How We Knew We'd Outgrown Our Finance System and Moved To Sage Intacct

Does Your Finance System Still Fit?

At The HBP Group, we asked ourselves the same question. Here’s what happened.

Does This Sound Familiar?

Month-end takes longer than it used to. Reports that should take minutes now take hours. Someone has built a spreadsheet to fill a gap in the system, and that spreadsheet has become business-critical. Workarounds have quietly become part of the process.

If any of that sounds familiar, you’re probably not dealing with a broken system. You’re dealing with a system you’ve outgrown.

That was exactly the position we found ourselves in at The HBP Group. After more than 25 years on the same platform, we made the decision to move to Sage Intacct.

Here’s what we learned.

When Your System No Longer Reflects How You Work

Our finance platform had served us well. But as the business grew, so did the cracks.

The general ledger had become too limited for the way we operate today. Reporting relied increasingly on manual effort, pulling together data, building reports by hand and correcting errors along the way.

“We were spending far too much time pulling reports together manually. The system was also becoming unstable as our data and user base grew. We were getting daily errors.”
Joanne Partridge, CEO

This is often how businesses realise they’ve outgrown their finance system. Not because everything suddenly breaks, but because friction builds gradually over time. Spreadsheets appear, processes adapt and workarounds become normal.

Eventually, the question stops being “does it still work?” and becomes “does it still support the business properly?”

Six Signs You Might Have Outgrown Your Finance System

If you’re questioning whether it’s time to review your ERP platform, these are the warning signs we’d look for:

• Month-end reporting takes significantly longer than it used to
• Teams rely on spreadsheets to fill gaps in the system
• Your data or user base has grown, but system performance has not kept up
• Remote access or cloud working feels like a workaround rather than a seamless experience
• You’re experiencing errors or instability that weren’t there before
• Management information is difficult to access quickly and reliably

It Wasn’t Just About Replacing Software

When we started evaluating options, we quickly realised this was not purely a technology decision. The way our team worked had changed. Remote access, cloud collaboration and real-time reporting had become essential.

“Remote access and RDS just weren’t good enough anymore. We needed a cloud-based platform that fit the way we work today, and Sage Intacct gave us that.”
Joanne Partridge, CEO

We weren’t simply looking for new software. We were looking for a platform that reflected how our business actually operates and could support future growth.

Why Sage Intacct Was the Right Fit for Us

The right ERP solution is never one-size-fits-all. We evaluated our options carefully based on what our business genuinely needed: a cloud-first finance platform built around multi-entity reporting, without unnecessary stock management or manufacturing functionality.

“We’re not managing stock or manufacturing. We needed something streamlined and scalable that matched how we operate, and Sage Intacct gave us exactly that.”
Joanne Partridge, CEO

For businesses with more complex operational, distribution or manufacturing requirements, other platforms within our portfolio may be a better fit. The important thing is choosing a solution that aligns with how your business actually works, not upgrading simply for the sake of it.

The project was led internally with support from our Sage Intacct team, and we were pleased with how smoothly the implementation process went. That’s where experience matters.

The Biggest Benefit Came During Implementation

One of the most valuable parts of the project was not the migration itself. It was the opportunity to redesign our financial reporting from the ground up.

Rather than recreating what we already had, we stepped back and asked ourselves a better question: what information do we actually need, and what decisions are we trying to support?

“We had the opportunity to start from scratch, think carefully about the information we actually wanted to see and build around that. It wasn’t just a copy-and-paste exercise. It was a genuine improvement project.”
Joanne Partridge, CEO

That shift, from system implementation to genuine process improvement, is one of the most underrated benefits of moving at the right time.

What We’re Looking Forward To

We’re already live, and some of the biggest benefits are still ahead. The area Joanne is most excited about is the impact improved reporting will have across the leadership and management teams.

“Once everyone has access to their dashboards and report packs, it’ll be a game-changer. No more patchwork spreadsheets. Just clear, reliable insight to help people make better decisions faster.”
Joanne Partridge, CEO

Is It Time to Have the Conversation?

If you’re starting to question whether your finance system still reflects the way your business operates today, that question alone is worth exploring.

Many businesses are still running finance platforms that are no longer actively evolving. They may still function and remain technically supported, but the gap between what the system can do and what the business needs widens every year.

Security vulnerabilities take longer to resolve. Integrations become harder to maintain. Reporting limitations become accepted as normal.

By the time the situation feels urgent, your options may already be limited.

Having the conversation early, before there is pressure, disruption or a forced deadline, puts you in control of the process rather than reacting to it later.

Joanne’s advice to businesses considering a similar move:

“Make time for it. It’s not just about switching systems. It’s about improving the way the business operates. Give it the focus it deserves, and the benefits will pay back every day.”
Joanne Partridge, CEO

We’ve delivered more than 300 successful ERP projects, and our consultants have been Sage-certified for over 18 years. We understand what successful ERP projects look like because we’ve guided businesses through them for decades and recently went through the process ourselves.

We also provide ongoing AAT-accredited support after go-live, so businesses are never left figuring things out alone once the implementation is complete.

Already Using Sage 200?

We work with many businesses running Sage 200 that are starting to ask the same questions. We can provide an honest comparison of where Sage 200 still fits well and where Sage Intacct may offer a stronger long-term solution.

Ready to Find Out if Your Finance System Is Still Working for You?

Book a no-pressure conversation with one of our consultants. We’ll listen to where you are today, share what we learned from our own move and help you understand what the right next step could look like for your business.

→ Speak to a consultant at The HBP Group

The HBP Group is an award-winning UK provider of Managed IT Services and ERP Software, with over 30 years' experience supporting businesses across the UK.