Revamping & Setting up the Accounts Department
Advaita Ltd
Heritage Hospitality & Events
Systems Consultant | Accounts Restructure, Optimisation & Automation
Xero, Hubdoc, Expense Submitters, Excel, Custom Bank Rules
63%
Reduction in Reconciliation Time
80%
Reduction in Uncoded Transactions
80%
Team compliance in 6 weeks
Description
Advaita, the holding company for Chilham Castle, manages diverse revenue streams across events, hospitality, and estate operations. Its financial systems had accumulated layers of duplication and manual work. Continuum stepped in to cut through this noise — to rebuild the financial structure, align reporting with management’s priorities, and anchor processes in discipline.
Challenge
Fragmented bookkeeping blurred visibility across departments and revenue streams.
Slow reconciliations and manual payment approvals delayed month-end close and strained suppliers.
Payroll and leave tracking ran partly on spreadsheets, exposing HMRC and pension compliance risks.
Reporting failed to align with KPIs, forcing reactive rather than informed decisions.
Together, these gaps increased workload, created compliance exposure, and blocked timely visibility.
Results
Cut reconciliation time by 63% (15 hours → under 6).
Reduced bookkeeping errors by 30%.
Automated payroll and pensions, achieving 100% RTI compliance.
Shortened vendor payment cycles by 40%.
Delivered monthly reporting packs aligned to KPIs.
Process
Discover
We audited every ledger, account code, and bank feed. We tracked how duplication, mis-categorisation, and manual intervention created delays. We reviewed reporting formats to see where data failed to inform leadership priorities.
Define
We mapped KPIs to reporting structures, linking costs and revenues directly to management’s view of performance. We defined reconciliation frequency, approval flows, and payroll obligations as non-negotiable standards.
Develop
We rebuilt the chart of accounts in Xero. We configured bank rules to automate reconciliations and cut manual work. We integrated Hubdoc to capture invoices at source, reducing entry time by 70%. We re-engineered payroll, embedding pensions and RTI filings into the cycle. We formalised supplier payment approvals with structured workflows.
Deliver
We trained staff in both process and system logic. We delivered monthly reporting packs aligned to KPIs. We implemented a “clean-close” model: reconciliations locked on schedule, data ready for review.
Conclusion
Continuum cut duplication, automated core processes, and anchored financial reporting to management priorities. Accounts now close faster, payroll runs without error, and reporting arrives in step with decision cycles. Leadership regained clarity and confidence in financial performance.
