Trigon Hotels Modernises with Sage Intacct and Percipient
Unique hospitality group digitally transforms the Office of the CFO for enhanced efficiency and intelligent automation.
About Trigon Hotels
Trigon Hotels, a prominent hospitality group based in Cork, Ireland, is renowned for its genuine hospitality and exceptional experiences extended to both its guests and team members. The group encompasses notable properties such as the Cork International Hotel and The Metropole Hotel Cork, with a reputation for outstanding service and warmth.
Rooted in a commitment to people, technology, and sustainability, Trigon Hotels has recently initiated a digital transformation programme. This initiative aims to modernise their operations and enhance automation within their financial management systems. This strategic move underscores Trigon Hotels’ dedication to innovation and efficiency, ensuring they continue to provide exceptional experiences while adapting to contemporary technological advancements.
Delivering a Digitalised Financial Future
Trigon Hotels, previously reliant on Sage 50, faced numerous manual processes and workarounds in their financial management. This reliance on manual data processing was time-consuming, causing delays in monthly account completion. Additionally, staff turnover within the finance team posed a risk of losing critical process knowledge.
The challenges were exacerbated by the aftermath of the pandemic, highlighting inefficiencies within the finance department. In response, Trigon Hotels enlisted the help of outsourced CFO consultancy Focus Solutions to transform its finance operations. Part of this transformation included sourcing a new platform to manage their financial functions more analytically.
After a comprehensive scoping initiative and evaluation of ERP products and suppliers, Trigon Hotels selected Percipient to deploy Sage Intacct. This decision was driven by several factors:
- Simple, Intuitive Interface
Sage Intacct’s user-friendly design made it easy for staff to adopt and use effectively. - Integration Capabilities
The platform’s ability to integrate seamlessly with third-party applications such as online banking, property management, procurement, and HR/Payroll systems was crucial. - Automation and Reporting
Sage Intacct offered intelligent automation and robust reporting capabilities. - Scalability
The system could scale to support future business growth. - Automatic Intercompany Transactions
Simplified handling of financial transactions between different entities within Trigon Hotels.
Julie Daly, Finance Manager at Trigon Hotels, commented on the partnership: “From the outset, Percipient demonstrated a good understanding of Trigon’s business, as well as our role and goals in driving digital transformation within the finance department. This, combined with the team’s extensive experience in the hospitality industry, meant that we had absolute confidence in the software and that Percipient was the right consultancy for our project.”
This strategic shift to Sage Intacct, facilitated by Percipient, marks a significant step towards modernising Trigon Hotels’ financial operations, ensuring efficiency and supporting their continued growth.
From the outset, Percipient demonstrated a good understanding of Trigon’s business, as well as our role and goals in driving digital transformation within the finance department. This, combined with the team’s extensive experience in the hospitality industry, meant that we had absolute confidence in the software and that Percipient was the right consultancy for our project.
A Methodology for Success
“Our methodology has been very much focused on a “first time right” ethos, whereby we work diligently to ensure a process is fully understood, refined, and working well before we move on to the next. This approach ensures the system is underpinned by rigour, and we won’t have to pause progress to revisit bottlenecks,” Julie continues.
“Percipient has been great to work with, supporting us as an outsourced CFO team and helping us meet Trigon’s goals, adding value at every stage.
“We’re excited to build on our “first time right” philosophy and extend Sage Intacct’s reporting to our general managers, empowering them with the intelligence to thrive in their respective roles and realise greater potential from the system.
“As the hospitality industry continues to face economic headwinds, having the flexibility and scalability of a world-class platform at our helm brings immense confidence and will be pivotal in helping us to pursue future growth.”
Digital Empowerment
With the implementation of Sage Intacct, Trigon Hotels has significantly enhanced its financial operations, enabling a higher level of digital empowerment across the organisation. Sage Intacct’s intelligent automation and seamless insights support better decision-making, allowing staff to focus on adding greater value to the business and assisting in other areas where their skills are needed.
Enhanced Data Insights
Sage Intacct’s capabilities extend beyond traditional numerical data, utilising Statistical Accounts to capture vital metrics such as Hours Worked by Department and Covers by Location. This comprehensive data collection provides the executive team with a deeper understanding of business performance, supporting more accurate forecasting and planning. By comparing current data with previous years, Trigon Hotels can gain insights into potential trends and prepare for the year ahead more effectively.
Sage Intacct allows us to add budget categories or modify lines easily to ensure accuracy and relevance. We can duplicate the budget template to a forecast model and continuously modify each month as we progress through the year, easily comparing one scenario to another. Our year-end forecasts are automatically updated to reflect any changes, ensuring that we are continuously operating and forecasting with the latest, most relevant data available.
Real-Time Data Analysis
The access to live data provided by Sage Intacct allows Trigon Hotels to identify patterns, trends, and anomalies in real time. This immediate insight offers the opportunity to react swiftly to potential threats or to capitalise on emerging opportunities.
Derek Lee, Financial Controller at Trigon Hotels, highlights the impact of this functionality: “We typically run a 90-day forecast, and we are now into our third month using this in Intacct. Sage Intacct allows us to add budget categories or modify lines easily to ensure accuracy and relevance. We can duplicate the budget template to a forecast model and continuously modify each month as we progress through the year, easily comparing one scenario to another. Our year-end forecasts are automatically updated to reflect any changes, ensuring that we are continuously operating and forecasting with the latest, most relevant data available. As soon as monthly actuals are reported, the reports we’ve created allow us to get a clear vision of the year-end outcome.”
Continuous Improvement & Adaptation
This real-time approach to financial management enables Trigon Hotels to maintain a dynamic and responsive strategy. The ability to continuously update and modify forecasts means the organisation can adapt quickly to changing circumstances, ensuring that decisions are always based on the most current data. This capability not only enhances operational efficiency but also supports strategic planning and long-term growth.
Sage Intacct for Hospitality
The integration of Sage Intacct at Trigon Hotels represents a significant step forward in their digital transformation journey. By leveraging intelligent automation and real-time data insights, the hotel group is now better equipped to navigate the complexities of financial management, ultimately driving improved business performance and supporting sustainable growth.
If you’d like to learn more about Sage Intacct, our work with Trigon Hotels, or to discuss how we can help your hospitality business, get in touch or call us on 01606 871332.
