A utility billing system four versions behind, and an ERP nobody supported.
Maryville is a rapidly growing city of more than 28,000 at the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. Its financial ERP had lost vendor support in 2018, and its utility billing platform was at least four upgrades behind.
Two systems the city depended on daily, both quietly past the point where anyone would answer the phone.
Established in 1795 and operating under the motto “People are the Key,” Maryville runs its services with a five-person IT department responsible for the full technology estate.
GEMS, the city's financial ERP and HRMS, lacked workflow and automation for work order management, fleet, plant accounting, and asset management — and vendor support for the installed version ended in 2018. Cayenta, the utility billing system, was four or more upgrades behind, missing features, and unable to interface with anything else.
Add to that no city-wide electronic document management, no time and attendance tracking, and no automated workflow for legislative processes.
The deliverables.
Utility billing upgrade
The Cayenta upgrade was completed in February 2019 after implementation planning and staff training, bringing the system current and allowing it to integrate with the city's future enterprise systems rather than standing apart from them.
Business process analysis
Analysis across finance and other city departments to establish what the ERP actually needed to do, derived from the work rather than from the features of the system being replaced.
ERP replacement path
A defined path off an unsupported financial ERP and HRMS, covering the workflow and automation gaps — work order management, fleet, plant accounting, asset management — that the incumbent never closed.
Document management and workflow
Addressing the absence of city-wide electronic document management and the limited use of existing OnBase workflow capability, alongside the missing time and attendance tracking.
Status and outlook.
Where it stands
The utility billing upgrade completed in February 2019. Business process analysis established the requirements basis for the ERP replacement.
Why it matters
Sequencing mattered: upgrading utility billing first meant it could integrate with whatever ERP came next, instead of becoming a second migration later.
In their words
“Technically strong, depth of knowledge, and an ability to speak in a language management can understand. They took us through discovery to make sure we got the scope right.” — Greg McClain, City Manager
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