Couch Perry & Wilkes replaces legacy finance system

Couch Perry & Wilkes has replaced its legacy finance system with AccountsIQ and ExpenseIn across its 13 offices.

The UK mechanical, electrical and power design consultancy had been using Pegasus Opera 3 as its main finance system before moving to the cloud-based accounting and expense platforms. The older system was no longer keeping pace with a growing organisation spread across multiple locations.

CPW needed multi-entity accounting, cost-centre reporting across its office network and links to systems it planned to keep. The new setup also connects ExpenseIn with the company's HR and payroll system, Iris Cascade, so cost centres update automatically when staff move between departments or teams.

Implementation took less than three months. Over the following nine months, the new setup reduced manual data entry, improved data quality and created a full audit trail across purchase orders and invoices.

The changes also gave senior leadership more detailed cost-centre reporting. That is particularly relevant for a business operating across several offices and regions, where finance teams often need to track spending and performance more closely.

Tom Perks outlined the problems CPW was trying to solve when he joined the business.

"When I joined the business, we had some legacy systems in place, namely Pegasus Opera 3, which was our main financial management system. It was very dated. We were looking for something the business could continue to grow with, while also supporting multi-entity accounting, particularly given the number of offices and regions we work across," said Tom Perks, Finance Manager, CPW.

CPW said one factor in selecting AccountsIQ was its ability to integrate with the consultancy's existing project management software. That meant the company did not need to replace every part of its back-office technology at the same time.

Perks also described the role of ExpenseIn in reducing manual work between systems.

"One of the main reasons we chose AccountsIQ over other offerings was the seamless integration it would have with our project management system. ExpenseIn also provided a strong offering. Previously, a lot of time was spent manually transferring and importing data from one system to another, but that is now handled through various APIs. As a result, the quality of data is more robust," said Perks.

Connected systems

AccountsIQ and ExpenseIn are part of the same group after AccountsIQ acquired ExpenseIn. For CPW, the combined system brought together accounting, expenses and links to payroll and project management tools in a single finance workflow.

The consultancy specialises in designing and integrating energy solutions for new and existing buildings, with work centred on sustainability and energy efficiency. Businesses in that sector often manage projects across different locations and teams, which can put pressure on older finance systems built around more localised operations.

CPW is now moving towards a wider internal rollout of ExpenseIn for company credit card spending, using automated bank feeds. It also plans to use the platform's carbon reporting tools, reflecting sustainability as a core part of its work.

Darren Cran said the change has given CPW tighter control over finance processes.

"CPW's legacy finance system was delaying its projected growth. The new connected financial stack, combining AccountsIQ and ExpenseIn, has struck the right balance to give CPW better oversight of its finance operations and improve productivity by reducing reliance on manual data entry. In just nine months, we've brought a detailed audit trail to purchase orders, approvals and invoices, along with much deeper reporting for senior leadership across CPW's cost centres. Through this, we've established greater security around what is going through its purchase ledger. We look forward to continuing to support CPW as it grows," said Darren Cran, Chief Executive Officer, AccountsIQ.

AccountsIQ said it supports more than 35,000 users in over 85 countries, while ExpenseIn said it processes more than one million expenses each month in more than 50 countries.