Improved Accountability and Ownership at RAHS

The Royal Agricultural & Horticultural Society of South Australia Inc. (RAHS) is the organiser of the state's largest ticketed event, the Royal Adelaide Show, which attracts approximately 30% of South Australia's population. Further to this, the Adelaide Showground provides facilities to more than 100 exhibitions, conventions and banquets each year.

The Royal Agricultural & Horticultural Society SA implemented the Enterprise Edition of idu-Concept’s Budgeting & Reporting Modules in 2018.  This has led to a significant change in their day-to-day operation in comparison to the excel macro workbooks that were being used prior to implementing IDU.

idu-Concept allows for real-time, up to date analysis of actual against budget figures, enabling all divisional managers to track their progress and thus reduces the month end reporting processes. Managers are able to review their results at any time in the month, and to adapt accordingly.

Pressures and demands on finance staff have been reduced as non-financial managers can now access their information directly from idu-Concept whereas previously they had to request detailed reports from the finance department.

“With all staff able to concurrently access individual project areas within idu-Concept and either review results, set budgets or make changes, our 'budget setting season' is less stressful for all and reduces the time needed for the process” - Hayley Herbst, General Manager Finance & Corporate

The ability to assign access to specific areas of the budget to specific staff members has led to greater accountability within those areas.

Using idu-Concept has streamlined the overall budgeting process, and allows non-finance staff to access their areas, interrogate costs and understand how they are tracking against budget without having to request reports from Finance or wait for excel workbooks to be updated.

“The software has interfaced directly with our job costing software and has provided access to our staff who have now taken ownership of their budgets. The ability to drill down to the financial entries has given a visibility to the actual versus budget results that has been well received by staff at all levels” – Vicki Baulderstone, Finance Officer

The monthly board reporting can now involve all areas of the business simultaneously and has reduced the amount of time required to complete the review of the financials. The annual budget process has input from all levels of management and therefore has greater commitment to the budget from the staff.

About The Royal Agricultural and Horticultural Society of South Australia

The Royal Agricultural and Horticultural Society of South Australia was founded in November 1839 as the South Australian Agricultural Society "for the advancement of agricultural and pastoral knowledge, and to promote the development of the natural resources of our noble colony."  They are responsible for staging of the Royal Adelaide Show, Royal Adelaide Wine Show and other events. The Society is a membership-based, non-profit organisation – its main aim is to encourage the pursuit of excellence in primary industry, to educate the public about rural product and to encourage young people in their pursuit of agricultural education.