Earlier this year, OECM announced our plans to spearhead an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) System(s) project, with an anticipated launch by mid-2022. We received initial Expressions of Interest from several District School Boards (DSBs) indicating their commitment to participate in the development of the RFP for this project.
To encourage greater interest in the project, maximize volunteer participation, and ensure the development of an RFP for an ERP System(s) that represents and responds to the needs of all our School Board sector customers, OECM has introduced deeper and more targeted engagement activities with both School Board representatives and OASBO Committees.
This month, OECM will host a series of highly-targeted Project Validation Sessions with a broad range of volunteer representatives from across the School Board sector. These sessions will support us in gathering information while also validating functional requirements for an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. Discussions will focus on confirming the accuracy and completeness of requirements for the following areas:
- Human Resources
- Finance
- Facilities Management
- Information Technology
We are committed to ensuring that our School Board customers drive these discussions and have the opportunity to contribute to the overall success of this important initiative.
OECM has also recently concluded the Supplier Consultation (SC) process with suppliers who have expressed interest in participating in the upcoming RFP. We will be analyzing findings from these consultations, utilizing them to further support the RFP development process and ensure alignment with the deliverables/requirements that will be defined by our customers during the upcoming Validation Sessions.
OECM continues to lead the procurement process, including the planning, procurement, and execution, on behalf of the organizations. We continue to offer innovative ideas to engage the market and consult with our supplier partner community in a fair and transparent manner, and effectively assess the associated risks before advancing. Our Project Executive Steering Committee, comprised of volunteer members from several School Boards, form a representative group on behalf of the project and provide advice and counsel as part of the process.
This project was developed based on extensive interest from school boards in 2020 and following consultations with the Ministry of Education (MEDU), the Educational Computing Network of Ontario (ECNO) and with support from the Council of Ontario Senior Business Officials (COSBO). The RFP for this very significant project will include a comprehensive list of requirements for an integrated ERP system covering the core functionalities, including but not limited to, Finance (AIR, NP, G/L, Job Costing and Budgeting), Procurement, Payroll, Human Resources, Inventory Control and the optional functionalities of Work Order Management, Capital Asset Management, Fleet Management, and Data Analytics.
For more information about this project or further assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact Karen Owen, Vice-President Supply Management and Customer Relations, at karen.owen@oecm.ca.
