[SWANboard] Update on Vendor Schedules

SWAN Board: Yesterday you saw an email from Rich Wolff wanting to know a bit more about the ILS Committee work last week. I will go over that some more with you all in another email but I think Melissa Gardner has reached all of you by this point or at least has attempted to reach you. Jeannie Dilger has been communicating with Melissa since last Friday, which as co-chair we thought was the best way to divide up the tasks at hand. Jeannie spoke with Melissa about our selection and the upcoming steps leading to a final vendor, which will require Melissa's involvement with the "negotiation team." My task right now (aside from the SWAN FY15 budget and fee schedule for our Finance/Personnel Committee meeting this Thursday) is to arrange the software demos with vendor, prepare for the "Request for Best and Final Offers" (RBFOs), coordinate the Task Forces with Brande, and manage phone conference calls with customers of the three vendors. I view these reference checks as a vital step in the process, as it will establish the track record for a vendor for software development and support. Recap: The timeline at this stage in our process was always going to be a tight window to complete the tasks needed after the Committee completed its first round of evaluations.This is what drove my push to notify all vendors immediately. Our first software demos start next week. Here is an update on how the vendor software demos are being arranged. I am waiting on confirmation from SirsiDynix about the dates today, but this is just for you all to consider. October 3 & 4: SirsiDynix (tentative) October 7 & 8: Equinox (preferred) October 10 & 11: VTLS (preferred) Each vendor is going to construct the 2 day demos based on the questions our 7 task force groups have provided. However, we are accommodating each vendor to arrange the timeslots to cover the information based on the questions I have sent to them in advance. Jeff Myers from SirsiDynix called me a late yesterday afternoon and he is assembling a team of about 6 staff to come out for the 2 days. Equinox will provide me a draft 2 day agenda today. VTLS will provide one later this afternoon. I do not believe VTLS and Equinox will be bringing 6 people! As I noted, the timeline the ILS Committee constructed with our consultant Rob McGee (RMG Consulting) is a bit tight considering we are telling the finalists that they are moving to round 2 and they only have a few days to prepare their agendas based on the information they need to convey during the demos. So I am anxious as you are and our member library staff to have the L2 meetings set and open up registration. Brande is working with me to make sure the meetings are put in L2 and that we cap the registration based on room capacity. We will set aside seats for our task force people and SWAN staff. Our goal is to have an overview demo on the first day for library directors and staff. After that overview, directors can sit through the sessions they would like. Keep in mind each vendor demo schedule might be different. I have asked Kate Boyle, Tony Siciliano, and Mary Lou Coffman to begin work on follow-up questions for the RBFOs. Within each vendor proposal are areas which require clarification and should be explored during the software demos and meetings with vendors. I intend to update you all regularly between now and demos next week. Regards, Aaron