Statistics New Zealand

Statistics New Zealand is a government department and the country’s national statistical office, collecting information relating to New Zealand’s economy, environment and society.

The organisation produces more than 250 statistical releases and reports per annum, a large proportion which are now provided for free to the public via the Internet.

To better adapt to changing financial requirements, Statistics New Zealand decided to replace its existing financial solution with Microsoft Business Solutions-Navision® in July, 2002. In addition to mapping more closely to business objectives, the new solution is delivering higher level reporting and deeper integration with third party systems. Navision has also reduced the cost of supporting and maintaining the organisation’s financial system by approximately 70% and Statistics New Zealand anticipates a Return on Investment (ROI) within two and a half years time.

Gerad Chaplin, Management Accountant, Statistics New Zealand, explained that the organisation first commenced the search for a new financial solution in mid 2001. “We had been running an Oracle system for more than seven years,” said Chaplin. “As the department began to provide more and more statistical information for free via the Internet, the complexity of our revenue model decreased and we were in a position to simplify our financial processes. We no longer needed such a large system like Oracle, which was costly to upgrade and difficult to customise.” He added: “We sought a more flexible and affordable business solution that would deliver strong reporting and integrate closely with a number of our other IT systems, including the HR and CRM solution.”

Statistics New Zealand considered a number of solutions but selected Microsoft Business Solutions Navision edition, supported by Wellington-based Topaz Solutions, in April, 2002. “Navision was a very flexible solution that could be easily customised. The combined strength of the product and vendor was the deciding factor in our decision,” explained Chaplin. “Topaz had an experienced team and long-term future in the market. The company’s partnership with Avanti Solutions also meant we could call on additional support for our Auckland office if required.”

Topaz deployed Navision rapidly over a three month period across a Microsoft SQL Server 7.0 platform. The solution went live in July 2002, to coincide with the start of the new financial year and enable minimum data to be migrated from the previous solution. Topaz also customised the Navision solution to meet the department’s unique finance requirements. Firstly, a Dimension Analysis Module was added to automatically force dimensions and reduce data reentry. Secondly, an Allocation Module was developed to distribute overhead costs to various projects.

“It was easy and affordable to modify the Navision solution. With our previous system, we were reluctant to do any customisation because it was too complex and costly,” said Chaplin. Since going live, the Navision solution has delivered a number of business benefits to the organisation, including detailed reporting and business analysis. “Navision provides us with more in-depth and versatile reporting and we can now run executive level reports from within the system. Reports are generated in real-time, which enables us to get a more accurate snapshot of the business,” said Gerad Chaplin of Statistics New Zealand. “Navision is also easy to use and has simplified our financial processes. For example, it is now much easier to make adjustments in the system, allowing us to respond quickly to any last minute staff requests.”

Navision has also provided the organisation closer integration with disparate IT systems. “Navision interfaces easily with our HR solution, meaning we can obtain data quickly instead of having to re-enter the information,” said Chaplin. “Our system support and maintenance costs have also decreased by approximately 70% per annum and we expect a Return on Investment within two and a half years time.”

Moving forward, Chaplin said Statistics New Zealand will examine other Navision modules to meet future business requirements. “Navision is based on a future-orientated platform and has the capacity to evolve with our business. We will look at different ways of reporting and giving other staff the ability to view transactional detail outside of the system.”

Mansur Zwart, Manager, Microsoft Business Solutions New Zealand, said that Statistics New Zealand’s decision to use Navision demonstrates how easily the product can be tailored to meet unique organisational requirements. “This implementation not only highlights how flexible Microsoft Business Solutions applications are in adapting to business needs, but also the ability to easily integrate with other systems,” Zwart concluded. Microsoft Business Solutions’ Navision applications automate end-to-end business processes across financials, distribution, project accounting, electronic commerce, manufacturing, supply chain management, business intelligence, sales and marketing management and customer service and support.

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