A consultancy committed to providing customers with the data to transform their businesses has chosen iplicit as the market’s “standout” finance software.
tick9, whose founder has extensive experience in major finance systems, partnered with iplicit to address an “immense” gap in the market.
It will add iplicit’s accounting software to an ecosystem of powerful applications that enable businesses to leave behind legacy platforms and focus on growth.
tick9 Director Steve Fewster said: “As someone who’s worked with countless finance systems over the years, I can say iplicit stands out.
“It offers inbuilt budgeting and FP&A (financial planning and analysis), multi-entity handling and automated intercompany transaction approvals – all without relying on finance-related third-party bolt-ons.”
About tick9
Steve had extensive experience with major platforms, including Sage, Microsoft, and SAP, before moving into consultancy. tick9 helps businesses select and deploy the right systems and drive continuous improvement.
“Our typical clients are midmarket businesses, with a strong emphasis on manufacturing and distribution,” says Steve.
“We mainly work with businesses in the £5m-£250m revenue range, and they’re often navigating outdated systems, disconnected or simply no longer fit for purpose.
“Our customers usually don’t have in-house IT teams, and they rely on us to project-manage system implementations or improve their current setups.
“Our main job is about interpreting people’s requirements and applying technology, making sure to select the right tool for the job.”
He sees many customers who lack a good finance system. “Only one person in five is happy with their finance system,” he says.
“People often use on-premises systems for no other reason than that their accountant started them on it years ago, or they got onto it because of an acquisition, and they make it work through add-ons.”
Neil Wells, tick9’s Head of Sales, adds: “We have so many conversations with customers that have never been able to get the basics right in their finance systems, so spreadsheets are holding things together. There’s so much manual work still going on, and they crave something better.
“We also see some forward-thinking businesses, often with private equity backing, where the founders want to grow quickly and exit. They’re very motivated and are keen to have good systems.”
‘The market opportunity is immense’
Steve looked into iplicit after clients in tick9’s logistics sector network expressed an interest in integrating their systems with it.
He discovered more by reconnecting with Paula Cooper, iplicit’s Head of Channel Sales, whom he had known as a partner manager at Sage.
“The timing was perfect because we sought a finance platform aligned with our portfolio. Finance hadn’t been our focus because the market lacked the right product,” he says.
“Most finance systems either lack flexibility or are overly complex and expensive for midmarket businesses and have relied on third-party add-ons. That’s why I hesitated to recommend finance systems to customers.
“iplicit filled that gap. We immediately saw that this was the product we wanted to offer.
“The market opportunity is immense, with so many businesses stuck with legacy systems like Sage 50 or Sage 200.
“iplicit provides all the core functionality clients need in a single product. It integrates seamlessly, scales with business needs and is built on modern technology, Microsoft’s Azure platform. That makes it the perfect fit for customers dealing with the restrictions of legacy systems.”
‘We’re already building a pipeline’
tick9 found iplicit’s team highly supportive and partner-focused, with a well-structured onboarding process and comprehensive training. tick9’s consultants quickly became certified with iplicit and are confident with the platform.
“We’re already demonstrating the product and building a pipeline of opportunities,” says Steve.
“In logistics, we often work with clients that have grown through acquisitions. These businesses are usually left managing dozens of systems, so iplicit is the perfect product to eliminate many of their inefficiencies.
“iplicit’s implementation timeline, measured in weeks rather than months, is a huge advantage. It minimises disruption while providing the performance that businesses need.”
‘We can deliver immediately and long-term’
iplicit joins a suite of products that tick9 promotes to create an ecosystem focused on better data. The others include Qlik for analytics and visualisation, Cyferd for AI-driven process automation, and Cin7 for inventory and manufacturing management that scales.
These platforms allow customers to streamline their processes, enjoy end-to-end data visibility, and gain real-time insights from the factory to the boardroom.
“We’re excited about the prospects for this partnership. iplicit is a modern, forward-thinking product that fulfils a real need for our clients,” says Steve.
“By combining iplicit’s technology with our expertise in data and systems, we can deliver both immediate results and long-term value.
“We see this as the beginning of a long and successful collaboration.”