CP2238-22 Finance System Software

Devon County Council is seeking to procure a Finance System to provide comprehensive information, data capture, processing and integration across a number of financial operations with the general ledger at the centre. The system will also need to interface with line of business systems, data from pre-existing financial systems and data warehouse.

The Council has not replaced its general ledger system since 1995. We have added various ICT applications to our financial function since then in order to digitise more operations, but it is now time for us to replace our core finance system and transform the way that the Finance function supports the work of the Council.

The core DRAFT ITT project documents are being shared at this stage to provide opportunity for the market to feedback at a high level. Any feedback will not impact or influence the evaluation of the bid submission. Please note, all feedback must be sent via 'Supplying the Southwest' portal (www.supplyingthesouthwest.org.uk) not via email. The closing date for general comments / feedback is 12 noon on 26th August 2022.

The envisaged term is 5 years, with optional extensions up to a further 5 years by increment. The provisional value for this procurement is estimated to include as a minimum all the core functionalities (approx. £7m) for the full term (including extension options) with the optional functionalities (approx. £2m) to be potentially purchased throughout the term of the contract, if and when required.

We have taken the opportunity to engage with the market twice over the last 2 years as we learn about the current offer and work out how we will need to change to ensure that we get the most out of purchasing a new system. We hope to bring about significant benefits to all users of the current system - finance staff, staff in front line services and providers to/purchasers of services from the Council.

Any contract awarded as a result of this procurement process will be for a) an Integrated System, b) associated implementation including integration of all systems and c) ongoing support and maintenance services. Tenderers must have the ability, directly or indirectly to fulfil these core goods and services requirements. Any tender that does not have the capability of providing the software, implementation services, integration services and ongoing support and maintenance services will be excluded.

This Programme is intended to implement "Software as a Service" solutions for the Council, facilitated by the Supplier.

Additional information: The key objectives of this procurement are:

• To have a self-contained/integrated Finance System that removes the need for working papers external to the system for reconciliation, review and reporting (statutory and internal); • To fulfil current and future statutory reporting obligations and compliance in a timely manner and without the need for supplementation or adjustment to system generated data; • To ensure data is captured fully and accurately, once; • To provide appropriate access to elements of the finance system to providers, users of services, partners and non-finance staff to maximise the opportunity for self-service; • To improve financial management through increased visibility, access and ease of understanding for all Council staff, through an easy-to-use, flexible, self-service view at levels appropriate to services for day to day monitoring; • To standardise and automate the approach to key corporate level reporting such as budget monitoring so that all service areas produce information for review in the same format; • Through standardisation of reporting, to enable (via Microsoft Azure) the monitoring of budgets against key service performance indicators; • To procure a replacement system that will de-mystify the chart of accounts so that it is intuitive, traceable and adaptable enabling flexibility within the Council and across its partners as well as mapping across easily to all statutory reporting requirements (SERCOP/RA/RO/WGA); • To future proof our Finance Function so that the Council is kept up to date with both technological advances and changes to reporting and recording demands for finance in the public sector, keeping ourselves abreast of Best Practice; • To continuously improve and increase our efficiency and effectiveness through best use of the Finance System.