Pinnacle helps Kelly Flowers Wholesale manage its flourishing business with new financial software

Kelly Flowers Wholesale Managing Director Patrick Kelly explains, “We needed a back-office system that would effectively manage the financial side of the business. The obvious solution was Sage software as it links, without a lot of heavy bespoke work, with the Dutch industry-specific software we’ve chosen. We know we can rely on Sage and Pinnacle. Sage is a tried and trusted brand, while Pinnacle is a leading and award winning Sage business partner. Together, they’ve seen it all before and we have every confidence of being in safe hands.”

Patrick had been given personal recommendations for Sage and Pinnacle and was impressed by the flexibility of both companies: “We were in a fortunate position that we could choose ‘best of breed’ software for each aspect of our business. Sage 200 for business accounting while knowing that Pinnacle will make it all work seamlessly together and will provide expert technical support in the future.”

Stressing the importance of the new technology, Patrick says, “Within a few months, we’ll have an integrated business management solution that will support our ambitions for expansion, including growing our operations in the Republic of Ireland.”

Greater drill-down

The core functions of Sage 200 Financials, nominal and purchasing ledgers and cashbook, will be operational in early 2017. Once the complete, integrated solution is in place, the software will be able to provide detailed management reports.

Patrick says, “We’re looking forward to a timely flow of information from all corners of our business. We’ll be able to manage all departments on a single system for the first time, and to analyse and compare the performance of cut flowers, pot plants and accessories within the one-company set-up. From an accounting perspective, we’ll be able to drill down in more detail and take swift remedial action, if necessary, in a way that has proved challenging in the past. This will be of great benefit in further strengthening management control of our growing business.”

Streamlining customer communications

The Sage 200 system will handle payments and despatch and bring improved visibility and control of credit. Communications with customers are also set to become easier as the firm’s accounts team will be able to extract email-compliant information for statements and invoices directly from the system. Patrick notes, “This will increase efficiency by eliminating a level of manual intervention and also enable us to work electronically, in the way our valued customers increasingly prefer.”

For Pinnacle, Siobhan Marley, Business Development Director, says: “We are delighted to be working with an Ulster success story like Kelly Flowers Wholesale as it takes its growth plans forward. We started the conversation in late summer and are currently poised to embark on the implementation project, which will make Sage 200 a keystone of the company’s integrated business management solution.

We are also looking forward to providing support after the go-live and a pro-active service to ensure a successful on-going partnership”