The Texas Comptroller’s Office said on Aug. 21 that it is kicking off a project to modernize the state’s core financial IT systems.
The CAPPS (Centralized Accounting and Payroll/Personnel System) State of Texas Accounting and Reporting Resource (STARR) project will replace three legacy systems that handle more than 42 million transactions annually representing $373 billion of revenue and $378 billion of spending during the latest fiscal year.
The overhaul will phase out the Uniform Statewide Accounting System (USAS), Texas Identification Number System (TINS), and State Property Accounting System (SPA) – some of which date ack to the 1980s – and will replace them with a modern, cloud-based platform designed to increase efficiency, enhance transparency, and lower long-term costs to taxpayers.
“These systems have served Texas well, but technology has changed dramatically and it’s time for an overhaul,” said Acting Texas Comptroller Kelly Hancock.
“Upgrading to a modern, cloud-based platform will help us better serve other state agencies, safeguard taxpayer dollars and meet the needs of a growing Texas with forward-thinking, efficient technology solutions,” Hancock said.
The STARR project will transition the state’s financial operations to CGI Advantage, an enterprise resource planning solution built specifically for government use.
The new system will provide real-time integrations, replace outdated batch processing, and offer full compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements.
Among its benefits, the new platform will streamline processes for approximately 5,000 users across 225-plus agencies and higher education institutions, reduce reliance on specialized mainframe and COBOL coding skills, and lower maintenance demands.
The first phase of implementation will focus on replacing USAS and TINS, followed by modernization of the SPA system.
“This is more than a technology upgrade,” Hancock said. “It’s an investment in the future of Texas’ financial operations – one that will allow us to work more efficiently, respond faster to the needs of agencies and taxpayers, and maintain the highest standards of accountability, all while delivering savings to the people of Texas.”
