Saffery Champness is one of the UK’s top 20 accountancy firms, with nine offices in the UK and five further offices in Europe and the Middle East. Saffery Champness act for clients across a variety of specific sectors, including private wealth, landed estates and rural businesses, not-for-profit, sports and entertainment, entrepreneurs, professional and consultancy businesses and international.

Challenge

As the business has grown and evolved, an internal team managing all their IT needs and providing support had grown organically, which presented a number of challenges. Being a fast-moving accountancy firm with significant rapid growth, operational IT became a priority, which therefore challenged the time for strategic activities, future planning, and emerging technologies. The firm was also conscious they wanted to ensure opportunities and development for the team.

Saffery Champness understood the need for change and was actively looking for an IT partner to who they could outsource their IT Service Desk. The firm engaged T-Tech as the leading accountancy IT experts.

Solution

With significant experience working alongside accountancy clients, T-Tech had an understanding of their IT Service Desk requirements and applications and the sensitivity of their work. The firm was willing to challenge the status quo: the structure that had been in place for years was no longer working for them and a push in the right direction would enable positive change.

T-Tech and the internal IT Service Desk team at Saffery Champness merged as one, creating:

• Opportunities for the internal team to work within a wider team of people in their field, and giving them room to thrive in a new environment
• Time back to the senior team to delve into business-focused areas
• A smooth and low-risk transition during the months of lockdown during COVID-19. The transition was completely remote and, with all the challenges this presented, there were minimal issues
• All documentation collated and recorded in one place for all to refer to (something never done before)
• Delivery of a strong IT Service Desk experience that understands the systems and processes with improved efficiency and specialist skills.

Outcome

During the move, there was consistent communication between T-Tech and Saffery Champness, and both teams were versatile and open to ideas from each other. Great attention was paid to accountability and working as one team, which resulted in a smooth, well-managed transition.

T-Tech and the firm hold regular meetings, with fortnightly and monthly reviews of stats and areas for improvement, in order to maintain momentum and drive progress, whilst ensuring T-Tech is delivering on the expectations set.

Saffery Champness’ IT Partner commented: “We’ve achieved exactly what we wanted to, which was to allow T-Tech to run the IT Service Desk service so that we can focus on the business. It has given us a lot of time back and allowed the staff who moved to T-Tech to have a new lease of life in their careers. A lot of our challenges around recruitment and retention have also gone! It’s good to know we’re in safe hands.”

Future

Trying to keep up with the rapid pace of technology is hard for any firm, but Saffery Champness is certainly on the right path and has made great progress in future-proofing. As strategic technology continues to underpin the firm, they are moving from strength to strength.

Saffery Champness has found a strategic partner in T-Tech. T-Tech continues to be a source of experience and knowledge, and both firms continue to engage and build the relationship.

T-Tech Managing Director has commented: “We hope this is the beginning of a very rewarding and fruitful relationship. Particularly with our ethos of the ‘one team’ approach, we look forward to growing together and seeing Saffery continuously thrive.”