The new system, to be implemented over a nine-month period, will improve efficiency of the Department's financial management by automating a number of manual processes.

The system is also expected to eliminate the requirement for the disparate system that is currently used and provide better integration, improve data integrity, increase accountability and auditability of budget processes.

According to the DoHA documents, the core department at the heart of DoHA has a budget of $579 million and employs approximately 4,500 full-time employees. The department oversees 43 administered programs which include 270 'budget reporting elements' on behalf of the government and four budget updates throughout the financial year.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), National Industrial Chemicals Notification and Assessment Scheme (NICNAS), and the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR) are also included under DoHA.

NICNAS and OGTR currently use SAP for their financials, but may be included under DoHA's new financials system. The TGA operates its own financials system and will not use the new system.