The City of Billings Solid Waste Division provides garbage collection, yard waste collection and roll-off service to the businesses and approximately 115,000 residents within the City of Billings.  Approximately 39,000 commercial and residential customers are serviced with a fleet of 47 vehicles.  Currently, commercial routes are managed manually and maintained with a paper-based system.  There is not a system to maintain residential routes by address or pickup location.  Service levels and frequencies are maintained with customer information software, but this software does not interface with Innoprise, the City's billing software, requiring data entry in two systems.  These current methods and tools do not provide the type of modern, consolidated, enterprise system needed to support this growing $8 million per year City service.  A new system is required to ensure continued quality service delivery and to meet expanding business requirements.

A Request for Proposals (RFP) was issued for a Solid Waste Route Management Solution.  Staff from Public Works Fiscal Services Division, Solid Waste Division, and Information Technology evaluated three proposals submitted by Routeware Inc., Fleetmind Solutions, Inc., and McNeilus.  Routeware's proposal obtained the highest overall score, was the lowest cost solution, met all of the specifications, and is being recommended for award. 

Routeware specializes in the solid waste industry and is a cost-effective, proven solution currently used by many cities.  Routeware's products and services will offer enhanced customer service, accurate and real-time operational data analysis through live route map displays and dashboards, and navigational and service order capabilities from within solid waste vehicles through mobile computing technologies.  The implementation of Routeware will allow the Solid Waste Division to avoid paper-based routing methods, automate vehicle communications, and avoid manual data processing of operational information.  This new functionality will facilitate operational efficiencies, reduce costs, and potentially increase revenues.   Reduced idle time, enlarged spans of supervisory control, decreased vehicle wear and fuel costs, and fewer callbacks for missed pickups are some of the cost reductions and efficiencies that are anticipated.


 

City Council may:

• Approve the Agreement with Routeware, Inc., or;
• Disapprove the Agreement with Routeware, Inc.

A budget amendment was approved at the January 25, 2016 Council meeting, providing the needed budget authority in the FY 2016 Solid Waste budget for this request.

The one-time cost to implement Routeware across the fleet including cost per truck, hardware, software, and back office support is $293,997.  On-going annual costs for Routeware software maintenance and support are $38,585.59.   

Additional on-going annual costs in addition to the Routeware Agreement will also be incurred for cellular service.  These costs are estimated at $8,640.
 

Staff recommends that the City Council approve the agreement with Routeware, Inc. to procure hardware and software in the amount of $293,997 and to purchase on-going support for approximately $38,585.59 for three years, with two one-year options to renew by mutual agreement.