DDaT26286 - Future Customer Management System (EARS) Discovery Project - FCMD

Tender description

Terms and acronyms • Acas – Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service • EARS – Events and Advisory Records System; Acas’s current CRM and system of record for customer, event and advisory activities • OAE - Open Access Events • OBS – Online Booking System; the current public-facing system for managing event and training bookings • CRM – Customer Relationship Management system • DDaT – Digital, Data and Technology • ABS – Advice and Business Solutions directorate • DR – Dispute Resolution directorate • F&G – Finance and Governance directorate • S&EA – Strategy and External Affairs directorate Summary of the work: Conduct a structured Discovery to assess, validate and redesign the legacy EARS CRM and associated ser-vices. The supplier will engage stakeholders, analyse current processes, data and integrations, and define user centred requirements. Outputs will include options appraisal, target architecture, roadmap and business case inputs to support procurement of a new solution. Pricing model: Capped time and materials Confirm if you require a contracted out service or supply of resource: Contracted out service: the off-payroll rules do not apply Organisation the work is for: Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) Where you want the supplier to work: No specific location (for example they can work remotely) Latest start date: 2026-08-24 Expected contract length: 0-07-00 Expected contract structure: Not expected to extend beyond end of March 2027 Estimated contract value (excl VAT): 200000 Budget details: £200,000.00 excluding VAT is the maximum budget. Any bid that is above this value will not be accepted Why the work is being done: Acas relies on the Events and Advisory Records System (EARS) as a critical platform supporting customer services, advisory delivery, events, finance and reporting across the Organisation. The current system is built on legacy technology and is no longer fit for purpose, creating operational inefficiencies, data quality challenges, and constraints on integration, reporting and compliance. A previous attempt to replace elements of EARS was unsuccessful due to incomplete requirements, fragmented business ownership and attempts to replicate legacy processes rather than redesign them. As a result, Acas is undertaking a fully governed Discovery phase to establish a validated, Organisation-wide understanding of current services, user needs, data, systems and constraints. The Discovery will support Acas’s strategic objective to modernise its customer management capability, improve service delivery, strengthen data integrity, and enable scalable, user-centred solutions aligned to current operating models. It will also provide the evidence required to inform a robust business case and procurement for a replacement platform. The Discovery is expected to commence by Monday 24th August 2026 with outputs, recommendations and sign-off completed by Nov/Dec 2026. These outputs will be used to finalise a business case and procurement approach in Q4 2026/27, supporting a timely transition to a new solution from the 27/28 financial year. Problem to be solved: Acas’s current Events and Advisory Records System (EARS) is a critical platform underpinning customer services, advisory delivery, events management, finance processes and organisational reporting. However, the system is no longer meeting operational and strategic needs. Its legacy technology, fragmented data quality and reliance on manual processes limit usability, scalability and the ability to integrate effectively with modern systems. As a result, users across multiple business areas experience inefficiencies, inconsistent processes and reduced confidence in data quality and reporting. Operational risks are increasing due to manual workarounds, duplicated effort and challenges in maintaining GDPR compliance, data governance and accurate financial reconciliation. The system also constrains the organisation’s ability to adapt to future service models and deliver improved customer outcomes. Previous attempts to replace or enhance the system did not deliver the intended outcomes, largely due to incomplete requirements, fragmented stakeholder engagement and an approach that focused on replicating existing processes rather than redesigning them. This has resulted in a lack of a clearly validated, organisation-wide understanding of user needs, service outcomes, data requirements and technical constraints. The core problem is therefore the absence of a single, validated view of how services should operate in the future, and a lack of evidence-based clarity on the most appropriate approach to a new solution on replacing EARS. The required outcome of this work is to establish a fully validated understanding of user needs, processes, data and system dependencies, and to define a clear, evidence-based set of requirements, options and recommendations that enable Acas to make informed decisions and progress confidently to a modern, scalable and user-centred customer management solution. Who the users are and what they need to do: • As a Customer Service Team member, I need to manage customer records, bookings, payments and queries efficiently so that customers receive timely and accurate support. • As a Training Delivery Officer or Manager, I need to create, manage and deliver events and training activities so that programmes are scheduled effectively and delivered successfully. • As a Senior Business Adviser or Mediator, I need to manage cases, stakeholder interactions and service delivery activities so that I can provide high-quality advisory and dispute resolution services. • As a Finance user, I need to access accurate financial and transactional data so that invoicing, reconciliation and reporting are reliable and compliant. • As a Marketing and External Affairs user, I need access to customer and engagement data so that I can understand demand, target services and measure impact. • As a Data or Reporting user, I need access to accurate, consistent and accessible data so that I can produce reliable reporting, insights and decision support. • As a System Support or Administration user, I need to manage user access, system configuration and data quality so that the system is maintained effectively and operates reliably. • Across all user groups, there is a shared need for intuitive, accessible systems; reduced manual work; improved data quality; and seamless integration with connected systems to support efficient, user-centred service delivery. Preliminary market engagement: Not used Work done so far: Acas has undertaken prior exploratory work to understand the Events and Advisory Records System (EARS) and related services, including a Discovery completed between October 2023 and February 2024. This work covered user research, business analysis and technical assessment to understand how EARS is used, the challenges faced, and potential future technology options. The Discovery engaged a wide range of stakeholders and produced extensive outputs, including user journeys, process maps, data assessments, and over 100 recommendations across data quality, reporting, automation, integration and compliance. It aimed to deliver a replacement for OBS (and MOBS) and support Open Access Events (OAE), focused on a single service area. However, it did not result in a successful off-the-shelf SaaS solution, partly due to gaps in requirements, including late identification of key financial needs, which led to attempts to bespoke the solution. This highlighted the need for a more robust, validated and organisation-wide approach. Internal project initiation activities for this Discovery are complete, including governance, scope, stakeholder alignment and objectives. While the earlier work provided valuable insight, it did not produce a fully validated, organisation-wide set of requirements or a clearly defined future state. Further work is needed to consolidate and validate user needs, processes, data and system dependencies, and align with current priorities. This Discovery will build on previous learning, using a structured, user-centred and evidence-based approach to define validated requirements and inform future decisions and procurement. Current phase: Discovery Existing team: The supplier will work alongside a multidisciplinary Acas project team comprising business, digital, technical and delivery roles. The team will include a Project Sponsor and Senior Responsible Owner, supported by a Project Manager responsible for governance, coordination and supplier engagement. The appointed supplier will lead the delivery of the Discovery, including planning and executing user re-search, stakeholder engagement, service and process mapping, and the development of requirements, options and recommendations. The Acas team will act in a supporting, consultative and assurance role. This will include providing access to users and stakeholders, contributing subject matter expertise, validating findings, and supporting decision-making throughout the Discovery lifecycle. The wider team will include representatives from Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT), including architecture, service design, data and user research, alongside procurement and contract management support. Business Leads and subject matter experts from key directorates (including Advice & Business Solutions, Dispute Resolution, Finance & Governance, and Strategy & Ex-ternal Affairs) will be engaged to provide input and vali-date outputs. A Project Board will provide governance, strategic oversight and formal approval of outputs at defined stage gates, ensuring that findings are robust, validated and aligned to organisational priorities. Incumbent supplier: No Working arrangements: Hybrid. The intention is that the supplier should be flexible in travel arrangements in case face to face workshops and meetings are needed with stakeholders who’ll be based in any of the Acas office. Supplier will be expected to cover their own travel and subsistence costs. Security clearance: Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS)