Trigon Hotels Modernises with Sage Intacct and Percipient

A unique hospitality group is digitally transforming the Office of the CFO to boost efficiency and enable intelligent automation.

Trigon Hotels is one of Ireland’s leading hospitality groups, operating a collection of well-established hotels and leisure destinations. As the organisation looked to modernise its finance function, it needed a solution that could deliver timely reporting, improved operational insight and greater control across multiple properties.

Percipient implemented Sage Intacct to streamline financial management, automate key processes, and provide real-time access to business-critical data. The result is faster reporting, stronger financial oversight and more confident decision-making across the group.

About Trigon Hotels

Trigon Hotels, a prominent hospitality group based in Cork, Ireland, is renowned for genuine hospitality and exceptional experiences for guests and team members alike. The group includes notable properties such as the Cork International Hotel and The Metropole Hotel Cork, known for outstanding service and warmth.

Rooted in a commitment to people, technology, and sustainability, Trigon Hotels has recently initiated a digital transformation programme. The initiative aims to modernise operations and enhance automation in its financial management systems. This strategic move underscores Trigon Hotels’ dedication to innovation and efficiency, ensuring it continues to deliver exceptional experiences while adapting to modern 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 and delayed monthly account completion. Additionally, staff turnover within the finance team risked losing critical process knowledge.

The pandemic’s aftermath exacerbated these challenges, highlighting inefficiencies within the finance department. In response, Trigon Hotels engaged outsourced CFO consultancy Focus Solutions to transform its finance operations. Part of this transformation included sourcing a new platform to manage its financial functions more analytically.

After a comprehensive scoping initiative and evaluation of ERP products and suppliers, Trigon Hotels selected Percipient to deploy Sage Intacct. Several factors drove this decision:

• Simple, Intuitive Interface

  Sage Intacct’s user-friendly design made it easy for staff to adopt and use effectively.

• Integration Capabilities

  The platform’s seamless integration 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.

Hospitality Partners

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.

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.”

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.

Real-Time Data Analysis

Sage Intacct’s live data enables 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 it 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 we continuously operate and forecast 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.