The Salterns Academy Trust runs three successful schools in Portsmouth, providing the opportunities for over 3,500 young people to be the very best that they can be across both primary and secondary phases. Budget strategy is a key strand of the Trust Improvement Plan, and Salterns began implementing IMP Planner in 2025. Here we speak to Vicky Bruce, Chief Financial Officer, about the implementation process from project scoping and data collection to system building and training.
When did you first come across IMP Software?
“I initially met IMP at MATPN South, a networking event for MAT senior leaders, in 2024. In fact, it is the only event I have attended since joining Salterns in late 2023 because I have been so busy getting stuck into the role. I thought it would be useful to go along, and while I was there, I saw the IMP stand and had a demo of the software. At that time, I was struggling to get what I needed from our existing budgeting system, and in many ways was starting from scratch. Although I was not actively looking for a new platform, once I saw IMP Planner I immediately realised it was exactly what I needed.”
Before IMP Planner, what was your biggest frustration with financial planning?
“When I joined the Trust, several software systems were in place, but there was limited understanding of how they functioned and no supporting documentation. The previous system was only being used for staff forecasting. All other areas were managed through multiple spreadsheets, often relying on percentage-based adjustments and working assumptions. It was all very manual. What I could not understand was that we were paying for the full product but not using it properly. By the time I encountered IMP, I had already hit a brick wall with our previous supplier. I learned more in a one-hour demo with IMP than I had in three months before.”
What stood out to you during the Planner demo?
“What really blew me away was how quickly you could generate a budget and keep everything up to date through the master dataset. All the numbers were there in a clear, easy-to-read format, with RAG ratings and structured headings. Before that, I was spending an entire week exporting a trial balance, manually typing it into spreadsheets and presenting it. I did not have any time left for analysing the data because I was spending all my time just producing the reports. I then recognised that, with IMP, I could simply run a report and have all the relevant information presented in one place. That was the moment I knew that I needed it.”
Talk to us about the steps for implementation.
“Firstly, we went through a procurement process. I had to write an internal paper explaining why I wanted to change systems, particularly as the Trust had only recently moved to a new financial system. When I joined in November 2023, Salterns had just gone live with Iplicit, having moved from IRIS Financials (PS Financials) in September. We were still struggling with that transition, so I had to make a strong case internally and find the budget to implement IMP. Once that was approved, we started with the scoping stage. What worked really well was the way the build process happened without taking up too much of my time. I simply sent over my payroll data, reports from our payroll provider, and the spreadsheet-based management accounts and budgets. From that information the team built the system in the background. They came back with specific questions when needed, but they worked around my schedule and what I could give them. That flexibility was really important because I simply did not have the capacity to step away from my day job to implement a new system.”
How did the support and onboarding work?
“During the build phase, and with this being my first MAT role, the team asked questions that helped me discover information I did not know existed. When I started I had no contacts, no data, and no email lists. Even things like our GAG funding letter were completely new to me. After the build phase we moved into a stage where I worked closely with Wendy. That is where the magic really happened. Wendy spent a lot of time walking me through everything step by step – staffing, budgets, reports – explaining how it all fitted together using Salterns budget data that had already been imported into the system. From there we transitioned to Nicky, who has also been fantastic. The support throughout the entire process has been incredibly strong.”
Overall, how long did the process take?
“We started the implementation process around February/March 2025. Unfortunately, I had to take some time off from March onwards, which delayed things slightly. Normally it would have been quicker. The build phase was largely complete by June/July, and that is when we moved across to working more closely with Wendy. By December we were essentially signed off from that phase and since then Nicky has been supporting me while I get fully up to speed.”
How does the training on IMP Planner compare to other systems you have used?
“Honestly, it is far superior to anything I have seen in my career. I have implemented multiple finance systems over the years, including large-scale projects. In one previous system implementation, I was seconded for two years just to get the finance element working properly. By comparison, IMP is already a polished product. The training resources are exceptional. The combination of videos, written guides, and the AI help feature means there is always something available when you need it. The guides are incredibly clear – step-by-step instructions with screenshots explaining exactly what to do. I have replayed Wendy’s budgeting videos multiple times while working through the process. Even when the AI does not give a perfect answer, it usually points me to the right video or guide. I have genuinely never seen training resources like this in any finance system before.”
As of April 2026, how much of the system are you currently using?
“We are probably 90% of the way there. I have already produced our first set of management accounts through IMP and am now preparing our first full budgeting cycle in the system. The tricky part for me at the moment is learning how everything connects within the budgeting process, simply because it is new. That is where most of my current questions are coming from. We have already started sending IMP reports to our budget holders and they have gone down really well. I have also presented the reports to our trustees and board. At the moment we are working in a hybrid way – most of the data is in IMP, but occasionally I will tweak something offline while I am still learning the system.”
Do you have a team using IMP Planner with you?
“Yes, although it is a small team. I am the CFO and I have a deputy who focuses mainly on staffing and produces the budget-holder reports. I currently lead on management accounts and budgeting. In time, we intend to build full cross-coverage; however, at present we are focusing on our respective areas given the breadth of responsibilities.”
What are your priorities for using IMP between now and the end of the academic year?
“My immediate goal is to have our five-year budgets fully completed within IMP, without any manual manipulation outside the system. I also want our management accounts to run smoothly each month, with commentary flowing forward from one period to the next. I am still working on using the simple forecast functionality properly, but that is next on my list. Ultimately I would like the whole team using the system and even allowing budget holders to access their own data directly, because IMP is so user friendly.”
What difference will IMP Planner make strategically for the trust?
“The biggest thing is access to meaningful data. Before IMP, I did not have any KPI data at all. The KPI functionality within IMP is something I am really excited about, although I want to finish validating the core data first before I start relying on it fully. Once I am confident in the numbers, those KPIs will allow us to have much better conversations with school leaders. More importantly, we will be able to respond quickly to changes – things like national insurance increases or funding changes. Instead of spending days pulling data together, I will be able to generate answers almost instantly because everything is already in the system. That is something we have never been able to do before.”
Finally, would you recommend IMP to other multi-academy trusts?
“Based on my experience, I would have no hesitation in recommending IMP. Starting from a position with limited documentation, data and records, there were a significant number of errors within our original budgets. Implementing IMP Planner enabled us to identify and rectify these issues. What I love is the ability to drill down into the numbers. We have gone from zero to 90 miles an hour in terms of access to financial data. There is so much information available now that it will take us a few months just to settle into using it properly. But we are nearly there – the management accounts are working, the forecasting is almost sorted, and the budgets are nearly complete.”
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