Success story · Government Agencies

City of Charlottetown improves process efficiency and frees up more time for public service delivery

Name: Fraxion
Brand: Fraxion
Rating: 4.4 (193 reviews)

The City of Charlottetown replaced manual, email-based purchase requisitions and approvals with Fraxion’s automated procurement system, integrated with Microsoft Dynamics GP. With always-on online requisitions, automated approval workflows, budget comparisons, and a full audit trail, the City gained significant time savings, enhanced financial controls, and the flexibility to support evolving remote work requirements.

OVERVIEW

Charlottetown is the capital city of Prince Edward Island, Canada. As the Capital City, Charlottetown is a full service municipality, including Public Works, Water and Sewer Utility, Parks and Recreation, Planning and Heritage, Tourism and Events, Emergency Services, and other various resident services.

BEFORE FRAXION

Before adopting Fraxion, the City of Charlottetown faced challenges with an outdated Oracle ERP system that lacked streamlined procurement functionality. Purchase requisitions were managed through a combination of manual and partially automated processes, creating inefficiencies and delays. Approvals were handled via email, often requiring time-consuming follow-ups and manual record-keeping. The Finance team found it difficult to enforce cost management controls and maintain consistency, as there was no centralized, automated approval workflow or audit trail.

With their ERP migration to Microsoft Dynamics GP 2020, Charlottetown needed a modern procurement solution that would integrate seamlessly with their new system. Key requirements included secure, Canada-only storage, accessible anytime portal access for purchase requisitions, and a more structured, automated approval process. The City’s Microsoft Dynamics GP implementation partner, Endeavour Solutions, was tasked with finding a procurement management system that would address these needs and support their goal of improved financial control and operational efficiency.

Challenges

City of Charlottetown struggled with:

Outdated manual processes

Purchase requisitions were partially automated but still relied heavily on manual handling, creating inefficiencies and delays.

Inefficient approval processes

Manual approvals lacked efficient notification methods.

Lack of real-time visibility

There was limited visibility into purchase requests, approvals, and budget comparisons, making it difficult for stakeholders to stay informed and make timely decisions.

Limited spend control

Without a centralized system, enforcing cost controls and tracking spending against budgets was difficult, creating risks of overspending.

Time-consuming administrative Tasks

The manual creation of purchase orders (POs), accounts payable entries, and invoice reconciliations were time-consuming and prone to errors.

Challenges supporting remote work

The existing system didn’t offer the flexibility needed to support the evolving “work from home” requirements, hindering productivity and responsiveness.

Security and access requirements

As a public entity, Charlottetown needed secure, Canadian-only data storage and a user-friendly portal accessible anytime for end users across various departments.

Solutions

With Fraxion, City of Charlottetown has gained

Optimized business processes

For purchase requisitions, approvals, PO change requests, and receiving via automation.

Always-on access and approval efficiency

Automated requisitions that trigger approval workflows with detailed data, budget comparisons, and a full audit trail, ensuring efficient and informed decision-making for stakeholders.

Significant time savings

By automating previously manual processes, such as the creation of purchase orders (POs), accounts payable entries, reporting, and received items and invoice reconciliations.

Improved efficiency

Streamlined procurement workflows have reduced administrative workload for both the Finance team and end users.

Enhanced financial controls

The executive team and approval managers have gained better financial controls, enabling them to meet their vision for improved procurement management.

Better access and usability

End users appreciate the ease of access and intuitive nature of Fraxion, which has supported evolving work from home capabilities, enhancing productivity.

Full transaction audit trail

The automated reports and audit trail history provide full transparency and accountability in the procurement process.

Seamless integration with Dynamics GP

Fraxion’s tight integration with Microsoft Dynamics GP enables real-time budget tracking and the synchronization of financial data, reducing manual entry and improving accuracy.

Purchase requisitions, approvals, and email notifications

Process efficiency with a rich set of data, including a description of the request, budget comparisons, and an audit trail of past changes and approvals, making the approval process faster and more efficient.

24/7 Online submission

End users can submit purchase requisitions online at any time, allowing for continuous, around-the-clock processing and reducing delays caused by time constraints.

Automated PO creation, receiving, and PO change orders

Fraxion automatically generates purchase orders based on approved requisitions, handles receiving, and manages PO change orders, saving time and reducing manual entry errors.

Automated accounts payable entries

The manual accounts payable process has been automated, further increasing efficiency and reducing administrative burden.

Full transaction audit trail

A full audit trail of past changes and approvals ensures transparency and accountability, making it easier to track and verify past procurement activities.

Seamless ERP integration

Fraxion integrates with Dynamics GP, allowing stakeholders to instantly access detailed procurement data, track budgets, and synchronize financial information for improved accuracy and efficiency.

City of Charlottetown improves process efficiency and frees up more time for public service delivery