Vieri to provide procurement in new shared finance solution for 18 Norwegian universities and colleges

Sikt has chosen Aider to deliver a new shared, cloud-based finance solution for 18 Norwegian universities and colleges. Xledger is the ERP core of the solution, ONwork handles project management – and Vieri provides the procurement solution. The agreement runs for up to ten years.

Aider led the bid and is responsible for the overall delivery and implementation. Competing against several large consultancies and some of the world's largest ERP vendors, Aider's solution was rated best on all three main criteria: quality (60%), price (20%) and risk (20%).

– We are proud to be part of this delivery. Universities and colleges buy everything from laboratory equipment to consulting services, and when procurement is closely connected to accounting and project finance, the sector gets both better control and less manual work. That is exactly what this solution is built for, says Espen Veierød, CEO of Vieri.

One integrated platform

The solution is assembled by Aider: Xledger covers accounting, automation and financial management, ONwork project management and Vieri procurement. Aider's own AI platform Commons ties the solutions together and enables efficient data flow, automation and wider use of AI.

– We came in as the challenger and won because we could combine a strong ERP platform from Xledger with our expertise and specialised solutions that meet the sector's needs. It shows the strength of the combined delivery, says Andreas Vik, CEO of Aider.

A thorough evaluation

Sikt's evaluation included system demonstrations, extensive user testing and assessments of the suppliers' expertise and ability to deliver. Sikt particularly highlights accounting and automation, and the combined solution's ability to handle advanced project finance. Aider also came out best in the user testing.

– It was a thorough process with many strong bidders. Aider gave us the offer that overall best matched the sector's needs, and we look forward to getting started, says Kjersti Kahn, project manager at Sikt.

Norwegian technology in front

For Xledger and Aider, the agreement is a breakthrough in the competition for large public-sector ERP contracts.

– When government financial management moves to the cloud, questions of ownership, infrastructure and control become ever more important. The Sikt agreement shows that Norwegian technology – and a Norwegian finance cloud – can compete for the largest and most demanding contracts, says Ove Jørgen Carlsen, CEO of Xledger Norway and Denmark.

The solution will be introduced through a pilot phase followed by rollout, with full implementation planned for summer 2028.

Read the coverage in Økonomi24 (Norwegian), and more about how Vieri integrates with ERP systems such as Xledger.