Issue - meetings

Oracle Improvement Programme Business Case

Meeting: 27/03/2024 - Cabinet (Item 144)

144 Oracle Improvement Programme Business Case pdf icon PDF 392 KB

Additional documents:

Decision:

The Executive Mayor in Cabinet RESOLVED to:

 

2.1            Approve the Oracle Improvement Programme Business Case attached as appendix A.

 

2.2            Approve the addition to the capital programme of the budget requested of £3.922m funded through earmarked reserves.

 

2.3            Note that the HR business case will be subject to a separate report to Cabinet in June.

 

Minutes:

The Executive Mayor introduced the Oracle Improvement Programme Business Case which outlines the rationale for investing £3.922 million in the Oracle improvement programme to ensure that all areas of the council are using the system to full effect.

 

The Cabinet Member for Finance, Councillor Jason Cummings, shared with Cabinet that the programme was a useful case in point on the council journey. The system was there but not being utilised properly. The intention is to use Oracle correctly with a full implementation used to its full extent which will improve data and consistency. A single system which allows for accurate figures, and as such very much look forward to seeing the results.

 

Corporate Director of Resources & S151 Officer, Jane West added that Croydon was working with other boroughs across London, 12 in total as Oracle is the standard, which has allowed for a cut and paste of a lot of the improvements, leveraging support from other boroughs and taking on board their learning rather than working in silo.

 

The Shadow Cabinet Member for Finance, Councillor Callton Young, questioned the fact that there with no financial values placed on the efficiency gains that should arise from the £3.922 million investment, and whether that was a weakness in the business case and the Council's future ability to measure success and demonstrate value for money. Also, it was noted that at paragraph 4.17 the Oracle work will not cover the pipeline management, e-tendering and contract management requirements, that it will remain with the existing system (In-tend). So, are the costs of that work included in the existing £30,000 as shown in the contract register or will the council have to pay more supported by a new business case for that work.

 

The Cabinet Member for Finance, Councillor Jason Cummings, responded that there is not a figure attached to the £3.9 million but it is going to generate savings and those savings will be attributed to the approved efficiency overtime.

 

Corporate Director of Resources & S151 Officer, Jane West added that the programme fits with the transformation plan discussed earlier. Savings were already expected in future from the areas of finance and procurement, but the main savings were expected to be across the whole organisation. Understanding where those savings fall will be clearer as the project is worked through.

 

The Executive Mayor in Cabinet RESOLVED to:

 

2.1               Approve the Oracle Improvement Programme Business Case attached as appendix A.

 

2.2               Approve the addition to the capital programme of the budget requested of £3.922m funded through earmarked reserves.

 

2.3               Note that the HR business case will be subject to a separate report to Cabinet in June.