Customer story highlights

• Modern financial management aligned to local government best practice
• Single source of truth across all financial operations
• Improved visibility, reduced manual processes and stronger financial governance

About Denbighshire County Council

Denbighshire County Council serves a diverse and growing population across North East Wales. Its 2022–2027 Corporate Plan sets out a clear ambition to become a well-run, high-performing authority while creating a healthier, happier and more caring Denbighshirre, balancing strong financial stewardship with compassionate service delivery.

Committed to transparency, accountability and digital empowerment, DCC invests in modern solutions that enhance service quality and strengthen operational resilience. Central to this strategy is adopting sector-aligned technology designed for local government, enabling the council to deliver value for money while continually improving services for its communities.

Denbighshire County Council website

The challenge: Disparate legacy systems

By 2022, DCC’s legacy finance systems were increasingly difficult to maintain and no longer fit for purpose. Manual processes, fragmented data, and limited reporting capabilities created inefficiencies across the organisation. The system also lacked scalability, making it difficult for teams to respond quickly to changing demands or legislative requirements.

Sandra Jones, Financial Systems Officer at Denbighshire County Council, said: “Our previous finance systems were a nightmare to maintain. Staff had to juggle different passwords for each system, spreadsheets were used to track capital spend, and maintaining in-house hardware was costly and unpredictable. Upgrades often failed, processes were slow, and data was cluttered with dubious accounts, which made reporting and decision-making a constant challenge."

The council required a modern, cloud-based ERP platform purpose-built for local government, capable of streamlining financial operations, improving access to real-time data, and supporting its long-term digital strategy.

The solution: TechnologyOne Financials

DCC selected TechnologyOne’s Financials for its sector-specific design and proven track record supporting Welsh authorities.

Rhys Jones, former Financial Systems Officer at Denbighshire County Council, played a key role in driving this transformation.

“We looked at the market for 10 years and so we knew what we wanted: a system that was geared for local government and where finance could manage internally, without heavy reliance on third-party consultants. TechnologyOne delivered on that.”

TechnologyOne Financials provides a single, integrated system that streamlines finance processes, improves efficiency, and empowers better decision-making – replacing fragmented legacy tools with a unified platform designed for modern public sector operations.

Financials met Welsh public sector requirements, with its roadmap shaped through ongoing collaboration with councils across Wales and the UK. This gave DCC confidence that the system would continue to evolve in line with policy updates, regulatory changes, and wider sector transformation initiatives.

The council also embraced TechnologyOne’s adopt-not-adapt philosophy, rather than pursuing heavy customisation. This approach enabled a faster, lower-risk implementation, avoiding costly bespoke configurations that can create long-term technical debt.

“Our old ledger was over 30 years old, with green-screen interfaces and rigid coding structures,” said Mr Jones.

“With TechnologyOne Financials, our finance team can quickly adopt standardised structures, amend them easily, and create reports without IT intervention. It’s been a huge improvement over the pain of legacy systems.”

By leveraging standard processes with minimal modification, DCC streamlined configuration and testing, maintained project momentum, and ensured system-wide consistency.

The results: Real-time data, streamlined processes, and better outcomes

Following a phased delivery programme, DCC and TechnologyOne achieved a successful go-live in just 12 months. Close collaboration across finance, ICT, and operational teams ensured a smooth transition, supported by TechnologyOne’s experienced implementation specialists.

Since going live, the council has gained real-time financial insight, improved operational efficiency, and enhanced reporting capabilities. Moving to a cloud-first SaaS platform has removed the burden of managing legacy infrastructure, while automatic updates ensure the council continuously benefits from new functionality without disruption.

DCC staff have also been empowered to take ownership of the system, moving away from the bottlenecks of the past.

“It’s a finance system at the end of the day; we have to own it,” said one Finance Officer.

“I like that with TechnologyOne we can write our own reports without needing IT to create detailed specifications.” 
By reducing manual processes and adopting sector-aligned standards, DCC has created a more consistent and sustainable approach to financial management.

“Finance officers are now much more self-sufficient. They can run enquiries and manage key processes like journalling and year-end tasks without relying on IT or external consultants. This has removed bottlenecks, improved response times, and freed staff to focus on higher-value work,” said Ms Jones.

Looking ahead: Supporting the future of Welsh Local Government

Denbighshire’s success demonstrates the power of a sector-aligned, adopt-not-adapt ERP model for Welsh authorities. TechnologyOne’s deep expertise ensures its software, and implementation practices align seamlessly with the operational and regulatory environment in Wales.

As the council looks to the future, leaders expect the benefits of the new platform to grow. “Over the next 12 months, as people become fully embedded in the system and confidence grows, we expect to see real benefits in efficiency, self-service reporting, and overall financial governance,” Ms Jones said.

With a modern, future-ready platform, DCC is well-positioned to continue its digital transformation, collaborate across authorities, and deliver more connected, resilient public services across the region.