This document summarizes two projects focused on providing cloud-based finance and HR solutions for colleges. The first project involves 6 colleges collaborating to put payroll, HR, and finance systems in a private cloud with a single shared database. The second project involves a single college implementing a cloud-based finance system. Both projects aim to improve access and efficiencies, but face challenges with software delivery and change management.

1. Finance and HR in the Cloud
Case Study

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Case Study
Key Drivers
■ Software licence costs.
■ Potential of collaboration.
■ Saving money long term.
Intended Beneficiaries
■ Staff and students through easier and more effective
access to systems.
■ Colleges in terms of greater efficiencies.
Impact to date and anticipated
Both project s are in the development stages so the benefits are anticipated rather than realised. These
benefits are largely associated with easier access by staff and student users to Finance and HR systems,
together with a better use of staff time.
FE Sussex:” We are already experiencing a positive cultural impact with respect to staff. The benefits yet
to be realised are that :
• Staff time will used more efficiently
• The system will be easier to use for students and to support recruitment
• There will be less waste in terms an of old paper-based systems which is used by one College.
• There will be a Self Service System for HR and no paper-based system”
Isle of Wight College: “A Share point site for the Finance system has been created and testing with the
beta version of Symmetry Cloud was successful. But until a final version is issued, we will be unable to
deploy this site-wide”.
Colleges and Projects
FE Sussex led project (6 Colleges) Shared Services in Sussex and Surrey Colleges, Cloud computing
Isle of White College Finance system in the cloud using Symmetry Cloud
Summary
These two projects are focused on providing Cloud based Finance and HR Solutions to colleges. FE
Sussex’s project is a collaborative one involving a Private Cloud supporting 8 Colleges. All Payroll and
HR is being put into the Cloud, with a single database supporting 6 colleges. The Isle of Wight’s is a
single college project using Symmetry, as a specialised Cloud based approach.

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Case Study
Supplier engagement experiences
FE Sussex has experienced a smooth procurement process for the software and Cloud hosting. The Isle
of Wight College has experienced supplier difficulties in delivering a completed product in terms of
Cloud hosted software. There have also been challenges with upgrading the band width of the JANET
connection.
FE Sussex: “The tender process was through OJEU. We received excellent support from FE Associates
as consultants. The software supplier has been chosen and is being set up and installed. This software is
used by the University of Sussex and also Northern Ireland who have used this software for the last 5
years. The Cloud Hosting provider has been selected as the University of London Computer Centre, who
we found with assistance from JISC”.
FE Sussex: “Software - specification requirements have been complex as it is a group of 6 Colleges,
who have to deal with suppliers when choosing the software, which was complex. When choosing the
suppliers the colleges ask them to deal with 5 complex scenarios that may occur and how these would be
dealt with”.
Isle of Wight College:” We selected Symmetry Cloud. The main risk has been supplier difficulties in
delivering a completed product, which would enable us to complete this project on time. The mitigation
has been to continue working with the existing system, until all issues have been resolved. Delays in this
project may cause issues with site wide deployment via the intranet, depending upon any changes to the
original specification of the software. Symmetry are amending certain areas of functionality, to improve
the purchase order and invoice authorisation process. The leased line upgrade was not completed. The
availability of bandwidth will be monitored and reserved for this project as required. An additional line
will still be required and will be fitted as agreed with JANET”.
Technical and Security Challenges
FE Sussex: “The implementation of one data base to replace 6 separate ones is always going to be a
challenge. Cohesive and cooperative working is essential. The technical challenge was of connectivity,
ensuring all colleges are connected and all data can be transferred satisfactorily. Data processing
agreements required extensive legal advice .The on-going need to finalise Data Protection Agreements
needs to be flagged as a potential interrupt to activity. Data protection is a problematic area and requires
expert specialised legal advice”.
Isle of Wight College: “Due to the unresolved software functionality issues identified with Symmetry,
a go-live date with the cloud system has yet to be confirmed. This will be agreed when the issues have
been resolved, and implemented in the live system”.

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Case Study
Change Management experience
FE Sussex reports that significant attention has been given to change management through regular
meetings between the colleges involved, a large scale training programme and actions to overcome
challenges such as cynicism amongst some staff.
FE Sussex: “It has been the biggest challenge of all! A training programme for 77 users is in progress. The
human element is more difficult to solve than any technical problem. Cynicism by staff affected by the
new systems introduction. Ensuring watertight agreements and a collaborative atmosphere mitigated
the barriers. The following gives an indication of the number of collaborative meetings involved:
17 x Common Standards Board meetings (HR/Payroll and Finance Directors). The purpose of these
meetings has been to manage the project, its timeline adherence and performance to plan.
3 x SISSC Principals’ meetings. These are meetings of the steering group of the colleges
3 x Dedicated HR/Payroll workshops. These meetings have been held to devise and finalise the
specification of the Solution Design Document which standardises all procedures, reports and processes
of HR activity across the member colleges of SISSC.
1 x Future planning activity which was a strategic look at the long term direction of SISSC and its
potential development in terms of widening the partnership and making it available to non-founder
colleges.
The result of the above activity is the production of the binding SDD. This document (there is also one
for Finance) underpins the shift to Cloud based HR solutions”.
Indicative Cost Savings
The cloud application of this FE Sussex collaborative project provides the opportunity to make
significant cost savings through the reduction in individual college servers, over and above common
software savings.
FE Sussex “We will reduce in-college servers by 10 at the end of this project. Each server costs
approximately £13K pa to run and service. Hosting environment fees are less than half this. This will
therefore result in a £75k saving”.
Lessons Learned
FE Sussex:” We would have considered additional full time staffing at an earlier stage”.

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8. © Association of Colleges 2013
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With thanks to all project partners who contributed to the development
of this case study and consultant Chris West