North West of Ireland Printing & Publishing Company
Founded in 1901, the North West of Ireland Printing and
Publishing Company (NWIPP) is one of the largest family- owned
newspaper companies in Ireland. Its seven publications include the
Tyrone Herald, Fermanagh Herald, Ulster Herald, Strabane Chronicle,
Donegal News bi-weekly and Gaelic Life.
Early days
With a combined circulation of over 50,000 and covering the
counties of Tyrone, Donegal and Fermanagh, the NWIPP has a strong
presence throughout the North West of Ireland. A family owned
company with traditional values, NWIPP relied on traditional manual
bookkeeping until 1996 when rapid expansion prompted the move to a
computerised accounting
system.
Company growth
Jennifer Harvey, Personnel Manager, remembers this period well.
"Demand for our publications was growing fast, as was the company
portfolio. At that time we were managing five titles and planning
the launch of even more. Processing this growing number of
transactions manually was becoming cumbersome - people were
dedicated to keying-and posting sales orders, which would take up
all of their time."
Selection criteria
Searching for the right integrated electronic ledger system was
the next move. Additional selection criteria further narrowed the
search, including the need for dual-based currency to handle
transactions throughout all of Ireland, and integration with the
company's advertising software.
"Gaining revenue from advertising was as key then as it is now
so visibility of what we were spending, and where, was key to the
selection process" Jennifer continues.
The search led to Dimensions from Access
Ireland. Designed specifically for the needs of growing
mid-market businesses, it proved the right fit for NWIPP. Having
designed an implementation plan, the system
went in on time and, according to Jennifer, "with military
precision!"
Immediate gains
"Access Ireland are always on the end of the phone and
always get back to you when they say they will. It's a comfort to
know we've got experts just down the road." Debbie Loughran
Purchase Ledger
With the fully computerised system in place, manual
administration was all but eliminated, providing immediate time
savings and improving accuracy across the business. The integration
provided by the Access interfacing tool - SDK/API, enabled client
data and transactions to process seamlessly between the advertising
software and the core system, eliminating data import/export duties
and providing straightforward monitoring of revenue and costs.
Changing needs
Fast forward ten years and NWIPP shows all the signs of
embracing the digital revolution. Its titles are available as
subscription-only electronic versions alongside their printed
counterparts and the company is revisiting the advertising software
they initially sought to integrate with. In response to these
changing needs, the NWIPP has tasked Access Ireland with further
increasing efficiencies within the business. A current BPR
(Business Process Review) is revealing new ways in which the
company can save time, money and increase cash flow. Standard
reports are under scrutiny too, with Access Ireland implementing
new ways to enable new and interactive ways of viewing key
financial statements such as P&L.
Credit control
With good debtor management now a necessity for any business,
NWIPP has enrolled in some training on the credit
control module. "Naturally, maintaining cash flow is the number
one priority at the moment, so we're looking for easier and more
efficient ways to distribute the workload" says Credit Controller,
Clive Harper.
The Access Dimensions Credit control module is designed to do
just that. It features a fully interactive debt collection screen
equipped with all the tools needed to chase debt effectively. For
example, individual chase lists can be allocated to specific staff
and their progress tracked via status flags, with an escalation
workflow to ensure that debt management duties are appropriately
assigned.
"We're looking forward to the training, which will allow us to
get fully up to speed" says Clive. "Better debt management
processes can only affect cash flow in a positive way and we're
very keen to utilise the functionality that we already have."
Strong support
Over the years, NWIPP has worked closely with Access Ireland and
its staff are positive about the consistently high level of support
they've received. "I've no complaints at all," says Purchase Ledger
Clerk, Debbie Loughran. "Access Ireland are always on the end of
the phone and always get back to you when they say they will. And
being local, it's a comfort to know we've got experts just down the
road if we need them."
Advocates
As one of Access Ireland's longest-standing customers, NWIPP is
confident that they've the right solution for the future. "Times
change and our system has grown with us," Jennifer concludes.
"Access Ireland has always delivered. Whether it's day-to-day
issues, or proactively finding practical solutions to meet our changing
needs, we're confident we're getting maximum return on
investment."
Key benefits
- Consistently accurate information - one integrated ledger system
eliminates re-keying and ensures data integrity
- Informed decision making - integration with advertising
software provides complete picture of revenue, enabling accurate
and profitable decisions
- Increased cash flow - credit
control functionality enables debts to be prioritised and chased
with minimum time and effort
- Time savings - electronic system eliminates manual posting to
ledgers
- Flexibility - modular solution can be expanded and tailored to
changing business needs e.g. addition of Credit control module
Keeping your decision-makers up to date with key performance indicators is essential – but too much information can overwhelm if it’s not easy to understand. This guide explains how dashboard technology can transform your decision-making by turning raw stats into interactive, live graphics.
Find out more »
Blog
RSS
Twitter 
LinkedIn