Accenture wins $20m ABS data collection systems deal

Accenture has won a $20 million deal to provide the Australian Bureau of Statistics with new data collection systems for surveys of businesses and households, to be developed as part of the number cruncher's $257 million IT upgrade. 

ABS expects the new system to reduce the burden on survey respondents and minimise the use of paper and manual handling to make the collection of data more efficient, a bureau spokesperson told iTnews. 

"The integrated solution provided by Accenture comprises market leading software to meet the ABS' requirements for developing surveys, receiving data, and managing relationships with data providers," he said. 

"The Accenture solution brings together market leading software from Pega Systems, Confirmit Australia, and Informatica Australia, all of which are rated as leading suppliers." 

The contract is worth $19.9 million, with the installation, configuration and testing of the new systems to be ready by December next year. ABS wants the system to be operational from 2018. 

Accenture was also paid $95,000 after a contract was signed on July 25 this year, for due diligence with the ABS to ensure the proposed solution would be affordable and deliverable, the spokesperson said. 

He said the ABS is using external expertise to ensure the government agency has access to the best possible skills, to reduce risk and to ensure the timely delivery of processes and infrastructure needed for its large and complex IT transformation. 

"By using market leading off-the-shelf software rather than tired and outdated internally developed systems we are able to reduce our long term costs and improve the long term sustainability of ABS data collection activities," he said. 

ABS also expects the Accenture solution to deliver improved engagement with data providers through new provider management tools, with greater capacity for automation and standardisation of communication, and better auditing.