Background
Sandwell Council embarked on an ERP programme in 2019 to replace their Oracle E-Business Suite (EBS) system with cloud-based Oracle Fusion. The local authority’s original implementation took a ‘lift and shift’ approach of moving existing processes to the new system but it had to be paused.
This was done at the same time as Sandwell Council entered government ‘special measures’. Its large scale ERP programme became part of the Council’s Improvement Plan placing it under enhanced scrutiny throughout its lifecycle.
In 2022 the council’s new leadership team appointed Civiteq to review and reset the ERP programme and project manage its successful delivery.
Our brief and goal
To ensure the successful delivery of the system by taking on responsibilities including:
- Putting a robust governance structure in place around the project
- Supporting the council’s Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) with decision-making
- Using our expertise to support the procurement of a new System Integrator (SI)
- Business change management, communications and learning
Our approach
As part of our work, we carried out a Programme Health Check, which recommended:
- Communicating a new vision, clear outcomes and design principles from the outset
- Establishing a best practice governance structure, with clear entry/exit criteria for each stage
- Providing visibility of, and confidence in, the new solution and an increased focus on managing the people side of change
We went on to lead on the delivery of these recommendations, including:
- Running system demonstrations/drop-ins, with 98% of around 1,900 attendees agreeing they were clearer on Oracle Fusion and how it impacted their role after the sessions
- The creation of a new vision centred on: ‘One Council. One System.’
- Setting clear design principles, such as ‘adopting’ instead of ‘adapting’ a system
- Holding instructor-led learning sessions for around 1,000 delegates, who rated the learning experience an impressive 5.3 out of 6
“Civiteq were instrumental in many of the engagement exercises that broadened the view of the system to the rest of the organisation. They played a critical role in building shared trust, and our wider team really appreciated their support and advice.”
Alex Thompson, Executive Director of Finance & Transformation, Sandwell Council
The biggest challenges
Throughout Civiteq’s time on the project, we were under the extra scrutiny of external auditors, who had been appointed when Sandwell Council was placed into special measures. So, as well as the usual governance and scrutiny for a local authority project, we also had auditors evaluating our programme management.
But it was testament to our work that, in March 2023, the outside auditors praised this ERP programme, and the governance and structure we put in place around it. (Sandwell Council was moved out of special measures a year later, in March 2024.)
“It was challenging at times. But we worked hard as a collaborative programme team to keep the momentum and ensure everyone worked together and stayed true to the project vision. It was quite an achievement to go-live and for the project to be a success with all that change and churn.”
Steve Twigg, Principal Consultant, Civiteq
Outcomes and benefits
Sandwell Council went live with Oracle Fusion in October 2024, and the programme has now come out of hyper care because the council is confident with how the system is running.
The benefits that are already being experienced include:
- Increased digital self-service
- Data in one place – a single source of truth
And once the system is more deeply embedded for staff and residents, the council plans to set about realising more of its potential.
Steve comments: “Our consultants brought their knowledge and experience to the project, together with their ability to integrate seamlessly with Sandwell Council’s teams. We want the best for our customers; we become their trusted partner and voice of reason.”
Alex adds: “I would absolutely recommend Civiteq to other councils. We always knew where we were in terms of the programme’s progress against milestones. The relationships and the frequency of communication worked well, and the contract relationships between the various parties were well managed. Plus, we had the right decision-making at the right levels, which was absolutely critical.”