The City of Burnaby has received a Portal of the Year Award from the Americas' SAP Users' Group for the second year in a row.
The city won the award for Burnaby's Systems Applications and Products software - also known as SAP - in April of this year.
Burnaby launched its SAP system in 2007, with the focus on using a single technology for business applications.
"Our goal was to streamline service delivery," said Pat Tennant, the city's project sponsor, in a press release last year. "SAP has enabled us to maximize the efficiency of our internal service-delivery processes. Along with the Virtual City Hall which we are currently developing, in future, SAP will also enable easy access, via the city's website, to information and e-business services for citizens."
But the portal was not without controversy, as Telus backed out of its contract to install it in 2006, costing the city more than expected for the installation, independent assessment and legal fees.
While the last estimate for the installation had increased from $3.9 million in 2005 to $19.8 million by 2008, there were additional costs such as an independent assessment on the project by APT Business Sciences Inc, for $106,000.
Telus settled with the city in 2010, with compensation and savings that could exceed $8 million, according to a 2010 City of Burnaby press release.
The portal is the central gateway to key city systems such as finance, purchasing, human resources, payroll and maintenance management.
The group that gave the award is a 100,000-member, professional association of North and South American business and technology professionals.
Other finalists for the award included Moen Inc. and WeEnergies, a utilities company that provides energy in Wisconsin and Michigan.
