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ANNEX A
Points to make
I was pleased to hear that the Post Office formally accepted the Horizon
automation system on 24 September although I understand that this was delayed
by one month.
¢ I cannot overemphasise to you the importance we attach to achieving on target
roll-out of the system to all post offices within the network.
e Iam aware that significant effort was expended in achieving the revised contract.
Successful roll-out of the automated system is crucial if the Post Office is to
extend its arrangements with the banks to allow benefit recipients and other bank
customers to access their accounts at post offices by the time the migration to
paying benefits through automated credit transfer (ACT) begins in 2003.
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Background
Formal acceptance of the reconfigured Horizon system planned for 18 August was
postponed because of Post Office Counters’ concerns about training, system
stability, data integrity (there had been an unacceptably high level of screen freezes)
and the effective operation of the help desk. The Post Office accepted the system
on 24 September on the basis that effective remedial action had either been
completed or was in hand.
Currently 950 post offices are automated and the Post Office expect that this will
rise to 1,800 before Christmas. The Post Office is committed to achieving roll-out
of the system by March 2001 at the rate of 300 offices per week.
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