CIS transformation and automated performance testing with the City of Roseville
The challenge
Because of its outdated, slow-moving CIS, the City of Roseville struggled to meet customers’ needs and expectations. To deliver quicker responses and better service, the utility knew it needed an upgrade.
The solution
To ensure a smooth and successful implementation, the City of Roseville turned to E Source to lead the entire process—from conducting a needs assessment through go-live. Using the proven E Source NavigateOneTM methodology, the company supported the City of Roseville with:
- A thorough current-state assessment to determine the client’s unique needs
- Thoughtful vendor selection to find the perfect fit to meet those needs
- Testing and training services
- Vendor accountability
- Implementation delivery and go-live support
Andrea Blomquist, customer care manager at the City of Roseville, said, “E Source brings a valuable tool set to the game. [E Source] really helps us, as a city, stay accountable to scope, timeline, contract, and really holding dollars. As a midsize utility, sometimes we don't have the necessary staff or skillset to really hold ourselves accountable to staying on time, on budget, and within scope. … E Source really helps us stay on track and focused. They give us the tools that we need to hold our vendors accountable and hold ourselves accountable.” (2:27)
The impact
E Source supported the utility from start to finish, also leading it through rigorous testing to make sure that elements of the CIS project (such as the City of Roseville’s customer portal) were running smoothly and ready for launch.
According to Blomquist, “You can’t know how a system’s going to function unless you hit it as many times as you think your customers might hit it. And, looking back at that project, had we not had that support, we wouldn’t know what would have happened to us at go-live. If all of our customers tried to get on at the same time without that performance testing, we really wouldn’t have been in a good state because we knew that, through that testing, we didn’t have the proper server space. We needed to break out some API servers and do some things differently or we would have been in big trouble.” (3:55)
By working closely with E Source, the City of Roseville team weaved elements from the NavigateOne methodology into other internal processes and activities. It learned how to better control scope and how to use some of the contract language in other projects requiring vendor negotiations. The utility also uses the E Source testing requirements in its other smaller-scale updates and daily processes to make sure everything is operating smoothly.
I personally would never recommend not using E Source. It’s an invaluable service ... It’s a way to make our projects successful. [E Source] brings to the game something that is tried and true. The NavigateOne methodology really, really helps us make it through a project knowing that we have a tight contract that we can really hold our vendors accountable to. [With E Source], you’re going to stay on budget, you’re going to stay on time, and [E Source] has just so many successful projects behind them with numerous utilities—not just one, not little utilities, not big utilities, but the gambit of utilities. So, for me, it’s always, Why wouldn’t you use E Source? (5:13) —Andrea Blomquist, Customer Care Manager, City of Roseville