This Not For Profit Organisation (NFP) is undertaking a broad program of work to address legacy systems. This organisation provides a fundamental service to the people of Victoria, operating and maintaining a high-profile public asset within the Melbourne metropolitan region. The NFP commissioned a market scan to identify a feasible set of solution options to replace the Finance and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems and the corporate asset/collections database.  

Terra Firma was engaged for Business Analysis services to manage a Discovery phase, Options Analysis and prepare a Business Case for each Legacy system replacement identified.

The NFP faced several challenges relating to outdated, no longer fit-for-purpose Finance ERP and corporate asset/collections database systems. This situation presented a high risk to the organisation, with vendors slowly reducing their support over time. Reduced support also resulted in a reduction in system improvements to ensure the usability of the systems was being maintained to meet future business needs.  

As the systems aged, the organisation experienced increased negative feedback relating to performance and functionality. This resulted in ongoing and increasing stress for the system users, long term maintenance of data integrity, and increased demand on Information Technology support services. Overtime, the organisation found the situation increasingly challenging to deliver the core business of maintaining the high-profile asset on behalf of the people of Victoria. 

As part of the Discovery Phase, Terra Firma documented the current-state legacy system requirements, which included business, functional / non-functional, technical / architectural requirements. This phase provided the foundation for the next phase, performing Solution Options phase (market scan) for suitable solutions that would meet the requirements of the NFP.  

The Solutions Options phase provided a review of suitable solutions and vendors on the market, and provided the analysis to reduce to three preferred vendors and their solutions that were best fit. Vendors were invited to present their solutions to the NFP with each solution reviewed through a comprehensive selection process, including best functional fit, price and long-term longevity, and support criteria.  

A business case was developed as part of the final phase, which provided the results of the market scan, and presented the benefits, disadvantages, costs and risks of each option for each legacy system. The business case presented recommended solutions to the IT Steering Committee and Board for final approval so that the NFP could progress confidently to implement the recommended solutions. 

Terra Firma’s approach to executing this engagement was made up of the following elements: 

• Established project governance structure with Sponsor and key stakeholders. 
• Identified a broad list of relevant business stakeholders. 
• Engaged with all stakeholders via interview for their views. 
• Reviewed the results of the preceding work (a business systems review was conducted prior to this engagement). 
• Planned the solution options phase and supported development of the future-state processes. 
• Conducted market scans of the relevant markets to identify potential solution options. 
• Eliminated unsuitable options and identified a preferred solution set (two or three options only). 
• Demonstrations of preferred options. 
• Presented briefings of the respective business case documents to: 

• • IT Steering Committee. 
  • Executive Board. 

Terra Firma successfully delivered the procurement process and business cases to replace the legacy ERP and assets/collections database systems. The procurement process and business case provided a fundamental way forward for the NFP to ensure the organisation could proceed confidently to the next stage of implementation.  

The business case also provided critical information relating to benefits and costs of the recommended solution and demonstrated which of the solution options would meet the organisation strategy; and address the problems being experienced from the incumbent legacy systems in place. Through this initiative, the NFP was able to avoid risks with investing in the wrong solutions by following a structured approach to system procurement and selection. The organisation was able to ensure that due diligence was followed to ensure industry procurement compliance was met.  

Undertaking this procurement and business case methodology ensured increased speed to reach the final goal of solving the identified problems. Ultimately, the NFP was able to improve internal stakeholder experience and internal technology support services by identifying the best available technologies available with the intent to implement best of class solutions.