Saving money in supporting your applications
All councils use application software to help them to operate efficiently. Finance systems help the council to manage its financial resources, plan budgets and control its spend within the budget limits. HR systems help to manage staffing and payroll information and in some cases to manage the HR resource to enable career development, ensure continuity planning, and manage skills in relation to need.
Save costs on procurement - an easier way to buy applications
If you are likely to buy business application software in the next year or two, you may find that the process has become easier. OGC Buying solutions have set up the Local Government Software Application Solutions framework (ref RM9865), in which 39 suppliers have been appointed, ranging from multi-nationals to SME organisations.
There are nine lots covering
Our web services
We have the skills and the tools to help you achieve a website that delivers for your council - that is a website that gives real value in terms of the services it delivers to your customers and the savings it makes for the council. We cover all that is needed, summarised below:
Integration to key systems
For many councils, integrating the website with the back-office systems can be seen as complicated and expensive - in some cases giving rise to estimated costs of £1 million of more - but it doesn't need to be complicated or expensive.
Creating the perfect website
For a step by step guide, click on the diagram to see more detail
Essentials for a perfect website
Creating an effective website for your council is not easy - and certainly isn't something you can leave to the IT service, or to corporate communications section to deliver for you. Creating a website that delivers real value to the organisation, and real savings in cost takes a corporate effort and requires the following essential elements:
Learning
In an effort to make “Learning” more focused on the specific needs of our membership, we have reviewed our course offerings and launched a completely new programme for the next 12 months. The new programme offers a wider range of course, at more locations, and with more detail provided on each, to help you judge better who to nominate for the course, and the likely benefits to be achieved from it.
Applications focused on business need
"Having corporate and service-specific applications to meet the business needs and comply with interoperability standards"
Financial systems options review
The project issues
Alnwick District Council (ADC) and Berwick Borough Council both have ASP contracts with the same supplier which expire in 2008. They wanted to review jointly the various options open to them and potentially a third authority - Castle Morpeth - with which Alnwick has a partnership arrangement for ICT services.
Socitm Consulting won a competitive tender to review future options for the two authorities including where the services should operate, e.g. remotely as under the ASP service or locally, and also to advise on the selection of software. All options had to comply with European Procurement Rules.