Cornwall Council has signed a contract with consulting company and IT systems supplier Capgemini UK for a new business system that is intended to save £20m over the next five years by streamlining internal services such as finance, purchasing and human resources.
As per the contract, the Capgemini Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, based on Oracle software, will replace the largely paper-based processes that Cornwall Council inherited from the old county and district councils. The single integrated online system is expceted to cut duplication, bureaucracy and costs.
The Council will introduce new and more efficient industry standard business processes to further streamline its operations.
The £7m contract will be delivered over the next 15 months and includes implementing hundreds of industry-leading best practice business processes.
The costs of ERP will be offset by the anticipated £20m in savings that are intended to be generated over the next five years and the potential to generate income by taking on finance and human resources services for other public sector organisations.
Cornwall Council Resources corporate director Michael Crich said the old systems were not designed for an organisation the size of Cornwall Council, are very out of date and were scheduled for replacement several years ago.
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Crich said, "The ERP system will modernise our processes, bringing us in line with other large councils across the country and make us much more efficient. It will also help us to make considerable savings that will reduce the overall running costs of the Council, leaving more money for frontline services."
Council Leader Alec Robertson said, "The ERP system will mean that in the longer term we could run finance and human resources services for other public sector partners in Cornwall or even public sector organisations further afield."
Capgemini UK Business Development director Barrie Graham said, "Of the 150 largest councils in the UK, 130 are already using the market leading ERP solutions from Oracle or SAP, and we are naturally delighted to be entrusted with the vital task of bringing ERP efficiencies to Cornwall."
The Capgemini UK team implementing the new system will be based at the Cornwall Council HQ in Truro.
