Success stories:
Association for Project Management
Access helps APM streamline processes and facilitate growth for the organisation
Background
The Association for Project Management (APM) has used Access solutions for over a decade - introducing integrated solutions in line with the growing organisation’s needs.
Challenges
- Replacing a previously outsourced finance system developed by someone without accounts training
- Existing financial records unreliable
- Many in-house processes manual or spreadsheet driven
Approach
- Needed a finance system that improved visibility and reliability of data across the organisation, whilst allowing them to move away from disparate systems, automate processes and introduce additional integrated solutions as required.
Results
- Able to grow their business thanks to the efficiency gained by implementing Access Financials suite
- Streamlined their purchasing and invoicing processes
- Able to add to their suite of integrated products and modules to meet business needs as the organisation grows
Access allowed us to do a lot more thanks to the high level of automation provided by the software.
Save time and work more efficiently
Right from implementation, Access Finance software has made Jayne and her team’s jobs easier. “At the time, which was 13 years ago, it had a dramatic impact… the systems worked better than the previous function and it allowed us to do a lot more, automated, than had previously been done, so it had a big effect on how we could go forward.”
Automating processes that were previously manual, and eliminating the need to have information shared by ‘passing bits of paper’ as Jayne puts it, has been a big driver for APM. Since first introducing Access Financials software APM have been able to add further functions to their suite of Access solutions, which have allowed them to automate and improve more processes throughout the business over time giving employees the freedom to do more.
“We automated our purchase order process, before which we just had a manual process, then we implemented the invoice register process which has been really useful… We’ve got just under 100 users throughout our company that use Access software for invoice approval and purchase order approval.”
A relationship that works
Despite the potential challenges of moving over into the new solution, particularly given the unreliability of the existing data, Jayne was pleased with the original implementation process, saying "We had a lot of help from Access at the time and they helped us integrate everything… it went very smoothly considering we were faced with a whole new operation."
And ongoing support available is something that has set Access aside from other companies throughout the relationship.
The best thing about working with Access is the fact that we can actually pick up the phone and 9 times out of 10 get an instant answer or help with our enquiry… we can also do it online and get a quick response and aren’t just waiting weeks for a response. We don’t get that with Access and for me that’s massively important.
Software that grows with us
The initial transition to Access Finance management system very quickly had a dramatic impact for APM. The systems worked better than their previous solution, and the level of automation they could introduce had a big effect on how the organisation could move forward.
Since implementing their first Access product 13 years ago, APM have been able to expand their suite of integrated solutions to meet the needs of their growing organisation, introducing several solutions in the following years.
Following on from the success of their current solutions, APM are now looking to other areas where Access Financials Operations can help them to streamline their operations, such as introducing automated workflow forms.
APM are also growing their suite of Access solutions in other areas, having recently implemented Expense and Making Tax Digital modules on Access Workspace, which is being very well received. Jayne adds “We’re rolling that out, we use it for employees and volunteers, we’ve got a base of around 500 volunteers so in time we’re going to roll it out to them but at the moment it’s with employees and it’s going down very well.