The Climbing Hangar, founded in 2011, is a UK-based leisure company specialising in indoor bouldering, complemented by cafés and retail activity. Operating 9 sites nationwide, it employs 200 people and generates an annual turnover of £10 million, making it a prominent operator in its sector while fostering vibrant climbing communities. To support this expansion and enhance operational efficiency, the company sought out a digitisation solution to streamline and automate its accounting processes, ultimately selecting Yooz in combination with its existing ERP system, Sage Intacct, to save time and sustain its growth trajectory.
The challenge: Overcoming manual and resource-heavy Accounts Payable processes
Before implementing Yooz, The Climbing Hangar faced significant challenges in managing its Accounts Payable function, which relied entirely on manual workflows. These labour-intensive processes demanded substantial time and effort, including the need for a dedicated full-time resource to oversee the company’s eleven-site estate. Driven by a strong desire to automate and strengthen its control environment, the business looked for a solution that would integrate seamlessly with Sage Intacct and leverage AI technology, ultimately leading to the adoption of Yooz.
“Yooz has made a night and day change for our AP process. We spend so much less time on any sort of manual processing jobs. It really gave us back the time to do the value-added work in the finance department, especially for budget holders.“
Laura Johnson
Head of Finance
Choosing Yooz: A seamless and collaborative implementation
The implementation of Yooz began in October 2022, introduced through Sage Intacct partner Percipient and was successfully rolled out across all 9 sites. Taking just four months from project kick-off to full integration, the process engaged stakeholders early on to highlight the long-term benefits of the solution. Initial hesitancy quickly gave way to widespread support as teams recognised the efficiency and value Yooz brought to the organisation.
The benefits: Driving efficiency, empowerment and financial control
Since adopting Yooz, The Climbing Hangar has realised substantial benefits, including efficiency, team empowerment and financial control, enabling the business to scale sustainably while strengthening its operations.
- Efficiency and scalability
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- Significant reduction in manual approvals
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- Lower email traffic across the finance function
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- Expansion from 7 to 9 sites without the need to increase the size of the finance team
- Empowered finance team
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- Freed the Accounts Assistant role to take on broader, higher-value responsibilities
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- Enabled greater focus on strategic activities through automation
- Stronger control and insight
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- Improved visibility of purchasing activity across all sites
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- Strengthened purchasing controls
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- More accurate information available for cash forecasting and procurement decisions
“It has been an absolute game changer for us. There is absolutely no way we would have been able to make the team as efficient as it is if we hadn’t gone down this route.”
Laura Johnson
Head of Finance
The Climbing Hangar’s journey with Yooz illustrates how digital transformation can drive efficiency, scalability and stronger financial management. By replacing manual, labour-intensive processes with an AI-powered, fully integrated solution, the company has been able to support rapid growth. Together, these benefits position The Climbing Hangar to continue its expansion while maintaining operational excellence.
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