The Challenge
Duplicated Records and Manual Fixes
The two systems contained overlapping data on customers, invoices, and credit notes, and keeping them aligned was becoming increasingly difficult. Staff had to re-enter financial data and perform manual checks to maintain accuracy, which slowed down processes and introduced unnecessary errors.
Blind Designs wanted to keep Sage Pastel in place but needed to eliminate duplication problems with its in-house system. As director Paul O’Brien explained, “We wanted to keep using Pastel but needed to avoid duplication problems with our customised in-house system.”
Why Flowgear was chosen
“We wanted to keep using Pastel but needed to avoid duplication problems with our customised in‑house system,” said Paul O’Brien, Director.
Two‑way Pastel sync
Flowgear updates customers, invoices, and credit notes into Sage Pastel, while balances and credit limits flow back into the LOB app for full visibility.
The Solution
Automated Two-Way Updates
Through a recommendation from the Sage Pastel partner channel, Blind Designs implemented Flowgear. The platform now synchronises financial data automatically between the two systems. Information about customers, invoices, and credit notes is updated into Pastel, while customer balances and credit limits flow back into the LOB system.
The Results
Fewer Errors and Better Control
By automating synchronisation, Blind Designs achieved significant improvements:
- Reduced data errors significantly, leading to tighter financial management.
- Avoided hiring additional staff for data input and checking.
- Finance data is more reliable across systems, which cuts time spent fixing discrepancies.
- The team can focus on core work instead of duplicate capture.
Working with Flowgear has also given the company confidence in ongoing support. “The staff at Flowgear inspire a lot of confidence through their ability to address our issues and provide support,” noted O’Brien.
Fewer errors, tighter control
“Using Flowgear we reduced data errors significantly and achieved tighter financial management without hiring extra staff,” said Paul O’Brien.
Expanding beyond finance
“Now we’ve got one part of the business working with Flowgear, we’re starting to look at other areas where it will be a benefit.”
The Future
Looking Ahead
With its finance workflows now running smoothly, Blind Designs is exploring additional business areas where Flowgear can provide benefits. As O’Brien confirmed, “Now we’ve got one part of the business working with Flowgear, we’re starting to look at other areas where we can see it will be a benefit.”
