Overview
The Australian War Memorial (AWM) stands as one of Australia’s most significant cultural institutions, serving as a shrine, world-class museum, and extensive archive dedicated to commemorating those who have served and sacrificed in Australia’s name. Located in Canberra, AWM’s mission is leading remembrance and understanding of Australia’s wartime experience.
Established in 1941, this small commonwealth agency reflects on the political, economic, and religious freedoms afforded to Australians, which are underpinned by those who serve, and have served our nation. The memorial strives to be a leading and innovative practitioner of historical research, museum practices, and community engagement.
Fast Facts
- 8-year partnership encompassing implementation, transformation and ongoing support
- Transitioned from legacy SAP with TechnologyOne FMIS, delivered end-to-end
- Automated procurement and contract management, eliminating manual, fragmented processes
- Ongoing support across TechnologyOne and Aurion HR/Payroll.
Business Opportunity
AWM encountered challenges in maintaining enterprise-grade financial and HR systems without a substantial internal IT function. The existing on-premises SAP finance system proved costly and complex, making in-house maintenance unsustainable.
At the same time, AWM saw an opportunity to modernise, moving to a cloud-based solution that would enable process automation, better reporting, and alignment with Whole of Australian Government improvement initiatives. The need for coverage of key super users during periods of long-term leave also posed a significant concern.
Since 2018, AWM has partnered with Atturra to leverage our extensive public sector knowledge, flexible delivery, and the capability to support a broad range of finance and HR functions, without imposing costly or overly complex solutions.
Solution
Initially, Atturra led the end-to-end implementation of TechnologyOne’s Financial Management Information System (FMIS), replacing AWM’s legacy SAP platform. The engagement covered solution design, configuration, data migration, integration, testing, and training. These were all aligned to AWM’s financial and procurement requirements and Commonwealth compliance obligations. The modern, integrated FMIS laid the foundation for future enhancements.
Building on this, Atturra transformed AWM’s procurement and contract management capability within TechnologyOne Ci Anywhere. This involved implementing integrated BPA forms for procurement, variations, and creditor management; automating workflows aligned to financial delegations; and re-engineering the contract management framework with new contract types, service schedules, and automated compliance alerts.
A structured data migration transitioned AWM from Purchase Orders to a contract-based financial management model, supported by AusTender integration and reporting dashboards. A fully integrated, auditable procurement and contract lifecycle solution was also established.
Client Testimonial
“They’re a trusted partner who have been flexible in meeting our changing needs over time. The regular account meetings are valued and the insights from other agencies’ experiences and TechOne initiatives have been very useful.”
Helen Petrovski, Chief Finance Officer, Australian War Memorial
Outcomes achieved
The partnership has delivered measurable improvement across AWM’s finance and HR operations. Reporting capability has been notably enhanced, while the automation of manual, fragmented processes has driven tangible productivity gains, enabling AWM’s Finance team to focus on value-added activities rather than administrative tasks, resulting in a reduction of FTE through outsourced system administration.
Operational continuity has improved, with AWM now confidently covering key system users during leave and responding quickly to urgent issues through Atturra’s remote and on-site support. The relationship, built on regular account meetings, transparent communication, and a genuine understanding of AWM’s business, has made Atturra a trusted extension of the team.
Atturra continues to support AWM through a structured client support model covering both TechnologyOne FMIS and Aurion HR/Payroll. This combines remote assistance, on-demand advisory services, EOFY support, and bi-monthly on-site support that provides system administration backfill during peak periods, leave, or resource constraints. Alongside technical support, Atturra delivers ongoing knowledge transfer to enhance AWM’s internal capability over time.
Technologies
- TechnologyOne (Ci Anywhere / FMIS)
- Aurion HR/Payroll
