Nav streamlines employment market initiatives with Oracle EPM supported by Antire

Nav is the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration. Among others, it administers unemployment benefits and employment-related services. Nav offers a broad portfolio of initiatives aimed at strengthening the employment market. Most are designed to help people re-enter the workforce or retain their current jobs. Research shows that these initiatives significantly increase the likelihood of sustainable employment, making them economically beneficial. Each year, NOK 10–12 billion is budgeted for these efforts to ensure tailored support for individual needs.

Historically, the funds for these initiatives were distributed county by county, but tracking them was labor-intensive, requiring time-consuming efforts to maintain real-time oversight of which initiatives were active, the funds spent, and success rates.

Ahmed Likke, Senior Adviser in the Department of Employment and Services, explains:

“To manage our initiatives more effectively, we needed a tool that could provide both detailed and overall insights" 

Approximately 200 people work in Nav with employment initiatives economy, divided between Nav offices, county offices, and the Directorate of Labor and Welfare. 

From spreadsheets to future-proof cloud solution

With the help of Antire, Nav now uses Oracle Cloud Enterprise Performance Management (EPM) for a centralized view and control over initiative funding. EPM provides a better overview, management, and control over the funds allocated to labor market initiatives.

Antire was chosen as a technology partner because of its experience with similar digitization projects, in addition to solid expertise in data analysis and Oracle technology.

Before Oracle EPM, managing these resources relied heavily on manual processes, using Excel spreadsheets and email. The Directorate of Labor and Welfare had prepared an Excel reporting template where the counties manually entered activities and money consumption. Still, the counties had different budgeting and reporting routines. The old process had several disadvantages:

• Uncertainty about data accuracy and data quality
• Dependent on individuals to gain insight into and understand data
• Difficult to access information
• Cumbersome to interact and share data across the whole initiatives economy area
• Time-consuming to collect and quality-assure data
• Many possible sources of error

“This has been a classic digitalization project where we have replaced hundreds of spreadsheets and manual processes with an integrated system,” Ahmed Likke at Nav continues.

Oracle EPM is a suite of integrated applications designed to help organizations plan, budget, forecast, and report on business performance. It enables businesses to streamline their financial processes, accelerate financial close, and make better decisions. EPM provides a unified user experience and simplified administration across different business functions.

Transparency and efficiency with Oracle EPM

Oracle EPM gives Nav a powerful tool for tracking and managing initiative funding. With real-time data, Nav can monitor initiative performance, ensure optimal fund allocation, and swiftly address budget deviations. The system also bolsters data quality, enabling confident, timely decisions on initiating or expanding initiatives.

As Likke notes, “One of the biggest advantages is the time saved. Tasks that were once manual are now automated, allowing staff to focus on strategic analysis and impact assessment.”

“It is completely impossible to compare today's EPM solution with the processes and systems we had before. With EPM, everyone has an immediate, comprehensive view of initiative finances and can easily access key metrics. We can now make faster, more informed decisions that ultimately help more people find stable employment,” Likke adds.

The EPM system also provides weekly status updates instead of monthly, giving Nav a clearer view of historical data, and enabling rapid decision-making.

“EPM has transformed our operations, giving us a solid understanding of our users’ needs, which initiatives work best, and why,” says Likke.

“Now, we can confidently authorize new initiatives, assured that the necessary resources are in place.”

Flexibility for policy changes

Another critical factor for Nav is the flexibility of the system. Government priorities change frequently, meaning funding allocations must change also. Nav must be able to adapt to this within a matter of weeks. With Antire’s ongoing support, Nav can reconfigure the system to meet new demands swiftly.

“It’s vital to have a system that can adapt to constant changes. With Oracle EPM, we can quickly incorporate new action areas whenever political changes occur,” says Likke.

He emphasizes how crucial it has been to have Antire as a partner in this process.

“Antire is available 24/7, and it's never difficult to get help, whether it's big or small changes that need to be done. It is very reassuring to have Antire at your back.”

The Oracle EPM implementation has already shown concrete benefits. Nav has improved financial oversight of its initiatives, allowing employees to focus more on analysis and improvement. With real-time data and reliable insights, Nav is now positioned to optimize the impact of its initiatives.

Kåre Søyland, Head of AI and Technology at Antire, concludes: “Developing a good EPM solution requires deep collaboration and understanding of the organization. We had a solid foundation and clear processes in this project, enabling a successful transformation.”

Nav’s Department of Employment and Services is now equipped to meet future challenges better, deliver improved services, and manage public funds more efficiently. Looking ahead, Nav plans to leverage AI functionalities within Oracle Cloud for an even greater impact.