From Sage and Spreadsheets to Live Financial Information

Allect International wanted to modernise the way its finance function operated. The business had accumulated many years of financial data, but its existing systems and processes were making accessing and using that information more difficult than it needed to be.

The objective wasn't simply to replace one piece of accounting software with another. Allect wanted to streamline its wider financial processes, move into the cloud and create a finance system capable of providing better information to the people making decisions within the business.

That required understanding how the business actually worked before deciding how the technology should work around it.

Allect's existing Sage system had become clunky and expensive, while much of the finance operation remained heavily reliant on spreadsheets.

That created several problems. Financial information wasn't live, it could be difficult to interpret and the finance team relied on significant spreadsheet-based processes to disseminate information across the business.

There was also a wider issue around control. The business wanted to modernise its finance function without losing the processes, data and controls it had built over many years.

Moving to the cloud therefore needed to be carefully planned. Allect wasn't looking for somebody simply to install Xero. It needed a clear implementation roadmap that could translate its existing requirements into a more efficient, technology-driven finance operation.

CASS started by understanding how Allect operated, how its existing finance processes worked and what the business needed its new systems to achieve.

From there, we created an implementation roadmap for moving away from Sage and translating the existing processes into a new cloud-based environment centred around Xero.

The migration included many years of historical Sage data, making the accuracy and structure of the transition particularly important. The objective was to ensure the information was where Allect expected it to be and that the new system was ready to use from day one.

The implementation also brought together Xero with supporting technology including approval and document-processing systems, creating a more integrated finance environment.

Training formed an important part of the project too. Rather than simply handing over a new system, CASS worked with the Allect team to help them understand how to use it effectively and get the quality of information they needed from it.

The move to Xero fundamentally changed how Allect could access and use its financial information.

The business no longer had to rely on what it referred to as the “monster spreadsheet” to bring together financial information. Instead, it had a system providing live data that could be accessed when decisions needed to be made.

Moving into the cloud also removed the reliance on VPNs and remote-access machines. Xero and the connected systems could be accessed through a browser, allowing the team to work from wherever they needed to.

More importantly, improving the quality and availability of the underlying data created the foundation for better reporting. When the inputs are accurate and structured correctly, the business can produce the reports and information it needs to support better decisions.

Allect International moved successfully from a Sage and spreadsheet-driven finance operation to an integrated cloud accounting environment, with years of historical data migrated and available within the new system.

The speed and accuracy of the migration meant the business could begin using Xero from day one, while the new cloud-based approach provided live financial information without relying on spreadsheets, VPNs or remote-access machines.

The relationship has continued beyond implementation. CASS provides ongoing technical knowledge and support, helping Allect get the best from Xero and the wider systems it chose to implement.

Rather than simply providing software support, CASS has developed an understanding of the business, what it is trying to achieve and how its finance technology needs to support those objectives.

As Allect describes the relationship, “He's one of the team.”

A successful move to Xero isn't simply about transferring accounting data from one system to another. The real opportunity is to understand how the business works, identify what isn't working and build a finance system that provides better information and more efficient processes.

For Allect International, that meant moving away from Sage, spreadsheets and remote-access systems towards live financial information and an integrated cloud finance environment.

CASS has remained alongside the business after implementation, helping Allect continue to get the best from the systems it chose to put in place.

That's Giving You More Than Numbers.