Network Rail’s programme to migrate its enterprise resource planning (ERP) software to the cloud, in partnership with Cognizant, has been widely recognised across Britain’s technology industry as it celebrates a fourth award win this year.

The two-year project was awarded top position in the Best Overall Use of Cloud and Best Cloud Project categories in the Cloud Excellence Awards 2019. It follows the project winning IT Team of the Year in the Tech Leaders Awards, and Innovative Use of Cloud Technologies at the Real IT Awards earlier this year.

The challenging and complex transformation involved migrating Network Rail’s ERP software Oracle eBusiness Suite, which underpins core business processes in areas as varied as finance, HR, procurement, supply chain and projects. It supports almost 40,000 Network Rail employees, more than 4,000 suppliers and 150,000 business affiliates.

The result is better functioning ERP infrastructure for users inside and outside of Network Rail, with performance improved by 50% and reduced provisioning lead times. The new design has saved money by reducing annual overhead costs by £2m and cutting the size of Network Rail’s ERP estate by 60%, as well as paving the way for a more digitally focused culture at Network Rail to enable further transformation and efficiency.

Aidan Hancock, chief information officer at Network Rail, said: “The transformation of our Oracle eBusiness platform is a tremendous achievement given the size, complexity and strategic importance to Network Rail. It has been completely re-architected from ground up, providing a performant and modern platform while reducing our ongoing costs. This work is part of our drive towards increased efficiency and flexibility in service provision, and is part of our ongoing digital transformation."