About hospitality america
Hospitality America is a full-service hospitality management company committed to optimizing the hospitality experience for guests, team members, and partners. As preferred partners of Hilton and Marriott, Hospitality America manages a growing portfolio of high-quality hotels. Their mission centers on enabling guests to thrive through their pursuit of excellence in hotel management and operations.
The Challenge
Hospitality America’s growth plans required a more scalable accounting solution than Microsoft Dynamics Great Plains, which could no longer support their expansion.
The Solution
They selected Sage Intacct and Acumen Information Systems for its scalable features and expert implementation with ongoing support.
The Result
The switch to Sage Intacct has streamlined Hospitality America’s accounting processes, resulting in substantial time savings. The enhanced operational efficiency has set the stage for continued growth and success.
Full Sage Intacct Success Story:
Scaling for the Future
The company, currently managing 19 hotels, plans to grow to over 25 properties within the next 24 months and requires a more scalable and efficient accounting solution. Ben Campbell, CEO of Hospitality America, explained, “We looked at our growth trajectory and realized that Microsoft Dynamics GP couldn’t support our expanding needs. We needed a solution that could scale with us and integrate with our existing Business Intelligence product, ProfitSword.”
After evaluating several accounting solutions, Hospitality America chose Sage Intacct for its scalability, integration capabilities, and value for investment. “Price was also a consideration, and Sage Intacct gave us the most bang for our buck.”
Bringing Data Together
The decision to switch to Sage Intacct was driven by several factors, including the need for better data accessibility, integration, and enhanced technology. Jennifer Hopson, the Corporate Controller, emphasized, “A lot of our decision was around the data—how quickly we could access it and how we could integrate it with our other systems. Sage Intacct offered the best solution for bringing all our data together in the cleanest, and most effective way.”
Leigh Holloway, the Chief Strategy Officer, added:
“We appreciated that Sage Intacct was forward-thinking in terms of technology and artificial intelligence. Acumen’s vision for how Sage Intacct would evolve with future technology played a big part in our decision.”
Successful Implementation and More with Acumen
The implementation process was extensive, involving workshops and detailed planning sessions. Jennifer recalled, “We held around six different two-hour workshops where Acumen guided us through every part of our daily processes and the upcoming changes. They collaborated with us to tailor the Sage system to our needs and were available when we had questions.”
While the transition involved significant changes, particularly within the accounting department, the support from Acumen made a substantial difference. “There was hesitation at first since we had been using Microsoft Dynamics GP for such a long time,” Jennifer admitted, “but once we had our training and were able to show what Sage Intacct could do, people began to get excited. Acumen’s expertise and guidance were invaluable in ensuring a smooth and successful changeover.”
Acumen’s role extended beyond the standard implementation when Hospitality America leveraged its Customer Success Plan (CSP), which provided customizations, ongoing support, and tools. One notable customization involved bank reconciliations. “We had a few frustrations with the way bank reconciliations were working,” Jennifer explained, “but Acumen worked with us to customize the process to suit our company’s needs.”
With Hospitality America growing across multiple locations, it made sense to share costs, get help with reports, and let Acumen manage support tickets. Ben Campbell noted, “Having Acumen as a partner is very beneficial, especially from a scalability standpoint.”
Going Live on Sage Intacct
When the official go-live date arrived in April, the system switch was a seamless experience, thanks to meticulous planning and weekly check-ins with Acumen. “On the day of go-live, everything flowed easily. We didn’t have any issues, and it felt like another day, and because it didn’t interrupt our daily procedures,” Jennifer shared.
Hospitality America and Acumen were able to handle the data migration process smoothly, with careful coordination with Hospitality America’s IT Partner. Once Hospitality America verified the data to ensure accuracy, everything matched up perfectly for a flawless transition.
The Benefits of a Cloud Accounting Solution
Since transitioning to Sage Intacct, Hospitality America has experienced significant benefits, particularly in accounts payable (AP) automation and bank reconciliation. “Sage Intacct has made things easier for our office, and we are saving time on our end-of-month process,” Jennifer reported. “Even though there was a hiccup with AP automation, our GMs find it faster and easier to use.”
Looking ahead, Jennifer is optimistic about the future with Sage Intacct. “Once we have our bank feeds set up and we can do daily bank reconciliations, we will be saving days in our end-of-month process. For us, Sage Intacct has been working great and has only enhanced our operations.”
Constant Improvements with Acumen and Sage Intacct
Hospitality America continues to refine its processes with Sage Intacct, with plans to enhance AP workflows and explore additional tools like Sage Intacct Planning. “There are so many different tools that we haven’t started using yet, which will aid in our growth,” Jennifer said.
Hospitality America’s successful transition to Sage Intacct has positioned the company for continued growth and operational efficiency. The partnership between Hospitality America and Acumen has proven to be a valuable asset, ensuring that the company’s accounting needs are met with hospitality expertise and dedication. “Sage Intacct has been a great system for us,” Jennifer concluded. “We highly recommend Sage Intacct and if you are in the market for a new accounting system, then go for it!”
