Working in partnership with UK-based IT and business service provider Agilisys, the council will transform its business support processes in Finance, Human Resources, Payroll and Procurement, as well as replace outdated ICT systems on the council's mainframe which has remained relatively unchanged for the last 20 years.
The 5 year programme, known as FutureWorks, includes the implementation of the market-leading Agresso Business World IT solution which is used by more than 100 local authorities across the UK.
The programme of change will see the council simplify the way it does business in the key areas, supported by a modernised ICT system, in order to improve efficiency and deliver better value for money for the city's residents.
The FutureWorks programme is projected to deliver annual ongoing savings of £3.4 million within 2 years of the go-live date of April 2014.
The transformation will not only help Wolverhampton provide consistent and efficient services but will also form a foundation for further change and efficiencies across the authority in the future.
Councillor Andrew Johnson, Cabinet Member for Resources, said: "While the current outdated systems are used primarily by those working in our internal support services, their impact is widespread because they support all of our front-line services such as staff collecting the city's bins, as well as Wolverhampton Homes and schools and academies across the city.
"Everything we do as a council impacts on our residents; by simplifying the way we conduct our own business we can focus on the needs of our residents.
"We know what we want to achieve and Agilisys will help us to find the best way to do it. Working in partnership with Agilisys is key to us successfully transforming our business processes and systems which will lead to more efficient services and deliver better value for money."
Agilisys CEO Steven Beard added: "We are delighted to begin work in partnership with Wolverhampton City Council to deliver such an important transformational project. This is testament to our ability to deliver solutions that encompass strategic change underpinned by proven technology, as seen in our successful Agresso Business World implementation programmes in a number of councils across the UK. We are excited to be starting a new partnership and look forward to working with Wolverhampton to achieve their goals."
Whilst providing service improvements, the five year programme will also deliver substantial budget savings with a reduction in staff numbers over time.
Councillor Johnson added: "Over the next 12 months staff in Finance, Human Resources, Payroll and Procurement will be the first to see changes with new systems, workflows and team structures being implemented as a result of the programme. The rest of the organisation will not see major changes until April 2014 when the new systems and workflows go-live."
The total cost of the programme, spread over five years, including partner costs and the council's own resources is approximately £7.8 million. Based on the projected annual on-going savings of £3.4 million, the costs of the programme will be recovered within 3 years of the go-live date.
- released: Wednesday 24 April, 2013