UK Manufacturers Still Running Their Finances on Spreadsheets – Norwich and Southampton Firms Team Up to Fix It

Roveel and CIM Software announce partnership targeting the hidden productivity crisis inside Sage 200 and Sage 50 businesses

Norwich, UK, 3 June 2026 – Despite investing in ERP software, thousands of UK SMEs are still managing their financial reporting through a tangle of Excel spreadsheets and manual processes, wasting hours every week and making critical decisions on data that’s already out of date.

That’s the problem Roveel and CIM Software are directly targeting with a new partnership announced today.

Roveel, the Norwich-based reporting platform built specifically for Sage users, is joining forces with CIM Software, a specialist Sage 200 and Sage 50 consultancy with deep roots in the UK manufacturing sector. Together, they will offer businesses a route out of spreadsheet dependency and reliance, replacing manual reporting with automated, near real-time dashboards that connect directly to their existing Sage data.

“Most of the businesses we work with have paid for a sophisticated ERP system and are still exporting data into Excel to produce their month-end reports. That’s not a technology problem it’s a visibility problem. And it’s costing them time they don’t have and confidence they can’t afford to lose.”

Mark Donaldson, Director, Roveel

The issue is particularly acute in manufacturing, where margins are tight and operational decisions, stock levels, production schedules and cash flow, need to be made quickly and on accurate data. CIM Software’s clients frequently find themselves caught between the power of Sage 200 and the reality of reporting processes that haven’t changed in a decade.

“Our customers aren’t short of data, they are short of answers. Partnering with Roveel means we can finally close that gap. Within hours of implementation, teams that were spending half a day compiling reports are getting that time back.”

Martin Conner, Director, CIM Software

The partnership also addresses a specific pain point for growing businesses: the transition from Sage 50 to Sage 200. System migrations typically disrupt reporting workflows for months, forcing teams back into manual processes at precisely the moment the business needs better visibility. Roveel’s platform works across both systems, providing reporting continuity throughout the transition, supported by CIM who are experts in the data migration.

Businesses interested in seeing the solution in action can book a demonstration at roveel.com.