Construction and Real Estate Oppidan Investments Reaches New Heights with Sage Intacct
For over three decades, Oppidan Investments, Inc. has cultivated a nationwide presence by partnering with a diverse spectrum of clients. But Oppidan builds more than mere structures; it specializes in creating spaces that work, transforming visions into tangible realities. Their diverse portfolio, ranging from constructing cutting-edge corporate campuses and expansive industrial facilities to developing vibrant retail destinations and thoughtfully designed senior living communities, reflects their deep expertise and adaptability across multiple sectors.
For a national property developer like Oppidan, laying solid financial foundations translates into a company that can continuously grow. Their journey to modernize their foundations led them to a powerful partnership with RKL eSolutions and Sage Intacct.
This has no doubt been the best transition I have ever experienced in my career. Their expertise ensured that what could have been a challenging ‘renovation’ felt more like a perfectly planned ‘key handover.'
Shane Reding, VP of Accounting and Controller
Outgrowing the Blueprints
Oppidan strategically expands its footprint and refines its approach to real estate development through constant growth. As the company’s portfolio diversified, its financial systems needed to evolve alongside it. It had already made a significant leap in 2017, with the help of Techware MN, transitioning from QuickBooks to Sage 300 CRE to better handle its initial scaling.
However, as Oppidan's national footprint expanded, Sage 300 CRE began to seem somewhat restrictive. Members of its finance team found themselves increasingly challenged by fragmented data, struggling to gain a unified, real-time view across their diverse real estate ventures. This lack of visibility hampered its ability to quickly identify potential budget overruns and capitalize on emerging market trends, ultimately impacting its agility and scalability.
Shane Reding, Oppidan’s Vice President of Accounting and Controller, confirmed the urgent need for change: "An accumulation of several things brought us to the decision that we must make a change. Our company has evolved a lot, as did the products structure and how we all communicate. It was time to embark on the 21st century."
Staying in the Sage Ecosystem with a Bona Fide Partner
With the undeniable need of an upgrade, Oppidan embarked on a meticulous search for a new financial platform. Their core requirement was a system that could truly align with their distinct operational models – one that could seamlessly integrate their diverse real estate projects with their broader financial management, providing the granular visibility their unique ventures demanded. "Not every software is going to be perfect for exactly every need that you have," recalled Shane, highlighting their commitment to finding the perfect fit.
They soon realized a cloud-based solution was fundamental, essential for supporting their multiple entities and ensuring remote accessibility for their dispersed teams. This advanced functionality was critical to moving beyond the limitations of their server-based legacy system. The ideal solution had to offer unparalleled flexibility, accommodate their specialized workflows, provide real-time visibility across all their projects and ultimately, serve as a solid foundation for future expansion without the need for constant workarounds. It was these specific requirements that led Oppidan to intensively examine Sage Intacct. As Shane noted, "Even though it was clear to us that this is the solution for us, this is not a simple transition, so we had to make sure this was the right choice for us."
It soon became clear that staying with RKL eSolutions was also the right choice: “From the first time we looked at the demo, all the way to the actual implementation, everyone was extremely organized and helpful, demonstrating RKL's deep understanding of implementation and best practices. When questions arose, and they did, because we had a great deal of nuances, the RKL team answered immediately and accurately, we knew this was exactly what we were looking for,” recounted Shane.
A Seamless Transition
Any change of this magnitude consists of inherent complexities, but the transition to Sage Intacct was remarkably smooth for Oppidan, largely due to the exceptional partnership with the RKL eSolutions team: “They didn't just implement a system; they provided a truly tailored 'blueprint' for success,” explained Shane.
"The key to this transition was excellent communication and constant reviews. Every step of the way we knew where we needed to be; it was as seamless as it can be. Karen and Mary Kay were instrumental. They were extremely helpful and hands-on, ensuring that every square foot of the solution was optimized for our needs and our specific requirements, rather than forcing us into a generic template,” explained Shane.
“RKL eSolutions team’s deep understanding of both Sage Intacct's capabilities and the intricacies of real estate and project accounting allowed them to proactively identify and solve potential issues. RKL eSolutions’ team handled everything in stride. This has no doubt been the best transition I have ever experienced in my career. Their expertise ensured that what could have been a challenging ‘renovation’ felt more like a perfectly planned ‘key handover’,” said Shane.
Solid Structures with Concrete Results
Efficiency and speed in the AP process have been one of the most evident improvements we have noticed, without a shadow of a doubt, said Shane: “We are getting checks out a lot sooner, invoices are entered a lot quicker."
Furthermore, storing and accessing information such as invoices within the software has made a significant upgrade to Oppidan: "One of the biggest things that we love is that we can store invoices within the AP system and attach them to an invoice. We didn't have that capability before," added Shane.
From the Ground Up: Accuracy, Accessibility and Agility
"Finding information and support for information is a thousand times better than what we were dealing with before,” said Shane, adding that “as the Controller, I am now able to export and generate reports so quickly, and that is invaluable.”
The transition to Sage Intacct resulted in Oppidan’s ability to react and reconcile invoices faster which means they also get paid faster. The company has experienced significant time saving and increased accuracy in their financial closing processes.
Reaching New Heights
With a future built on the solid foundation of Sage Intacct and the ongoing support of RKL eSolutions, Oppidan is well-positioned to continue shaping the national property landscape for decades to come.
"We are just at the tip of the iceberg," said Shane with regards to Sage Intacct's capabilities, “We have so much more to learn,” added Shane, expressing Oppidan’s long-term vision and desire to continue maximizing on their investment.
The company is committed to exploring and taking advantage of what Sage Intacct has to offer and has been sending employees to conferences and online classes with the vision and proactive approach to leveraging the system.
