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Open Systems Technology (OST) is a leading provider of enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions tailored specifically for local government councils in Australia. With over a decade of experience, OST has developed CouncilFirst, a comprehensive ERP system designed to streamline operations, enhance compliance, and improve service delivery for councils of all sizes. The solution offers a scalable, modular platform that evolves with the unique needs of each council, featuring a user-friendly interface reminiscent of Microsoft products. CouncilFirst automates workflows, reduces administrative burdens, and ensures adherence to legislative requirements, enabling councils to allocate more resources toward community services. OST's commitment to genuine partnerships ensures that their solutions align with the specific processes, people, and goals of each council, fostering long-term, sustainable relationships. Trusted by numerous Australian councils, OST continues to drive digital transformation in local government, empowering councils to meet growing community expectations and compliance standards effectively.
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The Shire of Victoria Plains, a small regional council in Western Australia's Wheatbelt serving 802 residents across 2,569 square kilometres, replaced its ageing legacy system with Open Systems Technology's CouncilFirst ERP — a full end-to-end rollout completed in two phases over 12 months with no in-house IT team. Phase one delivered Records Management and Customer Requests Management (CRMS) to digitise manual request tracking, while phase two introduced Financial Management, Procurement, Budgeting, Payroll, and Property and Rates, including a tight rates go-live that CouncilFirst coordinated to meet statutory deadlines. The Microsoft-based platform's familiar folder structures eased staff adoption, and the project established a single source of truth across procurement and reporting while laying the groundwork for AI and automation over the next 10 to 15 years.
Shire of Dumbleyung: 12 months on with faster records, clearer approvals, and more connected everyday workflows
Twelve months after implementing CouncilFirst, the Shire of Dumbleyung cut document retrieval time from up to two hours to around ten minutes and reduced payroll administration from three days to 1.5 days per fortnight. Open Systems Technology delivered a connected system that replaced manual signing, printing, and filing across records, approvals, payroll, and procurement for the 24-employee local government council. The Shire expects audit preparation to drop from a full day to just a few hours, citing the platform's ability to maintain a complete document trail for finance and procurement.
Shire of Leonora: Building a Remote-Ready Modern ERP
The Shire of Leonora, a 45-person regional council in Western Australia, cut its payroll processing from four full days to a single morning and reduced approval times from two hours to two to three minutes after implementing CouncilFirst with Open Systems Technology. The 1 July 2025 go-live consolidated records, finance, payroll, and rates into one system, enabling first-pass invoice acceptance to jump from 40% to 60-70% and report generation to drop from an hour to three to four minutes. Working to a fixed deadline, the project team phased delivery across records, core finance, payroll, employee self-service, and rates, while deferring asset management to post go-live to protect the schedule.
