List principal software systems used by Scottish government
Executive summary
The Scottish Government relies on a mix of commercial enterprise applications, specialised public‑sector platforms, open‑source design tooling, and cloud/network infrastructure as its principal software estate, with clear investments in shared services and multi‑cloud migration strategies [1] [2] [3] [4]. Central procurement frameworks and FOI disclosures show a deliberate approach to reuse, managed licences and decommissioning of legacy systems under cyber and digital governance guidance [5] [6] [1].
1. Enterprise finance and procurement systems: Oracle e‑Financials and PECOS dominate transactional back‑office functions
The Scottish Government uses Oracle e‑Financials on an Oracle e‑Business Suite platform for core accounting functions, with perpetual licences reported in FOI disclosures covering the Scottish Public Pensions Agency and broader government accounting arrangements [2]. Procurement and purchase‑to‑pay activity is handled through PECOS as the managed P2P Shared Service — a hosted catalogue, purchase order and electronic invoicing system provided under licence (Capgemini/Elcom) and offered as a shared service across Scottish public bodies [1].
2. Shared platforms and common services: ScotPayments and the Design System as examples of 'common platform' thinking
The Scottish Government is building common digital platforms such as ScotPayments to centralise payments for public bodies, delivered with vendor partners and intended to be upskilled to in‑house teams over time, reflecting an explicit common‑platform policy in its digital strategy [7]. The Scottish Government Design System is published as open source, distributed via GitHub and npm, and is the sanctioned toolkit for UI components and service standards across Scottish public sector web services [8] [3].
3. Cloud, networking and data tools: multi‑cloud moves and analytics
Directorates are migrating workloads to multi‑cloud environments and adopting networking/security solutions (e.g., F5) to enable multiple cloud providers, with explicit references to choosing best‑of‑breed cloud services such as Microsoft Azure and using Power BI for data visualisation in certain directorates [4]. These case studies indicate a hybrid approach: on‑premise enterprise suites remain for finance while tactical cloud services and analytics tools are being onboarded for specific directorates [4] [2].
4. Software development, DevOps and in‑house capability
The Scottish Government employs software developers and a small cadre of DevOps engineers (13 recorded across core and non‑core functions) and expects a broader developer cohort to carry out software engineering and UX work consistent with government digital design frameworks [9]. Delivery partners such as Scott Logic are used to accelerate platform delivery and then transfer knowledge to government engineers, signalling a hybrid vendor/government delivery model [7].
5. Procurement frameworks, reuse and supplier ecosystems
Procurement is channelled through pan‑government frameworks such as the Corporate Software Solutions framework and the Scottish Government National Procurement Framework, which provide routes to enterprise applications, services and specialist suppliers and encourage reuse and shared licensing across public bodies [5] [10]. These frameworks underpin how principal systems are sourced and help explain why systems like PECOS are licenced as shared services [1] [5].
6. Governance, cyber resilience and legacy rationalisation
Central guidance and FOI releases emphasise maintaining software inventories, risk‑based approaches to emerging technologies (including AI), and regular reviews to decommission redundant or legacy systems under the Public Sector Cyber Resilience Framework (PSCRF v2.0), reflecting a governance drive to reduce technical debt and manage cyber risk [6]. Historical, publicly owned systems such as GPASS — once dominant in primary care — illustrate the longevity of legacy systems and the political and technical frictions around replacement and commercial alternatives [11].
Conclusion: a pragmatic, mixed estate shaped by shared services and cloud transition
Taken together, the Scottish Government’s principal software systems represent a pragmatic mix: Oracle e‑Financials and PECOS for core finance and procurement; common platforms and open source design assets for citizen services; vendor partners and cloud/network tools to enable multi‑cloud and analytics; and procurement frameworks plus governance guidance to steer sourcing and risk management [2] [1] [7] [3] [4] [5] [6]. Public disclosures provide a clear map of major components, but gaps remain in public documentation for the full catalogue of bespoke or departmental systems not surfaced in these FOI and case‑study materials [6] [1].