Case Study — Visit Baltimore

COMPANY OVERVIEW

Visit Baltimore — the official destination marketing organization (DMO) for Baltimore City

Visit Baltimore, Inc. serves as the official destination marketing organization (DMO) for Baltimore City. They work to generate economic benefits for the region by marketing Baltimore as an enriching destination for leisure visitors and an ideal location for meetings and conventions.

CHALLENGES

Financial System Frustrations: Visit Baltimore’s Struggles with Blackbaud Financial Edge

Visit Baltimore faced numerous challenges with their former financial management system, Blackbaud Financial Edge—a Citrix-based platform. While Blackbaud was transitioning to a web-based infrastructure, not all features were accessible online. This limitation required the download of the program onto the specific computers they were utilizing, restricting access to key information on the web and hindering their ability to log in from different locations. Recognizing the significance of this issue, Visit Baltimore was motivated to explore alternative solutions that could provide enhanced accessibility.

Another pain point for Visit Baltimore stemmed from the reporting feature in Blackbaud. The Citrix-based system structure introduced difficulties in tasks like printing and saving reports. The process of saving reports as Excel and/or PDFs became cumbersome, adding unnecessary complexity to routine tasks. Furthermore, the inherent lack of flexibility in the system proved to be a persistent challenge. Any errors made in journal entries required the creation of new entries, leading to a considerable waste of time for their team.

In addition to these challenges, Visit Baltimore found the process of managing their multiple entities within Blackbaud to be inefficient. The platform’s restrictions became apparent, as it lacked the capability to allow three databases to be opened at the same time. Switching between entities required unnecessary and time-consuming steps, involving a sequence of logging out and logging back in. These limitations further emphasized their need for a more streamlined and adaptable financial management solution.

OUTCOMES

Revisiting Sage Intacct: Visit Baltimore’s Transition Back to a Modern Accounting Platform

In response to the challenges encountered with Blackbaud, the Visit Baltimore team sought out a cloud-based financial management solution that offered enhanced flexibility and accessibility, improved reporting capabilities, and efficient multi-entity management. Dissatisfaction with Blackbaud prompted Visit Baltimore to reassess Sage Intacct, a platform they had utilized years ago. Their decision to transition back to Sage Intacct was influenced by the team’s familiarity with the platform’s advanced capabilities and its track record of success.

Recognizing the need for a seamless migration, Visit Baltimore selected CompuData as their implementation partner, driven by the CompuData team’s extensive experience and Sage Intacct expertise. The strong connections Visit Baltimore had established with DMOs nationwide played a pivotal role in selecting CompuData. Feedback from peers at other bureaus, who spoke highly of CompuData, added even more certainty to Visit Baltimore’s confidence in their decision. Acknowledging the challenges faced with Blackbaud, the CompuData team successfully implemented Sage Intacct, providing Visit Baltimore with a modern, efficient, and collaborative financial management solution tailored to the unique requirements of a DMO.

RESULTS

From Challenges to Solutions: How Visit Baltimore Found Success with Sage Intacct

The combination of a stellar implementation team and the robust capabilities of Sage Intacct has created a positive and efficient experience for Visit Baltimore. This successful partnership has addressed the challenges faced with their previous system while also optimizing their financial processes. As they continue to explore the platform’s full potential, they anticipate further enhancements in their financial management. The strategic decision to revert to Sage Intacct was not just a return to familiarity, but a leap forward into a more modern and adaptable solution.

Here are some of the positive outcomes Visit Baltimore has experienced so far:

• Accessibility & Flexibility: Sage Intacct’s cloud-based platform ensures accessibility anytime, anywhere for Visit Baltimore. The platform’s flexibility and user-friendly interface eliminate the need for cumbersome processes, providing a more accessible and adaptable financial management solution. Making adjustments and navigating through financial entries has become quicker and more efficient, streamlining daily operations for the team. Visit Baltimore can now fix errors without the need for creating new journal entries, saving valuable time and resources.
• Simplified & Streamlined Reporting: Sage Intacct has significantly simplified and streamlined the reporting processes for Visit Baltimore. The printing and saving of reports became more straightforward. Their team no longer faces challenges in selecting printers or saving reports as PDFs, contributing to increased efficiency in daily financial operations.
• Efficient Multi-Entity Management: Managing multiple entities has become more efficient for Visit Baltimore, as Sage Intacct seamlessly integrates their three entities under one login. This unified approach allows for smooth navigation between different entities, eliminating the need for complex log-in processes and ultimately leading to time savings.