{"id":32306,"date":"2026-09-29T12:32:05","date_gmt":"2026-09-29T11:32:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/?p=32306"},"modified":"2026-09-29T12:44:56","modified_gmt":"2026-09-29T11:44:56","slug":"is-your-finance-system-holding-back-business-growth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/is-your-finance-system-holding-back-business-growth\/","title":{"rendered":"Is your finance system holding back business growth?"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"entry-header has-dark-background-color entry-header--standard entry-header--has-illustration entry-header--has-illustration--standard\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__row row align-center\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-lg-7 col-xlg-6 entry-header__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"component component-single-header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__misc text--subtitle text--uppercase text--small\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/category\/technology-innovation\/\" class=\"entry-header__link\">Technology &amp; Innovation<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-title-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"entry-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tIs your finance system holding back business growth?\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"entry-header__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tLonger close cycles. More spreadsheet workarounds. Reporting that takes longer every quarter, not less. These are the signs a finance system has stopped supporting growth and started limiting it. \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"single-post-details container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"posted-on \">Published <time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-09-29T12:32:05+01:00\">29 September, 2026<\/time><\/span><span class=\"reading-time\"> min read<\/span>\n\t\t<button\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\tclass=\"social-share-button button button--icon button--secondary js-social-share-button\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-title=\"Is your finance system holding back business growth?\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-url=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/is-your-finance-system-holding-back-business-growth\/\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-text=\"Please read this interesting article\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__share-label\">Share<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-label\" hidden>Copy Link<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\" hidden>Copied<\/span>\n\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/header>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author has-dark-background-color alignfull\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"co-authors\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-author-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"entry-author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/author\/lucianebarbosa\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/08\/Luciane-350x350.jpg\" class=\"entry-author__image\" alt=\"Luciane Barbosa\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/08\/Luciane-350x350.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/08\/Luciane-766x768.jpg 766w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/08\/Luciane-807x810.jpg 807w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/08\/Luciane-768x770.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/08\/Luciane.jpg 957w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 40px) 100vw, 40px\" \/>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"entry-author__name\">Luciane Barbosa<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A finance system that worked well at \u00a310 million in revenue doesn&#8217;t always keep pace at \u00a330 million. That&#8217;s rarely because the software broke. It&#8217;s because growth changes what a finance system needs to do, and the gap between what it does and what the business now needs widens quietly, month by month, until someone finally asks why the close is taking three days longer than it used to.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For financial controllers, FDs and CFOs at growing mid-market businesses, that gap rarely announces itself all at once. It shows up as a handful of small frictions that each seem manageable on their own: an extra day here, a workaround there, until the pattern becomes impossible to ignore.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<section id=\"key-takeaways\" class=\"wp-block-sage-key-takeaways\"><div class=\"sage-key-takeaways__inner\"><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-h-3-font-size\">Key takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Close cycles that keep lengthening are usually a systems problem, not a discipline problem.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Spreadsheet workarounds multiplying outside your finance system is one of the clearest early warning signs that it&#8217;s falling behind.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Reporting that takes longer each quarter, not less, signals the system isn&#8217;t scaling with the business.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Struggling to consolidate multiple entities cleanly is a common growth-stage trigger for reassessing your finance system.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Gaps in your audit trail create compliance risk long before they surface as a formal finding.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>These signs rarely appear in isolation. Recognising the pattern early is what separates a planned transition from a forced one.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Each of these signs is worth examining on its own, because together they build a clear picture of whether your finance system is still supporting growth or starting to limit it.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here&#8217;s what we cover:<\/p>\n\n\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><div class=\"wp-block-yoast-seo-table-of-contents yoast-table-of-contents\"><ul><li><a href=\"#h-the-finance-system-ceiling-nbsp\" data-level=\"2\">The finance system ceiling &nbsp;<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-the-five-warning-signs-your-finance-system-has-become-the-constraint-nbsp\" data-level=\"2\">The five warning signs your finance system has become the constraint &nbsp;<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-why-these-signs-compound-nbsp\" data-level=\"2\">Why these signs compound &nbsp;<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-what-s-adding-to-the-pressure-at-mid-market-scale-nbsp\" data-level=\"2\">What&#8217;s adding to the pressure at mid-market scale &nbsp;<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-recognising-the-pattern-before-it-becomes-a-crisis\" data-level=\"2\">Recognising the pattern before it becomes a crisis<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-final-thoughts\" data-level=\"2\">Final thoughts<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-finance-system-limitations-faqs\" data-level=\"2\">Finance system limitations FAQs<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-the-finance-system-ceiling-nbsp\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The finance system ceiling<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Every finance system has a ceiling: a point at which transaction volume, entity count or reporting complexity outgrows what the platform was built to handle. Below that ceiling, a system can look perfectly adequate: month-end close finishes on time, reports come out reasonably fast, and finance keeps pace with the rest of the business.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Growth changes the maths. More transactions mean more manual matching. More entities mean more consolidation work. More stakeholders mean more report formats, cut differently for the board, for investors, for department heads. None of this happens overnight, which is exactly why it&#8217;s easy to miss. The system doesn&#8217;t fail outright; it just gets slower, one quarter at a time, until the constraint is unmistakable.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-the-five-warning-signs-your-finance-system-has-become-the-constraint-nbsp\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The five warning signs your finance system has become the constraint<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The rationale behind each of these signs is different, but together they&#8217;re the clearest diagnostic for whether a finance system is still fit for purpose. The table below summarises each one; the sections that follow go into more detail.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th><strong>Warning sign<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/th><th><strong>What it looks like<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/th><th><strong>Why it matters<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Longer close cycles<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/td><td>Month-end close creeping from days to weeks, even with the same team and effort.&nbsp;<\/td><td>Delays every downstream report and decision that depends on closed numbers.&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Spreadsheet workarounds multiplying<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/td><td>New spreadsheets built outside the system for consolidation, AP, or approvals.&nbsp;<\/td><td>Each one is a single point of failure and a source of version-control errors.&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Reporting takes longer, not less<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/td><td>Board and investor reports rebuilt by hand each cycle as entities and detail grow.&nbsp;<\/td><td>Time cost rises with the business instead of staying flat on a scalable system.&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Consolidation strain<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/td><td>Intercompany eliminations and currency translation becoming a manual project.&nbsp;<\/td><td>Slows reporting and increases the risk of consolidation errors going unnoticed.&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Audit trail gaps<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/td><td>Approvals by email, manual overrides that never make it into a formal log.&nbsp;<\/td><td>Creates compliance risk and slows down audits and regulator queries.&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-1-close-cycles-keep-getting-longer-not-shorter-nbsp\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>1. Close cycles keep getting longer, not shorter<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A close that used to take five working days creeping to eight, then twelve, is one of the most visible signs of a finance system under strain. It&#8217;s tempting to treat this as a team or process issue: tighten the timetable, add a checklist, chase people harder. But when the same finance team, working the same hours, takes longer to close each quarter as transaction volume grows, the constraint is usually the system: manual journal entries, reconciliations that don&#8217;t happen automatically, and subsidiary data that has to be chased and re-keyed rather than pulled in cleanly.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For a closer look at why this happens even in well-run finance teams, see <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/why-uk-finance-teams-cant-close-faster\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">why UK finance teams can&#8217;t close faster<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-2-spreadsheet-workarounds-are-multiplying-nbsp\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>2. Spreadsheet workarounds are multiplying<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Almost every finance team has at least one spreadsheet holding something the core system can&#8217;t. The problem isn&#8217;t the first one. It&#8217;s the fifth and sixth, each built to bridge a different gap: intercompany allocations, invoice tracking, revenue schedules, approval workflows assembled outside the system because the system doesn&#8217;t support them natively. Each spreadsheet is a single point of failure, dependent on the person who built it and vulnerable to version control errors that are hard to catch until a number doesn&#8217;t reconcile.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is particularly common around accounts payable, where manual matching and approval routing tend to migrate into spreadsheets first. See our guide to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/accounts-payable-management-best-practices\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">accounts payable management best practices<\/a> for what a more resilient process looks like.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-3-reporting-takes-longer-every-quarter-not-less-nbsp\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>3. Reporting takes longer every quarter, not less<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As the business grows, the reports finance is asked to produce multiply: more entities to break out, more detail for investors, more cuts of the same data for different audiences. If pulling those reports still means exporting data into spreadsheets and rebuilding formatting by hand, the time cost rises in step with the business, rather than staying flat as it should on a system built to scale.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A finance platform with reporting and analytics built into its core, rather than bolted on, changes this dynamic. See how Sage Intacct&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/sage-business-cloud\/intacct\/product-capabilities\/platform\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">platform capabilities<\/a> support this.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-4-consolidating-multiple-entities-has-become-a-manual-project-nbsp\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>4. Consolidating multiple entities has become a manual project<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Adding a subsidiary, entering a new market or completing an acquisition changes the maths on consolidation overnight. Intercompany eliminations, currency translation and disparate charts of accounts that were manageable across two entities become a genuine project across five or six, particularly when consolidation still happens through spreadsheets rather than a system designed to consolidate automatically.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is one of the clearest growth triggers for reassessing a finance system. Read more in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/multi-entity-finance-acquire-expand\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">multi-entity finance: acquire and expand<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-5-audit-trails-have-gaps-that-are-hard-to-explain-nbsp\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>5. Audit trails have gaps that are hard to explain<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Manual journal entries, approvals granted by email, and overrides that never made it into a formal log all create the same problem: when an auditor asks who approved a transaction and why, the answer takes longer to find than it should, or doesn&#8217;t exist in a form anyone can point to. This rarely causes a problem until it does: a qualified audit finding, a compliance query, or simply hours lost each year reconstructing a trail that should have been automatic.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Built-in financial controls close this gap by design. See how Sage Intacct&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/sage-business-cloud\/intacct\/product-capabilities\/core-financials\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">core financials<\/a> capabilities maintain a full audit trail as standard.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-why-these-signs-compound-nbsp\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why these signs compound<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">None of these five signs sits in isolation. Spreadsheet workarounds introduce errors that extend the close. A longer close delays reporting. Weak reporting infrastructure makes consolidation harder. Manual processes at every stage leave gaps in the audit trail. The effect is a feedback loop: each quarter, finance spends more time producing numbers and less time analysing them, which is usually the opposite of what a growing business needs from its finance function.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is also why the question, \u201cWhen should a business upgrade its accounting software?\u201d, rarely has a single trigger. It&#8217;s the accumulation of two or three of these signs appearing together, consistently, over several reporting cycles, that indicates a systems problem rather than a temporary bottleneck.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-what-s-adding-to-the-pressure-at-mid-market-scale-nbsp\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What&#8217;s adding to the pressure at mid-market scale<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Certain growth events accelerate all five signs at once. The table below sets out the most common triggers and what they typically add to the finance function&#8217;s workload.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th><strong>Growth event<\/strong><\/th><th><strong>What it typically adds<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Acquisition or new-market entry<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/td><td>New entities and consolidation complexity added in a single step.&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Funding round or investor reporting<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/td><td>Reporting demands that increase faster than finance headcount.&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Regulatory or sector-specific requirements<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/td><td>An extra compliance layer, particularly in financial services or asset-heavy businesses.&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Rising expectations around AI-assisted reporting<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/td><td>Pressure to confirm the current system can support automation and analysis, not just processing.&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Finance teams are also increasingly weighing whether their current system can support AI-assisted reporting and analysis at all, rather than treating it as a future consideration. See <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/sage-copilot-secure-by-design-ai-made-ready-for-finance\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Sage Copilot: secure by design, AI made ready for finance<\/a> for what that looks like in practice.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-recognising-the-pattern-before-it-becomes-a-crisis-nbsp\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Recognising the pattern before it becomes a crisis<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Most finance teams don&#8217;t replace their system because of a single dramatic failure. They replace it because two or three of these signs have been present for long enough that waiting any longer carries more risk than acting: a missed board deadline, a qualified audit finding, or simply the realisation that the system can&#8217;t support the business at its next stage of growth without a disproportionate amount of manual effort holding it together.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As a general guide, the more of the five warning signs that are present together, and the longer they persist, the stronger the case for a formal review:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th><strong>Signs present<\/strong><\/th><th><strong>What it typically indicates<\/strong><\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>1 sign<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/td><td>Worth monitoring. May be a temporary bottleneck rather than a systems issue.&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>2\u20133 signs, persisting<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/td><td>A pattern rather than a blip. Worth a formal review of the finance system.&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>4\u20135 signs, persisting<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/td><td>A strong signal the system is now the constraint on growth, not just a source of friction.&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-final-thoughts\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Final thoughts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is the gap platforms like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/sage-business-cloud\/intacct\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Sage Intacct<\/a> are built to close for growing mid-market businesses. Rather than adding another tool alongside the finance system, they remove the need for the workarounds in the first place. Recognising which of these signs apply to your business now is the first step, well before any formal evaluation of new software begins.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<section class=\"wp-block-sage-faq\">\n\t\n<h2 id=\"h-finance-system-limitations-faqs-nbsp\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Finance system limitations FAQs<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"faq-items\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-sage-faq-item\" id=\"faq-item-78c7a585\">\n\t<div class=\"faq-item-question\">\n\t\t\n<h3 id=\"h-what-are-the-signs-a-business-has-outgrown-its-finance-system-nbsp\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What are the signs a business has outgrown its finance system?<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"faq-item-answer\">\n\t\t\t\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The clearest signs are lengthening close cycles, a growing number of spreadsheet workarounds, reporting that takes longer each quarter, difficulty consolidating multiple entities, and gaps in the audit trail. Individually, each can look manageable. Appearing together and persisting over several reporting cycles, they typically indicate the system itself has become the constraint.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-sage-faq-item\" id=\"faq-item-ab6460e1\">\n\t<div class=\"faq-item-question\">\n\t\t\n<h3 id=\"h-how-long-should-a-month-end-close-take-for-a-growing-mid-sized-business-nbsp\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How long should a month-end close take for a growing mid-sized business?<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"faq-item-answer\">\n\t\t\t\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There&#8217;s no single benchmark, since it depends on entity count, transaction volume and sector. What matters more than the absolute number is the trend: a close that lengthens quarter after quarter, even as the finance team&#8217;s headcount and effort stay constant, is a reliable sign that manual processes are struggling to keep pace with growth.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-sage-faq-item\" id=\"faq-item-1fefb042\">\n\t<div class=\"faq-item-question\">\n\t\t\n<h3 id=\"h-why-do-spreadsheet-workarounds-increase-as-a-business-grows-nbsp\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why do spreadsheet workarounds increase as a business grows?<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"faq-item-answer\">\n\t\t\t\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Spreadsheets tend to fill gaps a finance system doesn&#8217;t cover natively: consolidation, intercompany allocations, approval workflows. As transaction volume and entity count grow, those gaps widen and more workarounds get built to bridge them, each one adding a manual step and a single point of failure to the process.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-sage-faq-item\" id=\"faq-item-21ce5d80\">\n\t<div class=\"faq-item-question\">\n\t\t\n<h3 id=\"h-what-typically-triggers-a-finance-system-or-erp-replacement-nbsp\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What typically triggers a finance system or ERP replacement?<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"faq-item-answer\">\n\t\t\t\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Growth events tend to be the trigger: an acquisition, entry into a new market, a funding round that increases reporting demands, or an audit finding linked to weak controls. Rather than one dramatic failure, it&#8217;s usually the accumulation of several warning signs over multiple reporting cycles that prompts a business to evaluate whether its current system can still support it.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-sage-faq-item\" id=\"faq-item-d081a1e8\">\n\t<div class=\"faq-item-question\">\n\t\t\n<h3 id=\"h-how-does-a-weak-audit-trail-affect-a-growing-business-nbsp\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How does a weak audit trail affect a growing business?<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"faq-item-answer\">\n\t\t\t\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gaps in the audit trail (approvals granted by email, manual overrides that aren&#8217;t logged) don&#8217;t usually cause a problem until an auditor or regulator asks a direct question. At that point, reconstructing the trail takes far longer than it should, and in regulated sectors it can affect the audit outcome itself.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-sage-faq-item\" id=\"faq-item-6df2f18a\">\n\t<div class=\"faq-item-question\">\n\t\t\n<h3 id=\"h-when-should-a-mid-sized-business-consider-upgrading-its-accounting-software-nbsp\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>When should a mid-sized business consider upgrading its accounting software?<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"faq-item-answer\">\n\t\t\t\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rather than waiting for one system to fail outright, it&#8217;s worth reviewing your finance system when two or more of the five warning signs (lengthening close cycles, multiplying spreadsheet workarounds, slower reporting, consolidation strain, or audit trail gaps) are present together and have persisted for more than a couple of reporting cycles.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/section>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n<section class=\"more-topics alignfull has-grey-light-background-color wp-block-sage-post-topics\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12 col-lg-4\">\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"more-topics__title h2\">Browse more topics from this article<\/h3>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12 col-lg-8\">\n\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"post-tags__list\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/tag\/business-finances\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBusiness finances\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/tag\/business-performance\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBusiness performance\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/tag\/business-support\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBusiness support\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/tag\/cloud\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCloud technology\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/tag\/data-analytics\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tData analytics\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/tag\/midsized-business\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMidsized business\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/tag\/performance-management\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPerformance management\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/tag\/productivity\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tProductivity\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/tag\/reporting\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tReporting\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n<div class=\"alignfull wp-block-sage-related-posts\">\n\t<section class=\"related-posts card-grid has-dark-background-color\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"related-posts__heading related-posts__heading--featured h1\">Explore more wisdom<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"row related-posts__featured\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-0 post-32304 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-people-leadership category-strategy-legal-operations tag-business-costs tag-business-finances tag-business-performance tag-business-support tag-data-analytics tag-digital-transformation tag-midsized-business tag-reporting tag-workplace-technology business_type-medium-sized-business industry-financial-services industry-professional-services card-post--is-clickable\"\n>\n\t<div class=\"card-post__media-wrapper\">\n\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/09\/intacct-4-header-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/09\/intacct-4-header-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/09\/intacct-4-header-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/09\/intacct-4-header-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t<div class=\"card-post__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__label\">Recommended<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-09-29T12:19:55+01:00\">29 September, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">5 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__title-link\"\n\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/from-scorekeeper-to-strategist-how-the-cfo-role-is-evolving\/\"\n\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tFrom scorekeeper to strategist: How the CFO role is evolving\u00a0\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"card-post__description\">\n\t\t\t\tThe CFO role is quietly shifting from backward-looking reporting to forward-looking strategy. Here&#8217;s what that shift actually demands in systems, skills, and team structure. \t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row related-posts__non-featured\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"related-posts__heading related-posts__heading--more h4\">More on this Topic<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-1 post-32302 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-strategy-legal-operations category-technology-innovation category-trends-insights tag-business-performance tag-business-support tag-digital-transformation tag-international-trading tag-midsized-business tag-performance-management tag-productivity tag-reporting tag-workplace-technology business_type-medium-sized-business industry-financial-services industry-professional-services\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/group-financial-reporting-moving-beyond-the-basic-p-and-l\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/09\/intacct-1-header-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/09\/intacct-1-header-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/09\/intacct-1-header-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/09\/intacct-1-header-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-09-29T12:10:28+01:00\">29 September, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">6 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tGroup financial reporting: Moving beyond the basic P&amp;L\u00a0\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-2 post-32298 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-strategy-legal-operations category-technology-innovation tag-business-finances tag-business-performance tag-business-support tag-cloud tag-data-analytics tag-digital-transformation tag-finance tag-midsized-business tag-performance-management tag-reporting tag-workplace-technology business_type-medium-sized-business industry-financial-services industry-professional-services\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/group-consolidation-why-it-takes-so-long-and-how-to-fix-it\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/09\/intacct-2-header-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/09\/intacct-2-header-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/09\/intacct-2-header-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/09\/intacct-2-header-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-09-29T12:00:40+01:00\">29 September, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">6 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tGroup consolidation: Why it takes so long and how to fix it\u00a0\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-3 post-32289 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-strategy-legal-operations category-technology-innovation tag-business-finances tag-business-performance tag-create-business-plan tag-data-analytics tag-finance tag-financial-education tag-performance-management tag-productivity tag-reporting tag-workplace-technology business_type-medium-sized-business industry-financial-services industry-professional-services\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/how-to-build-a-cfo-dashboard-that-actually-drives-decisions\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/09\/intacct-3-header-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/09\/intacct-3-header-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/09\/intacct-3-header-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/09\/intacct-3-header-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-09-29T11:49:51+01:00\">29 September, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">7 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tHow to build a CFO dashboard that actually drives decisions\u00a0\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-4 post-32237 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-people-leadership category-strategy-legal-operations category-trends-insights tag-bookkeeping tag-efl tag-productivity tag-workplace-technology business_type-small-business business_type-medium-sized-business business_type-accountants\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/afc-wimbledown-dlag-efl\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media card-post__media--video\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/09\/DLAG-blog-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"AFC Wimbledon shows how a fan-owned club can unite charities, businesses, volunteers and supporters across Southwest London\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/09\/DLAG-blog-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/09\/DLAG-blog-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/09\/DLAG-blog-1215x810.jpg 1215w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__play-video\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg role=\"presentation\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" class=\"card-post__play-icon svg-icon\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewbox=\"0 0 33 36\"><path d=\"M3.947.936C1.889 1.016 0 2.661 0 4.878v27.11c0 2.956 3.36 4.896 5.999 3.463l24.965-13.555c2.715-1.474 2.715-5.451 0-6.925L6 1.416a3.96 3.96 0 0 0-2.052-.48Zm.032 2.6c.232-.001.475.058.713.187L29.66 17.28c.986.535.986 1.774 0 2.309L4.692 33.144c-.952.517-1.999-.088-1.999-1.155V4.878c0-.533.261-.95.642-1.17.19-.11.411-.171.644-.172\" \/><\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg role=\"presentation\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" class=\"card-post__meta-icon svg-icon\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path d=\"M5.25 3C3.74 3 2.5 4.24 2.5 5.75v12.5C2.5 19.76 3.74 21 5.25 21h14c1.51 0 2.75-1.24 2.75-2.75V5.75C22 4.24 20.76 3 19.25 3zm0 1.5h14c.699 0 1.25.551 1.25 1.25v12.5a1.24 1.24 0 0 1-1.25 1.25h-14A1.24 1.24 0 0 1 4 18.25V5.75c0-.699.551-1.25 1.25-1.25m.25.75a.5.5 0 0 0-.5.5v.5a.5.5 0 0 0 .5.5H6a.5.5 0 0 0 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0-.5-.5z\" \/><\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-09-29T09:00:00+01:00\">29 September, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">5 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tThe businesses behind AFC Wimbledon: How one badge unites a community\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Longer close cycles. More spreadsheet workarounds. Reporting that takes longer every quarter, not less. These are the signs a finance system has stopped supporting growth and started limiting it. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1936,"featured_media":32291,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_is_cornerstone":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image-id":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image-id":"","_yoast_wpseo_schema_page_type":"","_yoast_wpseo_schema_article_type":"","_sage_video":false,"_yoast_wpseo_focuskeywords":"","_yoast_wpseo_keywordsynonyms":"[\"when to upgrade accounting software | signs you've outgrown your finance system | ERP replacement triggers | finance system limitations \"]","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"11","sage_membership_post_content_type":"","sage_membership_post_featured_video_id":"","sage_membership_post_video_type":"","sage_membership_post_featured_video_duration":"","post_featured_image_hide":false,"sage_hide_published_date":false,"sage_hide_read_time":false,"sage_hide_share_buttons":false,"_pwl_sage_podcast_buzzsprout_src":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[9,11],"tags":[135,180,124,51,126,159,42,47,401],"business_type":[4,3],"lilypad":[],"context":[],"industry":[59,63],"persona":[67,68,71,74],"imagine_tag":[79,254,89,91,285,165,96,302,269],"coauthors":[773],"class_list":["post-32306","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-strategy-legal-operations","category-technology-innovation","tag-business-finances","tag-business-performance","tag-business-support","tag-cloud","tag-data-analytics","tag-midsized-business","tag-performance-management","tag-productivity","tag-reporting","business_type-small-business","business_type-medium-sized-business","industry-financial-services","industry-professional-services"],"sage_meta":{"region":"en-gb","author_name":"Luciane Barbosa","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/09\/intacct-5-header.jpg","imagine_tags":{"79":"Business management","254":"Business reporting","89":"Financial services","91":"Growing business","285":"Manage your time and profit","165":"Medium business trade","96":"Medium businesses","302":"Multi-entity","269":"Purchase automation"}},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Sage Advice UK","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32306","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/1936"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32306"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32306\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32323,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32306\/revisions\/32323"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/32291"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32306"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32306"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32306"},{"taxonomy":"business_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/business_type?post=32306"},{"taxonomy":"lilypad","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/lilypad?post=32306"},{"taxonomy":"context","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/context?post=32306"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=32306"},{"taxonomy":"persona","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/persona?post=32306"},{"taxonomy":"imagine_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/imagine_tag?post=32306"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=32306"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}