Target date to replace existing system set for October
In what’s claimed to be the first complete Oracle Cloud suite implementation in UK central government, the ONS is to implement the cloud version of Oracle’s ERP (enterprise resource planning) and HCM (human capital management) apps.
Commenting on his organisation’s decision, Paul Layland, ONS director of finance, said: “Strong financial management is more important than ever across the Civil Service, and I believe this solution will rapidly move us towards alignment with some of the outcomes from HM Treasury’s Financial Management review.”
Layland added that “work is already underway” on the move to Oracle Cloud, with a target implementation of October.
ONS says that its current ERP solution, Oracle E-Business Release 11, is an “ageing product which has only minimal sustaining support”.
That means a “modern ERP system” is now needed instead to help drive what it and its implementation partner, Certus Solutions, see as “significant improvements to (our) financial management” process.
Another desired outcome is the ability to get deeper understanding of the cost of its workforce, investments and underlying cost drivers.
Certus, which has a number of other Oracle projects underway in Whitehall, has produced a short video explaining the background to the ONS move, available here.
