How Access finance software helped Anthology streamline their financial processes and facilitate rapid company growth
Challenges
- Replacing a manual, spreadsheet-based system no longer fit for purpose
- Reporting and viewing data was difficult
- As a growing company needed the ability to integrate new acquisitions easily
Approach
- Needed a product suite to suit a growing company with options to scale and add functions as necessary.
- Finance software also needed to automate processes improving efficiency in the face of increasing transactions and facilitate effective and dynamic reporting
Results
- Moved away from manual systems and spreadsheets and automated their processes
- Saved time and became more able to work more efficiently
- Produce reports and retrieve information very easily and quickly
- Scale up at their own pace thanks to the versatility of the software allowing them to add entities as and when they need to
"From day dot everyone from Access has been fantastic… making your life easy, understanding what you need, getting the job done, and providing a really good solution for the company."
Roz Johnson - Group Financial Accountant, Anthology
Anthology have used Access Finance and Accounting software since their second year of operation, and the product suite has helped them to improve the efficiency of their financial processes and support their growing operations with the simple scalability of the solutions.
Access has made life easier
Since implementation, Access Finance and Accounting software has helped Roz to make her job easier and more efficient. By automating inputting processes, and storing all information in a single space, Access finance software has improved the visibility and accessibility of Anthology’s data. This also means that Anthology’s reporting processes are easier and more dynamic. Roz can react swiftly to any enquiries they have regarding their data, creating tailored reports quickly and accurately.
“If all of a sudden we decide we need a new analysis on stuff, we can add that in and change it and it’s instant so compared to [other software] the reporting process is so much quicker, literally the click of a button.”
Having rolled out further functions to other areas of the business as Anthology has grown, the software’s ease of use has been a key benefit to the company.
“The software is very easy, intuitive to use, so that it’s used across our business for all the commercial teams.”
Roz has also benefitted from additional training and information opportunities offered by Access which has then helped her to really utilise the full functionality of Anthology’s suite of Access products.
“[I have learned] simple things like how to make the job quicker… and also be more effective for the business.”
Supporting our growing business
Since implementing Access Finance and Accounting software management system, Anthology’s suite of solutions has supported and kept pace with their growing operations.
“Access made the ability to scale, quickly, very easy. We use a single database and we can add an entity whenever we need to, very simply and very quickly.”
Anthology have also been able to add functionality as their business needs have grown. The entire commercial staff at Anthology now use access software for a number of functions including purchase invoice approval, logging expenses and booking holiday. And it has been simple for Anthology to rollout the user-friendly solutions to their staff, “it’s very straight forward and easy for people to use.”
Anthology continue to add to their suite of Access solutions. They are currently implementing Making Tax Digital on Access Workspace and, having grown to a staff of 40 employees, are also looking to Access to provide further solutions for their HR needs. Roz adds “I think Workspace is going to be a really exciting platform… having got a glimpse of it with Making Tax Digital I think where that is going is going to be really good.”
Understanding what you need and getting the job done
From the beginning Roz has enjoyed an excellent relationship with Access. Before committing to taking on a suite of Access Finance and Accounting solutions, Roz says that the team at Access did a lot of work, upfront, to really understand the needs of the business and ensure that they were getting the right solution. This thorough support continued throughout the implementation of their Access Finance and Accounting solutions.
“During implementation we went through an even more detailed process of finding out exactly every detail of what was required… making sure what we got was actually what we asked for and needed.” Since then, Access has continued to support Anthology in their use and development of their Access Finance and Accounting suite. As well as Access staff doing what they can to, in Roz’s words, “make your life easy, understanding what you need and getting the job done,”
Roz has also been able to attend Access hosted events. There, she’s been able to learn further tips and tricks to fully utilise their solutions, further improving her own efficiency, as well as hear about future developments and understand how they can benefit the Anthology business.
