Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR), a small-sized techforward airport, collaborated with Cherry Bekaert to modernize its financial systems and unlock real-time operational insights.
Like many airports of its size, GRR operates as a complex business ecosystem, managing tenants, airline contracts, concessions and multiple revenue streams. However, its legacy enterprise resource planning (ERP) system lacked the flexibility to manage these intricate relationships effectively.
To compensate, the airport relied on a separate revenue management platform. At month-end, finance teams manually extracted data, manipulated it in Excel, and entered it into the ERP system. This process created risk, inefficiency, and limited visibility, and several critical challenges, including:
- Heavy reliance on manual Excel processes
- Risk of data entry errors or duplication
- Limited ability to scale reporting beyond month-end
- No support for real-time data or daily insights
Facing inefficiencies driven by these disconnected systems, GRR embarked on a transformation journey that culminated in a fully automated, scalable integration with Sage Intacct.
Transitioning to Sage Intacct
Recognizing the need for modernization, GRR selected Sage Intacct as its new ERP due to its extensibility and open application programming interface (API) capabilities. However, a key gap remained: there was no native integration between the existing revenue platform and Sage Intacct.
Initially, Cherry Bekaert implemented an interim solution, an automated Excel-based process that validated and transformed revenue data into journal entries. While effective in the short term, it still required manual execution and did not meet the airport’s long-term need for continuous data flow.
Implementing Custom Integration and Automation
To eliminate manual processes and enable real-time reporting, Cherry Bekaert developed a custom-built integration between the revenue system and Sage Intacct. This solution:
- Automatically extracts data from the revenue platform
- Transforms and validates the data
- Pushes it directly into Sage Intacct via API
- Runs daily with built-in error detection and notification
The automation enables missing or mismatched data to be flagged and resolved efficiently, with validation processes built into the workflow. Notably, the team delivered this as a custom-coded solution rather than using a third-party integration tool, eliminating ongoing subscription costs while meeting performance needs.
Expanding Value Beyond Financial Data
With the integration in place, GRR expanded its use of Sage Intacct to include statistical accounts capturing non-financial operational data such as:
- Passenger volumes (enplanements and deplanements)
- Aircraft landings and takeoffs
- Aircraft weight and runway usage metrics
This advancement enabled powerful new analytics, including, revenue per passenger, operational performance insights, and data-driven planning for airport infrastructure and tenant strategy. The integration has since expanded to include additional datasets such as food and beverage sales, allowing the airport to analyze seasonality and optimize vendor mix.
Achieving Real-time Insights and Operational Efficiency
Operational Improvements
- Eliminated manual month-end data processing
- Reduced risk of errors and duplication
- Automated daily data synchronization
Financial and Analytical Gains
- Enabled near real-time reporting
- Integrated financial and operational data into a single system
- Improved decision-making through richer analytics
Cost Efficiency
- Avoided recurring integration platform fees
- Delivered a scalable, reusable solution
How Cherry Bekaert Helps Drive Innovation
Cherry Bekaert’s long-standing relationship with GRR — dating back to 2022 — enabled a collaborative, iterative approach to innovation. The client’s willingness to test new ideas and adopt emerging technologies played a key role in the success of this initiative. As a result, GRR experienced a successful transformation through a repeatable solution that can be adapted for other airports and complex, revenue-driven organizations.
With a modern, integrated data foundation in place, GRR is now positioned to:
- Expand business intelligence capabilities
- Leverage predictive analytics
- Continue optimizing operations across revenue streams
This transformation demonstrates how targeted automation and strategic integration can unlock significant value, even in highly complex operating environments like airports.
Connect with Cherry Bekaert to explore how Sage Intacct and other strategic integrations can help your airport advance operations, improve visibility, and prepare for what’s next.
