Customer story: Wings Global Travel

The challenge

Legacy finance systems were holding back growth

As Wings expanded globally, it inherited multiple finance and operational systems from acquisitions. Bringing these together was increasingly difficult and created operational overheads for the finance team. Manual processes and complex financial procedures were taking time away from higher-value activities, and the finance function needed a platform that would help it keep pace with the company’s growth.

“We had multiple systems, reconciliation challenges, invoicing processes that required too much manual effort and were becoming increasingly cumbersome – a barrier to efficiency where they should have been helping us,” says Anthony McCartney, CFO of Wings Group.

The main pain points included:

• A patchwork of finance systems inherited through growth
• Heavy reliance on manual reconciliation
• Invoicing processes that needed greater speed and efficiency
• Challenges meeting client expectations for seamless and transparent travel accounting
• Limited scalability to support business growth

It was becoming increasingly clear that we needed to modernise, unify and re-platform our finance function.

Anthony McCartney, CFO of Wings Group

The solution

TravelOperations ERP powered by Microsoft Dynamics 365

After evaluating several ERP providers, Wings selected TravelOperations and Microsoft Dynamics 365.

The new platform offers:

• A single ERP environment designed for the travel industry
• Built-in support for travel accounting and reporting
• Global capabilities with strong localisation across every country of operation
• Seamless integration with Microsoft tools already used across Wings
• A flexible, partnership-driven approach from TravelOperations

We found no ERP system could meet travel accounting requirements without heavy customisation except TravelOperations. That really was the key differentiator.

Anthony McCartney, CFO of Wings Group

The implememntation journey

Global ERP rollout

Wings planned a phased implementation to balance risk and speed. The rollout began in South Africa, the UK and Norway. However, a new client win in Latin America prompted Wings to set up new local operations in the space of a few months, necessitating major revisions to the implementation plan.

“We had to reprioritise and launch in Colombia and Argentina at speed. That’s where the flexibility of the TravelOperations platform and team really came through,” says Anthony McCartney.

By mid-2025 Wings had implemented the solution in around 60–70% of its entities and expects to complete the global rollout in early 2026. Implementing in stages has proved valuable, offering opportunities to refine the approach and build internal capability.

Through the process, Wings learned:

• Striking the right balance between preparation and stabilisation is essential. Thorough testing leads to smoother go-lives, while faster deployments demand greater attention after go-live
• Finance team capacity must be carefully managed. The programme places significant demands on the finance function, requiring dedicated time and focus.
• Strong leadership commitment is essential. With an 18-20 month global rollout, consistent executive backing proved key to maintaining momentum and supporting the team.

The impact

Finance efficiency and scalability for a growing TMC

Even with only part of the rollout complete, Wings is already seeing substantial improvements:

• 20–30% efficiency gains in South Africa within the first months of go-live
• A modern, intuitive user experience that boosts morale and adoption
• The ability to create and roll out global reports with minimal effort
• A clear path to standardised processes across all countries

Looking ahead, Wings expects 30–40% efficiency gains across its finance operations once the programme is fully implemented. Crucially, the new ERP enables economies of scale, allowing Wings to double the size of its business without increasing the size of the finance team.

It’s all about scalability. We’ve positioned the company to double in size over the next three years, and we can only do that by removing manual processes and automating as much as possible.

Anthony McCartney, CFO of Wings Croup

The partnership

A flexible and trusted relationship

Beyond technology, Wings emphasises the strength of its collaboration with TravelOperations.

“The partnership has been really positive. It’s flexible, professional and built on trust. That’s critical, because this is a long-term journey and it wouldn’t work without that,” McCartney concludes.

Are you feeling inspired and looking for efficiency and automation like Wings?