Smart councils opt for end-to-end business management

Knowing the difference between ‘piecemeal’ and a true end-to-end SaaS ERP offering

When Local Government commits to both digital transformation and embracing a customer-centric approach to the provision of services for the wider community, it’s time to question whether the business management system and processes currently being employed can really deliver on these goals.

Smart councils are wisely asking whether their existing business management system has been developed specifically for the Local Government sector. Does it offer a single source of truth for council-wide business information, or is it a piecemeal offering made to appear integrated?

The reality is, a full end-to-end solution encompasses not just software, but the infrastructure, security and support that help councils improve operations and services.

Why it matters

Councils are multi-faceted organisations, often with stretched resources and budgets. Some will opt to ‘cobble together’ disparate systems in search of a ‘whole’ solution, others will outsource key functions — like payroll processing — to transfer burden outside the business.

Smart councils, however, will find a better way to simplify the complexity of planning and managing Local Government responsibilities. They opt for a solution that offers instant access to real-time, relevant, council-wide information, facilitating better planning and streamlining enterprise-wide operational activities. They also move from an on-premise solution to a Software as a Service (SaaS) model, saving on infrastructure expenditure and freeing up capital for investment into other areas.

SaaS-enabled Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software does just what it says on the label, delivering a whole-of-business view of the current environment that ensures plans are based on certainty, not loose assumptions or inaccurate data.

If your asset management lacks capital planning and delivery functionality, has no facility for strategic planning and won’t work hand-in-hand with financials, then you simply aren’t seeing the full picture. Without predictive modelling capability, you’re working on a ‘best guess’ level. If you can’t manage project lifecycle and budget forecasting, including investment optimisation and prioritisation, how will you ever succeed in the delivery of capital projects?

Your staff — and your customers — will notice

One of the key advantages of a SaaS offering is that the system is accessible from anywhere, at any time, on any device. This means that field staff can access information via a native web browser on a smart mobile phone or tablet — whether council-deployed or under a Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) arrangement.

Users are logging on to the full enterprise solution, not a cut-down version or a standalone mobile app, so the data they see is both current and accurate. Access extends beyond council staff, allowing ratepayers and residents to easily interact and access information, providing a portal on which to build solid community engagement.

Local government services are only as good as residents and ratepayers believe them to be. If the documents and records or property and revenue units of council operate as silos, without connection or visibility into customer and community management, how can you maintain or improve service delivery?

Centralised storage of all document and file types across all council departments helps manage enterprise information and enables improved service delivery for all stakeholders accessing the information.

What true Local Government SaaS ERP looks like

True SaaS means the enterprise software solution you have chosen is developed, maintained, securely managed and supported by the vendor that you have elected to work with. A technology partner that has complete responsibility from product development through sales, project implementation, security and ongoing, dedicated support. A partner that understands and shares your vision for a streamlined service delivery model.

If your business management solution doesn’t offer comprehensive integration across the following key local government functional areas, you probably aren’t realising your full operational potential.

• Financial management
• Property and revenue management
• Procurement, inventory and contracts
• Human resource management
• Capital planning and delivery
• Asset and work management
• Customer and community management
• Policy and compliance management
• Documents and records management
• Corporate strategy and planning
   

If you’re looking for better business intelligence to help deliver improved services — or simply need an enterprise solution that adapts and evolves as you do — speak to TechnologyOne’s Local Government team about our OneCouncil SaaS solution today.

To learn more search OneCouncil Effect.

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