Intercity Transit Authority approves $15.5M contract for new enterprise management system 

The Intercity Transit Authority authorized General Manager Emily Bergkamp to sign a $15.5 million contract for the implementation of an enterprise resource planning (ERP) and enterprise asset management (EAM) system for the agency. 

Avaap USA has been awarded the contract to replace the transit agency’s current fleet management system with Workday Inc.’s ERP solution and Trapeze’s EAM platform. 

Intercity Transit’s 2025 budget includes $6.6 million for the implementation of the new system. Future budgets will cover annual maintenance expenses of $8.3 million over 10 years. 

The agency has been planning to replace FleetNet, its platform for more than 37 years, as it has been relying on third-party software to supplement FleetNet’s capabilities. Its dependence on other programs, which were not fully integrated with the system, has been causing difficulties in managing data. 

The transit agency opened the contract through a request for proposal process that started on May 24, 2024. The agency undertook an extensive evaluation process that included demonstration from two final firms before selecting Avaap in January. Intercity Transit and the company have been working since then to finalize a contract. 

Peterson told the authority that Avaap will be responsible for implementing Workday and Trapeze, meaning Intercity Transit would not have to manage its own server infrastructure as the system will be hosted on the company’s servers. 

Peterson added the two programs will work in tandem to provide data management that will support finance, operations, maintenance, inventory, procurement, grants, human resources and training. 

The new system will also streamline the agency’s data entry process to reduce paper tracking and data duplication, according to Peterson. 

Carolina Meija, an authority member who represents Thurston County, asked how staffers are preparing for system. Meija mentioned the county itself is in the process of implementing its new ERP system and acknowledged how “painful” the process could be. 

Peterson said they have had communications with staff to inform them about the project and engaged with them as they were developing the scope of Avaap’s contract. 

“This is going to be a very big project for all of us, so we've been doing a lot of engagement,” Peterson said. 

Implementation of the new system could take 18 to 20 months, according to Peterson. He added the agency has the option of canceling the contract afterward and hiring a different firm to provide maintenance and support should they find the service inadequate.