1-Request for Information.pdf

HARRIS COUNTY

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

HARRIS COUNTY PURCHASING

PROJECT NO. 060925SMM

DUE DATE NO LATER THAN: 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, September 3, 2025

FROM: Sandra Melancon EMAIL: sandra.melancon@pur.hctx.net

PHONE: 713-274-4435

1. Purpose

1.1. Utilizing a Request for Information (RFI), Harris County, Texas is seeking to explore the potential benefits of adopting a Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A) software solution. The County aims to strengthen financial reporting and compliance capabilities while advancing the modernization of auditing processes across its departments.

1.2. Business Objectives and Needs

The County is seeking information for a FP&A solution that aligns with its overarching goals of enhancing reporting efficiency, improving strategic planning capabilities, and supporting data driven decision-making. The desired solution shall include, but is not limited to, the following core functionalities:

1.2.1. Business Objectives:

• Reduce manual work and streamline the creation of the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report

(ACFR).

• Improve forecasting capabilities to support more accurate revenue and expenditure planning.

• Automate budget-to-actual reporting to increase visibility across County departments.

• Enable self-service analytics and reporting for finance staff, leadership, and department heads.

• Enhance compliance with Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) standards and facilitate audit preparation.

1.2.2. Business Needs:

• Provide automated generation of ACFR and other key reports (Popular Annual Financial Report

(PAFR)), single audit, and investment reports).

• Support multi-scenario forecasting for revenues and expenditures.

• Provide real-time dashboards and variance reports by department, fund, or cost center.

• Empower users with intuitive report-building, drill-down capabilities, and collaboration tools.

1.3. THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY. This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes and does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP). PRICING INFORMATION SHALL

BE OMITTED with the exception of Pricing Model information (see Section 5.1, Requested Information).

This RFI does not create any representation, either express or implied that Harris County will release an RFP in the future for the purchase of any products or services as a result of this RFI. At this time Harris County is not seeking proposals and will not accept unsolicited proposals. Harris County will not be liable for any costs incurred by the vendor in preparing a response to this RFI. Vendors submit information at their own risk and expense. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future RFP, if one is issued. No preference or special consideration will be given to participants of this RFI.

2. Submittal

2.1. RETURN RFI RESPONSE VIA BONFIRE

Transmittal Letter - The transmittal letter should include:

• Company name and address; name, title, email, telephone and fax number of person(s) to be contacted for clarifications or additional information regarding proposal; and

• A brief statement summarizing the vendor’s understanding of the project and relevant experience.

3. Industry Discussions

3.1. The Office of the Harris County Purchasing Agent will initiate discussions, if needed, with selected vendors.

Discussions may not be initiated by vendors. The intent of such discussions would be to gather further clarification of potential solution capabilities, features, methods of delivery, etc. All presentations and/or meetings that may be required between Harris County and vendors shall be coordinated by the Office of the Harris County Purchasing

Agent. Vendors shall not contact any Harris County personnel during the RFI process without the express permission from the Office of the Harris County Purchasing Agent.

3.2. The Office of the Harris County Purchasing Agent may extend written invitation to vendors to provide a demonstration of product features. Vendors shall be prepared to verbally and visually demonstrate the functions and features of the solution presented. Harris County stakeholders, users and technical personnel will be present during presentations. Please ensure appropriate personnel are present or available to answer all questions.

4. Background

4.1. Harris County is the third (3rd) largest County in our nation. Harris County is governed by Harris County

Commissioners Court. The Court is composed of a County Judge and four (4) Commissioners. Commissioners

Court conducts the general business of the County and oversees financial matters. The County Judge is the

County’s chief executive and a voting member of Commissioners Court. According to state statute, the County

Judge also is the County’s Director of Emergency Management. The Harris County Judge and Commissioners oversee a $4.3 billion budget that helps fund key County services and institutions. As the main governing body of Harris County, Commissioners Court plays a critical role that is part administrative, part legislative, and part judicial. Its many responsibilities include adopting a budget; setting tax rates; calling for bond elections; building and maintaining County infrastructure such as roads and bridges; and overseeing County courthouses, jails, libraries, parks, and the Harris County Flood Control District.

Harris County Auditor’s Office operates as an independent entity to ensure transparency, accountability, and fiscal oversight across Harris County government operations. Independence helps preserve objectivity in evaluating financial operations, enforcing compliance with applicable laws, and maintaining strong internal controls. The Auditor’s Office maintains financial records for Harris County and its related entities, including the Harris County Toll Road Authority (HCTRA), Flood Control District (FCD), Community Supervision and

Corrections Department (CSCD), and the Juvenile Probation Board (JPD). Within the Auditor’s Office, lies the

Accounting Division, which is responsible for managing the County’s financial systems and records. This includes ensuring transactions are accurately recorded, accounts are properly maintained, and financial reporting complies with applicable standards such as those set by GASB.

The Financial Accounting group, in collaboration with the Revenue Accounting and Financial Controls group currently utilize a solution that integrates data from the County’s Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) System, PeopleSoft, to support the following key functions:

• Preparation of the ACFR.

• Revenue forecasting for future fiscal periods.

• Generation of reports comparing budgeted figures to actual performance.

The Financial Accounting Group is responsible for supporting the fund accounting structure and managing the financial reporting requirements. This includes recording of financial transactions and maintaining Harris

County’s fixed asset records. It oversees the coordination of year-end activities, the preparation of the ACFR, and ensures consistency and accuracy in financial data across departments and funds.

The Revenue Accounting and Financial Controls group is responsible for the management and oversight of revenue streams preparing the estimate of available resources during the County’s annual budgetary process, reconciling bank accounts, and other duties. Additionally, this team plays a key role in maintaining internal controls related to revenue transactions, vendor file maintenance, and supports County departments in adhering to financial accountability standards.

5. Requested Information

5.1. Harris County Auditor’s Office is seeking information on available technology solutions designed to enhance financial reporting and compliance functions while supporting the modernization of auditing processes. The intent is to identify systems capable of addressing the following key business requirements:

5.1.1. Key Functional Objectives

5.1.1.1. Advanced budgeting, forecasting, and scenario modeling.

5.1.1.2. Integration with ERP systems for real-time data access.

5.1.1.3. Support/automate the development of the ACFR, (PAFR, investment report, budgeting, variance reports, and other various financial reports.

5.1.1.4. Streamlined reporting and decision support.

5.1.1.5. Customized reports, dashboards, and data visualization.

5.1.1.6. Auditability through activity logs and/or exception reports.

5.1.1.7. Automation of workflows for reporting and data exports.

5.1.1.8. Provide multiple users access for self-service analytics/reports.

5.1.2. Presenting Financial Data

5.1.2.1. General Ledger (GL) transactions, including journal entries, account balances, and modification of layouts.

5.1.2.2. Invoice and voucher lifecycle data, including timestamps for approvals and payments.

5.1.2.3. Budget and forecast data for variance analysis.

5.1.2.4. Vendor and department-level financial reporting.

5.1.2.5. Types of Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities or tools utilized for enhancing reporting capabilities.

5.1.2.6. Pre-built templates or modules for generating different financial reports such as the ACFR

(including Management Discussion and Analysis (MD&A) and notes to the financial statements), Texas Education Agency (TEA), Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD), and single audit reports, etc.

5.1.2.7. The ability to process dynamic real-time changes to the financial reports templates as necessary (e.g. see examples below):

5.1.2.7.1. Make changes to columns/rows/chart of accounts groupings based on GASB and audit requirements in a given fiscal year.

5.1.2.7.2. Add balances not housed in the GL (e.g. blended component units, manual reclasses).

5.1.2.7.3. Select/de-select in real-time which changes in two (2) separate reports roll up to a third (3rd) report.

5.1.2.8. Deliver required formatting expectations for the financial reports (e.g. see examples below):

5.1.2.8.1. Round balances from source to a dollar to properly cross/down foot balances on the reports.

5.1.2.8.2. Suppress zero (0) balance rows.

5.1.2.8.3. Provide version control for several report drafts.

5.1.2.9. Accommodate financial reporting requirements for local government entities (i.e., Texas counties).

5.1.3. Data Sources and Accessibility

5.1.3.1. Obtain details from the ERP system providing financial data, such as Snowflake.

5.1.3.2. Retrieve, output, and process multiple data formats (e.g., structured tables, Comma-

Separated Values (CSV)).

5.1.3.3. Allow for frequent data updates (real-time, daily, weekly, monthly).

5.1.3.4. Data consolidation across multiple reporting levels.

5.1.4. Integration and Connectivity

5.1.4.1. Allow different methods of data extraction (e.g., Structured Query Language (SQL) queries, Application Programming Interface (API) connections, data pipelines).

5.1.4.2. Management of security and access requirements (e.g., role-based permissions, encryption).

5.1.4.3. Scalability and performance under high volume of data and impact on processing speed.

5.1.4.4. Training provided to end users and software administrators.

5.1.5. Data Quality and Governance

5.1.5.1. Alignment with General Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) as established by the

GASB.

5.1.5.2. Standardization of financial data for consistency.

5.1.5.3. Handling of historical data for trend analysis.

5.1.5.4. Meet audit and compliance requirements for financial reporting.

6. Summary

6.1. THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY. The information provided in this RFI is subject to change and is not binding on the County. Harris County has not made a commitment to procure any of the items discussed and the release of this RFI should not be construed as such a commitment or as authorization to incur cost for which reimbursement would be required or sought. All submissions become Harris County property and will not be returned.