Bristol, U.K., April 11, 2011, UNIT4 Business Software Ltd, the UK division of UNIT4, the world’s leading provider of business software for fast changing organisations, today announced a partnership with the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge to further enhance its research costing and pricing software solution.
With increasing competition for grants and the added importance of revenue generating activities, UNIT4 and the Universities are working together to develop a software solution that supports the complex pricing process in a fast-changing sector. It will enable production of accurate cost estimations and agreement on appropriate prices for research applications to be reached in a timely manner. UNIT4 recently purchased the market-leading solution, pFACT, and this latest development will build upon this investment and provide institutions with even greater choice when managing pre- and post-award costs.
“Accurately and efficiently calculating the Full Economic Cost (fEC) and the price of research is an essential component in bidding for external funding and building collaborations” said Dr Glenn Swafford, Director, Research Services at Oxford. “This partnership with UNIT4 and the University of Cambridge will leverage each party’s skills and experiences to develop a cost-effective, world-class tool for researchers and research administrators.”
The solution will provide a consistent approach to data input, output and interpretation, evidenced by clear audit trails through a single, shared system. It is also expected that inbuilt approval mechanisms will speed up communication between the different departments at Universities. The improved visibility will not only enable faster access to information but also provide a base from which to analyse trends for better informed and proactive decision making. Via workflow it will allow Universities to meet financial reporting requirements and better equip them to ensure compliance with the Government’s Transparent Approach to Costing (TRAC).
“There are two key advantages to UNIT4’s approach. Firstly the Agresso Campus Platform is very flexible, supports ongoing change and can be configured by University staff to meet local requirements said Paul Dampier, Management Information Services Director at the University of Cambridge. “Secondly the Agresso framework means that it can easily integrate into any related 3rd party system, allowing for a better flow of information and reduced administration.”
On completion the research pricing product will be offered by UNIT4 to other Higher Education institutions (HEIs) looking to improve efficiencies when managing the funding process, either as part of its Agresso Campus Platform, or as a standalone solution.
“The HE sector has changed rapidly, research is more important than ever and once again UNIT4 are the first to react.” said Anwen Robinson, Managing Director of UNIT4 Business Software Ltd. “Working with two globally renowned research institutions will enable us to produce a world class solution that complements our existing institutional research portfolio. This will provide further choice for research institutions and confirms our commitment to the sector.”
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About UNIT4
UNIT4 is a global business software and services company aimed at helping dynamic public sector, and commercial services organizations to embrace change simply, quickly and cost effectively in a market sector it calls 'Businesses Living IN Change' (BLINC)™. The Group incorporates a number of the world’s leading change embracing software brands including Agresso Business World, our flagship ERP suite for mid-sized services intensive organizations and Coda, our best-of-class financial management software.
In the UK we focus strongly on the public sector, where we are the leading provider of ERP systems to local government and post 16 education organisations, as well as having a considerable presence in the emergency services and health sectors. We also focus strongly on professional services organisations and a range of commercial sectors including Financial Services, Retail and Media and Publishing. Overall we aim to be the UK’s foremost business software company, providing solutions that transform the delivery of public services and comprehensively support commercial organisations in their ability to adapt and prosper in rapidly changing environments.
With operations in 17 European countries, as well as 7 countries across North America, Asia Pacific and Africa and sales activities in several other countries, its revenue was €421.7 million in 2010. UNIT4 is headquartered in Sliedrecht, the Netherlands and has over 4,000 employees. It is listed on Euronext Amsterdam and is included in the Amsterdam Midcap Index (AMX). For more information on UNIT4 or any of its operating companies, please visit the website at www.unit4.com, follow us on Twitter @UNIT4_UK
