ERP Procurement Tools and Resources

MFOA is launching a series of tools and resources to support municipalities with practical tools for financial systems and ERP procurement and implementation.  These resources are meant to support municipalities in all stages of their ERP journey and will be available to MFOA members.  These resources are made possible with support from funding partner, OECM.

Check back on this webpage for future resources and tools. Upcoming resources include:

• ERP Readiness Assessment Toolkit
• ERP Procurement and Vendor Evaluation Toolkit
• Implementation Playbook and Legacy System Transition Strategy
• Shared Services Feasibility Guide and Case Studies
• Group Buying Guide and Case Studies

 

Thank you to MFOA's Financial Systems Project Steering Committee for their support in the development of these resources:

• Lynn Hatten, Director, Corporate Services, Bruce County
•  Kim Junko, Director of Finance/Treasurer, City of Dryden
•  Karmen Krueger, Director of Corporate Services/Treasurer, City of Stratford
•  Shelley Stedall, CAO, Township of Stirling-Rawdon

 

This work was completed by Christine Leon, consultant for MFOA.

Christine Leon is a consultant specializing in software transformation and modernization initiatives, with a strong foundation in municipal finance and operations. She previously served as Director of Finance/Treasurer for the Town of Petawawa and Treasurer for the Town of Deep River, where she gained extensive experience navigating the unique financial, operational, and regulatory requirements of the municipal sector.

Prior to transitioning into municipal government, Christine spent more than 13 years in the private sector with Harris Computer Systems & PwC Canada, working across a variety of industries and developing expertise in finance systems, process improvement, and organizational transformation. Her combined public and private sector experience enables her to bridge operational needs with technology solutions, helping organizations improve efficiency and drive meaningful change.
Christine credits her move into the municipal sector to the realization that “debits and credits are the same in every industry and language,” and values the opportunity to apply that perspective to transformative initiatives across organizations today.

 

Ontario Municipal ERP Readiness Assessment Tool - NEW

The Ontario Municipal ERP Readiness Assessment Tool is designed to help municipalities evaluate their organizational readiness before embarking on an ERP implementation. It provides a structured framework to assess the people, processes, technology, governance, data, and change management capabilities that are critical to a successful ERP project.

Rather than measuring the capabilities of an ERP software solution, this assessment measures the municipality's preparedness to undertake the transformation required to successfully implement and sustain a modern ERP system. The results help identify organizational strengths, highlight areas of risk, and provide prioritized recommendations to improve readiness before significant project investments are made. To access the Readiness Tool, sign in to your MFOA account and download the resource at the bottom of the page.

Vendor Demonstration Script - NEW

Selecting an ERP solution is one of the most significant technology investments a municipality will make. While proposals and written responses provide valuable information, vendor demonstrations offer the opportunity to validate how a solution actually performs using real-world municipal business processes.

The MFOA Vendor Demonstration Script has been developed as a practical resource to help municipalities structure and standardize their ERP vendor demonstrations. It contains sample demonstration scenarios and evaluation topics across finance, human resources, payroll, utility billing, property taxation, procurement, project management, and other municipal business functions.

This document is not intended to be a prescriptive or mandatory demonstration script. Every municipality has unique business processes, priorities, and project objectives. Members are encouraged to use this document as a starting point—selecting only the functional areas and demonstration scenarios that are relevant to their organization, removing sections that do not apply, and adding municipality-specific requirements where appropriate.
The script is designed to help municipalities:

• Develop a consistent demonstration agenda for all shortlisted vendors.
• Ensure demonstrations focus on business processes rather than marketing presentations.
• Compare vendors using the same scenarios and evaluation criteria.
• Identify functional strengths, gaps, and implementation considerations.
• Support a fair and transparent procurement process.

Municipalities are encouraged to tailor the script based on their project scope, organizational priorities, implementation approach, and available demonstration time. Additional modules, business processes, or scenario-based demonstrations should be incorporated where they support the municipality's evaluation objectives.
Ultimately, this resource is intended to reduce the effort required to prepare for vendor demonstrations while helping municipalities conduct more meaningful, consistent, and informed ERP software evaluations. To access the script, please sign in to MFOA's website and download the resource at the bottom of the page.

 

ERP Software Functional & Technical Requirements Spreadsheet - Version 1 Now Available

 

As part of our upcoming ERP Procurement and Vendor Evaluation Toolkit, the ERP Software Functional & Technical Requirements spreadsheet (V1) is now available. This document supports municipalities in the planning, evaluation, procurement, and modernization of ERP solutions. It provides a practical starting point for municipalities undertaking an ERP review, developing RFPs, or assessing the maturity and capabilities of existing systems.

This spreadsheet will be updated with more tabs in the future. In the interim, you can view our demo and download the spreadsheet and Executive Summary below.

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