PS+C Group becomes first DXC Eclipse customer in Australia to implement Business Central

Challenge

Founded in 2013, PS+C Group (PS+C) is a leading end-to-end ICT and digital consulting organisation with more than 400 expert consultants and locations in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, and Canberra. The business is listed on the ASX (PSZ) and works with many of Australia’s leading brands and government agencies. Since its formation, PS+C has acquired a number of expert consultancies.

Currently, there are 12 individual businesses in the group, supporting four pillars of expertise: discovery and insights; design and process; cloud and delivery; and defend and secure. Each of the businesses was still running as a separate entity with its own individual accounting, payroll, and timesheet systems. Consolidation and reporting to corporate level was done using Excel spreadsheets. This was adequate when the business was smaller however, as the business grew, it required a fully integrated system that brought finance, payroll, and timesheets together.

Jeff Bennett, CFO, PS+C Group, said, “The business needed a way to consolidate reporting to corporate level. It was important to have sufficient financial controls in place to let corporate review and control the finances within each of the businesses.

“PS+C also needed a solution that was based in the cloud to facilitate better access to data for employees. Increasing numbers of remote workers needed to be able to access systems from their phones to stay productive. With server-based accounting packages, it’s often hard to access the data. A cloud-based system would overcome this challenge.”

Solution

The PS+C team began to investigate potential solutions, considering all the leading accounting packages. Also in the mix was Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central.

Jeff Bennett said, “We chose Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central because it was Microsoft-based. The team had strong experience with Dynamics solutions in the past and we could see that the other accounting packages didn’t provide the capabilities the business required. While PS+C is not a big company, this is a massive digital transformation project for us and we needed to get it right.”

As a previous DXC Technology employee, Jeff Bennett was aware of the value that could be gained from a partnership with DXC Eclipse to implement Business Central.

Working together with DXC Eclipse, PS+C has completed the initial systems build of Business Central and is currently undergoing testing before importing the master data into the system. Once this is complete, PS+C will have all information in one, consolidated solution, which is anticipated to deliver quicker turnaround at month-end for reporting, as well as better visibility into accounts.

Jeff Bennett said, “Currently the monthly reporting cycle sits at around 10 to 12 business days. We plan to cut that down to five days using Business Central. This will deliver additional business efficiency alongside improved access to data for staff.”

Projected outcome and benefits

Implementing Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central will provide better access to information for PS+C staff members, which will let them react faster to changing conditions, and help the sales and management teams develop revised strategies on the fly.

Better access to data will deliver significant benefits to the business. Jeff Bennett said, “Business Central will help PS+C improve cash flow management by making it possible to get invoices out sooner. It will also provide live information on outstanding debtors, which means the company will be able to make smarter strategic decisions sooner around which debtors to chase and when, as well as which customers are consistently failing to pay on time.

“Being a listed company, the annual report, half-yearly report, and monthly reporting are big processes. A consolidated system that feeds into annual report templates will cut out days and days of work. Furthermore, the integrated data will provide more confidence regarding what we’re reporting on, and stakeholders will be able to see exactly what’s happening and make smarter decisions.”

The system will also improve the accuracy and speed of invoicing, removing duplication and errors. This means PS+C staff will be able to focus on delivery of systems instead of getting bogged down in administrative tasks such as invoicing.

As the first DXC Eclipse customer in Australia to implement Business Central, PS+C is blazing a trail for other businesses. Jeff Bennett said, “It can be good and bad to be the first. There is a potential competitive advantage to be gained from being the first to be able to benefit from the efficiencies that Business Central offers. We certainly haven’t had any issues being the first.”

Working with DXC Eclipse

Two team members were previous employees of DXC Technology, and internal clients of DXC Eclipse, so the PS+C team knew exactly what to expect from its engagement with DXC Eclipse.

Jeff Bennett said, “Our history and experience with DXC Eclipse is what led us to work with the team again. It’s been a huge advantage knowing the process so intimately and it was also important to support our previous employer. Working with the team over a long time meant we knew exactly what to expect. The project was on time and the team at DXC Eclipse has been very professional and supportive.”