Oracle EPM | Oracle ERP | Managed Services

The City of Detroit
Modernizes Financial
Planning and Reporting

The City of Detroit Modernizes Financial Planning and Reporting

Customer

City of Detroit, Michigan, is a state and local government body with an annual budget of $3.02 Billion – $1.6 Billion General Fund.

Challenge

To transition from a legacy partner and programs to a responsive managed services provider and improve budget reporting efficiency with Oracle Fusion financial tools.

Solution

Vigilant implemented Oracle EPM Cloud — Planning, Forecasting, and Narrative Reporting, with AI Forecasting to modernize and simplify municipal operations.

Products

Oracle ERP Cloud — Financials, Procurement, Risk Management

Oracle EPM Cloud — Planning, Forecasting, Narrative Reporting

Oracle Integration Cloud (OIC) — Workflow and data synchronization

OPKEY automated testing platform (WIP implementation)

Oracle AI Forecasting & Account Reconciliation features (in exploration phase)

Comprehensive Results

Modernizing Financial Systems in America’s Comeback City

The City of Detroitʼs finance department sought a trusted Oracle partner to modernize its budgeting and financial reporting operations after years with a legacy provider. Following a rigorous selection process, The City of Detroit engaged Vigilant in 2024, to take over Oracle Managed Services for ERP Financials, covering accounts payable, receivable, general ledger, cash management, and treasury.

Building on the success of managed service, the City then engaged Vigilant to implement Oracle Enterprise Performance Management (EPM) Cloud — Planning, Forecasting, and Narrative Reporting. This enabled the team to transition from manual spreadsheets to automated planning and forecasting.

Phase two introduced Oracle Narrative Reporting, automating the cityʼs 800-page budget book. The system now converts structured financial data into formatted, distributable narratives, saving the finance team countless hours each fiscal cycle.

The collaboration continues as the City explores Oracle AI-driven forecasting and account reconciliation features to further streamline operations. For a major U.S. municipality managing complex public funds and integrating with legacy technologies, Vigilant delivered both stability and modernization — ensuring reliable financial management, faster reporting, and a strong foundation for future innovation.

Methodology used

Applied the Vigilant 360° delivery model to assess, stabilize, and modernize Detroit’s Oracle Cloud environment.
Delivered a blended onshore/offshore model for 24×7 functional and technical support.
Implemented agile execution to achieve a near-zero-disruption transition from the prior vendor.
Established a rigorous SLA framework with proactive monitoring and continuous improvement.

Top Customer Objectives

Replace manual budgeting and forecasting spreadsheets with automated, cloud-based planning.
Improve efficiency and accuracy for the City’s 800-page annual budget book.
Transition managed support from the previous provider with minimal disruption.
Prepare for AI-driven forecasting and account reconciliation capabilities.

Benefits Achieved

Automated budget reporting. Oracle Narrative Reporting now saves weeks of manual effort each fiscal cycle.
Improved forecasting accuracy. With Oracle EPM, Detroit’s finance team gained structured, data-driven planning.
Seamless vendor transition. Vigilant stabilized ERP Financials and cleared legacy backlogs within the first quarter.
Future readiness. Detroit’s systems are now AI- and analytics-ready, enabling expansion into PPM/Grants Cloud and automated testing.

Results

Time and cost savings: Automated reporting cut weeks of manual work each fiscal cycle.
Operational stability: 24×7 monitoring and SLA compliance ensured continuous uptime and faster resolution.
Data integrity and transparency: Structured planning and consolidation improved decision-making across departments.
Future readiness: Detroit’s financial systems are now AI- and analytics-ready, supporting expansion into PPM/Grants Management Cloud and future modernization initiatives.

Could we help you with a similar service?

Vigilant is the leading Oracle Partner in North America with over two decades of excellence in delivering business apps and IT infrastructure services. We have helped more than 200 organizations across various industries and offer both onshore and offshore consultants to fulfill all technology needs.

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