Issue - meetings

Report of the Cabinet Member for Finance and Transformation attached.

Councillor Thorpe, Cabinet Member for Finance and Transformation presented the Part B report regarding Unit 4. The report set out the financial details.

Decision:

Cabinet:

·         Approved to proceed with the Full Transformation Delivery option.

·         Approved the estimated one-off capital investment cost to be incepted into the capital programme, to be funded from a combination of earmarked reserves and/or capital receipts

·         Noted the progress made with regard to the procurement of the Strategic Partner, with the final award to be considered for approval by Cabinet in March.

Reasons for the decision:

• As set out for Part A.

Alternative options considered:

• As set out for Part A.

Report of the Cabinet Member for Finance and Transformation attached.

Councillor Thorpe, Cabinet Member for Finance and Transformation presented the report regarding the Unit 4 System upgrade which was a follow on from the Unit 4 Contract Award Report approved by Cabinet on 25 September 2025. The report provided a summary of the Strategic Outline Business Case (SOBC) produced by the Strategic Partner and sought approval from Cabinet to proceed with the full transformation delivery option required to deliver the implementation of the Unit 4 cloud-based ERP Financial Management System and the transformation programme.

A member sought assurances with regards to contingencies in place to support the transition. In response Councillor Thorpe, Cabinet Member for Finance and Transformation confirmed that the system used currently and the planned new system are both based on the same software decreasing the risks of an issue. There is also project management support and the original license does not elapse until 2026 giving time to transition.

The Leader, requested that appropriate progress reports on the advancements are received.

Decision:

Cabinet:

·         Approved to proceed with the Full Transformation Delivery option.

·         Approved the estimated one-off capital investment cost to be incepted into the capital programme, to be funded from a combination of earmarked reserves and/or capital receipts

·         Noted the progress made with regard to the procurement of the Strategic Partner, with the final award to be considered for approval by Cabinet in March.

Reasons for recommendations:

·         The current Financial Management System is nearing the end of its lifecycle, which limits efforts to modernise. Challenges include fragmented financial processes, reliance on manual tasks, and a lack of self-service options for staff and suppliers. There are also number of inherent risks and compliance concerns regarding the existing system alongside high reliance on manually based financial transaction activities which is affecting the efficiency of the finance service and the wider organisation.

·         As stated in the September Cabinet report, Unit 4 have informed clients that the current on-premises version of Unit 4, which the council operates will be unsupported after 2026 and therefore this creates a burning platform to change and modernise the Financial Management System, but also an opportunity to drive through financial transformation programme throughout the Council.

Alternative options considered:

·         Three options detailed in the body of the report were identified and their respective estimated cost & benefits were considered prior to making this recommendation.