Improving procurement data preparation and collection for better State Government decisions

How do you collect and translate inconsistent data from disparate systems to better inform and evaluate the impact of spend policies?

Australian State Government agencies use a variety of different enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, tools, solutions and processes to collect, extract and prepare finance and spend data. This data is aggregated and analysed by our client, a State Government Department, to identify trends and insights that support the State Government’s spend, budgeting and reporting policies.

However, a combination of poor data quality and multiple systems make spend analysis and budget forecasting difficult and limits policies from being applied consistently. The spend data provided by agencies is inconsistent, often outdated, inaccurate and often fragmented, reducing confidence in data accuracy and reporting. As a result, time-consuming manual data cleansing is required before the data can be used. 

Leveraging global insights and enhancing source data 

Initially, our challenge was to help our client explore options for an automated, low-effort solution for consistently harmonising meaningful and accurate data through a unified data platform. However, as we delved deeper into the project, we quickly realised that the crucial first step was to improve data quality and governance at the source before implementing any platform.

We started by using insights from similar procurement data projects our teams had completed across the UK. By applying our knowledge of Government procurement processes, spending category definitions, and category management, we identified key areas for improvement.

Prioritising data quality and implementing a united platform

Based on a sample of agency data, processes, and technology, within a few short weeks we were able to build consensus across several stakeholder groups that the Department should work closely with agencies to first improve data quality and establish common governance at the source. Following that, we recommended three platform options for implementing an improved data platform to enhance and transform the data, supporting government policies and decisions.

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