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Home My WebLink About14.E. Website Company Recommendation JiE. City of Shakopee CONSENT Memorandum TO: Mayor & City Council Mark McNeill, City Administrator FROM: Tracy Schaefer, Assistant to City Administrator SUBJECT: Web site Company Recommendation - Bluestem Systems MEETING DATE: May 20, 2003 Introduction Telecommunications Commission recommended hiring Bluestem Systems on May 6 to develop the new City website, not to exceed $50,000 from the Telecommunications Fund. Background It is a top city priority to get a new city website online by this fall to better meet the needs of customers. With that in mind, city staff reviewed four proposals and interviewed three web site development firms. The interview panel consisted of Assistant to the City Administrator, Tracy Schaefer, IT Coordinator, Kim Henke, Assistant City Engineer, Scott Smith, and Parks and Recreation Supervisor, Sherry Dvorak. After weighing each company, the interview panel recommended Bluestem Systems. www.bluestemsystems.com Bluestem Systems has developed websites for public and private companies and has worked with LOGIS. Recently Bluestem Systems has provided website development for: MN Wild Season Ticket Holders https://oss.ticketmaster.com/html/home.htmI?team=wild&I=EN &ST AGE= 1 Courage Center http://www.courage.orgl Bluestem has over 40 employees with expertise from graphics to technical computer programming. Staff believes that Bluestem Systems will be able to provide a visually appealing web site that is easy to maintain in house for all levels of users. If City Council concur with the Telecommunications Commission's recommendation, a complete needs assessment will be completed before moving forward with the design and implementation of the website development. Staff cannot put an exact figure on the total price tag of the website development, since the needs assessments needs to be completed to ensure that City goals and objectives can be met within our budget. After reviewing Bluestem's proposal, staff does feel comfortable with their pricing structure and feels it is comparable to other companies that were interviewed. 1 A few key components will be developed in Phase 1(2003) of the new website. 1) Face lift of the current design. 2) User-friendly navigation. 3 clicks to each item. 3) Online city code. 4) Online building permits. 5) Content management software. This will allow staff to decentralize the maintenance of the web site, but still allow for conformity of the website. 6) Technically designed backbone to ensure user needs are met at all levels. This will allow staff to place video clips to maps online and the user to easily and quickly download each item. 7) Testing and training. It is the goal of city staff to have Phase I of the website to be completed by early fall, so that development of Phase II (2004) can begin. Phase II will include more e-commerce, park and recreation online registration, online surveys, and addition of more content. If Council approves Bluestem Systems, city staff intends to bring up to 3 different "mock-up" Shakopee websites to get Council input before settling on the final design and layout of the new city website. Budget Impact $50,000 was budgeted from the Telecommunications fund (not the General Fund) to upgrade the city website in 2003. Action Direct staff to enter into a contract, not to exceed $50,000 for 2003 website Phase I with Bluestem Systems to develop a new City website. 2 / " Bluestem Systems, Inc. - A professional services firm - Home Page 1 of 1 .. HOME .. C dN'j'ACTllJ S .. SERViCES ... .COM PANY" ... CAfHERS .. 'C1.iH::NT $. '. NE.WS · ." .... .. "Bluestem Systems ~~ (]'!;lr;~~:~~,er.i.~f t:lev~f 5~ @:~Al ~.. provided Farm Credit Bluestem Systems Seeking Senior Web What type of ebusiness pre Leasing with a datamart Developers planned in the next 12 mOl solution to analyze our flJll story profitability from many r 1. Web portal for emple different viewpoints. They provided professional Bluestem Systems Seeking Senior Data Architects r 2. Web portal for exten people with good .fbll! stocy r 3. Web site redesign management skills and the ability to understand our Bluestem Working with Major Portal Vendors r 4. Internal web reporti! needs." EidJL..?tQrY. Mark S. Kopischke. Farm Credit r 5. Intranet for employe Leasing r 6. Intranet for partners ~i .......... \ ,J.'t....:,.. r 7. None of the above N'i " Blu(-stern Svstenlr, r '!IAI ~ ~~t .'.. VOTE;1 '1.tej~~LR~.?.Ylts. Search For I . sUBMIT 1 @ Copyright 2003, Bluestem Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. * 340 Cedar Street, Suite 1100 * Saint Paul, MN * 55) htto:/ /www.bluestemsystems.com/ 05/06/2003 -BluestemSystems,...Inc.....::..A.professional.servic.e.sfiITn.::Caienls.... .............. .._.:e1!g~J.of 1 . HtJME . r:(lNT:A(r us ill SERVICES ... C QM P;\}~ Y ill. :ri;.\,REEJ{ $. ill. elL IEN;l'$ .,NE\~I$ ill . '. . 0 Industries Finance Manufacturing Minnesota Wild Other Season Ticket Web Site Retail Sports and Background: On June 25, 1997 the National Hockey League awarded an expansion franc Recreation o Solutions Minnesota during the 2000-2001 season. This team was later named the Minnesota Wild. inaugural season, the Minnesota Wild advertised an exclusive Web site for groups who ha eBusiness tickets. Infrastructure Challenge: The Season Ticket Holder Web site would include features such as a ticket ex I Software Applications boards, scouting reports, news articles about the team, and more "insider information". T selected Computerchrome and Bluestem Systems to create this site. The Season Ticket H following requirements: . The Web site must be fun, visually appealing, informational and functional. The dE approximately one month. . The Web site needed to reside on some platform as the current main team site, ta much of the existing code as possible, and utilize the same SQL Server 7 databasE . The Administrative site needed to be expanded to allow Minnesota Wild personnel public site. Solution: Working in conjunction with the Minnesota Wild, Computerchrome and BJueste created and implemented a Web site exclusively for the season ticket holders. The site w, JavaScript, Macromedia Flash, and Microsoft Active Server Pages. It was implemented on uSing a Microsoft SQL Server 7 database. Results: The Web site provides a great service to the Minnesota Wild season ticket holde team Web site. The Minnesota Wild has the highest ticket retention in the NHL at 97%. TI to: . Read scouting reports . Read news articles about the Minnesota Wild . Post tickets that they would like to sell or trade . Participate in a message board with other season ticket holders . E-mail the President, Tod Lieweke, Sales, and Service . View a schedule of Minnesota Wild events . View the team photo gallery . Send questions to Wild players The content management web site allows non-technical staff to: . Easily post news articles by entering information into forms . Easily update the Minnesota Wild schedule of events . Easily upload new graphics to the season ticket Web site @ Copyright 2003, Bluestem Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. * 340 Cedar Street, Suite 1100 * Saint Paul, MN * 55: http://www.bluestemsystems.com!clients/clientsproj ectdetail. asp ?ProjectID=5 05/06/2003 Ticketmaster __PageLoLl Manage Your Wild Account by ticketmi#$t~r Make the most of your Season Tickets! Log In Account 10 Make the most of your Season Tickets! I Your personal ticket account lets you manage your season tickets quickly and easily. Password Features I . Forward tickets to friends email (coming soon) . Manage your ticket investment online (Loglrt J . Viewand Pay your invoice online Foraot your oassword? Your account 10 and pin are located on your most recent invoice. Please contact the Minnesota Wild Customer Sales & Service at (651) 222-9453 If you do not have an Account with any questions. 10 or password, contact Minnesota Wild customer Don't have Season Tickets, sign up for the Wild Warming House !;lick here service at (651) 222-9453 to become a member. ~\J.y.JJlQl.\lLoJj.9.LtJ.~J~..eJ2 through Ticketmaster. @2003 Tlcketmaster. All rights reserved. https://oss.ticketmaster.comlhtmJ/home.htmI?team=wild&l= EN &ST AGE= 1 05/06/2003 Courage Center Home Page Page 1 of 1 ,;I'.J~~ . .'~ . "';.'~ .~CH" The mission of Courage Center is to empower people with physical disabilities to I lEnter search text .)'$. reach for their full potential in every aspect of life, We are guided by the vision one day, all people will live, work. learn and play in a community based on ",'.:.:..: abilities not disabilities. ..,:..<. Donate your car. Courage Celebrates 75 years--read more! Q' . .."..".~: It's local. . ~ e, R ~)I' "For 75 years, Courage has been a pioneer Q,II)$"\ t s easy. .~ \.. 4 IN" .. ..... lilt ..) Irs a tax f- and innovative leader in meeting the changing ..~'9~1 deduction. 'B, e..., ~ needs of individuals with disabilities. We will C 75 continue to provide outstanding services that di .~1j p transform lives and be an even stronger he . .".......'...lf~";<y," ~ national model of excellence in serving people '7! :," ..'. .,t~;:.;..,;~~~i . C~~tr~lg(l ,caF,ds6gifts :. YEARS with physical disabilities. " :MC Eric Stevens, Courage Center CEO t:t~~ ,f~$J'R~.. . o lJ'UEI.LlC POlley . . Legislative Updates - 5/6/2003 '1,'y) .;.:.:'., "':", I"":' ,,'.:' :1:.,':' SITIii....Ufi, .. The week was a busy one, filled with late-night meetings and floor sessions ..iSlilf'HEipi: extending to nearly dawn in both legislative bodies. The results: major budget bills have passed the House and Senate and now await conference committee negotiations to reconcile their differences, Health and Human Services bill update - 5/1/2003 M.oaAE PUBlIC ",ouey I> @ 2003 Courage Center' 3915 Golden Valley Road' Minneapolis. MN * 55422 * 1-888-846-8253 Notice of privacv Practices Web site best viewed by Internet Explorer or Netscaoe Navioator, Site designed and developed by Bluestem Svstems. Inc. Comments or suggestions? E-mail us or contact us. (Site Mao) http://www.courage.org/ 05/06/2003 Bluestem Systems, Inc. - A professional services firm - Clients Page 1 of 1 HOME. CONTACT US . SE Jfv i CE S: . J: [) M P'ANY . CAREERS ..ill' CtJENT$: III Nrws · .. ..... - . 0 Industries C~:!&;r:Jlt!5"~ Finance Manufacturing Courage Center Other Courage Center Redesigns Web Site Retail Sports and Recreation Background: Courage Center is a national nonprofit organization committed to serving 1= 0 Part of this mission includes providing a web site to key audiences for promoting Courage Solutions long term, to serve as a worldwide disability resource. Key audiences for Courage Center eBusiness Courage services, famiiy members, friends of people with disabilities, employers, the mec Infrastructure potential employees, volunteers and corporate and community partners. Software Challenge: The challenge for the redesign of the Courage Center web site was to create Applications dynamic, easy-to-use, easy-to-maintaln, met World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) accessi requirements, and incorporated the Courage brand. A key part of the redesign was to ma nontechnical staff. Courage Center also wanted to build a site that would support key futl such as on-line donations, eNews, and on-line registration for volunteers, employees and Solution: Working in conjunction with the Courage Center, Bluestem Systems designed ( web site which includes approximately 160 pages of content and 26 tables In the databas Key features of the new site include an expanded services section and scalable navigatior sections on the web site with dynamic or frequently changing content that is designed to nontechnical staff. Those sections include: . News articles . Publications . Volunteer opportunities . Employment opportunities . Frequently asked questions . Courage residence resources . Wish lists . Recent donor gifts . Disability tips These dynamic sections are managed through a secure content management web site. Tt nontechnical staff the ability to post content by filling out basic on-line forms. No HTML, J post the updates. Results: "Our mutual goal when we entered into developing this site was to ensure that' at advocating, educating, providing services and creating stronger opportunities for peopl Based on our measurement to date, it appears we are succeSSfully achieving our objectiv. Vice President of Marketing and Communications, Courage Center @ Copyright 2003, Bluestem Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. * 340 Cedar Street, Suite 1100 * Saint Paul, MN * 55i htto:/ /www.bluestemsystems.comlclients/clientsprojectdetail. asp ?Proj ectID=2 0 05/06/2003