Councils across the UK are facing a wave of wicked challenges, from growing service demands and shrinking budgets, to ageing IT systems that are costly to maintain and increasingly difficult to secure. Meeting these challenges requires more than incremental change. It demands a fundamental rethink of how local government operates, with technology at the heart of smarter, more agile public service delivery.
At the forefront of this transformation is TechnologyOne. As the leading SaaS+ provider for public sector organisations, we're helping councils modernise their operations, streamline financial management, and unlock long-term value for their communities. Our recent partnership with the London Borough of Islington is a powerful example of how this transformation is becoming reality.
Islington Council has been constrained by legacy systems reliant on manual data entry and disconnected processes. This fragmentation made it difficult to maintain financial visibility or allocate resources effectively. To address these issues, Islington became the first London borough to adopt TechnologyOne's Financials solution, setting a new benchmark for operational excellence and fiscal transparency.
As Cllr Diarmaid Ward, Executive Member for Finance and Performance, said: ‘This new system will allow us to operate more efficiently, improve our services, and make sure public funds are spent where they're needed most – helping us to create a more equal Islington.'
The financial outcomes are equally compelling. By introducing greater automation, stronger security, and tighter cost control, Islington Council is projected to save between £320,000 and £496,000 annually. These efficiencies stem from creating a single, integrated source of the truth, enabling the council to focus on running services rather than managing complex systems. Leveraging TechnologyOne's SaaS+ delivery model also eliminated the need for external implementation partners, saving an additional £1m in setup costs and ensuring a faster, smoother rollout.
This model matters because it takes the risk and complexity out of digital transformation. Councils no longer need to juggle multiple vendors or shoulder the full responsibility of implementation. Instead, they gain a trusted partner who stays with them until the system is live, stable, and delivering measurable outcomes.
TechnologyOne's platform is purpose-built for the unique needs of UK local authorities, supporting a broad range of services with seamless integration and scalability. It's designed for scale, flexibility, and sustainability, aligning with the long-term ambitions of forward-thinking councils. As a certified Carbon Neutral Organisation through the Climate Active foundation, we're equally committed to helping our partners meet their environmental goals.
Real-time data and forecasting capabilities are also transforming how councils like Islington plan, budget, and respond. With clear financial insights, they can monitor expenditure across departments, anticipate service demands, and make evidence-based decisions with confidence. The result is a more transparent, agile, and responsive organisation that can focus on delivering for residents.
Islington's success has already inspired growing interest from other London boroughs. TechnologyOne has seen a fourfold increase in council uptake year-on-year, and in August this year the London Borough of Greenwich became the latest to join our community of partners. Across the capital, more boroughs are exploring how a single, integrated platform can make service delivery smarter, faster, and more sustainable.
The impact of this transformation extends far beyond software deployment – it represents a shift in culture and capability. By embracing data-driven solutions, councils are redefining how they serve residents, manage resources, and plan for the future.
With the pressures that London boroughs face, the need for agile, responsive governance has never been greater. TechnologyOne is proud to be a trusted partner on this journey, helping councils turn ambition into action, and vision into reality.
We can't remove demographic pressures or funding challenges, but by simplifying how councils record, monitor and report on their operations, TechnologyOne makes better governance possible.
Emma Foy is Local Government Lead at TechnologyOne
To find out more about TechnologyOne and how we can help you, please visit www.technology1.co.uk
