Vision ERP Limited

Unit4 Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)

Unit4 Enterprise Resource Planning provides an integrated Cloud platform: Finance, General Ledger, Budgeting, Accounting, Creditors, Debtors, Financial Planning, Cash and Income Management (HeyCentric), Procurement, Purchasing, HR, Payroll, Talent Management, Expenses, Absence, Timesheets, Project Management, Accounting/Costing, Research Funding Management (GrantsNow), Reporting/Analytics, Asset Management, Source-to-Contract, Strategic Sourcing, Spend Analytics, Contract Management.

Features

• Full coverage of ERP for Public Sector and Education Sector
• Full suite of Student Management Solutions
• Fully Managed Azure Cloud Solution with UK / EU Datacentre
• Dual Site Disaster Recovery
• Mobile Applications available
• Support for Collaboration
• Securely Accessible from anywhere
• Comprehensive Integration capabilities
• Integrated Reporting Tools
• Industry Good Practice Business Processes

Benefits

• Total Low Cost of Ownership
• Ability to adapt to Business Change
• Sector Specific Functionality
• Upgrade Elasticity
• Ease of Access
• Change when you change
• Working how you work
• Delivering what you choose
• Solution Completeness
• Secure Cloud operation with Azure

£56 a user a month

Service documents

• Pricing document

  PDF

• Service definition document

  PDF

• Terms and conditions

  PDF

Request an accessible format

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need versions of these documents in a more accessible format, email the supplier at dave.elbro@visionerp.co.uk. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.

Framework

G-Cloud 14

Service ID

325304637544997

Contact

Dave Elbro
0121 227 5052
dave.elbro@visionerp.co.uk

Service scope

• Software add-on or extension: No
• Cloud deployment model:
  • Public cloud
  • Private cloud
  • Hybrid cloud
• Service constraints: Support inline with SLA'S contained within; service definition document.
• System requirements: Fully Managed Cloud Service

User support

• Email or online ticketing support: Email or online ticketing
• Support response times: As per response times in our SLA within our Service Description Document
• User can manage status and priority of support tickets: Yes
• Online ticketing support accessibility: WCAG 2.1 AA or EN 301 549
• Phone support: Yes
• Phone support availability: 9 to 5 (UK time), Monday to Friday
• Web chat support: Web chat
• Web chat support availability: 9 to 5 (UK time), Monday to Friday
• Web chat support accessibility standard: None or don’t know
• How the web chat support is accessible: Communicate with Unit4 Support
• Web chat accessibility testing: N/A
• Onsite support: Yes, at extra cost
• Support levels: Unit4 Customer Support is the single point of contact for all Service issues regardless of type of issue. Unit4 Support and Operations activities:; • Deploy solution updates.; • Management and; maintenance of all infrastructure.; • Network; connectivity of Unit4 SaaS to public internet.; •; Back-up and disaster recovery.; • Security of; application operating environment and; infrastructure.; • Monitoring of application and; infrastructure.; • Performance tuning.; • Trouble-; shooting and resolving issues, both customer-; initiated and those raised by monitoring alerts.; •; Database copy between environments upon; request, e.g. Production to Preview. Unit4; provided a Fully Managed ERP Solution hosted; as a SaaS Service on the Microsoft Azure Cloud.; Incident logging and escalation for Unit4 Cloud is; carried out through the Unit4 UK service desk; and can be done via telephone (9am – 5pm); email or customer support portal both of which; are available 24 hours per day. Incidents will be; logged by the customer suitable trained named; individuals who will set a priority based upon; system and business variables. Once logged unit; 4 will progress these to resolution within the; target response and resolution times for the; given SLA. An Account Manager is provided for; all Unit4 Customers.
• Support available to third parties: Yes

Onboarding and offboarding

• Getting started: Training can be provided as a mix of “Train the Trainer” and eLearning techniques. Unit4 will ensure a customer’s super users are provided with sufficient training to be able to conduct a detailed User Acceptance Testing session, and have a through understanding of all aspects of the solution including the relevant knowledge for creating user defined reports. The Unit4 training will also ensure that customers have sufficient capabilities to support their own System Administration going forward into and beyond Go-live. This training will be a combination of hands on and classroom/eLearning training for project team. There is also functionality within the product to assist in supporting end users such as the Knowly experience pack which allows both Super users and Individuals to make notes on tasks and actions on specific screens.; System documentation is supplied in pdf format in line with government open document standards.
• Service documentation: Yes
• Documentation formats: PDF
• End-of-contract data extraction: Upon final exit Unit4 will export the final copy of the Production Database to a Unit4 controlled Azure storage location. The export will be in a format usable with the latest version of Microsoft SQL Server. Customers can manually download this export from this location. Unit 4 will maintain a secure read only copy of the organisations production environment including database for a period on 1 month post exit, this copy will then be deleted unless the Authority informs Unit4 otherwise. Customer responsibilities for this additional service offering include: ; • Customer access responsibility – control who has permission to download the export ; • Ensuring data privacy during and after download ; • Establishing, monitoring and managing the download process ; • Restoring or importing the export once downloaded ; • Licensing, operating and installing in the customer’s IT infrastructure any applications that will be used in the retrieval process and subsequent use of the export
• End-of-contract process: Upon any termination of the Agreement Unit4 shall, if it has received a request in writing from the Customer no less than 3 months prior to the scheduled termination date, continue to provide the Software Service to Customer under the same terms for a transitional period of up to six (6) months. Access to the Software Service during the Transition Period will be subject to the fees set out in the applicable Call Off Agreement, prorated monthly and payable in advance, based on the annual fees charged to Customer for the Software Service during the twelve-month period immediately preceding the termination date plus an additional ten percent (10%). During the Transition Period, Unit4 will provide cooperation and assistance as Customer may reasonably request to support an orderly transition to another provider of similar software, services, or to Customer’s internal operations. Such cooperation and assistance will be limited to consulting regarding the Software Service and will be subject to a fee based on Unit4’s then-current rates for Professional Services and such services will be set out in a Call Off Agreement.

Using the service

• Web browser interface: Yes
• Supported browsers:
  • Microsoft Edge
  • Firefox
  • Chrome
  • Safari
• Application to install: Yes
• Compatible operating systems:
  • Android
  • IOS
  • MacOS
  • Windows
• Designed for use on mobile devices: Yes
• Differences between the mobile and desktop service: Mobile service accessed through propriety apps or HTML5 rendered browser. Limited number of transactions still require full desktop client typically high volume transactions.
• Service interface: No
• User support accessibility: WCAG 2.1 AA or EN 301 549
• API: Yes
• What users can and can't do using the API: What users can and can't do using the API; Unit4 ERP Web Services provide a way of; processing data, in a secure manner adhering to modern industry standards, but requiring some technical expertise. Unit4 ERP Web Services include options to create and maintain Absences, Applicants, Employee balances, Commitment transactions, Customer master maintenance, Document archive, Employments, HR maintenance, Masters and Attributes, Payroll transactions, Planner transactions, Position master file, Project master file, Rates register, Resource master file, Supplier master maintenance, Timesheets, Travel expenses, User status and maintenance, Value Reference Rates, Workflow. Where a Web Service is not yet exposed, ACT (Customisation Tool can often be used to modify or expose new Web Services.
• API documentation: Yes
• API documentation formats: Open API (also known as Swagger)
• API sandbox or test environment: Yes
• Customisation available: Yes
• Description of customisation: Unit4 products are highly configurable through the application itself, so very few of our customers find a need to customise the solution.; ACT is a customisation tool that is only available to Unit4 Integration consultants to increase the functionality of Unit4 products.

Scaling

• Independence of resources: In Unit4 Cloud, processing resources are shared, but Unit4 monitors and leverages elastic resourcing to ensure all get sufficient to meet the SLAs, and to handle activity peaks. Azure provides the first level of network separation, upon which Unit4 adds further isolation using VNETs. In a Dedicated service model a dedicated VNET is provided so all available network bandwidth is dedicated to a single customer. Unit4 customers always have a dedicated database to ensure data separation. In a dedicated cloud processing resources are also dedicated to a single customer.

Analytics

• Service usage metrics: Yes
• Metrics types: Service metrics for key performance indicators (KPI).
• Reporting types:
  • Real-time dashboards
  • Regular reports
  • Reports on request

Resellers

• Supplier type: Reseller providing extra support
• Organisation whose services are being resold: Unit4 ERP, FP&A & Talent Management , Gcon4MFL, HireserveATS, Proactis

Staff security

• Staff security clearance: Other security clearance
• Government security clearance: Up to Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS)

Asset protection

• Knowledge of data storage and processing locations: Yes
• Data storage and processing locations:
  • United Kingdom
  • European Economic Area (EEA)
  • Other locations
• User control over data storage and processing locations: Yes
• Datacentre security standards: Complies with a recognised standard (for example CSA CCM version 3.0)
• Penetration testing frequency: At least once a year
• Penetration testing approach: Another external penetration testing organisation
• Protecting data at rest:
  • Physical access control, complying with CSA CCM v3.0
  • Encryption of all physical media
• Data sanitisation process: Yes
• Data sanitisation type:
  • Explicit overwriting of storage before reallocation
  • Deleted data can’t be directly accessed
• Equipment disposal approach: Complying with a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v.30, CAS (Sanitisation) or ISO/IEC 27001

Data importing and exporting

• Data export approach: User can export their data in a variety of formats including xls, csv, or xml.
• Data export formats:
  • CSV
  • Other
• Other data export formats:
  • XML
  • Direct to XLS
• Data import formats:
  • CSV
  • Other
• Other data import formats:
  • XML
  • Direct from XLS

Data-in-transit protection

• Data protection between buyer and supplier networks: TLS (version 1.2 or above)
• Data protection within supplier network: TLS (version 1.2 or above)

Availability and resilience

• Guaranteed availability: Unit4’s service availability commitment for any given calendar month is that the Production Service will be available at least 99.8% of the time. Service Availability is calculated per month as follows: Total time - Service Outage divided by total time times 100 = greater than 99.8% “Service Outage” means the time (in minutes) that the Production Service is unavailable (as measured in accordance with this Section A, paragraph 1) in any month, but excludes any unavailability for those reasons set out below under the heading “Exclusions”; “Total Time” means the total number of minutes in any month; Exclusions Unit4’s service availability commitment excludes any unavailability for the following reasons: ; • Planned Maintenance; ; • Unplanned Preventative Maintenance; ; • failure of any circuits or connections provided by third party telecommunication providers or common carriers; ; • failure of any external internet service provider or an internet exchange point; ; • acts or omissions of the Customer or any Users permitted to access the Production Service; ; • behaviour of Customer applications, equipment or managed operating systems; ; • Force Majeure events (as described in the supplier terms).
• Approach to resilience: Available upon request.
• Outage reporting: Service outages will be reported via the Unit4 customer portal. Which all customers will have access too.

Identity and authentication

• User authentication needed: Yes
• User authentication:
  • Identity federation with existing provider (for example Google Apps)
  • Username or password
• Access restrictions in management interfaces and support channels: There is no direct user access to the servers in Unit4 Cloud; but read-only SQL access is offered to a replicated database. Internal Unit4 Cloud operations, (system and database administrators) have access rights to manage and maintain the Cloud Services provided to customers, which are regularly reviewed and a formal change-control and audit log documented. Guidelines and processes regarding access are governed by SSAE and ISO standard compliances that Unit4 has achieved. Unit4 Service desk staff do not have direct access to servers and the production database, so all changes are made by Unit4 Cloud operations.
• Access restriction testing frequency: At least once a year
• Management access authentication:
  • Identity federation with existing provider (for example Google Apps)
  • Username or password

Audit information for users

• Access to user activity audit information: You control when users can access audit information
• How long user audit data is stored for: User-defined
• Access to supplier activity audit information: You control when users can access audit information
• How long supplier audit data is stored for: User-defined
• How long system logs are stored for: User-defined

Standards and certifications

• ISO/IEC 27001 certification: Yes
• Who accredited the ISO/IEC 27001: NQA Certification Limited
• ISO/IEC 27001 accreditation date: 13/04/2022
• What the ISO/IEC 27001 doesn’t cover: The scope of this approval is applicable to: The design, development, provision and support of Unit4 software products and associated consultancy, technical and managed IT services.; Statement of Applicability v2. The scope covers all UK activities, and also include Global activities, hosting, SaaS etc
• ISO 28000:2007 certification: No
• CSA STAR certification: No
• PCI certification: No
• Cyber essentials: Yes
• Cyber essentials plus: No
• Other security certifications: Yes
• Any other security certifications:
  • ISO 27017
  • SOC 1 (Type 1 and 2)
  • SOC 2

Security governance

• Named board-level person responsible for service security: Yes
• Security governance certified: Yes
• Security governance standards: ISO/IEC 27001
• Information security policies and processes: Unit4 global SaaS Information Security Policy can be provided upon request. Unit4 SaaS service hold the following: ; • ISO 27001 • ISO 27017 ; • SOC 1 ; • SOC 2 ; • Cyber Essentials

Operational security

• Configuration and change management standard: Supplier-defined controls
• Configuration and change management approach: Unit4 Cloud relies on the expert services of Azure, who provided the underlying platform, network connectivity and System software. The Azure platform offers High Availability, Fault Tolerance, and redundancy at all levels, and components are automatically replaced at the end of their lifetimes or when failed – all contributing to the Unit4 system availability SLA of 99.8% Unit4 software, both Major Feature Releases and Service Updates, is updated automatically as part of the Unit4 Cloud service (with optional deferment). Deployments within Azure allow everyone to benefit from their experience of running highly secure and compliant online services.
• Vulnerability management type: Supplier-defined controls
• Vulnerability management approach: Deployments within Microsoft Azure allow everyone to benefit from their experience of running highly secure and compliant online services around the globe (such as Microsoft Cyber Defense Operations Centre, a 24x7x365 state-of-the-art cybersecurity and defence facility). Unit4 Cloud has implemented industry leading anti-virus, intrusion prevention system and intrusion detection solutions (IPS IDS). Unit4 Cloud works with R&D teams to identify, mitigate, and share information about known risks. Unit4 uses log monitoring and analyses to identify usage anomalies and exceptions. Software patches are applied during the maintenance window, but security patches are applied immediately.
• Protective monitoring type: Supplier-defined controls
• Protective monitoring approach: Unit4 Cloud’s end to end service includes hardware and system software, monitoring, management, and maintenance of the Unit4 software and environment in Unit4 Azure. A continuous 24x7x365 monitoring program is in place to detect and resolve infrastructure and application issues to meet Unit4’s application availability targets. The monitoring covers solution health, availability, and response times. Priority 1 alerts generated are handled by Unit4 staff 24x7x365. See also the response concerning Incident Management Approach.
• Incident management type: Supplier-defined controls
• Incident management approach: Unit4 and Customer comply with their obligations in the following Policies and Procedures, which have been written to explain how to ensure your system is secure now and into the future: Information Security policy; Security Program; Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery; Acceptable Use Policy; Unit4’s external facing information security policy can be provided upon special request with an NDA. Hence, there is a formal incident Management policy, and users may report incidents via the Unit4 Service Desk. Relevant incidents will be reported back to customers on the Customer Portal.

Secure development

• Approach to secure software development best practice: Supplier-defined process

Public sector networks

• Connection to public sector networks: No

Social Value

• Social Value:

  Social Value

  • Fighting climate change
  • Covid-19 recovery
  • Tackling economic inequality
  • Equal opportunity
  • Wellbeing

  Fighting climate change

  Our commitment to combating climate change is integral to our operations and aligns with the government’s social value model. We implement several strategic actions to minimise our environmental impact:; ; Remote Work Policy: Our workforce predominantly works remotely, reducing emissions associated with daily commuting. This not only supports a better work-life balance but also significantly lowers our carbon footprint.; ; Cloud-Based Infrastructure: All our operational and data storage infrastructure is hosted in the cloud. We choose cloud providers who are committed to sustainability, using energy-efficient data centres, and aiming for carbon neutrality. This not only ensures high availability and scalability but also reduces the energy consumption typically associated with physical data centres.; ; Digital-First Operations: By prioritising digital operations, we reduce the need for physical materials, minimising waste, and energy consumption. Our services are designed to be paperless, which not only streamlines operations but also significantly reduces our environmental impact.; ; Supplier Sustainability Standards: We assess the environmental impact of our supply chain, prioritising suppliers who demonstrate strong commitments to sustainability. This includes sustainable sourcing policies and active reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.; ; Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): We align our operations and services with the SDGs, focusing on responsible consumption and production (SDG 12) and climate action (SDG 13). This alignment ensures that our business operations contribute positively to global sustainability efforts.

  Covid-19 recovery

  As an employer, our response to COVID-19 recovery focuses on sustaining business operations while ensuring the safety and well-being of our team. Our targeted initiatives are straightforward yet effective in complying with government guidance on social value:; ; Enhanced Remote Work Capabilities: We continue to support remote work by investing in secure, robust technology solutions that enable our employees to work efficiently from home. This not only helps in maintaining social distancing but also keeps our operations flexible and resilient.; ; Flexible Work Policies: We have adopted flexible work policies that allow employees to manage their work hours around personal commitments and health needs. This flexibility is crucial for maintaining staff morale and productivity during ongoing recovery phases.; ; Employee Well-being Focus: We prioritise the mental health of our employees by offering online resources and virtual support sessions. Recognising the stress and challenges posed by the pandemic, these resources are aimed at providing our team with tools to manage stress and maintain mental wellness.; ; Minimal Office Use: For those who return to the office, we enforce a minimal occupancy policy and maintain a clean environment with regular sanitisation of shared spaces. This approach minimises risk while accommodating necessary in-person collaboration.; Through these measures, we are committed to a responsible recovery strategy that prioritises the health and productivity of our workforce while aligning with the social value objectives set by the government. Our approach is designed to be sustainable and effective, ensuring our small business remains agile and prepared for the future.

  Tackling economic inequality

  In our approach to tackling economic inequality, we focus on fostering inclusivity and equal opportunity within our recruitment and employment practices. Our strategies are tailored to ensure that hiring and career advancement are based on merit and job suitability, regardless of an individual's background.; ; Merit-Based Recruitment: We are committed to fair and transparent recruitment processes. Our hiring criteria are strictly aligned with the skills and abilities required for the job, ensuring that all candidates are considered on their merits. This approach helps to break down barriers that may prevent talented individuals from underserved or economically disadvantaged backgrounds from joining our team.; ; Skills Development and Training: We invest in continuous professional development for all employees, offering training programs that enhance job-related skills and promote career advancement. This is especially important for staff who may not have had access to such opportunities previously, helping to level the playing field and reduce economic disparities.; ; Flexible Working Arrangements: Recognising that economic inequality often affects people's work-life balance, we provide flexible working arrangements. This enables all employees, especially those from low-income households, to manage work alongside other responsibilities, such as childcare or education.; ; Supportive Work Environment: We foster a work environment that supports diversity and inclusion. By encouraging a culture of support and understanding, we aim to reduce workplace inequalities and ensure that all employees, regardless of their socio-economic status, feel valued and respected.; ; Through these initiatives, we are dedicated to reducing economic inequality and creating opportunities for all members of our community. Our practices not only enhance our business operations but also contribute positively to social equity, aligning with the government’s objectives of promoting a fairer, more inclusive society.

  Equal opportunity

  Our commitment to equal opportunity is fundamental to our business operations and culture. We actively promote diversity and inclusivity in all aspects of our employment practices, ensuring that everyone has a fair chance to succeed regardless of their background.; ; Inclusive Recruitment Practices: We employ a structured recruitment process that is designed to be free from bias. Job descriptions are carefully crafted to attract a diverse range of candidates, focusing on essential skills and qualifications rather than personal characteristics. We also use anonymised resumes during the initial screening phase to ensure decisions are based solely on merit.; ; Diversity Training: All employees participate in diversity and inclusion training, which educates our team on unconscious biases, promotes cultural competence, and fosters an inclusive workplace. This training is essential for creating an environment where everyone, irrespective of their race, gender, age, or disability, feels valued and respected.; ; Flexible Work Arrangements: We support diverse work-life needs through flexible working arrangements. This approach accommodates individuals who may face different challenges, such as those with caregiving responsibilities or disabilities, ensuring they have equal opportunities to thrive in their roles.; ; Accessibility Enhancements: We are committed to making our workplace accessible to all, including making necessary adjustments to support employees with disabilities. Our offices are equipped with accessibility features, and we provide adaptive technologies to ensure that our team members can perform to their best abilities.; ; Through these efforts, we aim to cultivate a workplace that truly embraces diversity and equality. This not only enriches our work environment but also drives innovation and improves our service delivery, aligning with the government’s focus on enhancing equal opportunities across its suppliers.

  Wellbeing

  Our approach to wellbeing focuses on providing essential support to ensure our employees are healthy and able to perform their best. We are committed to fulfilling our duty of care by adapting our resources to meet individual needs as they arise.; ; Flexible Work Arrangements: We offer flexible working hours to help employees manage personal and professional responsibilities effectively. This flexibility supports their mental and physical health by allowing them to balance work with personal life.; ; Responsive Support: If an employee expresses a need for specific wellbeing support, we address this on a case-by-case basis. This includes providing access to necessary resources such as professional advice or mental health support through external partners.; ; Healthy Work Environment: We maintain a work environment that promotes physical health and is conducive to mental well-being. This includes ensuring that our workspaces are safe and comfortable.; ; Open Communication: We encourage open communication about wellbeing, providing a supportive atmosphere where employees can express their health concerns and receive the support they need.; ; By maintaining flexibility and readiness to support individual wellbeing needs, we ensure compliance with wellbeing objectives while fostering a positive and productive work environment.

Pricing

• Price: £56 a user a month
• Discount for educational organisations: No
• Free trial available: No

Service documents

• Pricing document

  PDF

• Service definition document

  PDF

• Terms and conditions

  PDF

Request an accessible format

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need versions of these documents in a more accessible format, email the supplier at dave.elbro@visionerp.co.uk. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.