STORYHOUSE | UNITED KINGDOM

Storyhouse's Success with Sage Intacct & itas

Storyhouse, a dynamic arts and community charity based in Chester, faced growing pressures on its small finance team. Burdened by manual processes and a rigid legacy system, it was clear a change was needed. Here's how Sage Intacct changed all of that!

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Who is Storyhouse?

Storyhouse is a pioneering charity bringing together theatre, cinema, a public library, and outreach programmes—all under one roof in Chester. From vibrant performances to impactful community projects for youth and the elderly, their work spans entertainment and social value. Behind the scenes, their lean finance team of just 3.4 people juggles everything from ledgers to leadership reporting. Efficiency isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity.

“What we liked about the system was the way it displayed information, the way it cut down certain processes... the automation side of things was just miles better than what we’d seen.”

DAVID THORP, FINANCE MANAGER, STORYHOUSE

Who is Storyhouse?

Storyhouse is a pioneering charity bringing together theatre, cinema, a public library, and outreach programmes—all under one roof in Chester. From vibrant performances to impactful community projects for youth and the elderly, their work spans entertainment and social value. Behind the scenes, their lean finance team of just 3.4 people juggles everything from ledgers to leadership reporting. Efficiency isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity.

“What we liked about the system was the way it displayed information, the way it cut down certain processes... the automation side of things was just miles better than what we’d seen.”

DAVID THORP, FINANCE MANAGER, STORYHOUSE

The Challenges Faced by Storyhouse

Before Sage Intacct, Storyhouse used Sage 200—a system that demanded excessive manual data entry and lacked meaningful reporting capabilities. The finance team were stuck in a cycle of inputting minutiae, including sausage costs, rather than delivering the insights the organisation needed. Key challenges included:

An over-reliance on spreadsheets and emails for purchase orders

Slow and cumbersome month-end processes

Inadequate reporting tools, with limited visibility across entities

A disorganised chart of accounts, complicating analysis and decision-making

Hear from Storyhouse

Storyhouse is already seeing the benefits, even at the early stage of go-live. The automation of processes such as purchase orders and invoice handling has returned valuable time to the finance team. These efficiencies mean less time is spent on admin and more on meaningful financial work.

One of the most noticeable improvements is in the month-end process. Previously dragging on until the 20th of each month, the team is now working towards a close by day five—a significant leap in timeliness and efficiency.

“I mean, from my point of view, what we were used to is completely unworkable. So I’m very excited... it’s so much better than what we’ve had before.”

DAVID THORP, FINANCE MANAGER, STORYHOUSE

Custom dashboards have replaced the timeconsuming task of manually downloading and merging reports from three different entities. With a newly rebuilt chart of accounts, the team now has clarity and consistency—delivering the right insight at the push of a button.

"Before Sage Intacct, financial reporting was a tedious process. We relied on Excel for almost everything, which meant that every month-end close involved hours of manually inputting and checking data. If something didn’t add up, we had to backtrack through multiple spreadsheets to find the issue. It was frustrating, time-consuming, and prone to human error. Now, with Sage Intacct, the process is automated, streamlined, and accurate – saving us time and giving us confidence in our financial data."

DAVID THORP, FINANCE MANAGER, STORYHOUSE

Seamless Implementation with itas

The transformation began when Storyhouse discovered Sage Intacct at the Charity Finance Group conference. Out of three contenders, Intacct won out thanks to its intuitive interface and powerful automation features. The real difference, however, came from choosing itas as their implementation partner.

As a local, experienced team, itas offered detailed scoping, hands-on training, and weekly check-ins. This collaborative approach ensured the rollout was tailored to Storyhouse’s operations—with input from external accountants adding rigour to the process.

By partnering with itas and implementing Sage Intacct, the team has transformed their operations—dramatically cutting month-end timelines, increasing reporting accuracy, and freeing up valuable time for strategic work.

“It was definitely nice to have itas down the road. Even if we do most of our stuff was online, having people nearby was reassuring. The detailed scoping meetings really meant that I wasn’t worried we were going to receive something back that missed the mark."

DAVID THORP, FINANCE MANAGER, STORYHOUSE

Seamless Implementation with itas

The transformation began when Storyhouse discovered Sage Intacct at the Charity Finance Group conference. Out of three contenders, Intacct won out thanks to its intuitive interface and powerful automation features. The real difference, however, came from choosing itas as their implementation partner.

As a local, experienced team, itas offered detailed scoping, hands-on training, and weekly check-ins. This collaborative approach ensured the rollout was tailored to Storyhouse’s operations—with input from external accountants adding rigour to the process.

By partnering with itas and implementing Sage Intacct, the team has transformed their operations—dramatically cutting month-end timelines, increasing reporting accuracy, and freeing up valuable time for strategic work.

“It was definitely nice to have itas down the road. Even if we do most of our stuff was online, having people nearby was reassuring. The detailed scoping meetings really meant that I wasn’t worried we were going to receive something back that missed the mark."

DAVID THORP, FINANCE MANAGER, STORYHOUSE

Sage Intacct and itas Impact

Since going live, Storyhouse has seen immediate, measurable results:

A Dramatically Faster Month-End

Previously, month-end reporting dragged on until the 20th, placing unnecessary stress on the finance team and delaying critical insights for management. With Sage Intacct’s automation and streamlined workflows, the team is now confidently working toward a day-five close. This acceleration doesn’t just reduce pressure—it delivers timely, reliable financial data when the organisation needs it most.

Time Returned for High-Value Work

Manual data entry used to consume the bulk of the finance team's time, leaving little room for strategic thinking or proactive financial planning. Now, automation handles much of the routine admin, allowing the team to shift its focus. This reclaimed time is being reinvested into supporting the CEO with real-time analysis, better forecasting, and more informed decision-making across the board.

Reliable Reporting with Complete Confidence

With the legacy system, reports were often stitched together from fragmented data, raising doubts over accuracy and consistency. That’s no longer the case. Storyhouse has rebuilt its chart of accounts from the ground up. Data is now centralised, clean, and aligned across the organisation. The team knows exactly what every number means, which has significantly boosted confidence in the reports shared with both internal stakeholders and trustees.

Purchase Orders: From Bottleneck to Breeze

The purchase order process was once a constant source of frustration—slow, manual, and error-prone. Emails went back and forth, delays mounted, and finance were constantly firefighting. Today, that process is fully automated. Routing and approvals happen seamlessly within Sage Intacct, giving the finance team control without being bogged down in minutiae. The result is a faster, cleaner, and more transparent procurement workflow.

Why choose itas as your Sage Intacct partner?

At itas, we believe in working in partnership with you to deliver the perfect solution that you want and need for your business. As a multi-award winning Sage Partner, our approach is to help you maximise technology to transform the way you work.

We really know our stuff

We take the hassle away with effective project management

We help you get up and running quickly with training that delivers results

We are good people to work with that genuinely care about your business

We are just a phone call away with no automated queues

We are big enough to deliver, but small enough to care

We will ensure a smooth transition from your old platform to your new

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