Quick summary

Global Travel Network (GTN) transformed its financial operations by consolidating onto Sandfield’s OnAccount platform as their single financial management system, and moving away from a fragmented dual-system environment. This strategic migration eliminated complex reconciliations and manual workarounds, providing GTN with a robust, travel-focused financial foundation built to support growth and efficiency.

The challenge: Navigating the friction of dual Accounting Systems

GTN operates a high-volume platform for independent travel agents, leveraging group buying power in a fast-paced, competitive market. To maintain their edge, GTN needed a financial engine capable of handling complex pricing and transaction volumes.

For years, GTN managed transactions in OnAccount but relied on Microsoft Dynamics NAV for general ledger reporting and operating expenditure. This hybrid approach created persistent inefficiencies:

• Manual reconciliation: Monthly data checks between systems consumed significant time.

• Interface failures: Sync errors required manual investigation, disrupting daily operations.

• External dependencies: Routine changes, like adding a supplier, depended on third-party support, causing delays.

The turning point: Upgrade or consolidate?

In 2025, with accounting support brought in-house and Microsoft Dynamics NAV nearing end-of-support, GTN faced a clear choice: invest in upgrading a secondary system or consolidate all financial operations into OnAccount.

Rebecca Farmiloe, GTN’s Strategic Finance Manager, described the decision as a “no-brainer”:  

“OnAccount functionality was already great for our business, so the expense to scope other systems was deemed unnecessary. It made more sense for us to have all our accounting in one system, and OnAccount was the obvious choice.”

The solution: Seamless migration with OnAccount

With a strong partnership already in place, Sandfield’s OnAccount team led the migration, replicating NAV’s critical functions within their travel-optimised, user-friendly interface. Key steps included:

• Data integration: Merged NAV’s Chart of Accounts with OnAccount and aligned year-end dates across all entities.

• Expanded coverage: Extended OnAccount to manage all corporate and non-airline revenue, including creditors, debtors, and fixed assets.

• Strategic planning tools: Enabled real-time budgeting and forecasting.

Throughout the project, the OnAccount team worked closely with GTN to ensure a smooth transition on a tight timeline, addressing challenges in real time and maintaining business continuity.

Purpose-built finance features for the Travel sector

OnAccount is engineered for the complexities of travel finance having served several customers in the industry, enabling out-of-the-box functionality to be quickly configured. For GTN, this delivered:

• Effortless settlement management: High-volume, multi-currency transactions handled with ease.

• Flexible agent reporting: Customisable reporting empowers independent agents to manage their businesses effectively.

• Automation at scale: Manual, repetitive tasks eliminated - freeing the finance team to focus on strategy, not data entry.

The outcome: Efficiency by design

By consolidating onto OnAccount, GTN achieved:

• Time savings: Several hours previously lost to manual reconciliation are reclaimed each month.

• Total control: Automated BSP reconciliation and real-time reporting provide a single source of truth, purpose-built for travel.

• Scalable agility: The platform aligns with GTN’s unique operational demands and is ready to support future growth.

Looking ahead: A foundation for growth

With a unified financial system, GTN is positioned to scale efficiently and support its network of independent agents. The friction of fragmented systems is gone - replaced by a robust, future-proofed platform.

“As we continue to drive growth in the business, it’s great that we have one, easy-to-use and efficient system to help support us.”

— Rebecca Farmiloe, Strategic Finance Manager, GTN