Network Rail’s ERP system underpins business operations across the financial, logistics, CRM, recruitment and other domains. To ensure the high levels of performance and availability it needs, and get the best value from its ERP investment, Network Rail worked with CSC and Oracle to overhaul the underlying infrastructure, optimise the system itself, and get on the right track for a major ERP upgrade. Read more about how CSC is transforming Rail in Europe: http://www.csc.com/uk/flxwd/43694-transforming_rail_in_europe

1. CASE STUDY ON KLUWER’S DYNAMIC WORK SPACE
NETWORK RAIL’S
ERP SYSTEM
IS FIT FOR THE FUTURE
Network Rail’s ERP system underpins business operations across the financial, logistics,
CRM, recruitment and other domains. To ensure the high levels of performance and
availability it needs, and get the best value from its ERP investment, Network Rail
worked with CSC and Oracle to overhaul the underlying infrastructure, optimise the
system itself, and get on the right track for a major ERP upgrade.
A SYSTEM RELIED UPON BY As part of an enterprise operations
THOUSANDS OF USERS agreement, CSC manages Network Rail’s
‘Business critical’ can be a rather overused infrastructure and database that support
term, but it’s an accurate description the Oracle EBS system. CSC worked
of the Oracle E Business Suite (EBS) closely with Network Rail and Oracle on a
enterprise resource planning (ERP) proposal to redesign and re-platform the
CLIENT: Network Rail, owner
system at Network Rail, the owner and infrastructure and optimise the ERP system
and operator of Britain’s rail
operator of Britain’s rail infrastructure. ready for upgrade to R12.
infrastructure.
Every year the system processes £5.5
CHALLENGE: Assure the billion of supplier payments, £2.5 billion A ROBUST AND SCALABLE
performance of Network Rail’s ERP of track access payments from train and PLATFORM FOR THE FUTURE
system—one of the largest and freight operating companies, a payroll The prior infrastructure consisted of
most complex Oracle E-Business of £1 billion, and £3.5 billion of project a small number of large, powerful
Suite implementations in Europe— financing. The system is also used to servers: an inflexible architecture that
and prepare it for a major upgrade. run other functions as diverse as order was expensive to expand. CSC took a
management, logistics planning, expenses, completely different approach—based
SOLUTION: An ERP optimisation
customer relationship management (CRM) on industry best practice and Oracle’s
project to clear out redundant
and online learning modules; and to maximum-availability architecture
customisations, implement a
provide an online recruitment portal that’s principles for Oracle EBS—and built a
business-driven governance
used by up to 80,000 applicants annually. new platform comprising a larger number
framework, and deliver a
Within Network Rail alone, 30,000 users of smaller servers, which improves
robust and scalable supporting
rely on it, as do a further 2,000 across technical and financial flexibility as well
infrastructure.
their supply chain. as efficiency.
RESULTS: A successful
transformation of the ERP system It’s now much easier and more cost-
ACTION REQUIRED TO ASSURE
and its infrastructure that laid effective for Network Rail to expand
PERFORMANCE
the foundations for a smoothly capacity by adding one or more extra
Network Rail determined that, as part
delivered Release 12 upgrade servers to the platform. Disaster recovery
of its overall IT refresh programme, the
and closer alignment of future provisions are also much improved: if
underpinning ERP system infrastructure
developments with business needs. one server should fail, there are plenty
needed to be refreshed and set plans in
of others to take the load and minimise
motion accordingly, it couldn’t risk any
the potential risk of data loss. Capacity
failure or downtime. An additional driver
for specific activities at times of heavy
was the pressing need to upgrade to
demand, such as year-end reporting, could
Oracle EBS Release 12 (R12)—an upgrade
be expanded in a similar way.
the existing infrastructure couldn’t support.
The platform is robust, scalable and easier
As well as moving to the latest supported
to manage. It provides a much improved
version, Network Rail wanted to take
monitoring capability that enables
the opportunity to review its business
Network Rail to investigate and resolve
processes, eliminate the number
rogue processes faster and better manage
of customisations, and exploit new
capacity in line with the performance
functionality. It also needed to reduce the
levels expected by the business.
support and administration overhead and
overall total cost of ownership.

2. NETWORK RAIL’S ERP SYSTEM
IS FIT FOR THE FUTURE
BUSINESS NEEDS DRIVE SYSTEM Network Rail and CSC. Some were as trivial
UPGRADES as changing the colour or a screen or the
A key aspect of the ERP optimisation position of a button; overall about a third
project was implementation of a new of the customisations were removed.
governance framework and control system.
The remaining two-thirds were genuinely
In the past, Network Rail’s Oracle projects
needed to provide functionality not
were often led by technical updates to
present in the ERP system as standard—
the tool. The new governance model now
such as allowing for the additional levels
ensures that it is business needs that drive
of payment authorisation required by
upgrades and changes.
Network Rail’s oversight obligations
Under the new framework, Network Rail as a regulated body. These were fully
creates roadmaps for each business area’s documented in preparation for the R12
strategic direction, decides what changes upgrade and to enable their effective
need to be achieved during each funding management over the longer term.
period, and looks at the impact each one
will have on other business areas. READY FOR UPGRADE
Network Rail also now has a structured With the new infrastructure in place and
program of new feature releases every the ERP system optimised, Network Rail
two months. Changes that deliver was ready to upgrade to Oracle EBS R12, a
business benefits or help meet regulatory project that was awarded to CSC following
requirements are prioritised, and Network a highly competitive tender process.
Rail has much tighter control over the The ERP optimisation project gave
entire change process. Network Rail direct sight of the required
transformation journey and laid the
REDUCING CUSTOMISATIONS AND technical foundations for a much easier
COMPLEXITY R12 upgrade process. In addition, CSC
A pillar of the new governance framework worked with Network Rail to run an
is the centralised configuration tool intensive communications programme
that holds details of the ERP system’s to gain organisation-wide buy-in to the
customisations. Over the years, project, engaged closely with the business
documentation for many customisations to understand requirements, and planned
and non-standard additions hadn’t been for in-depth testing by system users.
centrally stored or controlled, making them
Throughout the entire process Network
difficult to manage—an impossible starting
Rail’s application services team together
point for a major upgrade like R12.
with CSC, formed a very strong project
CSC and Network Rail worked team that demonstrated the high levels of
collaboratively to identify a significant commitment necessary to ensure the ERP
volume of non-standard items in Network optimisation and R12 upgrade projects
Rail’s ERP environment. The majority were were successfully delivered. Over a three-
cleared efficiently as part of housekeeping and-a-half year period, Network Rail’s
activities which contributed to de-clutter entire ERP estate was transformed and
the system prior to upgrade. The 6,000 a major upgrade delivered without any
customisations were investigated by disruption to business operations.
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