Issue - meetings

The purpose of this report and presentation is to provide Members with an update on progress and plans for the FMS Project.

Advice of Advisory Panel

That the Executive Member be advised:

(i)                 That the progress made to date on the FMS Project be noted and the continuation of this project be supported.

Decision of the Executive Member

RESOLVED:             That the advice of the Advisory Panel be accepted and endorsed.

REASON:                  This needs to be done to ensure full business continuity and to facilitate improvements in the way we work as a Council as set out in the Corporate Priorities.

Members received a report and presentation which provided Members with an update on progress and plans for the FMS Project.

The current FMS was provided by Civica and was called Powersolve.  A Development Plan Bid for a straightforward replacement was approved in 2004/2005. A further draft bid covering additional requirements that had arisen since the original submission was made had been submitted for consideration as part of the 2008/2009 IT Development Plan.

The presentation covered the following areas:

• Background and Core System
• Opportunities regarding User Friendly, Interfaces, Standardise Business Processes, Workflow, Current Technology
• Users are Involved
• Where are We Now
• How Evaluation is Done
• Scoring Functionality Services and Technical
• Future Timetable

Officers provided an update on the selection process and reported that their target remained that the system would go live in Summer 2008.

Members queried whether they would be able to view the accounts and have reports generated on the new system. Officers reported that Members might be able to have reports produced and view the accounts at a summary level, and that hopefully one of the suppliers might provide this facility already.

Members questioned whether it was possible to piggyback onto a system used by another council. Officers reported that no other council had the same pattern as York and that no expressions of interest had been received from suppliers providing such an approach.

Advice of Advisory Panel

That the Executive Member be advised:

(i)                 That the progress made to date on the FMS Project be noted and the continuation of this project be supported.

Decision of the Executive Member

RESOLVED:             That the advice of the Advisory Panel be accepted and endorsed.

REASON:                  This needs to be done to ensure full business continuity and to facilitate improvements in the way we work as a Council as set out in the Corporate Priorities.