THE BERKELY GROUP

Aon Corporation is the leading provider of risk management services, insurance and reinsurance brokerage, and human capital and management consulting. A division of the AON Corporation, Berkely Group is dedicated to providing the travel and cruise industries with high quality insurance products and services. Over the years, the company has continued to expand its offerings, refine and improve the levels of service provided, and set new standards. To support its financial operations, The Berkely Group relies on Sage Accpac ERP and the talented consulting firm ADSS Global. 

A POLICY OF MODERNIZATION 

The company was using a proprietary system, developed in house, when it was acquired by AON Corporation. As AON moved to consolidate and standardize operations and IT resources, The Berkely Group used the opportunity to invest in a world-class general ledger and financial management software solution. “Our in house application was not standardized, and we wanted to ensure we remained  Sarbanes Oxley compliant,” recalls Patrick Negri, vice president of finance for The Berkely Group. The company reviewed other Sage solutions and Microsoft Dynamics before deciding on the Sage Accpac ERP solution. “We liked the flexibility built into Sage Accpac that would allow for integration with other applications,” adds Negri. “And we appreciated the professionalism and high level of service offered by ADSS Global.” 

FLEXIBLE SQL ARCHITECTURE 

Integration with the company’s underwriting software was a high priority. ADSS Global worked with the company’s  IT staff to develop a custom import routine that brings customer payment information from their custom insurance application into Sage Accpac ERP, creating a streamlined accounts payable process. By having ADSS Global automate the process, The Berkely Group eliminates the manual entry and the inevitable data entry errors that result. ADSS Global configured Sage Accpac ERP to hold the additional fields the company needs to track related to each payable, as it relates to the insurance industry. 

↳ CHALLENGE 

The Berkely Group utilized a propriety accounting system that was becoming outdated and needed to be upgraded. 

↳ SOLUTION 

ADSS Global implemented Sage Accpac ERP for The Berkely Group. 

↳ RESULTS 

The solution ensures compliance with industry requirements and streamlines the generation of corporate financial statements. Integration with underwriting software saves time and increases accuracy. 

BUILT-IN CONTROLS 

The biggest benefit to The Berkely Group is transparency. “Sage Accpac ERP is a world-class solution that has the built-in controls we need to ensure transparency to our parent company and our customers,” Negri says. Efficiency also increased thanks to the implementation. “We’re saving a tremendous amount of time —in the data entry and in the monthly reconciliation process,” Negri adds. “I can’t measure my reduction in frustration, but I can tell you it is significant!” 

STREAMLINED REPORTING 

AON Corporation asks for detailed financial reports from The Berkely Group each month – reports that are readily available from Sage Accpac ERP. “We have fast, easy access to our financial data for reporting and inquiries,” says Negri. 

Negri appreciates that he and his staff can build quick queries to identify activity related to a certain account or subset of accounts, and drill down into the underlying transactions as needed. Detailed information about the company’s vendors is similarly easy to access. “I may need to see a listing of just our brokers and how much we’ve paid them in a given time frame, for example,” says Negri. “It’s very easy to do in Sage Accpac ERP. Now we have better information and it’s easier to obtain.” 

A VALUABLE PARTNERSHIP 

“Sage Accpac ERP is a great fit for our company. It’s easy to navigate, it’s flexible, it’s secure, and yet it’s accessible,” says Negri. “We’ve enjoyed great success with the transition, thanks to the dedicated staff here and the team at ADSS Global,” he concludes. “ADSS Global has a deep product knowledge and a broad understanding of the insurance industry that has proven to be a real asset to us.”