Key West delays $5.3 million Workday ERP contract for more review

City staff recommended Aug. 6 that the commission authorize a 10‑year contract to implement Workday for HR and finance, with a total budget not to exceed $5,323,775.24, using Omnia Partners procurement and IronBrick as contract administrator. Staff said the subscription portion would be roughly $4.2 million, training about $100,000 and implementation around $1 million, and that the project could reduce the city’s eight legacy platforms to a single system.

The item drew extended questioning about procurement approach, contract duration, implementation cost, and data migration. Public speaker and IT consultant Chris Massacott urged commissioners to demand specifics on executive stakeholders, legacy systems to be retired, parallel‑run costs, and data‑migration assurances. City staff said the procurement used Omnia Partners’ cooperative vehicle and that the county’s past experience informed pricing; staff also said they could negotiate terms, shorten the initial contract, and include termination/termination‑for‑convenience language.

Several commissioners favored postponement to sharpen contract terms and secure vendor presence for more detailed Q&A. The commission voted to postpone consideration to the September meeting and asked staff to return with additional cost breakdowns, vendor participation, options for shorter contract terms, and clearer data‑migration plans.