IT Governance Business Case
Background
The Utility Business Services team provides operational analytics & reports to Water Management (WM). Today, their analyses rely on data pulled from multiple systems – most commonly Cityworks and MUNIS – to identify areas for operational improvement. Before the Oracle migration, data setup was fragmented across various data silos.
WM is now transitioning to the Oracle platform, which is intended to serve as a unified database for water operations. Oracle Utilities Data Intelligence (OUDI) is being implemented using one-time project funds for year 1.
Current Business Problem
Without continued funding for year 2 and beyond, the utilities-specific analytics license will expire after year 1 as it was not included in the original licensing scope.
The City initially expected advanced analytics to be included at the platform level, but the implementation partner clarified that OUDI is required for utilities-specific analytics. Although setup was covered in the project scope, licensing was funded only with one-time project funds, leaving no sustainable source for year 2 and beyond and risking WM's reporting capability.
Current Pain Points
Without continued funding, WM faces:
• No advanced analytics specifically for utilities
• Utility modules not yet interconnected in Oracle
• Slow insights from raw data extraction
• Strategic planning limited by lack of predictive analytics
• Up-to-date reporting pulls create heavy load on production environment
Future State Benefits
Continued funding would provide:
• Utilities-specific reports with OUDI
• Unified data in one module
• Faster insights via AI-powered report making
• Strategic planning improved with predictive analytics
• Up-to-date reporting does not interfere with production environment
Strategic Alignment
Analysis and Recommended Solution
Solution Analysis
• Post-Implementation Risk: OUDI funded for 1 year only; without year 2 funding, WM loses advanced analytics for operational improvements
• Alternative Options:
• Customize Fusion Data Intelligence - another module could be customized for WM use, but this solution would be more costly, slow, and high maintenance
• Excel-based reporting – manual downloads & reconciliation from multiple modules; free but labor-intensive and error-prone
• Value of Continued Funding:
• Unified, cost-effective utility-specific reporting
• Provides planning intelligence for cost savings
• No custom development & maintenance
Recommended Solution: extend funding for Oracle
Utilities Data Intelligence
Description
Extend funding for OUDI to sustain utilities business intelligence for WM strategic & operational improvements
Pros
• Better operational intelligence
• Unified data platform
• Faster decisions
• Improves efficiency & supports cost savings
Cons
• N/A
TS Architecture Review
The recommended solution meets the cybersecurity standards of the City of Durham.
Cybersecurity Review
The recommended solution meets the cybersecurity standards of the City of Durham.
Recommended Solution - Project Financial Estimate
Risk Identification
Mitigation Risk (Costs)
• N/A
Contingency Risk (Costs)
• N/A
Our ask
We are asking the IT Governance Steering Committee to approve and score the business case to continue OUDI funding to improve Water Management's business intelligence. If approved, the business case will be scored, ranked and submitted to the City Manager for final approval.