Decision

RESOLVED:

I.                    To approve award of a contract to Integrated Business Software and Solutions Limited (IBSS) for ongoing use of the Integra Finance System. For the over 9 years plus 4 months system provision, the total value of the contract is £461,855. The contract value comprises £244,322 for support, managed services and hosting for the full system for the period 01/09/2026 to 31/12/2028 and £217,533 for license, managed services and hosting for an archive version for the 7-year period from 01/01/2029 to 31/12/2035 to enable the future West Essex Council to access financial information for audit purposes.

II.                  To note that the project to implement TechnologyOne has been paused pending further development of LGR transitional arrangements. 

Reasons for the decision

Analysis of the time and cost to complete implementation of the new finance system did not compare favourably with the option to retain the existing finance system. It was also noted that if the Council continued to implement a new finance system in 2026 prior to then moving to a new finance system for West Essex Council in 2028, then both legacy systems would need to be maintained in archive state, substantially increasing costs. A recommendation was made to pause the TechnologyOne project and formally engage with the provider of the current finance system to establish new contract arrangements. 

Alternative options considered

None.