cover
TO: Mayor Richard C. Irvin
FROM: Michael Pegues, Chief Information Officer
DATE: May 2, 2019
SUBJECT:
Resolution requesting an upgraded annual subscription (renewal) for Executive Programs Membership Basic and Leadership Team Service for IT Research and Advisory Services from Gartner, Inc. of 56 Top Gallant Road, Stamford, CT 06904 in the amount of $104,300.
PURPOSE:
City of Aurora IL currently has 1 seat for a total investment of USD $56K. It comprises the following:
Chief Information Officer - Executive Programs Member Basic
From April 2018 through March 2019, the following return on investment has been realized:
Utilized Analyst Inquiry to save time and validate key decision making:
- Leveraged Gartner analysts/Executive Partner in support of IT Strategic planning efforts authoring of an IT Strategic Plan with city leadership. Last year, the City of Aurora worked tirelessly with strategic partner Gartner to develop a comprehensive roadmap of short and long term technology initiatives aimed at positioning our great City as a technology and innovation leader. As a result, the CIO presented City Council the first ever Digital Plan for the City of Aurora IL on Feb 26th 2019. This return on investment has been realized and can be reviewed at <https://smartaurora.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/CoA-ITSP-2019-02-14.pdf>
- Conducted 6 analyst inquires to support Smart City digital kiosk research, IT strategic plan review and feedback, IoT platforms, aerial vs buried fiber networks, cost comparisons for digital marketing solutions
Utilized Research to save time researching products and best practices:
- Accessed 80 research documents and 14 Toolkits (94 total).
Leveraged Executive Partner Support to review IT strategic planning documents and overall approach:
- 2 Executive Interactions
Attended Gartner Event to follow current industry best practices:
- 1 Event Attended
Through these interactions Gartner provided advice and insight on initiatives including:
- CIO Innovation and Strategic Business Change Leadership
- PMO Strategies and Disciplines
- Infrastructure, Operations and Cloud Management
- Government Optimization of IT Management and Operations
- Government Digital Transformation.
Gartner is uniquely positioned to continue providing IT specific research & advisory services that have a high return on investment unparalleled by competitors in the market. This agreement will allow Aurora continued access the following products and services:
Research: Clients can take advantage of insight gained through Gartner's rigorous research processes and proprietary methodologies. Gartner methodologies consist of research practices, procedures and rules that distill large volumes of data into clear, precise, actionable insight so clients can formulate plans or make difficult business decisions.
Analyst Access: Analysts publish thousands of pages of original research annually. As a client, City of Aurora will have access to analysts to discuss all areas of current/future projects such as planning, implementing, communication efforts and purchasing strategies.
Contract Review: Gartner analysts review thousands of hardware/software/service contracts each year and will provide pricing proposal and comparative analysis, business terms and conditions review and negotiation strategy advice.
- Obtain best pricing and terms from suppliers | 15% savings in 75% of contracts reviewed
- Compare IT budget size and distribution with industry | Identify 10% - 25% I&O cost reductions
- Optimize IT assets and infrastructure | 10% - 30% savings in sourcing
- Modernize and rationalize applications | 15% - 40% savings in shared services
- Identify lower-cost technologies
Benchmarking Analytics: Data will be provided in the areas of performance, infrastructure, applications, vendors, customer satisfaction and purchasing policies.
Peer Networking: This is most often an underappreciated service in public sector agencies. Gartner hosts an annual Symposium, numerous Summits and a myriad of opportunities for IT professionals to connect because they are geographically close or working on similar initiatives. The City’s Gartner representative works diligently to ensure this component of the agreement is successfully utilized.
In conclusion, Gartner’s services have proven valuable in the decision-making processes and execution of technology initiatives identified in the City’s Technology Strategic Plan. Gartner’s research has helped guide City of Aurora in navigating constantly changing technology marketplace; understanding technology providers’ current and trending competitive advantages, strategies, and challenges. Gartner’s services are paramount to leading and communicating an innovative mindset by educating City staff and Council on emerging technologies and the impact across a myriad of business sectors.
BACKGROUND:
The IT division has the basic membership, due to the resolution R18-143 initially being approved, and is looking to expand this to the leaders in IT with the leadership team essentials membership. Gartner is the largest and most respected source of analysis in the information technology (IT) industry. Gartner serves over 13,000 distinct organizations throughout the world. The company was founded in 1979 and has current annual revenues exceeding $1.5 billion. As IT exploded over the last 30 years, this research firm has become a strategic partner to thousands of client organizations. Gartner provides a wide range of services that are unmatched by its competitors.
DISCUSSION:
Funds are available in the 2019 Information Technology account 101-1380-419.32-80 which has a budgeted amount of $388,000. Gartner has no outstanding debt with the City.
IMPACT STATEMENT:
This service is designed for the most senior technology executive in the organization, typically the CIO and Senior IT Leaders. This Service has provided the City of Aurora IT Division with an ongoing advisory relationship with Gartner and it has optimized citywide technology costs, staffing, policy, processes, procedures, etc.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
It is recommended for approval to make the aforementioned purchase.
cc: [Finance Committee]
CITY OF AURORA, ILLINOIS
RESOLUTION NO. _________
DATE OF PASSAGE ________________
title
A Resolution requesting an upgraded annual subscription (renewal) for Executive Programs Membership Basic and Leadership Team Service for IT Research and Advisory Services from Gartner, Inc. of 56 Top Gallant Road, Stamford, CT 06904 in the amount of $104,300.
body
WHEREAS, the City of Aurora has a population of more than 25,000 persons and is, therefore, a home rule unit under subsection (a) of Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution of 1970; and
WHEREAS, subject to said Section, a home rule unit may exercise any power and perform any function pertaining to its government and affairs for the protection of the public health, safety, morals, and welfare; and
WHEREAS, Gartner, Inc. is uniquely positioned to provide IT specific research & advisory services that have a high return on investment, and
WHEREAS, there is a local network of Gartner government clients including: Naperville, O’Fallon, Chicago, Cook County, CTA and DuPage County that already use their services, and
WHEREAS, Gartner is the largest and most respected source of analysis in the information technology (IT) industry, and
WHEREAS, Funds are available in the 2019 Information Technology account 101-1380-419-32-80 which has a budgeted amount of $388.000.
WHEREAS, pursuant to Aurora Code Section 2-335(a)(3) the desired product is provided by only one source in this situation.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Aurora, Illinois, as follows: a resolution requesting an upgraded annual subscription (renewal) for Executive Programs Membership Basic and Leadership Team Service for IT Research and Advisory Services from Gartner, Inc. of 56 Top Gallant Road, Stamford, CT 06904 in the amount of $104,300.