CASE STUDY | GOVERNMENT | DATA & ANALYTICS
Decision Inc. Australia Helps Revolutionise Data Capability of Government Department
Solution Overview
Industry
Government
Solution
SAP Intergration
Technology
Workday Adaptive Planning
Location
Australia
Client
This Government department relies heavily on data to support it’s members and provide public services – but its data management system was prone to human error.
Requirement
Data sources for the models were not integrated resulting in manual updates whenever there was a change in data. Significant time was thus spent creating the data, which left little time to analyse it.
About The Client
The department’s data models were based in Excel, which created issues with version control, while the sharing of files over email and/or network share drives created security concerns and potential for file corruption.
Data sources for the models were not integrated meaning manual updates and re-importing whenever source data changed, while significant time was spent creating the data, which left little time to analyse it. Planning was thus limited to large scale budget and forecast cycles, as repetitive and mundane tasks took the department’s staff away from more regular high-value tasks.
The Requirement
The department’s data models were based in Excel, which created issues with version control, while the sharing of files over email and/or network share drives created security concerns and potential for file corruption.
Data sources for the models were not integrated meaning manual updates and re-importing whenever source data changed, while significant time was spent creating the data, which left little time to analyse it. Planning was thus limited to large scale budget and forecast cycles, as repetitive and mundane tasks took the department’s staff away from more regular high-value tasks.
Reporting using systems that require the compilation of data from multiple sources that are not integrated, is frustrating and challenging for financial close teams. Financial systems are always active with changing values, and the review process is constant. Updates and adjustments to systems that use offline reporting mechanisms such as Excel are a real headache – particularly during pivotal reporting cycles.
– Tony Butler, Managing Director, Decision Inc. Australia
The Solution
Decision Inc. Australia was first able to show the department how a centralised multi-user system for Planning and Reporting could revolutionise the processes and drive time and cost saving efficiencies. It worked to develop a solid financial reporting base to automate the periodic reporting of historical actuals data.
The goal? A system that was integrated with SAP source systems, providing a seamless reporting framework that could be run on demand.
This involved setup of the the Chart of Accounts (COA) and Cost Centres (CS) structures =, a data integration process that can be scheduled or manually invoked on demand, and the building of customised reporting structures and hierarchies that represented the various management reporting views required to run the department.
The planning process involved the creating of complex models to manage the key organisational areas including:
Global Budget Allocations
Workforce Management (Grade salaried personnel & FTE)
Members Salary & Allowances (Officeholders & Charters
Electorate management entitlements
Revenue planning (Treasury, Catering & Recoveries)
Capital Assets management
Allocations
Operating Expenses
Forecasting model / Sensitivity Analysis.
Planning at the department required a comprehensive model for allocating budget resources and is done primarily from the bottom up using combinations of assumption driver based, historical run-rate and zero-based estimates. The detail planning items are balanced and validated via a top-down system of budget allocation that provides planners with the ability to see which areas of the organisation are under/over budget at any time. The unique global allocations framework created for the department provides detailed modelling through a review process that allows budget to be allocated and re-allocated across the organisation at any stage of the budget process.
“The forecast model provided them with the ability to take a high-level view of the detail budget as a starting point and apply separate assumptions and adjustments on the fly,” said Butler.
The Benefits
Planning and reporting cycles have been dramatically streamlined. Formatted graphical monthly reports are refreshed with data at the click of a button. The Planning process has been streamlined into a multi-user environment allowing for continuous planning with strong controls and authorisation processes.
Audit trails provide a clear view of changes and adjustments. The multi-version system allows for new plans to be easily created from old ones and updated easily to produce more accurate rolling forecasts allowing for informed decision making.
ABOUT DECISION INC. AUSTRALIA
Decision Inc. Australia is a leading independent data and analytics consultancy which delivers value from data faster.
As seen in The Australian Financial Review and The Weekend Australian, we serve the community and industry and believe great data and analytics expertise will underpin economic recovery and prosperity. We provide insights and accelerated business improvement capabilities to help our clients in their pursuit of progress.
Decision Inc. Australia is a proud carbon neutral company. You can read about our mission to achieve carbon neutrality here and Great Place to Work certified.
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