Update, Dec. 20: On Wednesday, the Lancaster County commissioners approved resolutions authorizing the use of $8.6 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to replace the county’s enterprise software.
Previously reported:
Lancaster County commissioners on Wednesday will consider allocating more than $8.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act money for a project to replace the county’s core administrative computer systems.
The money will go toward replacement of the enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, which supports accounting, human resources, payroll, procurement and related services; and the replacement of the county’s pension management system.
The county’s existing ERP system, PeopleSoft, is more than three decades old and is obsolete, Purchasing Director Linda Schreiner said.
The county began looking at upgrading or replacing it almost two years ago, Chief Information Officer Steve Clements said. The goals were to obtain an up-to-date cloud-hosted system that fully met county staff needs, Schreiner said.
The county issued a request for proposals in summer 2022, and whittled the 15 proposals down to two finalists. After months of testing and vetting, the Purchasing and IT departments are recommending the county buy an ERP system from Pleasanton, California-based Workday Inc. A second company, London-based Cognizant Worldwide, would assist with implementation.
“This is the right choice for the county,” Clements said.
A pension management system, PensionPro+, would be bought from Boston-based Pension Technology Group. Lastly, ePlus Technology of Herndon, Virginia, would provide firewall protection.
Workday ERP software is running in roughly 100 counties nationwide, Regional Director Greg St. Angelo said. In Pennsylvania, its clients include Philadelphia and the state court system.
The proposed contracts total $8.6 million: $3.5 million for the ERP software and $2.6 million for implementation; $600,000 million for PensionPro+, $114,143 for the firewall; plus $230,025 budgeted for enterprise software supporting the county’s Drug & Alcohol services. A decision on a vendor for that component is being finalized and will be brought to the commissioners next year, Schreiner said.
The budget includes a little more than $1.5 million in contingency costs, Schreiner said — funds available in case of unexpected complications, but that need not be spent if all goes as planned.
The main contract with Workday would be for five years, with five one-year extensions. The county anticipates the new system going live at the start of 2025, Schreiner said. PensionPro+ would debut earlier, hopefully next June.
The changeover will be “monumental,” Commissioner Ray D’Agostino said. PeopleSoft has served the county well, he said, but “it’s time to move on.”
