How a UK Care Home Group Cut Bookkeeping Costs by Over 50% with Corient

Introduction

A growing Care Home Group in the UK, operating across more than 10 locations, was expanding at over 10% annually. However, with growth came mounting pressure on their internal finance team. Their accounting system struggled to keep up with scale, compliance, and complexity — leading to inefficiencies and delayed decision-making. That’s when they turned to Corient for help.

The Initial Problem: What Went Wrong?

As operations expanded, the cracks began to show:

• Delayed management reporting meant leadership couldn’t make informed decisions.
• Expenses were misallocated, with no precise cost centre tracking.
• A single SAGE instance was being used to manage multiple companies — creating year-end chaos.
• Valuable hours were being lost searching for physical invoices, which slowed everything down.

These issues combined to create a costly and inefficient system, threatening the company’s ability to scale sustainably.

Corient’s First Solution: The Fix

Corient took a structured approach, starting with a comprehensive finance process evaluation. The team implemented:

• Separate SAGE instances for each legal entity, eliminating crossover errors
• A monthly management reporting process, completed within 10 working days
• A paperless workflow through an Electronic Document Management System (EDMS), provided at no extra cost
• A complete accounts cleanup and backlog resolution

These changes brought immediate results. The client gained real-time visibility, reduced administrative overhead, and drastically improved reporting speed.

Curious how our outsourced solutions help growing firms manage compliance and scale? Explore our  accounting outsourcing services for more.

The New Problem: A Surprise Roadblock

With the new structure in place, a previously hidden issue became clear: debtor and creditor balances were inaccurate. Staff were unfamiliar with the EDMS, which made it difficult for them to match invoices and payments. Real-time reconciliation wasn’t happening, which risked undermining all the previous improvements.

Corient’s Second Solution: Fixing the New Problem

Corient rolled out a 5-step action plan:

1. Audited all debtor and creditor ledgers to identify inconsistencies
2. Aligned invoices with actual payments to establish accurate records
3. Set up real-time reconciliation processes within the new software
4. Delivered hands-on staff training on using the EDMS confidently
5. Provided ongoing system support and guidance

With this second intervention, Corient ensured the client’s financials reflected an accurate and fair view of their position.

The Final Outcome: A Success Story

• Bookkeeping costs were cut by over 50%
• Reporting was fast and reliable, delivered every month without delay
• Invoice access was seamless, thanks to an entirely paperless office
• No year-end surprises — just clean accounts and confident decision-making

“Corient helped us regain control of our finances. Their team didn’t just fix the system — they fixed the process, and trained our staff too. We now run more efficiently than ever.”

Key Takeaways: Why This Matters for Businesses

• Financial systems must evolve with business growth
• Separation of data for multiple entities is critical
• Outsourcing partners can deliver tech, training, and transformation in one package
• Clean, timely reporting drives smarter leadership decisions

One wise decision today can save thousands tomorrow.