MPs told of flawed Oracle iSupplier project at Department of Work and Pensions

A flawed implementation of Oracle iSupplier at the Department of Work and Pensions has been highlighted in written evidence to a committee pf MPs.

Seetec, a supplier of training and IT services to the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), described the customisation of an Oracle iSupplier system in the DWP's Provider Referral and Payment (PRaP) system as flawed. Seetec stated that, "The Provider Referrals and Payment system was poorly implemented with significant delays and outstanding issues. This has caused problems for the provider community as well as adding a significant time and cost burden. Given the size, complexity and potential funding arrangements, the underpinning IT systems need to be 'top-drawer' quality."

The problems have been caused because of how iSupplier has been used, according to Seetec's statement to the House of Commons Work and Pensions Select Committee. "This has been modified to try and fit the needs of referring customers and paying for those purchases by treating them as orders. Internally, this project seems to have been viewed as an isolated task, rather than the start of a customer-centric electronic customer record," Seetec said in its written statement.

Seetec notes that the Oracle iSupplier is purchase-order based, not customer based. Seetec said: "A DWP system needs to focus on what happens to the customer first. A referral is only one instance of what happens to a customer, ie because iSupplier processes orders and not customers, it has a limited ability to identify the customer in this process, which means that multiple orders can be generated for one customer for the same provision. This leads to costly and time-consuming reconciliation issues."

The DWP recently cancelled a £300m contract with Fujitsu.