The payroll software’s army he will be as reliable as a tank? – The echoes

The baptism of fire approach. After a year of conception, the French army is to receive in the month its new payroll software, or rather balance under military vocabulary. Co-directed with Sopra Steria, the Source system balance will gradually succeed Louvois, HRIS that defines the compensation of 250,000 of the Great Muette officials. A system that the Minister of Defence, Jean-Yves Le Drian, described as “ crazy ” at a waypoint on the case in mid-January. To draw a line under this disaster, the Directorate General of Armaments (DGA), more used to working on tanks and combat helicopters, has been mobilized on behalf of its experience and reliability.

the Court of Auditors doubt the new system

Opened in March 2011, the system has accumulated Louvois technical anomalies. These are the military families who have suffered: some soldiers waited for months before being fairly compensated between underpayment and overpayment with sometimes serious consequences on their taxes

This first test. common to all computer hosts ran into the complexity of the pay slip of men and women in uniform. “ Contrary to what prevails in the civilian world, soldiers are not paid the same amount every month says Caroline Gervais, general engineer of armaments. There are 250 items of remuneration and 174 bonuses to consider. “A married soldier is not paid the same as a single. When it evolves in overseas operations, a soldier receives an additional bonus, etc. The challenge still seems so great that in its 2016 report, the Court of Auditors is concerned about the new software’s ability to “do better”. The contract with Steria, Sopra cost € 128 million to public finances.

Reliability 99%

But the DGA wants to reassure. In collaboration with the Human Resources Department of the Ministry of Defence, it says “ resume methods from weapons programs ,” in the words of Caroline Gervais. The ministry aims 99% reliability (after major updates, Louvois falls just today that 91 times out of 100). For this, the military has chosen to rely on the HR Access software Steria and redevelop its use. Each technology was evaluated as a potential risk of failure. From April, a long testing period will begin. As the test firing of a ballistic missile. “ We’ll start experimenting with fictitious but realistic folders says Caroline Gervais. In July, we will conduct balances calculations white in the Navy. “ For a time, sailors can compare the results of two computers, time to get used to before final commissioning Source Balance summer 2017. The army and the army air will follow by 2019. During these months of testing, and Steria, Sopra DGA hope to identify and correct potential compatibility issues between Source Balance and the 18 other HR software used in the military and who are supposed supply data in the central system

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