Macdonald & Company Case Study
Macdonald & Company
As part of a company-wide software overhaul involving cloud migration of all systems, global recruiter Macdonald & Company opted to upgrade their under-performing Sage 50 solution to a new Sage system: Sage Intacct.
The Company
Macdonald & Company (previously known as Prime People PLC) is a global group of recruitment businesses specialising in the real estate and built environment sectors.
Established in 1986, the group now has a team of circa 120 staff based across their London headquarters and customer-facing offices in the UK, Germany, UAE, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Singapore, Hong Kong and the USA.
The Challenges
In 2018, they began their company-wide software migration project; following successful migration of their CRM and Microsoft suite, review and migration of their existing finance system (Sage 50) was the final project stage.
Sage 50 had been implemented in the business several years previously as an on-premise solution, at a time when the company was UK-based, much smaller, and less complex in its structure. As a result, the processes and workflows were no longer keeping up with demand.
The existing system set up created several issues:
- Security concerns
- Multiple users accessing the server at one time affected speed and performance (particularly for those accessing internationally via VPN)
- End-of-month reports took up to 25 days to compile
Without total re-implementation of the solution, Sage 50 would have resulted in stagnation of the business’ growth and would have undermined the company’s cloud migration project and, in turn, the confidence of the Senior Leadership team in the financial information available.
Does your business face similar challenges?
The Requirements
With so much riding on this project, the wish list for the end solution and project result included:
- A cloud-based, modern solution
- Better user experience
- No compromise on technical aspects of the software
- Sound standard finance functionalities (General Ledger, tax, etc)
- Multi-currency capabilities
- Ability to set up and report on inter-company charges
- Simplified processes
Overall, the organisation required a cloud-based solution which could be accessed by their international team at any time and allow them to put more intelligent processes in place with the outcome of faster, better financial management and better decision making to allow them to invest money, time, and resources into areas of the business that needed it.
Despite the complexity of the organisation and its structure, the company is fairly small and therefore didn’t have a large team to dedicate to the project. As a result, they had to find a solution that they could rely on to do the “heavy lifting”.
The Search
The group Finance Director at the time kicked off an exhaustive research process and request for proposal (RFP) into all possible solutions available.
Oracle and other top-of-the-range solutions were quickly discounted as they were far too big, while lower-end solutions like Quickbooks and Xero were discounted for being far too small and not having the functionality they required.
Having discounted all other software providers, they narrowed their search down to the Sage family of products. As the leadership team were familiar with the Sage interface, migrating to a different Sage solution would reduce the amount of training required to get up to speed.
The Solution
The group initially selected Sage X3 as their new financial management system and were working towards roll-out when they became aware of Sage’s latest solution, Sage Intacct, in September 2020.
At the time, Sage Intacct had been released in the USA but was still very new as a software option in the UK.
They conducted further research into the solution and quickly realised this would be a much better fit for their business.
While Sage X3 would have been the safe choice due to being well established in the UK market and covering the functionality the organisation required, there would have been a number of points of functionality that they would not have used.
Sage Intacct, on the other hand, offered everything they required and would be a more flexible option, allowing them to implement more add-ons as required to keep up with and accommodate the growth and development of the company structure.
They made the decision to take the risk and move away from Sage X3 and implement Sage Intacct.
In order to counteract this risk, finding the perfect implementation partner was now the key goal.
The Project
The implementation project began in November 2020, with a goal go-live date of 1st April 2021.
Due to a few factors, the project over ran slightly, and Sage Intacct instead went live in May; however, as they were keen to ensure implementation was thorough, there were no major concerns about a slight delay.
The transition from Sage 50 to Sage Intacct was described as “a learning curve, particularly for those who have been in the business longer and were therefore used to using Sage 50”.
While some processes are quite different and took some time to get used to, the familiarity with the Sage interface made the adoption of Sage Intacct easier for the team.
Around five months post go-live, a few complications arose during the process of compiling interim reports, which the company produces every six months.
The team explained, “There were a few gremlins when preparing for that. These were in both the build and the way it was used, so that created a bit of work but there’s not much that has been said about the system since, which is exactly what we want.”
Working With ACUITY24
The leadership team felt the project management from Acuity24 included consistent communication – one of the most important factors for success and customer satisfaction on such a large project.
Any issues were dealt with quickly if they arose, and additional resources provided when needed, with a Director stating “Has Intacct fulfilled the expectations set by Acuity? Yes.”.
Having Sage Intacct in place enabled workers to login and work fully-remotely – which became essential during the pandemic, and something their old solution would have struggled to accommodate.
Sales information is now available on the first of a month, enabling more informed decision-making.
Summarising their Results, Macdonald & Company stated:
Before Intacct, all conversations between finance and business unit heads consisted of people not understanding numbers and what things were. Now the conversations are about forecasting and building on numbers and results.
What challenges do global businesses face with legacy accounting systems?
They often struggle with slow reporting, limited scalability, poor remote access, and difficulty managing multiple entities.
How do you manage multi-entity accounting across international teams?
Cloud systems like Sage Intacct allow centralised control while supporting multiple currencies, entities, and reporting structures.
Why is Sage Intacct suitable for global organisations?
Sage Intacct supports multi-currency, multi-entity reporting, and remote access, making it ideal for distributed teams.
How does Sage Intacct improve month-end reporting?
Automation and real-time data significantly reduce the time required to produce financial reports.
What should businesses consider when replacing Sage 50 with Sage Intacct?
They should assess scalability, reporting needs, integration requirements, and long-term growth plans.
How does Sage Intacct support remote finance teams?
Being cloud-based, it allows teams to access financial data securely from anywhere, improving collaboration and efficiency.
FAQ’s
What is professional services automation software?
Professional services automation software, also known as PSA software, is a solution designed to help service-based organisations manage projects, resources, time tracking, billing and financial reporting from a single platform. It streamlines operations and provides greater visibility into project performance and profitability.
What is PSA software and how does it work?
PSA software stands for Professional Services Automation software. It works by automating key business processes such as project management, resource allocation, timesheet tracking and invoicing. By bringing these workflows together, PSA software helps professional services firms improve operational efficiency and financial control.
What are the benefits of using PSA software for professional services firms?
There are many benefits of using PSA software. It helps firms manage resources more effectively, improve project delivery times and ensure accurate client billing. It also provides real time financial insights and improves decision making. By integrating with accounting and CRM systems, PSA software helps eliminate manual processes and reduces errors.
What is the best professional services automation software for growing firms?
Sage Intacct, delivered by Acuity24, is considered one of the best professional services automation software solutions for growing firms in consulting, IT services and other professional sectors. It offers advanced project accounting, time tracking, billing automation and real time financial reporting, all within a true cloud environment.
Is PSA software suitable for IT companies?
Yes. PSA software for IT companies is specifically designed to handle project-based billing, resource management and service delivery tracking. Sage Intacct helps IT service providers manage multiple projects, track billable hours and automate invoicing, making it an ideal solution for technology firms.
How does professional services automation software improve billing and revenue recognition?
PSA software helps automate billing schedules, track time and expenses accurately and manage different revenue recognition methods. This ensures that professional services firms invoice clients promptly and recognise revenue in line with accounting standards, reducing the risk of errors and improving cash flow.
I want to speak to a person, how do I call?
At Acuity24, we’re always just the other end of the phone. Should you at any point want to speak to a human, our phone number is 01932 237110. Otherwise, simply book a meeting and we will contact you.
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