Touch

Touch was formed in 2006 to create and deliver a full range of brand experience solutions. Utilising its founders' significant experience in event management and brand communications, the company has seen rapid growth and is already a trusted partner to some of the world's most respected companies, including Microsoft, Starbucks, Boeing and HTC.

Maximising talent

Denise Cardy, Finance Director, was tasked with the research and selection of a business software solution that provided this ambitious new company with the tools it needed to drive profitability.

Industry	Professional Services
Geographic	Worldwide
Employees	14
Solution	FocalPoint Dimensions Lite
Modules	Core ledgers Purchase order processing Sales order processing & invoicing Absence Microsoft Office integration SDK Timesheets Expenses Project management Purchasing Reporting Corrections

As with any professional services organisation, the adage that 'time is money' holds fast, so it was imperative that the solution would maximise the talents of its workforce.

The search begins

During the research period, the company ran the accounts from Excel spreadsheets while Denise put together her objectives. A key requirement was a solution that would streamline the company's business processes, so keeping manual work at an absolute minimum. In addition ease of use was essential as the entire team would be using the system, including freelancers. Remote access was also essential to provide off-site workers with access to the system any time, anywhere. The company's global client base also meant that the new system would need to handle multi- currency transactions.

Although the new system would largely supersede the use of spreadsheets, in particular, reporting, Denise was still keen to use Excel for key tasks, such as creating budgets. Integration with Excel therefore was also a key item on the wish-list.

"There were plenty of solutions out there that could do the job adequately... but Dimensions was the only one that fitted our business needs exactly." Denise Cardy
Finance Director

Deciding factors

After researching the market, and test-driving several business and accounting packages, Denise selected Access Dimensions. "There were plenty of solutions out there that could do the job adequately," continues Denise, "but Dimensions was the only one that fitted our business needs exactly. The core reporting and accounting functionality was of an excellent standard - and it was also reassuring to see the solution's ICAEW accreditation and Microsoft Gold Partnership status. Because integration with Excel was also very important, the Access Office Integration module, which facilitates secure, two-way data exchange between Excel and the core accounts, was also key."

Denise's final decision was prompted by two further factors: the web-based project management system provided by FocalPoint, and excellent pre-sales support. "The consultants' dedication to the project, and understanding of the product, reassured me that Access Dimensions was the right choice for Touch."

Implementation

With all accounts information already held within Excel, the transfer of legacy data was simple and controlled. "The data was uploaded in batches to ensure accuracy and no problems going forward" continues Denise. "During the implementation, team and client worked as a partnership and Access receives full credit for adapting the solution to meet our changing needs. Choosing a new software solution is a big decision and the consultants' superb knowledge really did provide us with the reassurance that we needed."

The result

Touch has experienced time savings in two main areas - creation of a budget on the system and reconciling. "Prior to installing Access Dimensions, reconciling a budget could involve separating 600 lines of actual costs into multi currencies manually. Now I simply click a button, and it's done - and I am confident in the accuracy of the data."

Benefits of FocalPoint

The second area in which Touch has gained time savings is within the wider organisation itself. By providing its geographically diverse workforce with access to a centralised system, it is easy for the team to carry out administrative tasks in a simple and low-impact way - whether allocating time to a project, raising a purchase order, or inputting expenses data. FocalPoint provides this functionality through a browser-based series of modules, accessible via the internet and containing in-built approval procedures to ensure the correct data is processed.

"FocalPoint is very well-designed. Whether you're accessing a report, creating a purchase order or entering expenses, its clean, logical layout makes tasks easy and intuitive. If you know one module, you know them all, which is impressive, given the breadth of the solution. The team also loves the flexibility that web-based data entry provides."

Conclusion

"Our solution is in great shape," concludes Denise, "it functions very well, has increased the visibility of information at all levels, streamlined the business, and most importantly, allows the team to concentrate on what they do best - producing high-quality events. I would highly recommend Access Dimensions to any SME."

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A director's guide: Selecting business software for professional services organisations

Implementing a new system to manage your specific needs can be a daunting task but this guide provides a good overview. From doing your initial research to adding functionality, we show you what you need to know to when selecting business and accounting software.
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