Ian Crawford, ACMA, CGMA

Major Public Sector Digital Transformation Trend💡 HMRC invested £378M in their ERP transformation as part of the Unity Cluster Programme. Deloitte was awarded a 5-year delivery partner contract worth £120M, while SAP was awarded 2x 10-year license & cloud contracts at a value of £260M #DigitalTransformation #PublicSector #GovernmentTech #ERPImplementation #HMRC #SAP #Deloitte #UnityProgramme

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Check out my latest article for erp today about the challenges of change management that haven’t changed at all in 25 years! A blast from the past for some of our long standing colleagues as well.

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We’ve just released our December 2024 newsletter, offering insights into the UK Accountancy & Finance and Change/Transformation recruitment markets. It highlights key trends, expert advice, and tips to navigate the current recrutiment landscape.

I think this is a useful comparison of cost avoidance, cost reduction, and cost base optimisation to help make the right choices for your business: https://bit.ly/3V7zO8j #CostPressure #CostOptimisation #CostStrategy

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Cost is a fascinating subject. When should we invest? How much? Should we invest to save? What is the right cost that will drive growth vs what is unnecessary expenditure? Keeping up with technological advancements can be key to saving money and that can range from eliminating postage using digital solutions to taking advantage of free storage within Office 365 to replace outdated and costly alternatives.

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💡 5 Reasons Accountants Use Power BI.   In this article on AccountingWEB.co.uk we do exactly as billed. We offer five short, snappy reasons why accountants in particular are drawn to Power BI like moths to a flame. So if you’re an accountant tittering on the edge of Power BI, we’re here to help push you over - go on, you won’t regret it. 🚀 https://lnkd.in/eq79rxYi PowerBI.bg #powerbi #accounting #tugger #accountingweb

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According to Make UK, there are currently over 60,000 vacancies in the manufacturing industry costing the UK economy billions of pounds due to lost output. This staggering figure highlights a critical issue that many manufacturing businesses face today. Manufacturing operations are often incredibly complex, involving difficult systems, paper-based processes, and a high reliance on skilled personnel. These factors make training, onboarding, and integrating new staff a significant challenge. Slow, outdated systems and manual processes not only hamper productivity but also make it harder to attract and retain top talent in an already competitive job market. I believe that the key to overcoming these challenges lies in embracing modern technology solutions. Our whole approach at SymVolli is designed to streamline operations, automate routine tasks, and provide real-time data, making it easier to train and onboard new staff quickly and efficiently. By reducing reliance on cumbersome paper-based processes and simplifying complex systems, we help manufacturing businesses unlock new opportunities. Imagine a workplace where new employees can be productive from day one, where information is readily accessible, and where operations run smoothly without constant human intervention. This is the future we envision for the manufacturing industry.

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🚀 Why Join HMRC's MTD for Income Tax Beta? 🚀 HM Revenue & Customs has launched its private beta for Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax. While many accountants and bookkeepers may be hesitant to jump in before the April 2026 mandate, I strongly encourage firms to enroll a few clients now. Here's why: 💡 Early Adoption Benefits: Experience & Expertise: Back in 2016, my old firm (Sagars Accountants - now part of the AAB Group) was among the first to submit a VAT return under MTD using Intuit QuickBooks. This early involvement made us experts in the new workflows, ensuring a smooth transition for our clients (and the team). Future-Ready: Being proactive positioned us as a forward-thinking, digital firm. We embraced new tech and ways of working, benefiting both our firm and our clients. Reduced Stress: By the time the legislation was live, we were fully prepared, confident, and ready to support our clients. Plus, we attracted new clients by demonstrating our readiness. 🔗 This applies to MTD for ITSA as well! 🎤 Join our Webinar: Learn more about MTD for ITSA and how Dext Solo can support your firm and clients. I'm hosting a webinar this Wednesday 21st at 10am. Can't make it live? No worries—we'll send you a recording afterwards! 👉 https://lnkd.in/e8yy3RrM #MTD #HMRC #Accountants #Bookkeepers #Dext

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A large number of companies grow through M&A. This results in multiple ERP systems and the overheads these incur. Not to mention the possibility of local or regulatory demands. How Do you cope ? Do you build tools collect, collate and restructure data from these disparate systems and at what cost ? Should you look for a best of breed alternative with proven experience ? Let me know your thoughts or contact me if you want to discuss further.

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Interims - The Value of Experience in Avoiding Mistakes. Why Clients are potentially storing up problems which mean Transformation Programs will ultimately take twice as long or twice as much investment to deliver. Interim Market Report 2024 with Mark Saywell and Mark Vincent. Check out the Full Video here: https://lnkd.in/eqz8PR9T

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Martin Smith thanks for putting out a bumper Christmas edition of BQ and I would love to get feedback from anyone who reads my article and gives it a go - remember every small step you take has the potential to take you on a successful journey to somewhere beyond where you are now... Merry Festivities to one and all! There are some seriously cracking articles in BQ again so read them through with a cuppa and a mince pie! #KnowledgeManagement #BidManagement #ProposalManagement #ContentManagement #ProfessionalDevelopment

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Large Enterprises Expect £20m Revenue Uplift From CFO Technology Investment Over Next Three Years “The CFO role is no longer one of financial gatekeeper, but to fully embrace this role, CFOs need to invest in the right technology, driving growth with the help of a refreshed tech stack,” said Hristo Borisov, CEO of Payhawk. “The CFO no longer wants to be an ‘operational bottleneck’, and investment in better technology will mean they don’t have to be.” “Today’s CFOs are embracing new challenges, keen to capitalise on the insights their unique position in a business offers,” added Borisov,. “However, the finance department has been neglected when it comes to investment in digital innovation, and as a result can be bogged down in operational matters rather than leveraging data to provide strategic insight.” “Emblematic of this desire for continued change is the focus on increasing revenue over cutting costs, not traditionally the remit of a CFO — and with it a willingness to invest in the right tools.” https://lnkd.in/e8aKx6BU Daniel Lowther Jack Cummings Benjamin Neville-Wood Charles Emerson Mariya Komarova Boyko Karadzhov Ivan Kovalyov #fintech #finance #banking #paytech #payments #fintechnews #paymentsnews

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For your business to keep up with the times and successfully move into the future, you need the right partners. Detailed reporting features from Sage Accounting enabled Accounting Instincts Consultancy to offer their clients strategic advice and insightful business intelligence. View all the features and get started with a free 30-day trial here: http://1sa.ge/amRP50SsSUJ #SageForSmallBiz #Productivity #SageForAccountants

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Agility is a fundamental requirement for maintaining relevance, competitiveness and resilience in an uncertain economic landscape. The ‘Mastering Agility in the Digital Finance Function' GENCFO Community report in association with Kainos, features exclusive insights from finance leaders, confronts traditional practices and explores why agility is indispensable for the modern finance function. Download your copy here: https://okt.to/r0ewOV #GENCFO #Agility #Finance

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