Clients
Flexuz achieves cost savings through the outsourcing of its technical management to MCX
Since the beginning of 2015 Flexuz and MCX, formerly the Shared Service Center Peoplesoft (SSC-PS), leverage each other. Flexuz represents a collaborative partnership of four ROCs (Dutch Regional Education Centres), and centralises the Oracle Campus Solutions application. It records the core information of over 50,000 students, including results, internship information, education choices, etc. This data is business-critical and needed by the ROCs to request funding from DUO, the Dutch Executive Education Agency. Huub Overbeek, manager of Flexus talks about the cooperation with MCX.
Technical management of the Oracle Campus Solutions
Before MCX came to the attention of Overbeek, the four ROCs (ROC Nijmegen, ROC Twente, ROC Noorderpoort and the Alfa College) each organised the infrastucture behind Oracle Campus Solution differently. "That made it difficult for us, as a shared service center, to solve problems quickly and effectively. The differences between the ROCs were substantial, both in terms of technology and organisation. On top of that, the infrastructure was relatively expensive".
Financial benefits of technical management outsourcing
In the same period Overbeek started to build a business case. "The financial benefits we could achieve if we were to centralise the technical management were impressive. Something not to ignore." And so it happened. Flexuz launched a European call for tender based on Best Value Procurement. The objectives were formulated clearly. "Our goal was to achieve optimum performance, to guarantee business security and to unburden the shared service centre at a technical level."
Promises for performance improvements using Oracle Campus Solutions
"MCX presented itself as the best expert and gave us the confidence that our goals would be achieved." Overbeek recalls this became clear in the early stages of the tender process. "In the performance file MCX guaranteed a 20% performance improvement, for example. On top of that, they also anticipated a potential 40% performance improvement." The eventual transition to MCX was seemless. "Despite our blind confidence in their knowledge and expertise, such a transition is always exciting. Huge amounts of data are at stake. And you really don't want the systems to go down. Fortunately none of these negative scenarios occurred." In fact, MCX achieved a performance improvement. "The 20% was reached. And, although I don't have exact figures, I even think that we are getting close to 40%, perhaps even more", says Overbeek.
Advantages of outsourcing the technical management of the Oracle Application
The performance improvement isn't the only great result of the cooperation with MCX. The business case that Overbeek had drawn up also became reality. Flexuz now benefits from a cost reduction through standardisation. "Besides, as an organisation we also became more flexible. MCX took over certain tasks of our database administrators. That flexibility provides us with a gain in time as well."
Optimal cooperation
What is the secret of their success in this case? According to Overbeek it is the cultural fit between the two organisations. "We are both quite small, accustomed to short reporting lines and not too keen on bureaucratic fuss. I can only confirm that we work really well together." To conclude, Overbeek is enthusiastic about the future: "MCX has built a standard environment and a template that is exactly the same for every ROC. This allows new ROCs to join easily. And, although in the future I will focus on starting-up comparable shared service centers as an independent consultant, I will always look back positively at the decision to cooperate with MCX."
Flexuz
18-01-2016Since the beginning of 2015 Flexuz and MCX, formerly the Shared Service Center Peoplesoft (SSC-PS), leverage each other. Flexuz represents a collaborative partnership of four ROCs (Dutch Regional Education Centres), and centralises the Oracle Campus Solutions application. It records the core information of over 50,000 students, including results, internship information, education choices, etc. This data is business-critical and needed by the ROCs to request funding from DUO, the Dutch Executive Education Agency. Huub Overbeek, manager of Flexus talks about the cooperation with MCX.
Technical management of the Oracle Campus Solutions
Before MCX came to the attention of Overbeek, the four ROCs (ROC Nijmegen, ROC Twente, ROC Noorderpoort and the Alfa College) each organised the infrastucture behind Oracle Campus Solution differently. "That made it difficult for us, as a shared service center, to solve problems quickly and effectively. The differences between the ROCs were substantial, both in terms of technology and organisation. On top of that, the infrastructure was relatively expensive".
Financial benefits of technical management outsourcing
In the same period Overbeek started to build a business case. "The financial benefits we could achieve if we were to centralise the technical management were impressive. Something not to ignore." And so it happened. Flexuz launched a European call for tender based on Best Value Procurement. The objectives were formulated clearly. "Our goal was to achieve optimum performance, to guarantee business security and to unburden the shared service centre at a technical level."
Promises for performance improvements using Oracle Campus Solutions
"MCX presented itself as the best expert and gave us the confidence that our goals would be achieved." Overbeek recalls this became clear in the early stages of the tender process. "In the performance file MCX guaranteed a 20% performance improvement, for example. On top of that, they also anticipated a potential 40% performance improvement." The eventual transition to MCX was seemless. "Despite our blind confidence in their knowledge and expertise, such a transition is always exciting. Huge amounts of data are at stake. And you really don't want the systems to go down. Fortunately none of these negative scenarios occurred." In fact, MCX achieved a performance improvement. "The 20% was reached. And, although I don't have exact figures, I even think that we are getting close to 40%, perhaps even more", says Overbeek.
Advantages of outsourcing the technical management of the Oracle Application
The performance improvement isn't the only great result of the cooperation with MCX. The business case that Overbeek had drawn up also became reality. Flexuz now benefits from a cost reduction through standardisation. "Besides, as an organisation we also became more flexible. MCX took over certain tasks of our database administrators. That flexibility provides us with a gain in time as well."
Optimal cooperation
What is the secret of their success in this case? According to Overbeek it is the cultural fit between the two organisations. "We are both quite small, accustomed to short reporting lines and not too keen on bureaucratic fuss. I can only confirm that we work really well together." To conclude, Overbeek is enthusiastic about the future: "MCX has built a standard environment and a template that is exactly the same for every ROC. This allows new ROCs to join easily. And, although in the future I will focus on starting-up comparable shared service centers as an independent consultant, I will always look back positively at the decision to cooperate with MCX."