Tender Opportunity: London 2012 to integrate back office  

London 2012 has released an information systems tender for the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. All the information needed to stage the events will be integrated by the London 2012 Games Organising Committee (LOCOG) in a new approach to major event planning.

LOCOG is seeking to integrate all internal or ‘Back Office’ information systems and services to stage the Games, including elements such as costs and revenues; facility requirements; information about the route of Olympic and Paralympic Torch Relays; plans and data for the allocation of tickets; workforce and volunteers scheduling and resource requirements. 
The integrated information system will be the foundation for London 2012 Games planning across all key functional areas and operations – from Games workforce, transport and venues to sport, press operations and spectator services.
“We are looking for a company to supply an integrated solution for the storage and management of information traditionally generated from multiple sources and technology platforms,” said London 2012 CEO, Paul Deighton. 
“Putting this integrated system in place at this early stage will enable us to scale up our organisation not only at the significant pace required by the Games, but also in a controlled and efficient manner.”

Single information source

Instead of having information located across individual component systems, the new approach will provide a single repository of recorded information relating to the preparation, delivery and legacy of the London Games and will drive the planning process. 
The new approach reflects the importance of capitalising on the latest developments in the integration of software and hardware to create systems that are totally integrated with each other and work from common databases. These developments allow for much more efficient management of data and information, thereby facilitating faster and more effective decision making, and avoiding the need to reconcile duplicative and independent systems.
“We want to capitalise on new and existing technologies to improve the quality of the Games we deliver,” Deighton said. “The amount of information needed to stage the Olympic and Paralympic Games is vast and is evolving all the time. Having a single data sharing programme in place which can integrate information across all functional and operational areas will play a vital role in our plans to host the best possible Games in 2012.”

The current activities

The present operations of LOCOG are structured around core front and back office activities, each of which is currently small in scale, as the organisation is in its infancy. The core back office activities are identified as Finance, HR, Procurement and Program Management. General technology services in the form of virtual office and information management requirements are also considered key to the smooth operations of LOCOG and are a fundamental requirement of any potential supplier.
Current activities are supported by a series of primarily manual processes and basic programs (the finance department runs the SAGE accounting package, although this is not considered robust or scaleable enough to support the future growth of the organisation.) It is acknowledged that these manual and basic tools will not be sufficient to facilitate the evolution of the organisation through to the delivery of the 2012 Games. As a result there is an identified requirement to procure an integrated back office solution which will be scalable for the duration of the games and will support the organisation through to wind down (i.e. up to potentially 2014), while facilitating the operation of a virtual office and a collaborative working environment. Back office solutions must address the functionality required by the areas identified as Back Office while incorporating flexibility to interact with front office Games Delivery solutions (e.g. ticketing). The provision of application and infrastructure support (i.e. desktop and laptop support) will be critical to ensuring the optimum operation of any procured service.

Previous learnings

The need for back office solutions is further supported by learnings from previous games – a key learning is the shortcomings that have been suffered in the integration of planning, administration and financial systems. In September 2002 the IOC led workshops involving representatives of previous Olympic Games to understand how these shortcomings might be addressed in future.
The conclusions reached were as follows:
· The lifespan of Olympic Games means that it is difficult to justify investment in fully integrated resource planning, financial and administrative systems;
· However, although standard ‘off the shelf’ systems had been successfully deployed within previous Olympic Games, the means to integrate data across these systems had not been well understood; and as a result
· End user solutions were developed to overcome deficiencies in the integration of systems;
· Operation of these systems was required rapidly, usually precluding development by an in house team;
· Independent departmental deployment of systems at an early stage resulted in (avoidable) systematic constraints to data sharing.
· The key factors shaping the LOCOG procurement approach are as follows:
· The capability to respond to rapid growth within the organization;
· The need to demonstrate, manage and monitor the value provided to key stakeholders;
· The need to ensure financial rigour (governance) and strong control;

The new integrated approach to information management will ensure that Games planners use the same information source and enable all stakeholders to be informed of current planning status for key planning areas.
The new system will also include shared reference data bases for the London 2012 Organising Committee and the Olympic Delivery Authority to enable the two Games planning and delivery organisations to work seamlessly together.   
Industry leaders say London 2012’s integrated approach will leave an important information management legacy from the London Games that will assist in planning and preparations for future Olympic and Paralympic Games and the staging of major international events.

Pre-Qualification Questionnaire

Companies interested in delivering an integrated information solution for the London Games can respond to a Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ), accessible since Friday 8 September on the official London 2012 website at www.london2012.com/business.
The PQQ will also include details about key timelines for the response and selection process of potential supplier companies.

Employment opportunities

London 2012 also has some employment opportunities within the IT/technology and telecommunications areas:
· Head of Business Technology Services
· Head of Results Technology Services
· Head of Venue Technology Services
· Head of Administrative IT
· Programme Analyst
· Technology Team Assistant
· Head of Telecommunications

For further information please visit www.london2012.com.

Pascal Wattiaux, Director of Technology at London 2012, will be featured in the first Sport and Technology Executive (STEC) podcast, which will be available to STEC members for download in October. See www.sportandtechnologyexecutiveclub.com for membership details and fees.

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