Find out more about freeze dates and the cutover timeline

One of the key phases of the programme will be when we make the transition from ICIS to our new Fusion system, this is known as cutover.     

This page gives you an overview of what cutover is, when it will happen, how it may affect you, and what you can do now to prepare. We recommend bookmarking the page so you can easily come back for updates. We are currently organising cutover workshops with faculties and business areas to discuss plans and mitigations in more detail.

What is cutover?

Cutover is the carefully managed period where we:

  • Gradually shut down processes in ICIS.
  • Move key data from ICIS to the new system.
  • Switch business processes and integrations over to the new system.

This will happen over a 4-5 week period, starting mid-October, with processes going live in phases.

What will be stopping, when, and what do I need to think about?

This approach has been designed to minimise the impact on business-as-usual operations as much as possible whilst working within the key payroll dates in October and November.

There are some key things you need to be aware of and start to prepare for:

What will be stopping, when, and what do I need to think about?

Purchasing

You won’t be able to raise any new purchase orders or requisitions from 19 October to 12 November 2026. 

Therefore, start to consider: 

  • Do you have any good or services that need renewing at this time which could be completed prior to the freeze?
  • Are there any goods or services that may be needed unexpectedly during this period that could be covered by a blanket Purchase Order? 

We are working with Finance to agree any mitigations that will be needed during this period.

Recruitment

You will still be able to use Talentlink during cutover to continue with recruitment activities, such as shortlisting and scheduling interviews. However, you will not be able to create a new person record between 12 October and 19 November for new hires or casual workers. Therefore, start to consider:

  •  Any upcoming recruitment activity. Ensure any new person records have been created prior to 12 October to allow onboarding to continue during the freeze period.

We are working with the People team to review the transition from Talentlink to the new system and to map our interim recruitment and casual workers process. 

Students and Sponsors

You will still be able to use Banner during cutover. However, the integration will freeze from 31 October for two weeks. This means it will not be possible to create any new student or sponsor records during this time. Therefore, start to consider:

  • What this means for your team and plan ahead for activity that can be brought forward.    

We know it is critical to minimise any disruption to student deposit and tuition fee processes. This is a priority area for mapping interim processes which will be shared soon. 

Suppliers and commercial customers

You won’t be able to create any new suppliers or commercial customers from 12 October to 9 November. Supplier payments will continue up until 31 October and will then freeze for two weeks.  Therefore, start to consider:

  • If you have any suppliers due to be paid during that period and any risks. 

We are working with Finance to consider how we communicate with suppliers at a university level, but you may also want to think about which of your critical suppliers you wish to contact.

Bursaries

We know in October there are a number of bursary payment runs to support student onboarding. The programme team are working with Payroll to ensure there is minimal impact on these payments. More information will be shared soon.

So, what is next?

Be proactive

We understand the prospect of freezing these processes can feel daunting, so we are starting these conversations early. Proactively engage with us so we have time to work things out.

Focus on what you know

The best way to navigate cutover is to plan ahead with the information you have whilst asking questions about what you don’t yet know. We will work together through the unknowns and our approach to resolving them.

Look out for more information

We are working on a detailed cutover plan, which is targeted for July. This will be informed by workshops with teams most affected by the freezes to ensure we have explored all possible risks and impacts. We are working with Finance and People teams to establish interim processes and key mitigations to risks. We will share more information as we have it.