The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) is laying the groundwork to replace its SAP finance system following the failure of the government’s common ERP scheme.
The department is looking to replace its SAP ECC6 platform, which is approaching end-of-support in 2030.
DFAT is currently exploring its options for a front-end system and hosting platform via a request for information, with a focus on a cloud-first approach.
In a statement to iTnews, DFAT added that it may also address its Oracle PeopleSoft human resources platform, potentially moving it to the cloud “if an appropriate solution is identified”.
Both systems are currently hosted on DFAT’s own infrastructure, with the department looking at the shorter-term benefits of re-hosting SAP ECC6 ahead of its replacement.
“Improving corporate functions enhances our frontline services to Australians both here and abroad, as well as other government agencies overseas,” a DFAT spokesperson added.
Oracle has a rolling 10-year support guarantee for the PeopleSoft product. iTnews understands that DFAT will have PeopleSoft support until at least 2035.
DFAT’s initiative follows the axing of the federal government’s $341 million effort to create a single common ERP platform – GovERP – for use across government.
The Department of Finance, which oversaw GovERP until 2021, first disclosed its work on a prototype platform in October 2019.
However, the government scaled back the GovERP project at the end of last year. It then asked an expert panel to determine what, if anything developed for it could be reused.
In August, it was revealed that of the 30 capabilities developed under GovERP, only 18 completed functional testing and none progressed to system integration or user acceptance testing.
As such, Finance announced the end of the shared services approach to ERP in the Australian public sector, leaving it up to individual agencies to determine their own ERP needs.
Under this new direction, agencies seeking new ERP solutions were directed to the Digital Transformation Agency’s ERP products and service solutions category on its software marketplace panel for procurement.