HomeMy WebLinkAbout10 Digital Media Projectenda Item #
CONSENT
10
To: Board of Directors
From: Ian Fitzgerald
Date: July 18, 2018
Subject: Consideration of Approving a Contract with Four Winds Interactive
for Digital Media Hardware, Software, and Development
1. WHY THIS MATTER IS BEFORE THE BOARD
Board authorization is required for procurements in excess of $15,000,
2. HISTORY
In 2012, the District began its foray into the Digital Media landscape. The purpose of
supplementing more traditional marketing techniques with digital media was to provide
a unique experience for our customers who visit the District's main office, having the
potential to enhance the way we reach and engage customers.
The original design included an interactive display in the front lobby procured from
Four Winds Interactive (FWI). This was a cost-effective way to engage our
customers, as they visited the District's main office, with the latest District programs,
marketing trends, and news. The display encouraged our customers to engage in the
media to learn more about conservation programs, the water -wise garden, and events
the District was participating within the community.
As an initial beginning, staff learned a lot about how digital media can have an effect
on customer engagement along with how better to improve the presentation for future
engagements. The District website and on-line tools have also evolved since 2012
with a website upgrade project in progress and expected to be complete later this
year.
3. NEW INFORMATION
With the construction of a new lobby, the opportunity has presented itself to refine
how the District presents itself to our customers and visitors here at the District office.
In addition to engaging our customers on current programs such as the EV initiatives
or energy surveys; the District has an opportunity to teach people entering our building
about who the District is and how it responsibly engages within the community to
achieve our mission.
The proposed digital media will incorporate three public facing engagements, and two
internal facing engagements:
Public Facing:
• 1 x5 Video Wall behind the customer service desk -This five screen wide
display is designed to welcome visitors and customers to the District,
highlight the District's history, inform customers of the latest program
offerings, and to educate customers on self-services with the aim of
improving customer service while reducing time and costs placed on
District staff.
• Interactive Display -This environment is designed to engage customers
and visitors to learn in more detail about the District. Interactively, users
can find out information about the Board of Directors, current meetings,
meeting room availability, District community engagements, and
conservation programs to name a few.
• Legal Display -The District is legally mandated to present Board agenda
information in a public accessible area. This non -interactive display will
digitally display all required documents to the public, without having to
manually pin paper to the wall.
Internal Facing:
• 1x3 Video Wall facing customer service -These three displays will help
District customer service be more engaged with operations, particularly
electric outages, in a real-time environment. When not in emergency
mode, Customer Service Representatives (CSR's) can view cameras of
deliveries, meeting room bookings, and phone call statistics. However, in
times of outages, the screens will auto change to display the latest
outage information, maps, and call volumes; alerting CSR staff to
outages immediately as they are reported instantaneously via the AMI
technology and outage management system the District has invested in.
• Meeting Room Displays -These displays will be located at the entrance
of all District meeting rooms. Their objective is to identify to users
meetings in progress and well as meetings that have been reserved in
these rooms. They will be fully interactive and integrated into the
District's calendar environment.
District staff are proposing to continue working with FWI on this project. Staff has
been investigating industry leading digital media vendors and finds there is significant
benefits to the District to leverage the current equipment, software developed, and
staff training invested to date with FWI. The District's current Digital media software
and hardware is licensed through FWI and this purchase and services are adding on
to the existing contract. The District cannot purchase additional software licenses
compatible with our existing FWI digital media and software from any other vendor.
FWI has provided a price quote for $74,402 to provide the above described
engagements, subdivided as follows:
Software license upgrade and extension: $11,154
Hardware displays and mounting: $33,113
Professional development services: $30,135
4. FISCAL IMPACT
Sufficient funds exist in the
procurement.
5. RECOMMENDATION
Total = $74,402
Electric Utility's adopted FY18
budget for this
Authorize the General Manager to execute a contract with Four Winds Interactive for
digital media hardware, software licenses, and development, in an amount of $74,402
plus a 10% change order authorization for a total not to exceed contract amount of
$81,842.
Ian Fitzgerald Michael D. Holley
Information Technology Director / CIO General Manager