Like most fledgling start-up businesses, Allmanhall was facing a significant outlay on new technology to install a system that would provide efficient invoicing and the quality of management information data that it required.

 

The company, which is based in Corsham, Wiltshire, was established jointly by Edward Hall with his son, Oliver. With 35 years’ experience in the hotel and catering sector, Edward knew that the speed and accuracy of reconciling suppliers’ statements and generating client invoices would be an all-important factor in maintaining a healthy cash flow.

 

Allmanhall specialises in the procurement of catering products and support services to independent clients particularly within the education sector. With a mission statement to provide best value prices for its clients, the company underpins this with total transparency of financial information and a can-do attitude. The accuracy of invoicing is therefore in keeping with the company’s philosophy.

 

Having reviewed the various systems, the company decided to work with Fretwell-Downing Hospitality (FDH) and instead of going down the traditional route of installing software on individual PCs, opted for a sophisticated web-hosted system.

 

Through FDH’s Saffron Zest internet-based system, Allmanhall’s catering manager clients can access the password-protected website to enter their requirements online, which then generates weekly and monthly trading reports. At the end of each accounting period invoices are automatically created, and sent virtually instantly by email to clients.

 

Edward Hall explains: “For our company, it is absolutely paramount that we invoice accurately and speedily, supported by informative reports to suit each client. Through Saffron Zest we can have complete confidence that this is achieved, which is a fantastic help to our cash flow.  It has avoided the errors that can sometimes happen when carrying out the invoicing manually, and the web-based system has made access to enter the data far easier as we can use any PC or laptop as long as there is an internet connection.”

 

As well as avoiding the initial capital costs of installing conventional technology, the ongoing maintenance and ‘scaleability’ of the system is also a crucial element for companies that are on the expansion path.

 

This is another reason why Allmanhall selected the web-hosted system, which is operated on ‘license per site basis’.

 

With six sizeable accounts under its belt within less than a year of being established, and more in the offing, the company simply has to purchase a licence for each new client site, therefore avoiding the complications and expense of having to install software.

 

Maintenance of the system and operation of the web site is carried out by FDH. For Allmanhall this has had a distinct advantage of cutting out the need to employ IT expertise specifically to maintain the system.

 

With its experience within the hospitality sector FDH was also able to tailor the system specifically to Allmanhall’s requirements.

 

“After the initial training the whole system is user-friendly, and it integrates well with our Sage management accounting system, which reduces the need for re-entering data,” Edward explains. “Right from the start, FDH understood our business objectives and has given us really excellent support throughout.

 

“We not only have a system that we can rely upon but one which is also flexible enough to allow for future growth. We can operate at a faster pace because the system is basically ‘live’ so we can instantly see when an entry is recorded. Entering information onto Saffron Zest, which has been recently upgraded to become even more user-friendly, could not be easier, and closing down the accounting period and month end is faster than any other system I know.”

 

Andrew Markwell, FDH sales director added: “Web-hosted systems are growing all the time as companies look to reduce their IT costs, and our business is servicing an ever increasing number of clients via the web hosted option. Allmanhall has really seen the advantages of this through Saffron Zest, which we were able to tailor to their specific requirements. It is great to see a new company clearly benefiting by having a system that improves an important business function such as invoicing.”

 

Allmanhall Web Site http://www.allmanhall.co.uk/