Wanganui District Council is dumping a 14-year-old Pick-based system in favour of Microsoft-based Australian software as it moves to offer 24x7 internet and intranet transactions.
Wanganui corporate services manager Dave Foster says work started on implementing software modules from Australian Technology One system in April. The new financial system will go live this month, with the regulatory applications coming into effect in October.
Brisbane-based Technology One says the $700,000 implementation is not only the first time that the company’s Proclaim local government software has been combined with its financial software in New Zealand, but its first complete local government rollout in New Zealand covering regulatory, finance and accounting systems.
The Technology One system replaces a Logis system, sold by Perth-based Collier Knyn & Associates and implemented in 1988. The new system is based on Microsoft Access, VB and SQL Server. The council was already running Microsoft desktop applications.
Foster says the council aims to offer 24x7 transactions over the internet and intranet by December 2003 and the old Pick-based system would need too much development work to allow this.
The new system also promises an online enquiry facility into building and planning applications for developers and residents.
The council went through a tendering process, narrowing it down to Technology One and Fujitsu’s Corporate Vision. It says the Australians won on functionality.
Foster has no concerns that the system won’t cope with differing requirements between Australia and New Zealand. He says the finance package already operates in 25 sites in New Zealand. The software is also used in different Australian states with differing regulations.
Technology One New Zealand manager Roger Phare says adapting rules to suit New Zealand was “working pretty well”.