From Complexity to Clarity: Arcadea Group’s Success Story

The Arcadea Group, a long-term investor specializing in B2B software companies, helps business grow with strategic capital and support. The group focuses on founder-led, lightly backed companies to leverage significant permanent capital and decades of experience to help VSaaS businesses improve and thrive for the long-term. Efficiency and automation are paramount to keep the organization running smoothly and provide a seamless experience for portfolio companies.

Managing payroll and non-payroll spending was a time-consuming process for their busy finance team. With Paylocity and Airbase by Paylocity, Arcadea Group found innovative solutions that simplified operations, improved accuracy, and gave them more time to focus on what matters most - growth.

The Challenge: Inefficient, Repetitive Processes 

When Shaun Teo joined Arcadea as Director of Finance for the FinTech vertical, he saw firsthand the inefficiencies in existing processes for business expenses.

Time-Consuming Expense and Payroll Processes 

He quickly realized that managing business expenses across the portfolio was cumbersome and time-consuming—approvals, processing, and bill payments often involved unnecessary delays.

He also noticed inefficiencies affecting Payroll and HR, from onboarding to talent management and payroll processing. With Arcadea focused on simplifying operations for its portfolio companies, Shaun knew it was time to streamline these internal processes to free up time.

The Solution: Consolidated Processes for Efficiency and Accuracy

The combination of Paylocity and Airbase by Paylocity provided what Arcadea needed to tackle their challenges head-on. Airbase by Paylocity quickly became the go-to platform for managing accounts payable, expense reimbursements, and corporate cards across the portfolio, while Paylocity addressed inefficiencies in HR and Payroll.

Streamlined Expense Management and Approvals 

Previously tedious manual approvals became seamless with Airbase. Shaun notes that managing director approvals used to involve multiple steps and back-and-forth communication. Now, with Airbase, they can log in once, review all expenses in one place, and quickly approve. 

“Our managing director doesn’t have time to fiddle with back-and-forth processes,” Shaun shares. “With Airbase, they see everything at once, which is a game-changer.” 

More Efficient Reimbursements = Happier Employees 

Employee reimbursements also became more efficient. Employees can snap a photo of their receipts, and Airbase auto-fills the expense details. Once approved, reimbursements are deposited immediately, skipping wait times for payroll cycles.

Payroll Accuracy and Reduced Risk 

Managing payroll compliance across multiple companies and states can be overwhelming. Paylocity simplifies this with automated calculations for taxes and deductions based on employee locations, removing the need for manual oversight.

That’s exactly what Arcadea needs to free up important time. 

“We want to tell you (Paylocity), ‘This is the employee, this is where they live,’ and know everything else will be handled,” Shaun said. “Paylocity has been great in that respect.” 

Sage Intacct for Stress-Free Payroll 

Arcadea was already using Paylocity for payroll when Shaun started, then they added Sage Intacct. The seamless integration between Paylocity and Sage Intacct further cuts down on errors by removing manual data entry. Payroll journal entries flow directly into the ERP system.

Improved Onboarding and Benefits Integration 

Arcadea also uses Paylocity’s innovative onboarding solution to ensure new employees have a positive start. They no longer encounter piles of paperwork in a conference room on day one. Instead, employees can be onboarded from any device, anywhere. This helps Arcadea set up employees for success.

Additionally, Paylocity’s Employee Navigator integration makes benefits management a breeze. Any updates employees make to their benefits flow automatically between systems, reducing error-prone manual processes. 

“If any employees make changes to their benefits, it sends it over to Paylocity,” Shaun explains. “And any payment changes are sent to Employee Navigator. If it wasn’t for this there would be more manual work, and more room for error.” 

The Results: Time Savings and More Value-Added Work

With Paylocity and Airbase by Paylocity, The Arcadea Group transformed time-consuming processes into efficient, seamless workflows.

Time Savings 

Shaun’s team estimates they’re saving 10-15 minutes per invoice thanks to Airbase’s streamlined processes. This time is now spent on more meaningful tasks, like analyzing AP data for insights.

Streamlined Audits and Compliance 

All payment records are housed in one place, simplifying audits and making it easier to access critical information. Arcadea recently provided auditors with read-only access, allowing them to find everything they needed without additional efforts from the finance team.

Reduced Errors 

Automating payroll journal entries through Paylocity and Sage Intacct has lessened the risk of human error, ensuring more accurate results.

Enhanced Control 

Corporate cards and real-time transaction tracking in Airbase provided greater oversight without adding complexity. 

Key Takeaways and Benefits 

The Arcadea Group revolutionized its finance and HR operations with Paylocity and Airbase, achieving streamlined expense management, automated payroll accuracy, and seamless system integrations. Time-consuming tasks like approvals and reimbursements became efficient and effortless, while employees enjoyed a smoother experience with faster processes and simplified onboarding. Real-time tracking and centralized data enhanced operational control and reduced risks, saving the finance team significant time to focus on important strategic priorities. These improvements not only increased efficiency but also empowered Arcadea to focus on growth and deliver greater value across its portfolio. 

By simplifying the complex, Paylocity and Airbase by Paylocity help businesses like The Arcadea Group spend less time on administrative burdens and more time driving their vision forward.