Company
Industry
Software solution
Benefits
- Increased efficiency and productivity
- Faster production of management reports
- More accurate management information
- Improved service to internal and external customers
- Ability to absorb growth without recruiting additional staff
- Flexibility to accommodate new legislation
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Options Employment Group Ltd is one of the UK's fastest-growing employment agency groups with turnover for the current financial year forecast to exceed £120 million. Headquartered in Hounslow, Middlesex, Options has a network of 50 branches at 30 locations in England, Scotland and Wales. As well as being the market leader in construction and mechanical engineering recruitment, the group is doing well in several other areas and now has 12 specialist divisions ranging from rail to executive search.
Recruitment is a very competitive marketplace. Margins in the temporary sector, in particular, are subject to severe pressure. Nevertheless, Options is experiencing remarkable success, having quadrupled in size over the past three years through a combination of organic growth and acquisition. Naturally, this growth has brought about certain challenges. For example, the company's IT infrastructure must continue to provide a solid platform for current operations as well as supporting further growth in thefuture. This is particularly important in the case of its core financial systems.
Supporting growth
"Some time ago, we became aware that our growth had outstripped the capabilities of our existing financial systems," commented group finance director John English. "We were experiencing a great deal of difficulty in getting accurate management information in a timely manner. This threatened to have a negative impact on our business."
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Options therefore set out to identify a replacement solution. One of the most important criteria was the ability to integrate easily with other packages. Options had already decided to implement Safe Computing's SaPHuR Tempest, a pay and bill system designed specifically to meet the needs of the recruitment industry. Integration with this system would greatly enhance the flow of financial information within the company. At the same time,
Options was keen to find a software vendor with a commitment to partnership.
"We wanted somebody who would work with us to provide a solution that fitted our needs, rather than just selling us an off-the-shelf package and then disappearing. Flexibility was an important requirement," said English.
Based on these criteria, Options narrowed the choice down to three software providers before making a final decision in favour of Topaz Financials. According to English, the Topaz solution offered better integration capabilities than the competition, particularly where SaPHuR Tempest was concerned.
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