QLD schools get "big bang" financial systems overhaul

OneSchool project moves into phase three.

The Queensland Department of Education and Training will roll out a $7 million financial system to the state's schools in January next year as part of the ongoing OneSchool information systems project.

The financial software, which replaces an ageing in-house developed system, will be provided by Agresso.

The OneSchool project aims to provide a "comprehensive, flexible and sustainable information management system in Queensland state schools", according to the Department's website.

Stages one and two introduced shared student records and curriculum planning functionality.

The financial system replacement will occur as part of stage three of the project.

The old financial system will be decommissioned on 15 December this year to make way for the Agresso-based system, which will be rolled out from January 4, 2011.

Schools will use Agresso software for all accounting tasks, including accounts payable and receivable, profit and loss (P&L) and fixed asset management.

"The idea is that the rollout will be over the Christmas school holidays," Agresso's director of sales and marketing Bruce Wood told iTnews.

"There's loads of testing scheduled for the last quarter of this year [before] more or less a big bang rollout in January to every school."

It was Agresso's largest deal in Australia, Wood said.

The system would be hosted by the Department and rolled out as a web-based platform to schools.