London Borough of Croydon Drives More Intelligent Public Services with Oracle Fusion Cloud Applications

The London Borough of Croydon, one of London’s largest local authorities, delivers essential services to more than 380,000 residents. Like many councils, it faces growing demand for services alongside ongoing pressure to improve efficiency, transparency, and financial control.

Using Oracle Fusion Cloud Applications, including Oracle Fusion Cloud Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Oracle Fusion Cloud Human Capital Management (HCM), Croydon has embraced automation and improved efficiency across finance, procurement, HR, and payroll. Through a focused improvement programme, the council has enhanced reporting, reduced manual processes, and strengthened compliance across core operations.

After implementing Oracle Cloud ERP in 2019, the council launched a new programme to better align processes with Oracle’s recommended best practices and maximise the value of its investment. After the success of the programme, Croydon extended its investment to include Oracle Cloud HCM.

Strengthening finance and budgeting processes

Since the programme was introduced, finance teams have reduced administrative effort and improved accuracy through increased automation and intelligent process enhancements. Improvements to expense management include automated mileage calculations and stronger audit controls, help ensure policy compliance.

Croydon has also consolidated budgeting and forecasting with a single integrated system, replacing spreadsheet-based processes with real-time reporting and system-driven planning. This provides budget holders with greater visibility and supports more consistent, data-informed financial management.

Optimising procurement with AI-driven insight

Built-in machine learning is now used to automatically classify third-party spend, giving the council deeper insight into purchasing patterns and helping identify opportunities for cost control. Supplier self-service onboarding and electronic invoicing reduce manual data entry and improve efficiency across procurement operations.

Procurement operations have also been optimised with the introduction of e-tendering, contract management, and digital workflows. These capabilities provide end-to-end visibility across the procurement lifecycle and support compliance with regulatory requirements.

Empowering the workforce with AI-enabled self-service

The latest HR improvements have expanded employee and manager self-service capabilities, simplifying processes such as absence management, onboarding, and employee information updates. These enhancements have reduced reliance on manual administration while creating more a streamlined employee experience.

By centralising information and improving data quality, the council has also strengthened workforce management and improved data quality.

Supporting long-term service delivery

By strengthening its ERP and HCM capabilities and leveraging embedded AI and automation, the council is improving its ability to deliver efficient, transparent, and scalable services for residents.