In this customer story
Public schools may not operate like traditional businesses, but the financial complexity behind the scenes is just as real. At Havelock North High School in New Zealand, nearly 1,000 students generate a huge number of transactions every month, all of which must be processed, tracked and reported accurately.
For accountant Mike Hosking, scale and control were non-negotiable.
“We have quite a bit of data going through – there might be 5000 transactions per month just in cash, and for every kid that completes a transaction, there's a fee, and we have to account for all of those separately.”
“We have quite a bit of data going through – there might be 5000 transactions per month just in cash, and for every kid that completes a transaction, there's a fee, and we have to account for all of those separately.”
Managing that volume through legacy systems was no longer sustainable. When COVID accelerated the need for cloud access and their existing software was withdrawn, the school made a strategic shift to MYOB Acumatica.
The transition, Mike says, “was an easy choice” once they compared options.
“I've worked in lots of different businesses and put lots of different software in lots of different places. This has been one of the bigger ones I’ve done, but it’s also been smoother and better,” he said.
From transaction-heavy to insight-driven
The first transformation was operational. MYOB Acumatica provided the processing power to handle high transaction volumes without friction. With 116 sub-accounts and finances broken down by activity, the school could finally manage its complexity cleanly.
But the bigger shift came in reporting.
Previously, monthly reports were printed and physically distributed. Generating deeper financial insight across departments was time-consuming and manual. With MYOB Acumatica, and the integration of Velixo, reporting moved from static and slow to dynamic and accessible.
MYOB Acumatica’s reporting capabilities are, in Mike’s words, “miles ahead of where we were before.”
Velixo extended that capability even further by connecting Excel directly to live ERP data.
“Some reports used to take us months to do, but with MYOB Acumatica and Velixo, it’s just so smooth – it’s unbelievable really.”
What once required months of manual compilation can now be delivered quickly and accurately. Department leaders can access more granular insight, and finance can respond to questions without rebuilding reports from scratch.
As Mike puts it, “The staff are always wanting more information out of the reports,” he laughs, “so it keeps them happy too.”
Cloud access without compromise
The move to cloud wasn’t only about reporting. It reduced hardware commitments and ensured continuity during lockdowns. Finance operations could continue seamlessly, regardless of location.
“There are times when I’m with another client and I can log in and have a quick look when I have five minutes spare – it’s much easier.”
The system now supports flexibility without sacrificing governance or control.
Built to grow with the school
Havelock North High was the first school in New Zealand to implement MYOB Acumatica. It was a step up — but one aligned with long-term needs.
“It was a step up for us, but if you want to manage your finances by activity, MYOB Acumatica does it beautifully and simply,” Mike said.
Importantly, the platform allows new integrations and functionality without adding cost or complexity.
“MYOB Acumatica can be adapted to suit our needs with no extra cost to us, giving us access to improved functionality and an integrated system. The more we delve into MYOB Acumatica, the better it gets.”
For Havelock North High School, MYOB Acumatica and Velixo have delivered more than operational efficiency. They’ve provided scalable control, faster reporting and deeper financial insight – creating a finance function that supports better decisions and, ultimately, better outcomes for students.
Getting started
If your finance team regularly exports MYOB Acumatica data into Excel as part of the reporting cycle, connecting the two environments may be worth exploring.
MYOB Acumatica customers can trial Velixo for 14 days using their own ERP data.
To activate your trial or learn more about how Velixo can support your reporting and planning workflows:
If you’re an MYOB Acumatica customer, click here or speak with your MYOB Customer Success Manager.
If you currently work with one of MYOB’s Business Partners, click here or reach out to your Partner to get started.
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