Qld govt planning major IT shake-up of payroll systems

20/08/2012 - The Queensland government is to replace eight "antiquated" payroll systems with a single modern one in a bid to cut waste and save money. Petrina Berry

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The minister responsible for IT and the arts, Ros Bates, told reporters she hoped to save taxpayers millions of dollars by getting rid of duplicated and outmoded payroll systems.

About 3900 staff under her portfolio were being paid by eight systems that are "outdated unsupported clunkers", Bates said.

A single outsourced payroll system is likely to replace them in what will be a trial for possible future outsourcing of government computer systems.

"There is no private company with about 4000 employees that runs multiple payroll systems," Bates said.

"We are driving a 1972 Ford Falcon with the original tyres which has missed most of its services.

"We are paying IT specialists exorbitant amounts of money to gaffer tape our system so we can pay our staff."

Bates said it was time to create a single efficient and cost effective system.

The Department of Science, Information Technology, Innovation and the Arts was a perfect test site because staff had non-complex rosters or arrangements, she said.

The majority work 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, she said.

The minister said all precautions would be taken to avoid Labor's Queensland Health payroll bungle.

Tenders are to be called and would also be opened to local small to medium enterprises, which Bates said had been shut out of previous tender calls by the Labor government.

The Newman government had inherited an IT mess from Labor, she said.

Source: AAP

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