready
for deployment
Activities
1. A review of all current customer
processes
2. Hold on -site kick-off workshops
with customer and project team
3. Identification of functional and
technical solutions
4. Review and acceptance of
Project Plan
1. Review & analysis of data for
conversion (create data mapping
plan)
2. Define and document business
processes
3. Review Discovery workshop
findings and draft a Solution
Design Workbook
1. Preparation and review of
customer computing
environment
2. Setup of the server, creation of
database, installation of the
NorthStar software & 3id party
components, creation of a
North5tarTest environment
3. Review & setup of all key values
to define behavior
4. Creation of conversion scripts
5. Population of conversion data
6. Creation of Test cases / scenarios
7. Prepare to Test
1. Finalizing any conversion
requirements & perform internal
NS testing
2. Training the customer "trainers"
3. Assisting with Implementation
Testing
NORTHISTAR'
Key Deliverables
• SOW & Project Contract
• Project Charter
• Project Implementation Plan
• Project Schedule
• Risk Management Plan
• Gate 1 Acceptance
• Solution Design Workbook
o Discovery Document
o Software Configuration Plan
o Conversion Plan
o Custom Modifications Plan
• Installation Checklist
• Custom Modifications
• Data Conversion
• System Configuration
• Key Interfaces
• Training Schedules
• Test Scenarios / Cases
• Functional Testing Results
• Conversion Testing Results
• Integration Testing Results
• Train -the -Trainer Functional and
Process Training
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NORTHISTAR'
- familiarize the customer 4. Conducting User Acceptance • User Acceptance Test Results
with their new solution. Testing • Solution Executable
5. Preparing for End User Training
Deployment
(Month 5-6)
Objectives:
-Work in parallel with legacy
solution to ensure customer
readiness for live
- ensure familiarity with
Solution and new processes
1. Performing End -User Training
2. Start Parallel - perform all regular
CIS functions in both NorthStar
and legacy software
3. Prepare for transition to support
4. Work with customer to develop a
Go -Live Plan.
5. Creation of a Test instance
6. Go -Live
• End -User Training
• Parallel Testing
• Test instance set-up
• Go -Live
Operate 1.. Provide `'day :to day assistance • Go Live Document
(Month 6+) with the new NorthStar CIS . Go -Live Review
2. Cut-off Legacy software Transition to Support
Objectives: 3. Transition the customer to
J Documentation
Ongoing Support Services
- move the solution into a • Lessons Learned
4. Close out the project
production environment •
Customer Satisfaction
-transition. project to NS Questionnaire
support • Project Close -Out Checklist
The key, critical success factors for a successful implementation are:
• Strong executive sponsorship and management support of the project mission and project team;
• Adequate project staffing for the expected goals and timeline to be met;
• Clear roles and responsibilities defined for the project in order to ensure accountability,
ownership, and quality;
• A committed and well-informed project manager and project team having a thorough
understanding of the project mission, goals, and milestones;
• A comprehensive project work plan and Project Management plan;
• A thorough understanding of known project risks and assumptions throughout the executive
committee and project team; and
• Strong team cohesion and timely communication.
NorthStar Project Management Philosophy
The Project Manager will have the overall responsibility for successfully delivering the NorthStar solution.
The Project Manager (PM) will have the authority and support to manage the project team in the best
NorthStar Proposal Response — South Bend Indiana
NORTHISTAW
interest of the project. The NorthStar PM will interface with the City's PM, conduct regular internal project
meetings and project meetings with the City.
The NorthStar CIS Project Management methodology defines the project management activities that will
occur throughout the implementation project thereby increasing the likelihood of project success. Our
NorthStar Project Managers all follow our standard methodology for managing projects as outlined below.
COMMUNICATION/STATUS MANAGEMENT
NorthStar believes that communication is an integral part of project implementation activities. Below is the
outline of a sample communication plan that would be used as the starting point for planning project
communications with the City. The communication plan will be reviewed with the City's Project Manager at
the start of the project and will be adapted as necessary to fit the needs of the project team.
All stake- Update..stakeholders Regularly scheduled — Distribute
holders and on progress of . the weekly Is recommended. electronically
Project Office project. using agreed Status'.
Report template
RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT
NorthStar Proposal Response --South Bend Indiana
VORTHISTAR'"
NorthStar has over 38 years of corporate experience and tenured employees with literally hundreds of years
of South Bendlective project experience. one of our most consistent, ever -evolving characteristics is passion
for our customers, resulting in excellent customer relationship management practices. We believe that
great relationships are imperative for our mutual success.
While relationships are established during the sales cycle, NorthStar encourages open and honest
I communications during the project kick-off to ensure a high level of trust over the course of the
project. NorthStar employs important best practices such as establishing Executive touch -points, regular
project meetings, and awell-established transition to support process to ensure that strong relationships
are established between our respective organizations. NorthStar interacts closely and regularly with our
customers during our Product Committee Meetings, Regional User Groups, and National Customer
Conferences as well as throughout the course of our day to day interactions with our customers while
assisting them with the support and maintenance of our solutions.
WORK MANAGEMENT
Project Work and Time will be managed through the use of the Project Schedule in MS -Project format. The
NorthStar Project Manager will have the responsibility to create and maintain the project schedule. It is
expected that the City of Project Manager will work in conjunction with the NorthStar Project Manager to.
ensure that key City activities that impact the project are also contained in the project plan.
Time spent on the project by NorthStar resources will be monitored and tracked using NorthStar time
reporting system on a weekly basis. on a monthly basis, NorthStar conducts an analysis of actual effort to
date versus estimated effort at complete versus baseline effort to gain an in depth understanding of the
status of a project against baseline.
Also, to ensure proper project resource allocation, NorthStar has implemented a resource allocation and
usage tracking process, which allows the Project Managers and the organization to ensure that the right
resources are allocated at the right time for project success.
SCOPE MANAGEMENT
NorthStar will maintain the formal documentation denoting agreed upon changes. The City and NorthStar
may propose changes for services falling outside the scope of services described within the final signed
Statement of Work. The Change Control Form must be used for all change requests. NorthStar shall have
no obligation to commence work in connection with any change until the fee and schedule impact of the
change is agreed upon in a written Change Control Form signed by the designated representatives from both
parties.
Upon a request for a change, NorthStar shall submit the change on our standard Change Control Form
describing the change, including the impact of the change on the schedule, fees and expenses. The Change
Management Process that will be employed is defined below:
• Identify and document the proposed change
• Assess the impact of the proposed change
• Estimate required effort /cost of the proposed change
• Submit Change Control Form for approval/rejection decision
• Communicate approval/rejection decision
• If the proposed change is approved:
a. Assign responsibility
b. Monitor and report progress
i
NorthStar Proposal Response —South Bend Indiana
NORTHISTAR"'
RISK MANAGEMENT
Risk Management Planning is an important part of project management and a core component of the
NorthStar Project Implementation Methodology. Risk Management Planning is about defining the process
of how to engage and oversee risk management activities for a project. Having a viable plan on how to
manage risk allows one to mitigate risk versus attempting to decide in the midst of a crisis how to handle a
risk. The earlier risk management planning is engaged within the project, the better the probability of
success of all risk management activities. At NorthStar we engage in risk management planning from the
start of the project, having the initial discussion with the customer prior to or during the project kick-off
meeting.
The initial risk management planning meeting will be to plan for risk identification and analysis. At that
time, initial risks will be discussed and any identified risks will be logged on the Risk Log and reviewed for
probability and a mitigation plan will be discussed. Throughout the duration of the project, risks will be
added to the Risk Log as they are identified and will be reviewed at status meetings with the team to
determine the probability of occurrence and identify the mitigation plan.
DELIVERABLE/ACCEPTANCE MANAGEMENT
At specified milestones throughout the engagement, NorthStar will deliver completed service deliverables
for review and approval. Where applicable, service deliverables shall be reviewed within five business days
from the time of submittal for acceptance. The use or partial use of any service deliverable constitutes
acceptance of that service deliverable. Feedback supplied after the review period will be evaluated as a
potential change of scope and shall follow the Scope Management process outlined earlier in this proposal.
The Service Deliverable Acceptance Process that will be employed is described below.
• Submission of Deliverables - The NorthStar Project Manager, or his designee, will prepare a Service
Deliverable Acceptance Form and forward with the respective service deliverable to the designated
City representative for consideration.
• Assessment of Service Deliverables - The City's representative will determine whether the service
deliverable meets the defined requirements and whether or not it is complete.
• Acceptance / Rejection - After reviewing, the City's representative will either accept the service
deliverable (by signing and dating the Service Deliverable Acceptance Form) or will provide a written
reason for rejecting it and will return the Service Deliverable Acceptance Form to the NorthStar Project
Manager.
• Correction of Service Deliverables — NorthStar will correct in -scope items identified with the service
deliverable. NorthStar will submit a schedule for making changes to the service deliverable within two
business days of receiving a rejected Service Deliverable Acceptance Form. Once NorthStar corrects all
previously identified in -scope issues, the service deliverable will be deemed accepted and signed off by
both parties.
• Monitoring and Reporting m The NorthStar Project Manager will track service deliverable acceptance.
Updates on service deliverable acceptance will be included in the status report and discussed in the
status meeting. Service deliverable acceptance issues that cannot be resolved will be escalated.
FINANCIAL/CONTRACT MANAGEMENT
At NorthStar the Project Manager is involved in the financial aspects of the project right from the start -- at
SOW development. This ensures that the Project Manager is completely aware of all the project deliverables
NorthStar Proposal Response —South Bend Indiana
NORTH STAR'"'
and any contractual obligations. At the end of the project, the Project Manager will review the deliverables
of the SOW with the customer to ensure that all obligations have been met.
Most of the NorthStar projects are of fixed price —the Project Manager works to maintain the scope, effort
and timeline within the budgeted hours and cost. The Project Manager will work with the customer to
ensure the Acceptance Criteria for a deliverable has been approved before an invoice is issued and will follow
up on any invoicing questions or concerns for the customer.
QUALITY MANAGEMENT
NorthStar utilizes a gate and checkpoint system to ensure quality through every phase of the project. By
taking the time to review the key deliverables at these critical points in the project lifecycle, the PMs from
both parties can ensure they are in agreeance with each other and the direction in which the project is
heading.
This further ensures the quality of not only the final product, but also all the other aspects of the project
that are critical for project success. This includes quality planning, quality training, quality testing, and finally
quality delivery.
. ..... .........................
4. OPTIONAL SOLUTIONS
NorthStar Utilities Solutions is not offering any optional solutions at this time.
5. PROPOSED STAFF
5.1 & 5.2 Credentials & Resumes
Each of the key project roles are defined at a high-level within the following table. These roles as well as
the project team structure may change to accommodate any project execution needs and requirements.
NorthStar expects the following staff will be assigned to this Project:
Name of NorthStar
Staff
Brad Robeson
Doug Cathcart
Morris Kelly
i Jennifer Dexter
Rimi Tribble
Rob McRae. _
Simon Boulay
Brief Resumes
Project Role
NorthStar Executive Sponsor
Project Manager
Quality Assurance
Senior Solution Architect
Solution Architect
Technical Architect
Environment Architect
Location
Ottawa, ON
Ottawa, ON
Atlanta, GA
Ottawa, ON
.�� Vermont
Ottawa, ON
Ottawa, ON
NorthStar Proposal Response —South Bend Indiana
NORTHISTAR-
Brad Robeson — VP Professional Services
Brad has an extensive background in Services having managed both Client Services and Professional
Services organizations since 2000. Brad has built, developed and coached services teams on best practices,
introduced operational standards, and has created and introduced delivery models for consulting and
support teams throughout Canada, the United States and Europe.
Brad's key strengths include:
• An innovative senior leader and respected manager
• Proven hands-on program management, account management and team development skills.
• Strong operations background combined with solid financial management skills.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills fostered in a team -based environment.
• Lengthy Professional Services and Operations leadership experience including:
o the implementation of Enterprise COTS or Turn -Key software products for organizations of all
sizes
o the implementation of internal systems for reporting and management including ERP and CRM
solutions. Project, departmental and organizational reporting on revenue forecasting, margin,
resource allocation and utilization.
o enterprise programs for diverse organizations ranging from large federal and provincial/territorial
governments, private sector companies, and not -for -profit organizations
Jeff Lewis— Project Manager
Jeff Lewis has been with Harris Computer Systems for six years. He has been in the role of Project manager
for the past three having previously been a controller and cost analyst. Jeff has earned his Bachelor of
Commerce in Finance and Marketing at Saint Mary's University. Jeff has overseen countless projects to
success at NorthStar and continues to lead the Professional Services Team in his management role there.
Morris Kelly — CIA Lead
Morris is a contractor with NorthStar Utilities employed as an Application Consultant. Morris began this
role in June, 2012.
Prior to this time he was employed with the Clayton City Water Authority in Morrow, Georgia for 43 years.
His experience over the course of this tenure helped guide the evaluation and implementation of projects
for applications and services that provided improved customer service. His knowledge of process flow
helped guide the successful implementations of these projects. He brings good communication skills and
rapport with customers.
Jennifer Dexter — Senior Solution Architect — Manager of Solution Architecture
Jennifer works out of our Head Office in Ottawa, ON. Jennifer initially became involved in utility -related
businesses when she joined Union Energy in 1997 as part of the start-up I.T. department, and assisting with
the conversion of millions of gas accounts. Her skills as a business process re -engineer expert were honed
NorthStar Proposal Response — South Bend Indiana
NORTHISTAR-
during a three year consulting position with Hydro Ottawa where she began by helping the utility implement
regulatory compliant processes and procedures and ended with assisting in the selection and conversion to
their current CIS system.
Since joining NorthStar as a Senior Business Consultant in 2005, Jennifer has been responsible for
successfully implementing many of our largest and most intricate clients and has been a key mentor to
junior resources and a valuable collaborator with all other NorthStar departments.
Rimi Tribble — Solution Architect
Rimi joined Harris Computer Systems in 1998 after working for over 13 years at Morrisville Water & Light
Department in Morrisville, VT. During her time there, Rimi was responsible for all aspects of utility
operations, which included accounts payable, inventory, billing, cashiering, customer service, dispatching,
bookkeeping, job costing, statistical and audit reporting on Harris CSI.
After joining Harris, Rimi became the dedicated resource at Wisconsin Public Power Inc. (WPPI) and was
responsible for the implementation, training and support for 28 sites.
Rob McRae —Technical Architect
Robert McRae has been a Senior Technical Consultant with NorthStar Utilities Solutions since 2002. Since
joining NorthStar, Rob has been involved in a number of our larger implementations both within Ontario
and within the US. Rob has a very clear communication style that allows him to express technical
information to customers and business resources in a non -technical manner.
Rob's major responsibilities while working for NorthStar include the delivery of all data conversion activities,
interface design, development and implementation, custom modification design, development and
implementation, on -site implementation support and consulting services related to the implementation of
the NorthStar Utility Billing Customer Information System.
5.3 Expected Level of Involvement from Project Teams
The following matrix provides an overall view of the phases that the NorthStar resources will be involved
and their expected level of involvement.
NorthStar Proposal Response — South Bend Indiana
NORTHISTART"
Legend:
L = Low (Less than 20% of Time) M= Medium (Between 20%-50% of Time) H = Over 50% of Time
The following matrix provides an overall view of the phases that the City's resources will be involved and
their expected level of involvement throughout the project.
Legend:
L = Low (Less than 20% of Time) M= Medium (Between 20%-50% of Time) H = Over 50% of Time
Phase I: Solution Definition
Document for NorthStar all batch processes, external interfaces, and user -added applications.
Ensure that the underlying infrastructure for the NorthStar CIS solution is acquired and installed by the
required time as per the agreed upon project plan. Note: Minimum specifications for servers and
workstations should be discussed and agreed upon at the commencement of the project.
Ensure the staff members that have been identified to participate in each of the Discovery sessions are
available on the agreed upon scheduled dates.
Phase II -III: Solution Design / Configuration / Construction
Ensure that staff identified for configuration and training are available on the agreed upon scheduled
dates.
NorthStar Proposal Response — South Bend Indiana
NORTHISTAR"'
• Provide and ensure all required Technical Staff are available on the agreed upon scheduled dates.
• install server(s) with appropriate network connectivity.
Phase IV: Solution Validation
• Ensure the staff members that have been identified to participate in the training sessions are available
on the agreed upon scheduled dates.
• Assist with Implementation Testing.
• Conduct User Acceptance Testing.
Phase IV: Solution Transition Readiness / Phase V: Go -Live
• Work with NorthStar to review and confirm the Go -Live Plan Document.
• Approve Go -Live Plan Document.
• The City's project team for pre -production review of the NorthStar CIS production environment.
Phase IV: Post -Installation
• Final Approval and Acceptance of the implementation.
• Participate in a "lessons learned" session coordinated with NorthStar.
PROPOSAL FORM F
TASK AND EFFORT PROJECTIONS
The Vendor is expected to identify the estimated hours proposed for each major task identified in
the table below. The Vendor should indicate which tasks will be sub -contracted, if any. In
addition, the Vendor is requested to identify the associated time expected for City staff. This
estimate will help the City identify the number of FTE's to consider for the project.
Project Management
280
Fit Gap Analysis
136
Functional Design
Non -Production Environment
306
Testing
213
Training
128
Production Environment
System Cut -Over to Production
146
Final System Acceptance
Memos, Notes and Contact Records I I
Customers
Accounts
Premises and Service Points
NorthStar Proposal Response — South Bend Indiana
NORTHISTAR-
Financial History - Payments, Billings, and
Adjustments
Rates
Meter and Device Inventory: Installed and Stores
Meter Reads and Consumption Histor
Service Order Histor
Deposits, Autopay
Documents and Attachments
Total 230
Interactive Voice Response (IVR) — Outbound Dunning
Interactive Voice Response (IVR) — Outbound Leak
Notification
Interactive Voice Response (IVR) — Customer Self -
Service
Meter Reading
Bill Printing
Collections Letter
Payment File — FirstSource
Real -Time Payment Posting
Payment File — Metavante
Payment File — CheckFree/Fisery
Payment File — BillPay/MARS
Payment File — PayNearMe
ACH Withdrawal — FirstSource
Customer Relationship Management — Customer Contact
Information and Service Address Outbound
Customer Relationship Management — Customer
Activities/Interactions and Notes Outbound
Customer Relationship Management — Customer
Activities/Interactions and Notes Inbound
Customer Relationship Management — Service Order
Interface
Customer Relationship Management — Account
Information
Elemos Waste Management Software
County Property Records
Mailing Address Verification
Total 448
NorthStar Proposal Response — South Bend Indiana
NDRTHISTAW
Yendor Sub City
Task}escrptiion Hours' Contractor Staff
:Hours fours '
MM
� '� � ,, '�r"� rua .cam-- ✓' '� ,z � '� m, ,;.., ,�, � r.. J � s�,-� JJ �
Vendor to List Proposed Modifications
Vendor to List Proposed Modifications
Vendor to List Proposed Modifications
Vendor to Lis]t� Proposed Modifications
..... ... ... . . . .........
Hours
Project Management
280
Discovery / Kick Off
136
Installation
23
Configuration
306
Conversion
230
validation
213
Training
128
Interfaces
448
Custom Reports
50
.Custom
Modifications
0
Go Live / Post Go
Live
146
Contingency
98
Tol'
ta
2058
Brad Robeson
NorthStar
Provides high level senior management oversight on the
Executive
project.
Sponsor
_ .. ..________.._....
_-.._.---------_ .__.__.....__..
Jeff Lewis
------ ..:_____-__--
Project
-_.__..._..__._..._ _..__..._.._..-...--___-___._.-.._......-----_.
Overall accountability to successfully deliver the NorthStar
Manager
solution. The Project Manager (PM) will have the authority
and support to manage the project team in the best
interest of the project. The NorthStar PM will interface
with the CITY's PM, conduct regular internal project
NorthStar Proposal Response —South Bend Indiana
Morris Kelly
Jennifer Dexter
NORT'H(sTAR"'
meetings and project meetings with the CITY.
Responsible for ensuring a level of consistency on project
deliverables, ensuring that the application is properly
tested prior to the CITY's testing activities, and validating
the accuracy of the business process based on the design
and configuration definitions.
Quality Assurance is an important part of our Research and
Development process. NorthStar is continually improving its
quality assurance process and methodology to ensure that
only high quality releases are delivered to our valued
customers. Our quality process has recently been
supplemented by test automation that is aimed at delivering
feedback about defects that are introduced during the
development cycle so that they can be corrected before the
code is released. We are rapidly expanding our suite of
automated test cases so that broader test coverage can be
achieved quickly and efficiently.
Senior Leads the discovery, requirements gathering and other core
Solution business process definition activities. Works closely with
Architect the CITY's business process experts and the Application
Consultant to ensure that the business requirements are
accurately captured and that the designed solution meets
the CITY's business needs.
Rimi Tribble Solution
Architect
Technical
Architect
Has in-depth knowledge of the modules and uses this
knowledge as the basis for the configuration of the solution
based on the CITY's business requirements. Participates
and in some cases leads many of the requirements and
configuration project activities. Works closely with the
Business Consultant. Delivers training sessions to the CITY's
team and targeted user community. Works with the CITY's
business team to develop the training approach.
Designs and executes the data conversion from the CITY's
existing system to the NorthStar solution. Works closely
with the technical and business team to ensure that data is
properly prepared for conversion, that the data mapping is
accurate and reflects business requirements, and that
conversion programs will properly execute the transfer of
data.
Responsible for the technical design and development of
any application modifications. Works closely with the
Application Consultant and the Business Consultant to
ensure that modifications meet the business needs.
Responsible for the technical design and development of all
integration points required to integrate the NorthStar
application in the CITY's environment. Works closely with
the Application Consultant, Business Consultant and the
CITY's team to ensure that the design of the required
NorthStar Proposal Response — South Bend Indiana
NORTH STAR"'
interfaces enables the required business process and meets
the technical requirements.
Based on North5tar's experience with other customers, it is recommended that the City be prepared to
provide the following minimum Core Team resources on the project:
South Bend;
� Role Responsibility
Project Sponsor /
Executive Contact
The City should be prepared to provide Project Sponsor and
Executive Committee input to maintain a focus and make decisions
on high-level project direction. This committee should represent
the various business interests of the City. This group should be
prepared to meet for at least 2 hours on a monthly basis for the
duration of the project. It is important to note that the involvement
required by the City will be reviewed and validated during the
Solution Definition phase of the project to ensure that there is a
balance between project needs, continued organization needs and
risks.
Project Manager One Project Manager (PM) is required throughout the life of the
project to act as the conduit to the City's organization. The
expectation is that they will dedicate approximately 50-100% of
their time to the project depending on the phase of the project.
The PM should have 5+ years of Project Management experience.
Subject Matter Expect
Test Manager
Three to four CIS/Financial subject matter experts (SMEs)
depending on whether they overlap different business areas. It is
important that these experts are empowered to make decisions for
their area of responsibility. They will be heavily involved in the
Solution Definition phase and then throughout most of the project
on an "as -needed" basis. The SMEs should have 5* years of
experience with the City.
One Test Manager would be responsible for coordinating the City's
testing efforts, inputs, outputs and follow-up for NorthStar, custom
modifications and interfaces. The Test Manager would work with
the City's Project Manager to develop testing plans and cases, and
to ensure that testing exceptions are documented, addressed, re-
tested and resolved to the City's satisfaction. The Test Manager
should have 1+ years of Test Management experience.
__..------------- --- --
Two to Four testers are recommended from different business
areas during the Solution Validation phase to participate in testing
the system, reports and business processes on a part-time or full-
time basis depending on operational requirements. The testers are
typically from each business area and are required during specific
periods for a period of approximately 2-3 months. Testers should
NorthStar Proposal Response —South Bend Indiana
IT Technical Contact
Legacy System Analyst /
Developer
Change Management
Champion
Trainer
NORTHISTAW
have 1+ years of experience at the City and 5+ years of general
industry knowledge.
Technical experts in the areas of the City's computing environment,
database and network are suggested. There are key periods when
the IT personnel will be fully involved in the project such as during
installation and configuration and Go -Live activities, and other
periods when they will not be involved at all. The City should plan
to have IT personnel on this project for each of the major IT areas
(servers and operating system, network, databases) available on an
"as -required" basis. The IT technical experts should have 5+ years
of IT experience and 2+ years with the City's technology
environment.
One Legacy System Analyst/Developer is suggested to assist with
the Source extraction and analysis through the conversion activities.
The Legacy Database Analyst and Extraction Programmer will be
required primarily during the Solution Definition phase to define
conversion requirements/mapping and to assist in the resolution of
issues identified during the Solution Validation phase. The Legacy
System Analyst/Developer should have 5+ years of experience with
the Legacy Application.
_.._. _......_ . . _.._.. _ _... ._._....... ..... .
One resource should be dedicated almost full-time to ensure that
the City is prepared and ready for the changes resulting from the
roll -out and implementation of the NorthStar CIS solution from a
people and process perspective. The Change Management
Champion should be a Senior Manager with 10+ years of experience
in a management role.
The number of resources the City believes is appropriate to train
the end users within the organization. This number is typically
correlated to the number of groups within the organization that
require training. The Trainers should have 5+ years of experience
with the City.
5.5 Project Organization Chart
NorthStar Proposal Response —South Bend Indiana
NORTHISTARw
6. REFERENCES
Regina Gaddis I White House Utility District
3303 Hwy 31 W I White House I TN
615-672-1021
rgaddis@whud.org
NorthStar CIS Implementation Project is complete.
June 2014 -- March 2016
371088
NorthStar Proposal Response — South Bend Indiana
NORTHISTAR"
The project was completed on time and on budget. It was decided by the client to implement NorthStar in
phases. Hence the long project implementation time.
The utilities involved were sewer and water.
30,000 meters
Reference Name Or anlzatian Position
Jamey Taulbee City of Orange, California Senior Finance Clerk
300 E Chapman Ave
.itaulbee[a cityoforange.or�
Project Name
CIS implementation
Orange
Project is complete
April 2017- November 2017
California 1 92866
714-744-2244
The services included on this was water & trash.
28,000 meters
The City of Orange wanted this completed in a very quick turnaround. We normally suggest 10-18 months,
depending on the size of the utility. However we were able to complete the project on time and budget.
We implemented the NorthStar CIS, mCare and EIS for City of Orange.
Reference Name
:Or anlzation
Position
No Nkwenji
City of Santa Monica
Systems Analyst
Address
Cz
State <
Zi Code
1717 4' St.
Santa Monica
California
Contact E aail.:Tele
'hone Number
Ivo.nkwenji@smgov.net
310-458-4967
Project Name
Project Status, Start/End Dates
CIS Implementation
Complete
Project Descri tion
NorthStar Proposal Response —South Bend Indiana
NORTHISTAR"
17,000 meters
ICS, eCare, eDocs, EIS, mCare
Water, Sewer & Trash
7. SMIEM REQUIREMENTS
FORM C — Questions
Describe your experience integrating with Microsoft Dynamics CRM or a similar CRM product.
We have integrated with many Enterprise and Utility Centric Systems and are confident that we can
successfully integrated to Microsoft Dynamics using our RESTful API — a standards based integration
approach.
Do you have pre -canned dashboards, and what kinds?
1. Dollar distribution by service type
2. Service balances
3. Service balances by region
4. Calls by region (Use service addresses postal code on map)
5. Statistics which can give call completed or calls scheduled each day
6. Average call completion times and buckets by service order types
Do you have a relationship with other vendors regarding dashboards?
Currently our CIS system offers both Reports Any Where and Power BI - showing all required dashboards -
and we have not had to work with any other vendors for this purpose.
What are the standard Application Program Interfaces (APIs) that you offer? Please provide a
description of each available API.
We offer REST API - that allow any external vendor or merchant to communicate, retrieve and update
permission granted data within CIS. Permission is set on an IP level and field/data level.
Does the system support workflow by communicating via email?
Unfortunately, this feature is not currently offered by our CIS. However, this is something we will look to
consider as we work towards the next version of the software.
What are your hours for on -the -phone support?
Our support hours are from 8:00am EST to 8:00pm EST.
E;
NorthStar Proposal Response —South Send Indiana
NORTH STAR"`
What are your standard support and maintenance tools?
Our standard support and maintenance tracking tools are: TeamSupport and Jira. All of our customers will
be setup with an account on TeamSupport, using which support items can be logged. It is also where we
share our knowledge base, allowing customers to share ideas and find answers to frequently asked
questions.
Do you have a library of pre -built training materials that can be edited to meet these requirements?
Does your system provide administrative tools to schedule and manage batch job processing (e.g. for bill
runs, dunning, etc.)
Yes - We will provide all pre -built training materials and ensure it is updated to meet all requirements.
Documents are updated as new releases are made available and requirements change.
Will archiving speed up system performance?
Archiving old, unused data, will have an improvement on the speed it takes to query records - trying to find
all matching records - as fewer records exist to parse through.
What reporting options are available in your system? Do reports hit the database directly? Have
reporting views? Separate reporting databases? Or have a data warehouse?
We currently offer two options - where our Reports Any Where tool will run off and point directly to the
production Database. Our BI offering will trigger off of and use data from the warehouse.
What are your embedded report writing tools?
Our CIS comes with Reports Any Where - allowing utilities to run provided canned reports or generate
reports on an as -needed basis.
Is your system open so that 3rd party reporting tools can be used to query your system for reporting?
An ODBC connection can be established to our Database and reports can be generated. Reports Any
Where or our BI tool can be used to create and schedule Ad -Hoc reports on a as -needed basis.
Does system allow for data -based security?
Our CIS system is based on Screen, Functionality and Privilege Based. These security settings can be
controlled at a group level or individual/user level.
Provide a list of standard reports.
The following reports are standard reports available within NorthStar.
NORTHSTAR STANDARD SYSTEM REPORTS
NorthStar Proposal Response — South Bend Indiana
NORTHISTAR"'
Account Maintenance
1) Post Dated Checks Listing
2) Device Report
Table Setups — Standard Setups
3)
Debtor or Customer Listing
4)
Street Listing
5)
A/R Description Listing
6)
Service Types Listing/Report
7)
Category Listing/Report
8)
Tax Codes Listing/Report
9)
Group Code Listing/Report
10)
Statistic Code Listing
11)
Standard Statistics Profiles
12)
Debt Collector Report
13)
Billing Period Listing
14)
Account Maintenance Menu
15)
Alert Codes Listing
16)
Alert Unload
17)
Program Options Menu
18)
Degree Days Setup Listing
Table Setups — Electric Setups - Rates
19) Electric Rates Statistic Profile
Table Setups — Electric Setups — Meters
20) Electric Meter Subgroup Listing
21) Electric Meter Listing
22) List of Adjustments
23) Meter Reverification List
24) Change Notice Report
25) Current Transformer Listing
26) Potential/Voltage Transformer Listing
27) CT/PT Listing
Table Setups — Electric Setups — Billing
28) Transformer Adjustment Listing
29) Water Heater Movement Listing
Table Setups — Water/Sewer Setups — Rates
30) Water/Sewage Rates Statistic Profile
Table Setups — Water/Sewer Setups — Meters
31) Water Meter Subgroup Report/Listing
32) Water Meter Listing
33) Back Flow Device Report
34) Back Flow Device Adjustment Listing
NorthStar Proposal Response —South Bend Indiana
NORTHISTAR-
35) Back Flow Device Adjustment Listing
Table Setups — Water/Sewer Setups — Seasonal Sewage
36) Seasonal Sewer Calculation
37) Seasonal Sewer Calculation
Table Setups — Gas Setups — Rates Setup
38) Gas Rates
39) Gas Stat Profiles
Table Setups — Gas Setups — Meter Setups
40) Type Codes
41) Gas Subgroup Listing
42) Gas Accuracy Notes Report
43) Gas Paint History Report
44) Gas Meter Listing/Reverification List
Table Setups — Solid Waste Setups
45) Container Routing List
Journal Processing — Billing/Adjustments
46) Reading Entry Verification
47) Billing Journal Verification Listing
48) Bills
49) Billing Journal
50) Billing Journal Statistics Report
51) AJ Verification Listing
52) Adjustment Bills
53) Adjustment Journal
54) Adjustment Journal Statistics Report
55) Verification Listing
56) Delayed Billing Journal Statistics Report
Journal Processing — Extra Charge and Adjustments
57) Automatic Write-off Listing
58) Reverse Write-off Listing
59) Extra Charge & Adjustment Verification Listing
60) Extra Charge & Adjustment Journal
Journal Processing — Late Payment Charge Journal
61) Late Payment Load listing
62) Late Payment Journal Verification
63) Late Payment Journal
Journal Processing — Refund Journal
64) Refund Journal Listing
65) Refund Verification
NorthStar Proposal Response —South Bend Indiana
66) Refund Journal
NORTHISTAR-
Journal Processing — Overdue Interest Journal
67) Overdue Interest Auto Load Listing
68) Overdue Interest Journal Verification
69) Overdue Interest Journal
Journal Processing — Payment Plan Calculator
70) Payment Plan Register
71) Letters
Journal Processing —Payment Plan Removal
72) Payment Plan Removal List
73) Letters
Journal Processing —Deposit Distribution
74) Customer Deposit Distribution Verification
75) Customer Deposit Distribution Journal
Journal Processing —Auto Clearing Journal
76) Automatic Clearing Journal Verification
77) Automatic Clearing Journal
Reporting — Billing Reports
78) Customer Master Listing
79) Customer Detailed Listing
80) Customer Deposits Listing
81) T5 Verification Listing
82) Electric Reading History
83) Water Reading History
84) Gas Reading History
85) Labels
86) Mail Merge labels
87) Consecutive Estimates by Reading Date Report
88) Customer Count Report
89) Special Plan Accounts List
90) A/R Analysis Summary
91) A/R Analysis by Cycle
92) Alert Detail List
93) Alert List
94) Abnormal Reading Report
95) G/L Summary Report
96) Monthly Sales Analysis Report
Reporting — Electric Statistical Reports
97) Consumption Report
98) Sentinel Light Listing
99) Sentinel Light Rates
NorthStar Proposal Response —South Bend Indiana
NORTHISTAR''
100) Sentinel Light Count Report
101) Transformer Loading Report
102) Transformer Location Listing
103) Detailed Transformer Location Report
104) Transformer Listing
105) Stock Transformer Availability Report
106) W/H Rental Rates Listing
107) W/H Flat Rates Listing
108) W/H Count Report
109) W/H Detailed Listing
110) Demand History Report
111) Street Light Listing
112) Electric Rates Listing
113) Flat Rates Listing
114) Electric Rate Adjustments
115) Electric Account Count Report
116) SIC Code Count Detail
117) SIC Code Count Detail
Reporting —Water Statistical Reports
118)
Consumption History Report
119)
Sewage Exempt & Discount List
120)
Water Rates Listing
121)
Sewer Rates Listing
122)
Flat Rates Listing
123)
Water Account Count Report
Reporting — Statistical Reporting
124) Statistic Report
Meter Reading-- Cycle/Route/Walk Change
125) Cycle/Route/Walk Verify List
Meter Reading— Reading Control
126)
Meter Reading Sheets
127)
Import File
128)
Translation Exceptions
129)
Translation Notes Changes
130)
Translation Meter Info Changes
131)
Meter Reading Verification
132)
Meter Reader Cards
Credit Control — Credit Control Run
133) Credit Control Arrears Listing
134) Letters
135) Notices
NorthStar Proposal Response —South Bend Indiana
Credit Control — Letters
136) Letters
NORTH STARw
Credit Control — Trial Balances
137) Detail Trial Balance
138) Trial Balance
139) Customer A/R Trial Balance
Credit Control -- Summary T/B
140) Summary T/B by Account
141) Summary T/B by Customer
Credit Control — Aging
142) A/R Aging Report
143) A/R Aging Summary
144) A/R Aging by Utility Type
Credit Control
145) Payment Arrangement Report
146) Credit Balance Summary Report
147) Credit Balance Detail Report
Cashiering —Cash Processing
148) Lock Box Pre -Transfer Listing
149) Cash Receipts Journal Verification
150) Cash Receipts Journal
Cashiering — Cashiering Setups
151)
Payment Methods Setup
152)
Transaction Code Listing
153)
Untitled Cashier Report
154)
Cash Drawer Setup
155)
Bank Branches List
156)
Bank Group Setup
157)
Agency Code Setup
158)
Post Dated Cheques Listing
Care
159) Customer Service Order
160) Call/Service Order Listing
161) Trigger Action Listing
Utility Menu
162) Zip Code Verification File
163) NorthStar 6.0 Data Dictionary
164) Cycle/Route/Walk Verification List
NorthStar Proposal Response —South Bend Indiana
NORTHISTAR-
165) Job Streaming Report
G/L Interface
166) G/L Posting Accounts
167) Archived G/L Posting List
What pre -canned dashboards and dimensional models do you offer?
The NorthStar CIS comes with easy to navigate dashboards. We have provided a few examples below, and
will be happy to go through these extensively in a demo.
BE
Start New Service
Easy -to -Ilse 5etf Service Portal
New User
r
NorthStar Proposal Response —South Bend Indiana
NORTHIsTAR"'
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Describe your technical system documentation and manuals geared to information systems personnel,
which includes program descriptions and screen definitions.
With every implementation, NorthStar provides generic, step-by-step documentation that supports testing
and training activities. This is typically provided in an editable format to allow the County, with the
assistance of NorthStar, to customize training material to better reflect their own processes and procedures.
Below is an example of a sample Cashiering script which is provided for testing & training related activities:
Payment Processing
NorthStar Proposal Response — South Bend Indiana
NORTHISTAR"'
1. Go to the Cashiering tab and open the Cashiering Entry screen.
2. Click Add : to add a new batch.
3. The batch name in the Batch Name field will default to the cashier name.
4. Enter a description in the Batch ID field.
5. The Process Date will default to the current date; change as appropriate.
6. If a receipt printer is being used, select the cashiering station the receipt will be issued through
from the Station drop down list.
7. The Bank Group will default; do not change.
8. If a receipt printer is not being used, uncheck the Print Receipt box.
9. Click OK.
10. Click the Cash Maintenance tab.
Detail your plans for the future enhancement and growth of your products.
o Workflows
o Process automation
o POS integration enhancements
o Updates to deposit payments and returns
o Updates to usage statistics
o LIHEAP updates and stabilization
o Security updates related to SQL injection
NorthStar Proposal Response — South Bend Indiana
NORTHISTAR"
a Additional integration updates
o Modifications to leak adjustments on Account gateway
o Usability enhancements
o Service Bench integration
o Bill print enhancements
• Northstar Bi
o Updates
o Usability enhancements
o Template development
o ETL development
• NorthStar mCare v6
o Map enhancements
a Meter location screen modifications
o Usability enhancements
• NorthStar CustomerConnect v6
o Enhancements to;
■ Register, view and pay bills
■ Meter reads, PAP, service orders
■ Interval usage, notifications, SSO, CSRJump, NetMetering
o Usability enhancements
o Usage stats logging
How are new features identified and placed into releases?
Through a combination of feedback from our clients and testing and reorganization through the R & D
team.
What are your quality control processes prior to issuing updates or enhancements?
What does a typical development environment look like?
Describe your company process for software development including standards, policies, controls, testing
and acceptance.
We believe the following answer cover all three of the above questions.
New software features and change requests are broken down into user stories with detailed
acceptance criteria which must be fulfilled before the feature or change request can be considered
resolved. QA bases its testing on those user stories. Testers draft detailed test plans based on each
user story's acceptance criteria. The test plans consist of individual "success" and "fail" cases for each
story, with each case having clearly defined input, pre -conditions and expected results. "Success
cases" are designed to validate that the feature or change request meets the business and design
requirements and functions as expected. "Fail cases" are designed to prove that built-in error trapping
operates as expected and protects the system from input errors. Test scripts are drafted from criteria
in the test cases. Manual testers follow the script to validate system behavior and automation
engineers use the scripts as a framework for coding automated test scripts used for regression
testing. If the feature in development deviates from the script at any point during manual or
automated testing it is returned to Development for investigation, resolution and retesting.
Do you offer a separate mobile application? Please describe.
NorthStar Proposal Response — South Bend Indiana
NORTHISTAR'
We currently offer a separate mobile solution allowing Field Staff to download and complete service
orders directly from any handheld device. The application works while connected to the network or in an
Offline mode. Once connection is established data is sent back to the office in a.real-time manner.
updating accounts and service orders.
What types of hardware devices and operating systems does your mobile solution run?
Our mobile solution can run on any hardware device and operating system.
Do you have an Electronic Bill Presentment and Payment (EBPP) portal or partner with a portal
provider? If yes, provide a description and separate pricing.
Yes - we offer an online Portal, CustomerConnect, that will allow.your customers the ability to create an
online account, retrieve historical information on the account, viewing of PD..F bills, making online
payments, submitting service orders and updating account contact information.
Describe the set up and launch of a billing run?
A billing run is completed via a batch journal process. This functionality entails.the following
1. Batch creation
2. Batch load — load process can be done in several ways:
a. Through meter reading transfer to billing journal (by cycle, routes, account_no)
b. Single account load into a journal
c. Final billing order completion load
3. Calculation of the batch with a specific bill date and due date
4. Review batch via verification listing
5. Print bills
6. Print the journal listing
7. Post the batch to the proper GL month/year
8. The bills are posted to the account history, reading history and GL posting history
Describe how your solution represents and handles customers. who are not rate payers such as
developers and contractors.
The NorthStar system allows for premise accounts to be open that are linked to a certain contractor or
developer. If the meters are not currently attached to the premise, a no bill code can be linked to the
service until a tenant or property owner moves in and the meters are active.
NorthStar Proposal Response —South Bend Indiana
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