Case study

Blackpool Council

By adopting TechnologyOne’s OneCouncil solution Blackpool Council have enhanced their long-term financial planning and are able to effectively deliver over 200 services to the community.

Case study highlights

  • Enabled continuous, seamless improvement
  • Automated business processes through digital transformation
  • Delivering more with less utilising integrated systems and connected intelligence

Challenge

Blackpool is a seaside resort in Lancashire, England. Located on the northwest coast, it is the main settlement within the Blackpool borough. The town is by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre rivers, and is 43kms north of Liverpool and 64kms northwest of Manchester. With an estimated population of 147,663 residents, Blackpool is the most populated settlement in Lancashire.

Delivering more than 200 services to the community, from adult and children’s social care, to having several companies, schools, and academies within the Council, Blackpool is a large multi-entity organisation. Due to the diverse and complex nature of these services it’s vital that the Council has access to a wide variety of information. This information is required to accurately future forecast and link to financial systems in real time for medium- and long-term planning.

In addition to their unique requirements, Blackpool Council is similar to other local councils across the UK that have faced budget challenges over recent years.

"The last 13 years have been difficult for the Council and very financially challenging for all local council organisations. So, it’s important we try to remain innovative, continuously improve, and do more with less,” said Steve Thompson, Director of Resources, Blackpool Council.

Following the theme of continuous improvement, the Council sought to replace their inefficient legacy financial systems for a true SaaS solution. With a goal of being able to financially plan for the long term and having effective systems that deliver financial administration information and support decision making, a critical element for the Council’s service delivery.

“Changing our financial systems is not something we do often. The last time was 22 years ago and 15 years prior to that. While those systems do serve a purpose, we always look to continuously improve and partner with companies that enable us to do just that,” said Steve.

Solution

In 2019, Blackpool Council started their search for a new financials system by casting a wide net, looking at as many software suppliers as possible.

“We were looking for a company that could really deliver on our needs, so we looked for the best supplier across the country, and we found that with TechnologyOne,” said Neil Jack, Chief Executive Officer, Blackpool Council.

Adopting TechnologyOne’s OneCouncil solution that includes the Contracts, Corporate Performance Management, Enterprise Cash Receipting, Financials, Performance Planning, Property, and Supply Chain Management products, Blackpool Council now have access to a solution specifically created for local council.

With OneCouncil, employees and citizens have access to applications and information smarter, faster, and on any device, anywhere, any time through a true SaaS ERP.

As part of the project, TechnologyOne offered an accelerated implementation where the risk and resources sit with TechnologyOne to ensure the successful delivery of the Blackpool OneCouncil project.

Director of Resources
Blackpool Council

The first year we researched what was necessary, the next two years were spent in the procurement and planning process, and implementation started approximately 12 months ago. I couldn’t fault the scheduling and resourcing TechnologyOne have thrown at this project to make it a success.

Outcome

By implementing TechnologyOne’s OneCouncil solution, Blackpool Council and their ratepayers are reaping numerous benefits, and the Council can already see opportunities to continue to expand their solution to leverage more of TechnologyOne’s SaaS ERP.

“Connected intelligence is key for integrating our systems. The focus of this first implementation captures what we already have in place, such as General Ledger, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, and more. But we’ve also included some great add-ons including Procurement Contracts, enabling us to have greater oversight and management of key areas,” said Steve.

Blackpool Council can now rely on the information their software produces knowing the now reliable information all comes from the same source at a much faster rate. The speed of the information available helps the Council model various scenarios depending on different future funding scenarios enabling the Council to be prepared, no matter what the future holds.

“The product and solutions TechnologyOne offer are excellent value. The implementation has proven its excellent value in terms of sticking to timelines and resources that both parties invested into the project. We see that OneCouncil and the products within that solution will offer us even smarter and faster information and decision-making capabilities.

“The implementation has been faultless. I have total confidence in the resource that TechnologyOne have provided us. It is a two-way partnership, and the Council brought the right people at the right level to deliver,” said Steve.

About Blackpool Council

Blackpool is a seaside resort in Lancashire, England. Located on the northwest coast, it is the main settlement within the Blackpool borough. The town is by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre rivers, and is 43kms north of Liverpool and 64kms northwest of Manchester. With an estimated population of 147,663 residents, Blackpool is the most populated settlement in Lancashire.

About Blackpool Council website

Resources

  • Local Government Media release
    12 Mar 2024

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    Newcastle City Council has transitioned to an Employee Self Service solution by TechnologyOne, saving time, money and a significant amount of paper.
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