Sembmarine SLP Ltd specialises in the design and development of structures for the offshore energy industry. The business works with clients on a project basis where real-time data is key to analysing project performance, forecasting risk and mitigating issues before they become problems. Management Accountant Lee Rayner, recognised it was difficult to extract the information needed to effectively manage projects. Lee made the switch to Aqilla in January 2020 and now relies on it for efficient management reporting and its big potential for project-based intelligence.
Lee considered several accounting packages but was put off by high implementation costs. Aqilla provided an affordable solution that allowed Sembmarine to implement key elements in stages. Lee was impressed by its ease of implementation and easy-to-learn features.
Lee says, “Aqilla is set up with built-in learning resources that shows you how everything works. It’s very intuitive and quick to pick up. Aqilla’s support team was there if I needed anything, and we had a timetable in place with regular catch ups to make sure everything went smoothly.”
Aqilla’s integration with SharperLight and Excel means Lee can create impactful accounting reports.
Lee says, “What’s been really useful is the SharperLight reporting. You can build reports that update automatically and look very professional. Now we’re producing the accounts more efficiently.”
With Aqilla’s management reporting firmly in place, Lee is now looking to take advantage of Aqilla’s project reporting features to better manage ongoing financials as they apply to each project’s individual budget. Aqilla will allow Lee to upload budgets into a standard project report, forecast and track costs, and make sure they’re on target. Historically, it has taken too long to gather this kind of information.
Looking ahead to future developments, Lee says, “We’ll be using Aqilla for live project performance data to assist in decision making. We need to be able to identify risks early on and mitigate them. With Aqilla we can build project dashboards, bringing in information from external systems, so that management have the tools they need to deliver projects and meet the KPIs. Having all of this in one place is going to save us time and ultimately improve control which is key for us.”
Aqilla is set up with built-in learning resources that shows you how everything works. It’s very intuitive and quick to pick up.
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