Technology solutions and partners: Finance
"Gain financial clarity and strategic insights by choosing the right system and partner, empowering your organisation to make informed decisions, streamline finance operations, and achieve sustainable financial health."
Charities are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their use of finance software.
It’s taken for granted that finance software will help get the accounting basics right - transaction processing, production of management accounts, and so on - and the focus has now shifted to activities that add value.
The right finance system will also provide business intelligence, personalised dashboards for staff, integration with CRM and other systems (such as for grants management), and essential NFP-specific elements for those that need them, such as SORP-compliant reporting and analysis, project coding to facilitate donor reporting, and partial VAT recovery analysis.
We employ a holistic approach to solution and supplier selection: taking into account the resources you have available, the culture that an implementation partner will need to recognise and appreciate, alongside the technical functionality and fit.
For those organisations able to resource the key project roles internally, we can provide support, backup and overall guidance; for those organisations that need us to, we can offer a complete set of project management and technical resources to help throughout.
Why Adapta
Adapta are independent, not resellers, and do not receive any commission or income from suppliers. As a team, we have helped to select – and go on to help implement – many finance systems; we know what works and what doesn’t; we know the pitfalls and how to avoid them, and we can bring more than 200 consultant years’ experience to support your project. All information systems projects are different –our consultants have worked with more than 300 organisations in the non-profit sector and we bring all that experience to our work with you.
Clients
We have helped many charities, membership organisations and other non-profit organisations with their Finance projects. Below are examples of just a few of the organisations we have worked with.
What our clients say
Rachel Rand
Strategic Director - Finance and Corporate Services, NCB
"I would not embark on any IT project without first meeting with Adapta to understand how they feel they could support me. I have found their guidance and practical support invaluable…"
Rosalba Leonelli
Head of Finance, Client Earth
"Thank you to you and your team for developing and facilitating an excellent workshop. You fully understood our needs which were evident in the workshop structure and content…"
Josh Weinberg
Former Head of Financial Systems and Change, Citizens Advice
"We got exactly what we needed from Adapta - challenge, experience, assurance, yet in a context where we've still internally owned the decision making."
Ronald Kansere
Finance Director, Global Canopy
"Adapta’s team had a lot of experience on systems change and encouraged us to move back to review our workflows and processes first before thinking about system change. This was a brilliant idea and the mapping of the flows helped us improve our systems before we even introduced the new software. Adapta played a crucial role in carrying out the review and drawing up flow maps for our finance processes, and they supported us in developing an RFQ for potential suppliers. The Adapta team provided invaluable experience in understanding the improvements we had to make and ultimately led us to a perfect solution for our needs. We are incredibly grateful for their support and highly recommend their services."
Kim Bowden
Finance Director, Somerset House Trust
"The Adapta team reviewed our draft tender document, giving us pragmatic advice to improve our ITT so that we had more focused responses from prospective suppliers. Their insight gave us confidence to proceed."
Susan Wylie
Head of Finance, Scripture Union Scotland
"Adapta helped us with our project to select a new accounting system. They gave good advice, were knowledgeable in the field and very approachable. From the first contact, they were very professional, they listened to our needs and successfully guided us through the process."
Elizabeth Dymond
Director of Finance
"We found Adapta's help in specifying our needs from a new finance system and guiding through the procurement process and choice of a new system very helpful. Libby stayed involved through the implementation which provided continuity and a useful third party and experienced outsider input."
Our experts
Paul Sypko
Consultancy Director
07773 321293
Email
Paul is a highly experienced technology and management consultant with nearly 30 years’ experience leading high-impact consultancy engagements. With a senior-level...
Hamish
Programmes and Business Solutions Associate
Hamish is an IT professional with over 30 years’ experience. He specialises in IT enabled business transformation with a focus on ensuring clients get the best business value from their IT investments. He has extensive knowledge of ERP, CRM and HR systems...
Libby
Associate Principal Consultant
Libby specialises in helping organisations with project governance and programmes of change. She has a post-graduate diploma in voluntary sector management from Cass Business School, is a PRINCE2 project management practitioner, an MSP (managing successful programmes)...
Paul Sypko
Consultancy Director
“Charities and not-for-profit organisations are demanding users of information systems and digital technology. There’s a clear sense of purpose in the sector, and that shows in how technology is used to achieve impact and obtain real value. Not-for-profits often hold massive amounts of data, much of which is highly sensitive in nature, and they engage in many different ways with a very broad range of stakeholders. Whether it’s using digital channels to support personalised ‘user journeys’ or high-impact campaigning and engagement, or diligently taking care of back-office systems to deliver an efficient and cost-effective service, it’s great to be working in a sector where technology can be used so effectively to make a tangible difference to people's lives.”
Paul is a highly experienced technology and management consultant with nearly 30 years’ experience leading high-impact consultancy engagements. With a senior-level CIO/CTO background, he specialises in technology strategy, digital solutions, interim leadership, technical leadership, infrastructure and systems management, service reviews, information security, data protection, supplier management, and the selection and oversight of technology partners. Much of Paul’s work has been in the not-for-profit sector, though he also brings significant commercial experience. Before co-founding Adapta, he held senior roles at sector specialists Sayer Vincent, Crowe UK, and BlueSpark Consulting. Earlier in his career, he worked at strategy consultancy Strategy& (now part of PwC), where he received a Professional Excellence Award for leading a large-scale digital transformation and innovation programme. Paul has delivered assignments for over 100 organisations, including charities, membership bodies, trade unions, royal colleges, professional institutes, and commercial businesses. His recent clients include ActionAid UK, the Bank Workers Charity, the British Medical Association, Central YMCA, Crisis, Chichester Cathedral, Girlguiding Scotland, Guy’s & St Thomas’ Foundation, the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, the National Children’s Bureau, Maudsley Charity, Westminster Abbey, and the Woodland Trust. His core areas of expertise include strategic planning for technology platforms and digital tools, service reviews and outsourcing, commercial contract negotiation, project planning, data protection, technical leadership, and procurement of business-critical systems such as CRM. Paul is a state-educated graduate of the University of Oxford, where he was awarded a scholarship to study Economics and Management at St John’s College and the Saïd Business School. A Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute and a Fellow of both the Institute of Consulting and the Institute of Leadership and Management, he is also a Certified Business Advisor and a member of the British Computer Society’s IT Leaders Forum. He played a key role in shaping the Chartered Management Consultant award, launched in 2020, and continues to support those working towards professional recognition. Outside work, he chairs the board of trustees for a local Scout group and remains committed to helping others realise their potential.
“Paul is enthusiastic, dedicated and a highly capable person who works with such integrity and to a high standard. I very much value Paul’s support and guidance and know I can always rely on him.”
Hamish
Programmes and Business Solutions Associate
"After a long career working in the ‘big 4’ consultancies I want to use my experience to help organisations whose goals and ethos align with my own. That is why I want to focus on the not-for-profit sector."
Hamish is an IT professional with over 30 years’ experience. He specialises in IT enabled business transformation with a focus on ensuring clients get the best business value from their IT investments. He has extensive knowledge of ERP, CRM and HR systems and was a founding member of the Deloitte Enterprise Architecture group which focussed on the selection, implementation and strategic use of Commercial of the shelf (COTS) software. Hamish has helped over 100 organisations find, implement and embed the best solution for their needs. These include housing associations, membership organisations, local authorities, government agencies and many other not for-profit and commercial organisations Hamish’s NFP clients include the Royal Society of Medicine, the Labour Party, UCAS, Cancer Research UK, Orbit Housing Association, William Sutton Trust, Bourneville Village Trust and many local authorities. Hamish’s first degree (BA Hons) was in Religious Studies at Lancaster University, and after graduating he embarked on a career in IT. He is PRINCE2, MSP and TOGAF qualified and completed CIMA part 1.
“Hamish is especially adept at aligning project outcomes and system architecture with organisational objectives, ensuring that all projects meet both functional and strategic goals. He is highly collaborative and works seamlessly with colleagues at all levels across the organisation.”
Libby
Associate Principal Consultant
"I chose a career in the sector because of its focus and ethos. As a consultant, I'm fascinated by the range of charities I work with and the opportunities to help organisations and people be more successful in what they do."
Libby specialises in helping organisations with project governance and programmes of change. She has a post-graduate diploma in voluntary sector management from Cass Business School, is a PRINCE2 project management practitioner, an MSP (managing successful programmes) practitioner and an Agile Project Management practitioner. She develops strategies and business cases, leads on project governance, coaches and mentors project managers and teams, and provides quality assurance and project reviews. Libby helps organisations achieve successful IT projects with activities such as business processes analysis, requirements identification, software selection and implementation. She works with organisations to achieve efficiencies and improvements in operational areas. A former senior manager with Sayer Vincent, Libby has extensive experience of the not-for-profit sector. She has worked with a wide range of clients including British Horse Society, Christian Aid, Crisis, Enham Trust, the Football Foundation, I CAN, RNLI, Sue Ryder Care, the Vegan Society, WAGGGS, Womankind and World Animal Protection. Before joining Sayer Vincent, Libby held several senior roles within charities, primarily international aid and development organisations. Libby is a member of the British Computer Society, The Chartered Institute for IT, and formerly was an advisor to the third sector project management forum. She has previously been a volunteer and trustee of a small charity that carried out holidays and other activities with disabled and socially disadvantaged children.
"Libby Hare was the consultant that we worked with on our IT change project. We achieved the change needed and our goals were met in an appropriate timescale."
Iain McSeveney
Finance Director, Medical Aid for Palestinians
"I’m very pleased with the professional way that Adapta managed the project for the selection of MAP’s new accounting software. It was obvious that they have great experience in the charity sector and on the range of suitable accounting software currently on the market..."