Honest review of Unit4: Purpose-built for local and regional governments
Unit4 promises to free up resources to help the public sector focus on helping citizens and communities. But does it really work?
NO MATTER WHAT sort of public sector organisation you’re part of, you’ll know that there’s a great deal of pressure and many moving parts. The day-to-day operations are complex, with hundreds of different types of professionals rushing here and there to ensure citizen satisfaction.
There are many pain points to consider, from financial matters to project planning, and without a tightly integrated system for managing them all, things quickly overflow.
That’s where Unit4 comes in, providing software that aims to manage each key facet seamlessly and efficiently from one place.
But does it really work? Can each logistical problem be cleanly organised into a cohesive system like this? In this review article, you’ll find out.
First Impressions: Understanding Unit4’s Core Offering
A lot is happening at Unit4 to make planning and organisation effortless. The suite encompasses Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Human Capital Management (HCM), and Financial Planning & Analytics (FP&A), and while each platform in the suite is a distinct entity, the idea is that they can be combined to work synergistically as one unified platform.
The system also harnesses the power of the cloud, meaning that although these can, at first glance, appear very resource-heavy programs, you don’t need to invest in any of your own hardware infrastructure to run them (which is a huge plus from a financial perspective).
It’s clear that Unit4 has been designed with the sort of transparency and compliance requirements these types of organisations face, and having that infrastructure built in makes a significant difference. While other systems offer a similar level of cohesion, they aren’t explicitly oriented towards the public sector in the same way.
How Unit4 Could Benefit You
Of course, it’s all well and good purporting to offer the above benefits, but you’re likely wondering how it works in the real world.
In essence, Unit4’s suite provides public sector organisations with the potential to break free from the extra work associated with fragmented software ecosystems. Rather than having finance in one place and HR in another, a company can conjoin those two elements together and, importantly, have them share data.
Not only does this make your work more efficient, but it also offers more detailed insights into the projects you’re building and the strategies you’re implementing.
This type of platform can also be very useful in terms of budget resilience. Budget problems are often a major issue when it comes to public sector work, and an all-encompassing, cohesive system like this enables leaders to isolate a problem rather than make drastic, reactionary cuts.
Then, there’s the citizen-facing aspect. Because everything’s running more smoothly and problems can be identified and dealt with promptly as part of an intuitive dashboard, there will be fewer complaints and greater satisfaction.
Pros and Cons
Now that you understand what Unit4 is about, how their systems work, and how they might benefit you, let’s take a look at some pros and cons to round things off and solidify the perks:
Pros
Cloud-Based Infrastructure: The fact that all this powerful software is utilised through the power of the cloud is a big deal. It means that the systems on offer are infinitely scalable, and depending on how your organisation is functioning at any given time, you can cut back on your usage or increase it to encompass greater levels of infrastructure (not many similar platforms offer this level of flexibility).
Designed for the Unique Needs of the Public Sector: Undoubtedly, Unit4’s biggest plus is the fact that it’s tailored specifically for the public sector. The system comes with a large library of carefully designed workflows and templates that can be moulded to an organisation’s specific needs – systems that would otherwise have to be designed manually using standalone ERP tools.
Automation of Routine Tasks: Given the workload the public sector faces, automation has become a key component of everyday operations. Smaller tasks, such as those involved with payroll, for example, can be completed automatically by using the Unit4 suite, enabling staff to prioritise other, more complex jobs.
High Levels of Configurability: No two organisations are the same, and Unit4 does a good job of accounting for that. As mentioned above, the dashboard is highly usable and feature-rich, and the tools in general have an impressive level of customizability.
Robust Planning and Forecasting Tools: Planning and forecasting comprise a significant portion of the public sector, so it stands to reason you’ll need fast and efficient tools for managing this aspect. Unit4’s FP&A is excellent for what’s on offer, and allows organisations to mitigate the worry associated with fluctuating finances.
Cons
A Steep Learning Curve: While the tools included in the Unit4 suite are very robust, that does come at the cost of a steep learning curve. These systems aren’t plug and play: users will have to spend plenty of time learning the ropes, and so for organisations that aren’t used to a fully digitised system, it may be too much.
The Price: While Unit4’s pricing is highly competitive, some smaller organisations may not be able to afford it (be sure to contact the company to see what can be arranged, though).
Final Verdict
If you’re interested in improving the day-to-day functioning of a mid-sized to larger public sector organisation, Unit4’s suite provides you with an impressive array of tools to do so.
It’s not only tightly tuned for managing the specific tasks inherent in this line of work, but does so within a cleverly structured eco-system that ensures maximum efficiency.
Of course, no system is flawless, and it’ll take anyone a while to get used to a new way of doing things (no matter how well-designed the framework is), but if you’re willing to put in the time, there’s a lot to be gained here.
The public sector is constantly under pressure to do more with fewer resources, and unfortunately, that doesn’t look set to change any time soon. What can change, however, is the way you mitigate the problems you face, and tools like this are a big help.