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CLIENT CASE
STUDY
GLOBAL ENTERTAINMENT & CHARITY PLATFORM - EXPENSE & ACCOUNTS PAYABLE TRANSFORMATION
THE CLIENT
A global entertainment and engagement platform with 60 UK-based team members and £200m annual turnover. Operating across UK, US, Australia, and Europe, the organisation delivers innovative digital experiences at scale. Built on a for-profit model with a social purpose, the company partners with charities to raise millions through community engagement and charitable fundraising initiatives.
THE CHALLENGE
THE CHALLENGE
When we first engaged with this client in early 2024, they were processing fewer than 200 purchases per month across disparate systems. However, rapid growth quickly exposed critical weaknesses:
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Fragmented systems across entities – Each country used different software (Bill.com in some regions, Beanworks in others), creating operational silos
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Manual, time-consuming processes – Invoices required manual drag-and-drop into Beanworks, then a 24–48 hour wait for extraction, followed by complete manual coding (including classes and tracking)
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Multi-currency chaos – Currency wasn’t automatically recognised, requiring manual intervention and creating errors
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VAT miscalculation – The system couldn’t correctly split VAT across line items; auto-coding would overwrite line items with data from the last invoice
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Approval bottlenecks – Approvals happened via email and Slack messages, causing delays, lost items, and lack of visibility
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Expense management friction – Employee expenses were processed separately, adding another layer of complexity
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Reporting gaps – Month-end accruals were difficult to track, pushing finalisation to day 11 of the following month
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Scalability crisis – Processing had grown to over 700 purchases per month, and the existing systems simply couldn’t handle the volume or complexity
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OUR APPROACH: CONSTRUCT PHASE
We took a comprehensive, unified approach to replace fragmented systems with a single, scalable ecosystem:
1. Consolidate & Standardise We migrated from Bill.com + Beanworks to ApprovalMax + Dext across all entities and countries. This created one unified system for all 700+ monthly invoices, eliminating the need for different software in different regions.
2. Automate Invoice Capture Emails are now autoforwarded directly into ApprovalMax as they arrive. The system automatically recognises the supplier, currency, and most frequently used codes—eliminating the manual drag-and-drop and 24–48 hour extraction wait.
3. Fix Multi-Currency & VAT ApprovalMax correctly recognises currency on receipt, and Dext (for employee expenses) properly splits VAT as per receipts—a capability Beanworks couldn’t deliver. Invoices now flow into ApprovalMax with accurate VAT coding from the start.
4. Streamline Approvals We implemented a 5-step approval workflow that captures the entire chain but intelligently skips unnecessary steps based on approval matrices. Most invoices now require only 2 approvals. Approvers access queues through the app, Slack integrations, or web interface—no need to be logged into a PC. Communication happens on individual items, creating an audit trail and eliminating lost messages.
5. Embed Visibility & Control We added approval deadlines to ensure suppliers are paid ahead of schedule and implemented reporting to monitor adherence. The system now provides clear visibility into accruals, enabling accurate month-end reporting.
THE TRANSFORMATION JOURNEY
Early Implementation (Months 1–2): The initial rollout required careful coordination across four entities and multiple time zones. We worked through approval channel configuration to ensure the workflow matched business requirements. Training was essential—the team needed to understand not just how to use the apps, but what was expected of them.
Learning & Adjustment: One early challenge: Dext invites went out before the introduction email, causing confusion among staff who weren’t aware of the rollout. However, within the first week, confidence grew quickly as users experienced the simplicity of the new system firsthand.
Scaling to 700+ Invoices: As monthly purchase volume climbed from 200 to over 700, the new system proved its worth. What would have been a crisis under the old Beanworks model became a smooth, automated process.
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Phasing Out Manual Workarounds: Previously, the team maintained a secondary list to manually track invoices, ticking them off each month and again when paid. With ApprovalMax’s accuracy and reporting, this redundant process is being phased out in the new year—freeing up hours of manual work.
THE RESULTS
Financial Impact: - £600/month software cost savings by consolidating from multiple platforms to ApprovalMax + Dext - Reduced operational overhead through automation and elimination of manual tracking.
Operational Impact: - Month-end finalisation accelerated from day 11 to day 4 – a 64% reduction in close timeline - Approval cycle streamlined – single system visibility eliminates email/Slack delays and lost items - 700+ monthly invoices processed seamlessly – scaling achieved without proportional increase in workload - Accurate multi-currency and VAT handling – no more manual corrections or compliance risk - Supplier payment reliability – approval deadlines ensure timely payments and maintain vendor relationships.
Team Impact: - Reduced approver workload – single system, intelligent workflow, and app/Slack access mean approvals happen faster and easier - Improved visibility – all approvers see queues and status in one place, regardless of location or entity - Better communication – item-level commenting creates transparency and eliminates miscommunication - Mobile-first approval – app and Slack integrations enable approvals on the go.
Reporting & Compliance: - Accurate accrual reporting – month-end prep now reflects true financial position - Audit trail – all approvals, communications, and changes are tracked and reportable - Consolidated reporting across entities – unified system enables group-level visibility.
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THE EVOLVE PHASE: CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT & GROWTH PARTNERSHIP
The transformation from fragmented, manual processes to a unified, automated system was significant. Now, as the client enters the Evolve phase, we’re focused on continuous improvement and sustained partnership.
Ongoing Priorities:
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Further automation – Exploring additional integrations to reduce manual touch points
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Advanced reporting – Building custom dashboards to support financial planning and vendor management
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Process refinement – Continuously optimising approval matrixes and workflows as the business evolves
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Training & adoption – Ensuring new team members and entities are onboarded smoothly as the company continues to scale
The Partnership Model:
Rather than treating the engagement as a project with an end date, we’ve embedded ongoing support through regular check-ins and responsive guidance. This allows us to:
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Monitor system performance and identify optimisation opportunities
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Respond quickly to new requirements as the business scales
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Support the team as they develop new reporting and compliance needs
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Ensure the system continues to evolve with the business
The Evolve phase recognises that as this client continues to grow—potentially processing 1,000+ invoices per month—the systems and processes must adapt accordingly. By maintaining regular touch points and staying attuned to business changes, we ensure ApprovalMax and Dext remain enablers of growth, not constraints.
The Play Your ACE approach works because it recognises that transformation happens in stages. The Assess phase is where we identify the issues, audit current systems and processes, and plan the roadmap for transformation. This discovery work is critical—it ensures the Construct phase is built on a solid understanding of the business and its unique challenges. The Construct phase then builds the foundation and delivers quick wins through strategic implementation and process optimisation. Finally, lasting value comes from the Evolve phase—where sustained partnership, continuous refinement, and retained support ensure systems and processes evolve alongside the business itself.
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KEY TAKEAWAY
