No easy Ryde for Isle of Wight's legacy systems

Needles to say, Council's £27m SAP savings are all Wight

Isle of Wight Council has awarded Logica an ERP deal expected to save the authority £27m over the next 10 years.

The deal will involve replacing legacy in-house systems with an SAP ERP model.

The rip and replace initiative will support the council's efficiency programme around finance, procurement and payroll services. These improvements will in turn lead to more accurate accounting and tighter budget controls.

It is hoped the ERP system will go live by April 2009.

Isle of Wight Council director of finance David Burbage said the new system will have a major impact on the way the council does business and ensure prudent procurement.

"While our staff are doing an excellent job right now, they are working with outdated and failing systems. By providing a single source of management information, the new systems will provide greater opportunities to improve financial management and HR processes," he said in a statement.