Automation brings faster, more accurate understanding of business performance

Harbour Hotels’ reliance on spreadsheets for reporting and planning proved to be highly inefficient, requiring extensive manual effort to assimilate and manipulate vast datasets.

This labor-intensive approach not only consumed significant time but also introduced a high potential for errors, undermining the integrity of financial reports.

With file-based reporting and planning at the core of their operations, the team frequently grappled with version control issues, complicating the process further and leading to discrepancies that raised doubts about data accuracy.

The setup was not user-friendly, and the excessive amount of time required to manage and reconcile different versions of reports severely restricted their capacity to thoroughly review and analyze data. This hindered their ability to make well-informed decisions, affecting the overall agility and competitive edge of the company.

Jedox has proven to be a versatile and effective solution in the organization, significantly enhancing reporting, planning, and forecasting processes. It is extensively used across various business sectors to gather data directly from the source, facilitating the production of monthly management accounts and daily sales flash reports.

There were some compatibility requirements, as the company transitioned from on-premises to cloud-based Sage 200 systems. No problem considering Jedox’s extensive compatibility features.

The automation feature of Jedox has been particularly beneficial; tasks that previously took three hours a day are now automated, and the reports are reliably delivered at 7:30am via email each day.

Today, Jedox is centrally used not only by finance managers but also by hotel managers, who utilize it for both data collection and reporting. This has allowed a broader spectrum of stakeholders, beyond the finance team, to contribute to the planning process while maintaining strict control over data entry and edits.

Jedox has also been instrumental in maintaining a single source of truth within the business. It enables Harbour Hotels to give various departments access to consistent data, which is presented in ways that are tailored to their specific needs, ensuring everyone is informed and aligned.

This represents a significant shift from previous practices, where data management and reporting were more fragmented and labor-intensive.

Implementing Jedox has notably enhanced daily business operations and teamwork by transforming the time previously spent by the team on routine tasks into valuable contributions towards the company’s success.

It has fostered an environment that encourages generating questions and collaboration. Users, including the general managers, have praised Jedox for its user-friendliness and the improved accessibility and visibility of information. With Jedox, tasks that were once impossible, such as sophisticated data analysis, are now feasible, enabling employees to engage in more strategic thinking. The benefits of Jedox are measured in terms of job satisfaction, with employees finding their roles more rewarding and enjoyable, as it eliminates mundane aspects of their work and allows them to focus on driving the business forward.

Jedox has proved to be highly cost-effective in automating time-consuming reporting tasks. Leveraging existing spreadsheet skills has made it easy for our employees to use, including hotel employees.

Gary Hall, Finance Director, Harbour Hotels

This has benefited the operational side of the business, providing a web-based, user-friendly interface that empowers employees to create customized views relevant to their needs within a controlled environment.