From legacy to leadership: How industry can help government modernise IT

Legacy IT remains one of the most persistent barriers to enabling more efficient and modern public services. Replacing these systems, often embedded in core services such as payroll, Human Resources, and payments processes, with fit-for-purpose technology is no small task.

At Sopra Steria, we’ve been working closely with departments to tackle this challenge. Our current campaigns, focused on resourcing, and a separate programme supporting police transformation, are both shining a light on the importance of getting modernisation right. This blog draws on those insights and explains how industry can support the public sector in moving beyond legacy IT, without disrupting the vital work it underpins.

Building trust as a foundation

At the heart of every successful technology implementation lies trust. It’s vital to establish that trust early on by being honest, transparent, and focused on long-term outcomes rather than just short-term delivery. For us, being a trusted adviser means setting realistic expectations, offering expert guidance, and helping clients navigate the often complex and uncertain journey of transformation.

The real cost of delay

It’s easy to see why legacy systems linger. They’re familiar, they work (just about), and they support essential services. But they’re also expensive to maintain, slow to adapt, and increasingly out of step with how people expect to interact with government. A report from the Digital Economy Council found that, in 2019, the government spent £2.3 billion to maintain legacy IT. This was almost half of the £4.7 billion IT budget for that year.

Today’s public expects services to be seamless, responsive, and digital-first. Legacy systems, with their siloed structures and rigid processes, simply weren’t built for that. The longer they remain, the more they hold everything else back from service design and data sharing to policy delivery.

Getting started without starting over

There’s a common misconception that modernising IT means a full-scale overhaul from day one. In practice, a more manageable, phased approach is often the best route. We recommend starting small, focusing on a single service area where modern tools can show real benefits quickly. Then scale up based on what works.

In our recent central government engagement, we supported the move from an ageing finance platform to a cloud-based Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. The new solution, built on Oracle Fusion, allowed the team to streamline workflows, improve reporting, and reduce reliance on bespoke workarounds. And crucially, the project was delivered with minimal disruption, thanks to close collaboration and an agile working model.

Why Oracle Fusion?

Legacy systems are often hosted on-premises, hard to update, and expensive to scale. By contrast, Oracle Fusion, as a cloud-first solution, provides continuous updates and access to new functionality.

The first go-live of your Oracle transformation will be the least optimised version of the system. With the continuous addition of new features your technology will remain up-to-date and resilient without the need for major upgrades. Similar to how apps on your phone update in the background: quietly, frequently, and with clear benefits.

This evolving capability is a big win for departments that need to do more with less.

Embracing the ‘adopt, not adapt’ mindset

One of the biggest changes we need to embrace is a shift in mindset. Too often, organisations try to bend new systems to fit old ways of working. But modern platforms like Oracle are designed around new, best-practice processes. In order to deliver full value, we need to adopt the new way of working, not adapt the system to the old one.

This subtle yet powerful shift signifies more than just adopting new technologies, it represents a fundamental transformation in how we work. Embracing change involves rethinking outdated processes, integrating AI and automation to eliminate time-consuming, repetitive tasks, and empowering employees to focus on more strategic and creative efforts. It's about fostering a culture that values continuous learning and adaptability, ensuring that digital skills development becomes integral to every role, not just a technical upgrade.

Focusing on people and partnerships

Modernisation isn’t just about systems; it’s about the people. One of the most common barriers we see is a gap in digital skills or confidence. That’s where industry partners have a real role to play in providing training, coaching, and ongoing support to help departments take ownership of their new tools.

Partnerships that work well are built on openness, shared goals, and regular communication. By collaborating closely with the public sector as a single, joined-up team, we can move faster and more confidently. We can also ensure that transformation sticks long after the project wraps up.

Managing data sensibly

Another common concern in legacy transitions is data. Old systems often hold years’ worth of historical information, much of it unstructured or outdated. But migrating every bit of data to a new platform is rarely the right move.

Instead, focus on what’s needed to run the future business. Archive the rest securely, ensuring compliance with data protection regulations and implementing appropriate safeguards. This approach avoids overcomplicating the new system and keeps things manageable during cutover.

Looking ahead

We believe public sector organisations deserve modern systems that work for them, not the other way around. We’re proud to be supporting broader government efforts to tackle legacy IT challenges head-on.

Modernisation is not about jumping on the latest trend or replacing systems for the sake of it. It’s about building capability, increasing efficiency, and creating services that truly meet your organisations needs throughout its transformation journey.

Central Government Programme activities

The techUK Central Government Programme provides a forum for government to engage with tech suppliers. We advocate for the govtech sector, evangelise tech as a solution to public sector challenges, facilitate market engagement, and help make the public sector an easier market to operate in. Visit the programme page here.