Eradicating Fujitsu and Horizon from the Submit Workplace, step-by-step
Decommissioning and changing an IT system that has induced irreparable hurt to hundreds of individuals just isn’t the same old job description of an incoming chief expertise officer (CTO), however that’s what Paul Anastassi signed up for when he took on the position on the Submit Workplace.
In January 2025, the veteran of 30 years in IT administration stepped in as interim CTO on the organisation, which continues to be reeling from the devastating fallout of the Submit Workplace scandal.
In addition to working tech operations on the Submit Workplace, Anastassi has the unenviable process of eradicating and changing Fujitsu’s Horizon system, the error-ridden software program {that a} public inquiry linked to 13 folks taking their very own lives.
It was 2009 when Laptop Weekly first uncovered and commenced its, to date, 16-year investigation into the Submit Workplace scandal, and two years since a TV drama made data of it extra widespread.
The Horizon system has been in use at Submit Workplace branches for over 30 years, with a number of unsuccessful makes an attempt to interchange it, regardless of the controversies surrounding its existence.
Anastassi, who’s now everlasting CTO reporting to CEO Neil Brocklehurst, informed Laptop Weekly that his workforce is making good progress on changing Horizon and its provider Fujitsu.
In truth, he dedicated to dates for Fujitsu’s elimination from Submit Workplace IT and the overall eradication of the Horizon system.
As revealed by Laptop Weekly earlier this month, Anastassi stated the Submit Workplace will see the again of Fujitsu by summer season 2027 and can have eliminated each hint of Horizon by 2030, in all probability earlier.
Greater than an EPOS
It isn’t a easy change. Anastassi stated one of many challenges of changing the system is that it’s rather more than simply swapping out an digital level of sale (EPOS) system, which is what Horizon is commonly described as.
“Individuals usually discuss with [this project] because the Horizon alternative, but it surely completely just isn’t,” Anastassi informed Laptop Weekly. “Horizon is damaged into many parts, and the entrance finish is only one a part of it.”
He described the system as “very, very bespoke” in its present kind.
“There are greater than 80 parts that make up the Horizon platform, and solely half of these are managed by Fujitsu. The opposite parts are inside and sometimes with different third events as nicely,” he added.
“There’s a complete load of processing modules that sit behind that enable a subpostmaster to promote a product. It even touches our core finance system and our knowledge platform.”
Anastassi, who has 30 years’ expertise in IT administration, together with roles at Lockheed Martin, Vodafone and Rank Group, stated the front-end EPOS system alternative is essential, nevertheless, as a result of the present one “has aged, to say the very least”.
The plan is to introduce a contemporary entrance finish that’s machine agnostic. “We need to get away from [the need] to have a sure machine on a sure terminal in your department. We need to present flexibility round that,” stated Anastassi.
He stated the roll-out of the brand new entrance finish doesn’t should occur similtaneously the again finish, as a result of they’re “intentionally separate”.
Composing the system
Key to the longer term and the brand new method is a composable structure, stated Anastassi. It will enable the Submit Workplace to herald programs that it doesn’t construct itself. “We might purchase software program as a service [SaaS] off-the-shelf, they usually have to slot in with that composable construction,” he defined. “It’s an event-driven, service-orientated structure, which suggests we construct and we purchase the place applicable.”
For instance, he stated it’s going to preserve what he describes as “the Submit Workplace secret sauce”, that are the merchandise that it wants to take care of and produce to market. However different utility-based parts might be taken as SaaS, which the CTO stated “makes them rather more dependable, much more out there, and [means] they meet a standard commonplace from finish to finish”.
Anastassi confused: “Our expertise will probably be standards-based, which isn’t the place we’re at present.” That is a part of the plan to keep away from what got here earlier than and simplify the longer term.
“I’ve obtained one eye on ensuring that we’re by no means once more in a scenario that we discovered ourselves in with Horizon, but additionally that the longer term platform can ship the companies that subpostmasters need for years to return, with out having to undergo huge updates and refunding and so forth. It’s only a far easier approach of working,” he stated.
The poisoned chalice
Anastassi just isn’t the primary particular person to be given the duty of terminating Horizon and ending Fujitsu’s contract.
In 2015, the Submit Workplace started a mission to interchange Fujitsu and Horizon with IBM and its expertise, however after issues obtained advanced, Submit Workplace administrators went crawling again to Fujitsu.
Then, after Horizon was proved within the Excessive Courtroom to be at fault for the account shortfalls that subpostmasters had been blamed and punished for, the Submit Workplace knew it needed to change the system. This culminated within the New Department IT (NBIT) mission, however this bumped into bother and was ultimately axed. This was earlier than Anastassi’s time, and earlier than that of its new prime workforce of executives.
It was the Submit Workplace’s present chairman Nigel Railton who informed the Submit Workplace scandal public inquiry that the NBIT mission was “set as much as fail” and wanted to be reset, largely as a result of choice to construct the brand new system in-house.
The present mission seeks to keep away from issues attributable to that call, which he stated was “essentially unsuitable in hindsight”.
The core suppliers
Issues are lastly transferring at tempo, and by the summer season of this yr, two separate contracts will probably be signed with suppliers, signalling the start of the ultimate act for Fujitsu and its Horizon system.
The Submit Workplace put two contracts out to tender. The primary, Lot 1, will see a provider take over the present Horizon companies in a £323m deal. It should embrace software assist, growth and launch administration, in addition to migration from the on-premise datacentre to the cloud, and the institution of a cloud-native back-office and channel platform.
Often called the Stroll in and Take Over (WITO) contract, it had many bidders, however has been decreased to a handful of suppliers, based on Anastassi. Laptop Weekly has discovered that IBM is one such firm.
The second contract, Lot 2, is for an off-the-shelf EPOS system. A dozen suppliers bid for this £169m contract, however solely three made the shortlist as a consequence of a scarcity of expertise in Submit Workplace environments, stated Anastassi.
He emphasised that have in a Submit Workplace setting is significant to subpostmasters, who’ve very particular wants. “After we did the preliminary assessments, we had subpostmasters within the room and [it emerged] numerous bidders simply did not have both the experience, the platform or the expertise,” he stated.
“It’s not simply in regards to the tech, it’s about whether or not, as a enterprise, they may ship that service going ahead as nicely.”
One of many standards for suppliers, all very conscious of the Horizon troubles, was a want to make issues proper on the Submit Workplace.
“After we did our preliminary presentation evaluation with subpostmasters, each single CEO of all the businesses had been both right here in particular person to offer an outline as to why they had been wanting and prepared to be concerned, or they despatched movies.”
Anastassi stated the velocity at which the mission has proceeded has shocked stakeholders. “We’re forward of the place we stated we’d be and that’s a shock for them. I feel it’s been traditionally fairly troublesome to get issues to a spot the place guarantees are delivered.”
“I wouldn’t be misplaced to say that in our newest board assembly, the place I gave an replace, the board basically was saying that we didn’t suppose we’d get to the place we’re at present on the velocity that we have now.”
Subpostmasters embedded
South Somerset-based subpostmaster Jim Gordon is without doubt one of the subpostmasters who’ve attended displays as a part of a workforce referred to as “undertake a perform”, which advises the Submit Workplace in relation to the mission.
Gordon informed Laptop Weekly: “We’re embedded into Submit Workplace departments, with one thing like 16 subpostmasters that may be referred to as upon.
“There are teams of subpostmasters that go to the displays, they usually get an opportunity to supply suggestions. So, we’re concerned and have sight of what’s occurring and a chance to remark as nicely, which helps break down that tradition of the previous.”
For instance, Anastassi stated: “As we undergo the subsequent few months, once we establish drawback areas, the place we both don’t have a service or it will be an enhancement to supply one thing completely different, then we’ll embrace subpostmasters as we undergo.”
Anastassi stated it’s not simply time being saved, but additionally cash, in the long term. He couldn’t give a ultimate mission value, as a result of one of the best and ultimate presents from suppliers will not be recognized till later this yr. “All I can inform you in the meanwhile is, primarily based on the questions we’ve been requested, it’s a substantial value saving over what we at present pay for Fujitsu,” he informed Laptop Weekly.
With regards to what the brand new system ought to appear to be, Anastassi’s description of a composable structure might match the invoice, as a result of, based on Gordon, enterprise in Submit Workplace branches is altering quickly and requires programs that may assist this.
“How we serve clients is altering,” he stated. “The type of issues that I used to be doing a yr in the past are beginning to die off now. So, I can’t inform you what a Submit Workplace department goes to appear to be in 2028 or 2030, I actually don’t know. However I would like a platform that I can get the knowledge from or ship a buyer journey that’s versatile and adaptable.
“I’m additionally hoping that coaching has been considered. It’s actually been talked about, in order that non-techies can seamlessly work and never really feel threatened.”
What went unsuitable?
It’s suggestions from folks on the entrance line, like Gordon, that may assist the Submit Workplace keep away from the issues of the previous.
Anastassi stated understanding what went unsuitable was a vital first step for him.
He stated Horizon was lacking important parts required by subpostmasters, however the issue was extra about folks’s understanding of computer systems, or lack of it.
It was a basic misunderstanding of computer systems that led to the scarcely plausible occasions of the Submit Workplace scandal. Subpostmasters had been routinely made answerable for account discrepancies, regardless of the figures emanating from an error-prone system.
“When ambiguity was there, the belief that was made was ‘it’s a pc, so in fact it have to be proper’, however in my opinion and my expertise, no system is infallible, regardless of how nicely you construct it,” stated Anastassi.
“Anyone who sits in entrance of a standard working system, like Home windows, each day, is aware of random issues occur for causes that you simply don’t know. And very often, it’s a bug. Horizon isn’t any completely different, and shouldn’t have been handled any in another way,” he stated.
“Issues can go unsuitable, and inevitably will. On the finish of the day, the individuals who write the code are folks. We’re not infallible. I feel it will be a really naive view to say any organisation might construct a platform that gained’t ever have an issue. It should, but it surely’s the way you take care of the issue that’s vital.”
Present system standing
Anastassi’s position isn’t simply in regards to the future. Horizon could also be on its approach out, however about 11,000 companies at present depend on it and can proceed to take action for a couple of extra years. It’s subsequently important that the present system is maintained.
With ageing gear and ageing software program, as with all dated platform, there are upgrades that have to be accomplished. “For us, it’s very a lot about doing these upgrades, making these enhancements, as and when we have to in probably the most respectful approach we presumably can, with out losing heaps and plenty of public cash.”
Anastassi stated Horizon is “remarkably steady” at current, however he added: “We are able to’t paint it a special color and name it one thing else. It’s outdated and it gained’t final without end. We are able to nurse it alongside, which we’ll do, but it surely gained’t ever be the factor of the longer term.”
He stated there are at present three excellent software program bugs that his workforce is aware of about, that are all points with the best way by which issues seem on a display screen. “There’s no basic back-end challenges when it comes to how Horizon operates or whether or not it’s making errors, however we do have a considerable operations workforce to take varied calls the place there are issues round issues that occur.”
The Submit Workplace scandal was first uncovered by Laptop Weekly in 2009, revealing the tales of seven subpostmasters and the issues they suffered as a consequence of Horizon accounting software program, which led to probably the most widespread miscarriage of justice in British historical past (see beneath timeline of Laptop Weekly articles in regards to the scandal since 2009).
