HomeMy WebLinkAboutA026 - Resolution awarding a three-year contract to Kahua, Inc., of Alpharetta, GA, for Construction Management Software Services for Public WorksITEM #:29
DATE:10-13-26
DEPT:PW
SUBJECT:CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE
COUNCIL ACTION FORM
BACKGROUND:
The Public Works Department manages a five-year Capital Improvements Plan (CIP) with
numerous construction projects requiring coordination of capital planning, project
administration, funding, financial information, contracts, and construction activities. Staff
identified the need for a centralized, configurable capital planning and construction
management software (CMS) platform to improve project visibility, standardize workflows,
support collaboration, and strengthen financial transparency across the City’s capital program.
The CMS platform is intended to provide the City with a single system of record for CIP
planning and construction project delivery, reducing reliance on separate
spreadsheets, email records, and disconnected project files.
A formal Request for Proposal (RFP) was issued June 9, 2026, to identify qualified software
vendors for Capital Program and Construction Management Software (CMS). The RFP
included a Functional Requirements Matrix that was used to score proposals and evaluate
software capabilities. Vendors completed the matrix to identify the capabilities of their
respective software platforms. Vendors were asked to provide responses to 107 tasks that
were ranked as Critical, Important, or Preferred. Those 107 tasks were organized into 10
sections:
1. Quantity Management
2. Progress Payment Administration
3. Change Order Administration
4. Document Management and Construction Documentation
5. CIP Planning and Fund Management
6. Reporting and Dashboards
7. Approvals and Signatures
8. Mobile Field Operations
9. Project Closeout
10. Extras
Four proposals were received on June 30, 2026. As part of the RFP process, vendors were
asked to demonstrate their software capabilities through a guided demonstration highlighting
Ames-specific use cases. Vendor demonstrations were held the week of August 3, 2026.
These demonstrations allowed the RFP scoring team to verify the vendors’ RFP responses
and evaluate how each proposed software solution would support City of Ames processes.
Vendors were scored based on the Functional Requirements Matrix, software capabilities, and
compatibility with City operations. Vendors received the following scores:
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Vendor Ranking Score 3-Year
Expense
Kahua, Inc.1 562 $274,900.00
Procore 2 444 $225,736.21
Project Mates 3 420 $324,890.00
Builterra 4 386 $138,025.00
The table below indicates the number of tasks in the Critical, Important, or Preferred
categories from the Functional Requirements Matrix that each vendor indicated they
could provide out-of-the-box without any additional configuration, 3rd party
integrations, or future software development and releases. It should be noted that a few
of the responses and demonstrations from vendors indicated that they could not perform
critical tasks without substantial effort or simply an inability to perform said task.
Vendor Critical Tasks
Out-of-the-Box
Important
Tasks
Out-of-the-
Box
Preferred
Tasks
Out-of-the-
Box
Kahua, Inc.64/65 (98%)29/29 (100%)10/13 (77%)
Procore 56/65 (86%)27/29 (93%)8/13 (62%)
Project Mates 48/65 (74%)18/29 (62%)7/13 (54%)
Builterra 53/65 (82%)27/29 (93%)7/13 (54%)
The top-scoring vendor was Kahua, Inc. of Alpharetta, Georgia. Kahua’s guided
demonstration was the most comprehensive in demonstrating that the functionality of the
software could meet the City’s needs and the requirements outlined in the RFP. Additionally,
Kahua successfully demonstrated that 64 of the 65 Critical tasks and 100% of the Important
tasks identified in the Functional Requirements Matrix were available out of the box, with the
one remaining Important task as able to be configured during implementation. Kahua’s ability
to demonstrate the required software functionality during the guided demonstration
further strengthened staff’s confidence in its ranking as the top-scoring vendor.
Following the scoring process, staff reviewed vendor references and negotiated with Kahua for
an implementation schedule that will be completed within nine months. The proposed contract
term is three years. A breakdown of the costs by year is provided below:
Year Annual Cost
Year 1 $100,000
Year 2 $99,950
Year 3 $74,950
Total $274,900
Funding for Year 1 is included in the approved FY 2026/27 Operating Budget in the amount of
$100,000. The $100,000 is split between the Public Works Engineering Operating Budget
($85,000) and the Public Works Administration Operating Budget ($15,000). Expenses for
Years 2 and 3 will be programmed in the Operating Budgets for FY 2027/28 and FY 2028/29,
respectively.
2
ALTERNATIVES:
1. Award a three-year contract (with a non-appropriation clause) to Kahua, Inc., of
Alpharetta, GA, for Capital Planning and Construction Management Software in the
amount of $274,900.
2. Direct staff to evaluate additional software options.
3. Do not award the contract at this time.
CITY MANAGER'S RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Kahua, Inc.’s software solution will support improvements in efficiency, accountability,
and transparency in the delivery of capital projects. The platform will provide staff with
tools to coordinate project information, track budgets and commitments, manage
documents and approvals, and produce more consistent reporting. Staff believes the
software will improve the City’s ability to plan, manage, and monitor capital projects
from early planning through construction closeout. Therefore, it is the recommendation of
the City Manager that the City Council adopt Alternative No. 1, as described above.
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