An insightful blog from two central government ERP specialists Terri Williams and Helena Sedgwick
Many HR, finance, payroll and procurement systems currently in place in Arm’s Length Bodies (ALBs) are quickly running out of contracted support or are not fit for purpose in the modern world.
If you are an ALB with an ageing, on-premise system, it may be appropriate for you to make changes now, rather than waiting for a transition to a shared ERP service in your allocated phase, which may not be until the next decade.
The Government’s shared service strategy has been running for several years – with the last update released in August 2023. Within this strategy Government Shared Services (GSS) has outlined five shared services centres, or ‘clusters’, to which all Government ministerial departments have been allocated. Each cluster has contracted an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution as a group, alongside associated contracts such as Systems Integrator (SI) and some Business Process Services (BPS) have also been contracted.
There is an expectation that agencies and public bodies associated with each department will onboard into the same shared service cluster as its sponsoring department, having minimal control over the chosen technology solution(s).
Action required by ALBs now
If you are moving to a shared service, why do you need to act now? Is do nothing an option? It’s our view that you should consider your options now, in the context of when you are scheduled to transition to your cluster solution and how effective your current ERP solution is.
If you have a HR, finance, payroll and procurement solution which is not currently fit for purpose, you may need to optimise your current solution, or procure a new solution as an interim and/or stepping stone to your eventual shared service transition. Or if you are an early-mover, how ready are your people, processes and technology for the upcoming change?
It’s important you run an effective ERP system now and ensure your data is considered, to avoid costly mistakes and inefficiencies for the future.
Next steps for ALBs
At Civiteq we have worked with many public sector bodies on creating options appraisals to enable them to select the right solution for their organisation.
It is likely that the ‘best option’ will differ for different organisations depending upon the challenges being faced. The options appraisal will clearly outline the variety of approaches available whilst taking into account the unique environment you are working within and the ‘pains’ that are most pressing.
Key considerations when moving to a shared service
At Civiteq we believe there are three key solutions you can consider depending on the stage you are at with your move to a shared service:
1. Optimising your current ERP/HCM
When you want to understand the ‘art of the possible’ with your current solution, this solution will support you to ‘mend and make do’ with your current ERP/HCM system until you transition to onto the shared service platform.
This will be particularly relevant if you are allocated to a later phase of Government Shared Services Strategy (GSSS) transition.
Civiteq can support you with the ‘Optimisation solution’, which will give you an options appraisal and support to deliver a solution that maximises the potential of your current systems.
It is ideal when you want to:
- identify opportunities to improve your processes, data and performance
- understand opportunities to leverage functionality you’ve already purchased
As part of this solution we’ll:
- Review your current processes, service performance, data quality, licensing model, scope of functionality etc.
- Develop an improvement roadmap, cost and resourcing plan
- Execute optimisation activities
2. Unlock a better fit interim solution
When you understand your options, you could be on a pathway to a shared service via an interim platform.
You might need to implement an interim solution because your current solution is not fit for purpose and can’t be optimised. This will be particularly relevant if you are allocated to move in a later phase of Government Shared Services Strategy (GSSS).
This solution will give you a discovery, options appraisal and support to procure and deliver a better fit interim solution before moving to a shared service.
It is ideal when you want to:
- identify opportunities to improve your processes, data and performance
- understand options available to you as an interim solution
- making the business case for investment
- be supported with procurement
As part of this solution we will:
- Review your current processes, service performance, data quality, licensing model, scope of functionality etc.
- Define criteria to assess potential options
- Provide strengths and weaknesses of in-scope options e.g. upgrade, optimise
- Provide procurement support for vendor & systems integrator
- Deliver readiness assessments
- Project plan for the interim solution
- Execute interim solution activities
3. Get ready for a shared service
If you are ready for your organisation to move onto the shared service platform, this solution will get you ready for transition, supporting your preparation through to implementation.
This will be relevant if you are allocated to an earlier phase of Government Shared Services Strategy (GSSS) transition.
It is ideal when you want to:
- Prepare your data and your people for change
- Understand your security architecture
- Prepare to close existing contracts
- Understand the priorities to support policy alignment
As part of this solution we will deliver:
- Review of current processes, service performance, data quality, licensing model, scope of functionality etc.
- Development of transition roadmap, cost and resourcing plan
- Programme Management
- Change Management
- Solutions architecture (functional advisory etc.)
- Technical architecture (data strategy & management)
- Execution of transition activities
Getting support for a shared service transition
At Civiteq, we have experience in supporting hundreds of public sector organisations with their change and ERP transformation programmes. We can help you overcome the challenges you face and implement new ways of working supported by shared services. Get in touch to find out more or talk to one of our customer references.
Get in touch or book a meeting with our Account Director, Bryan Gibb, to discuss your shared services journey with us.