Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire CCs have entered a ground-breaking partnership with Fujitsu Services to jointly share back-office functions.

Both authorities, with technological support from Fujitsu, will be operating from a single Oracle e-Business suite, using common processes for finance, HR, online procurement and payment facilities.

It is thought to be the first time two county councils have collaborated on such a project.

‘Fujitsu is delighted to enable and support this new shared service operation for Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire,' said local and regional government director at Fujitsu Services, Geoff Neville.

‘To see it coming successfully to fruition is a source of much satisfaction for Fujitsu.'

Cambridgeshire CC's cabinet member for corporate services, Cllr John Reynolds, said: ‘It makes good business sense and fits in with national requirements for the modernisation of local government, that we develop ways to improve the performance and further reduce the cost of our back-office processes by sharing appropriate services with like-minded organisations.

‘The income and savings we ultimately expect to be generated by shared services will be re-invested in frontline services, such as caring for older people.'