Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council

Optimum, the IT training consultancy, trained 750 Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council employees to use a new version of its Unit4 Business World (Agresso) finance system as part of a move to a new shared system with neighbouring Darlington Borough Council.

The upgrade training was critical to the success of the shared service and involved introducing wide-ranging new business processes as well as new functionality to Stockton’s team. It also encompassed the creation of a complete new eLearning system for Stockton BC.

Optimum also designed and developed role-based, user-focused courses covering activities such as web requisitioning, timesheet entry, debt recovery and sales order processing. Their consultants have also built an interactive eLearning system using Adobe Captivate software to mirror that already used by Darlington BC. In addition, they have recorded WebEx sessions and written a complete set training materials (available online and in hard-copy), ranging from comprehensive user reference guides to quick cards on specific procedures.

Users are accessing their specific training packages by the most efficient method for those individuals. The training is available as classroom-based presentations, eLearning via the council’s intranet, WebEx sessions for new joiners / latecomers to the training programme and by accessing the new system with quick cards for support.

Optimum won the upgrade training project at Stockton BC on the strength of the consultancy’s track record with the council over the last six years and also with Darlington BC who appointed the firm to design and deliver its own Agresso system implementation training in 2008.

Steve Vasey, system and business development manager at Xentrall Shared Services, the partnership set up by Stockton and Darlington Councils to deliver the services, said:

Users are accessing their specific training packages by the most efficient method for those individuals. The training is available as classroom-based presentations, eLearning via the council’s intranet, WebEx sessions for new joiners / latecomers to the training programme and by accessing the new system with quick cards for support.

Optimum won the upgrade training project at Stockton BC on the strength of the consultancy’s track record with the council over the last six years and also with Darlington BC who appointed the firm to design and deliver its own Agresso system implementation training in 2008.

Steve Vasey, system and business development manager at Xentrall Shared Services, the partnership set up by Stockton and Darlington Councils to deliver the services, said: