Cookeville Looking For Help To Modernize Its System & Protocols

Cookeville wants to modernize its processes citywide, perhaps with technology to replace manual systems in place now.

The city has put out a request for proposals for Enterprise Resource Planning Consulting for system modernization and efficiency. Accounting and Finance Director Brenda Imel said the three-phase process could save the city time and money.

“There’s lots of different software that’s available out there,” Imel said. “So using a consultant can help us identify the unique needs that we have in every department and kind of bring that all together on what our requirements would be in maybe newer technology.”

Imel said she is looking for someone with technological experience and a firm understanding of how different software systems work. She said she would like to have a consultant selected, and a rough idea of what software will be best before the next budget year, so the city can budget accordingly.

“We’re so busy doing the paperwork and doing the work that we don’t have time for somebody to step back and look at every department and look at ways that we can buy technology that would improve things,” Imel said. “So, it’s a time issue.”

Imel said phase one will be a needs assessment where consultants will uncover ways that the city can improve processing. Phase two will involve assistance in selecting which software is right for the city. She said the final phase will be about implementation and making sure the technology is fulfilling the city’s needs once it is in place.

“They’re going to design the plans, kind of have a roadmap, then they’re going to kind of supervise the process as you go through it with the building,” Imel said. “That’s the way I look at it. It’s infrastructure just like a bridge or a road, but it’s technological infrastructure.”

She said that while the city experiences rapid growth, manual processes and paperwork become more and more time-consuming. She said she also expects the consultant to consolidate any duplicate efforts where multiple systems are performing similar tasks and can be combined. She said the new technology will free up staff by relieving them of some of the manual tasks they do with the current system.