Leathersellers’ Federation Cuts Costs and Goes Paperless with PLANERGY
- Company Overview
Leathersellers’ Federation is a newly formed multi-academy trust in London, serving both all-through and secondary schools. With growing demands on finance and procurement, the trust needed a system that could replace inefficient manual processes, strengthen controls, and cut costs.
- Why PLANERGY
Recommended by their Xero for Education provider, the Federation selected PLANERGY after reviewing several P2P systems. It stood out for its automated approval workflows, unlimited user licenses, and seamless integration with Xero.
Together, these features gave the Federation the chance to modernize their finance function, eliminate paper-based processes, and gain real-time visibility into spending. As Finance Manager Tony Marnham put it, “As soon as we saw PLANERGY, it was hands down, a no brainer for us.”
Key Challenges
- Invoices were processed manually and approved by email or paper, slowing down the entire procurement cycle.
- Access Education Finance charged high licensing fees, which restricted the number of users and limited visibility.
- Lack of robust approval workflows made it difficult to enforce compliance and ensure proper oversight.
- Finance staff spent hours printing, matching, and re-entering invoice data, leaving little time for higher-value work.
Key Benefits
- Automated approval workflows ensured every purchase was pre-approved by the right person before processing.
- Unlimited user licenses allowed all staff involved in procurement to access the system at no extra cost.
- Seamless integration with Xero kept purchase orders and invoices accurate and up to date in the accounting system.
- Paperless, automated workflows saved time, cut costs, and improved transparency across schools.
The Story
Customer
Leathersellers’ Federation of Schools
Key client
Finance Manager
Industry
Education
Company Size
200+ employees
Before PLANERGY
Before adopting PLANERGY, Leathersellers’ Federation relied on Access Education Finance. The system was expensive, restrictive, and lacked the flexibility the trust needed.
Approvals were handled through email or paper, meaning invoices could sit in inboxes or on desks for days. As Finance Manager Tony Marnham recalled, “We were paying a lot for Access, and still had to manage so much manually. It just wasn’t sustainable.”
Because licenses were so costly, only a small number of users could access the system.
Teachers and budget holders had no direct visibility of their spending, creating bottlenecks and constant requests for updates from finance.
Meanwhile, the finance team was stuck printing and scanning documents, manually matching invoices with POs, and re-keying data into the accounting system.
The lack of automation created inefficiency, errors, and frustration, while audits became slow and stressful exercises.
After PLANERGY
The transition to PLANERGY gave the Federation the automation and control it had been missing. Approval workflows were fully digitized, so every purchase was properly authorized without relying on paper trails or email chains.
Integration with Xero meant invoices and purchase orders flowed seamlessly into the accounting system, eliminating duplication and reducing errors.
Unlimited user licenses opened the system to teachers, administrators, and budget holders, giving them real-time visibility into budgets and spend. This transparency allowed decisions to be made faster and more accurately, and reduced the workload on the finance team.
As Marnham explained, “Going into our first audit, it was fantastic to have PLANERGY. If they said, ‘Can you show us this approval?’ we could just click on screen. There it was.”
The move also cut overall software costs. Even with both PLANERGY and Xero, the Federation spent less than it had with Access Education Finance.
Adoption was quick thanks to PLANERGY’s intuitive interface, and support from the PLANERGY team ensured any questions were addressed immediately.
The result was a fully paperless finance function, stronger financial controls, and more efficient use of staff time. “PLANERGY enabled us to become a fully paperless finance function.
The automation of the approval process and the integration with Xero have significantly improved our efficiency and control over spending,” said Marnham.
Testimonials
“As soon as we saw PLANERGY, it was hands down, a no brainer for us. PLANERGY just offered a lot more than the other P2P options offered , going into our first audit, it was a fantastic to have this bit of armory to have if they said, oh, can you show us this approval? Click on screen. There you go, there it is.”
Tony Marnham
Trust Finance Manager
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