New Enterprise Resource Planning Platform Will Replace Nassau Integrated Financial System
Nassau County recently executed a 10-year, $58.5 million contract with CGI, one of the largest independent IT and business consulting services firms in the world, to replace the Nassau Integrated Financial System (NIFS). The multi-year project will result in the implementation of a modern Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) platform that manages and integrates the processes and software applications needed for the County’s financial and operational management.
CGI brings more than 48 years of government experience and currently serves several clients in New York, including New York City, Suffolk and Westchester Counties, 22 U.S. state governments and numerous local governments across the U.S. The cloud-based solution, CGI Advantage, has been in production since 2020. CGI Advantage is designed specifically for government use and functionality.
“Nassau County’s current financial system has been in use since 1999,” said Nassau County Comptroller Elaine Phillips. “It is extremely outdated and no longer meets the County’s needs, so I am proud to be leading the charge to replace it with a modern system that will improve virtually every aspect of the County’s financial processes, while also increasing efficiency Countywide.”
The new contract goes into effect January 2, 2025. Because CGI will be both the software provider and implementor, this amount includes ongoing consulting services, cloud-based SaaS (software as a service), maintenance and updates through 2036. If the County can dedicate the necessary staff to this project to meet the goal of a 2027 Go-Live, the overall cost would drop by roughly $8.6 million to $49.9 million.
CGI was selected for the project following a comprehensive County-wide Needs Assessment and the creation of a detailed Request for Proposals (RFP) that included functional requirements determined with input from 185 key members of departments countywide and in consultation with experts at Plante Moran accounting consultants.
The RFP was released on July 27, 2023. Proposals were received from seven major vendors and implementors. The Solution Selection Committee (SSC) narrowed the field to three qualified
prospective vendors based on minimum qualifications. Each qualified proposer gave a comprehensive presentation that was attended by the SSC, other departmental subject matter expert staff, and the Nassau County Inspector General. Additionally, five client references for each qualified vendor were interviewed. In June 2024, the Project Steering Committee approved the selection of CGI following the unanimous recommendation of the SSC.
On November 20, 2024, the contract was approved by the Rules Committee of the Nassau County Legislature. As required by the Nassau Interim Control Authority (NIFA) control period, the
contract was approved by NIFA on November 26, clearing the way for the County Executive’s signature and full execution.
Benefits of the new ERP will include:
• Replacement of outdated systems with modern technology will result in improved overall functionality
• A single centralized database will reduce redundancy and improve accuracy
• Best-in-class cybersecurity protection and software support
• System-generated accounting reports
• Regular software updates, which improve the functionality and provide for the changing accounting rules and requirements
• Expanded management information capabilities with dashboard-style reporting
• Integration of financial and operational data will promote efficiency
• Major reduction in paper-based processes
Combined, these benefits will result in greater employee work efficiency and improved on-the-job experience, according to the county comptroller’s office.