Team Academy

Training businesses don’t all operate the same way. Some run high-volume courses with standardised schedules and large delegate numbers. Others, like Team Academy, work in a far more consultative way; designing leadership development around each client, each culture and each challenge.

Their work delivers real impact, but it can also create operational complexity behind the scenes. Systems need to be flexible, with consistent communication and admin that stays under control.

This case study shares how Team Academy uses accessplanit to support a bespoke, high-touch leadership training model, and why responsive, human support from accessplanit has been so important to them.

About Team Academy

Team Academy is a leadership development organisation working with large, complex businesses across retail, hospitality and corporate sectors, including brands such as ALDI, Hilton Hotels and Wagamama. Their programmes are immersive, highly participative and designed around real organisational pressures rather than classroom theory.

Delivery is face to face, group sizes are deliberately small and every programme is shaped around the client’s culture and leadership reality. Many engagements continue beyond the session itself through mentoring and coaching.

As they describe their approach:

“We don’t do PowerPoint training. We don’t stand there and teach people. We go in, challenge thinking, and nobody gets missed. You can’t hide in the corner on our courses - everyone is part of it.”

This is consultative, bespoke work built on relationships. That creates strong outcomes for clients, but it also brings operational complexity behind the scenes.

The challenge

Team Academy’s challenge centred around keeping control of a moving, bespoke operation where every programme looks slightly different.

Programmes run in different locations, with different associate trainers, venues and logistics. Costs such as travel and accommodation must be tracked carefully. Invoices need to go out promptly, often when expenses have already been paid. Communication must feel personal but still be reliable.

Their previous system struggled to support this reality. It was rigid, slow to adapt and dependent on support tickets for even small changes. Automation could not be trusted, reporting was limited and communication tools were restrictive.

Over time, their old system became a source of frustration.

“Everything felt like hard work. Even small changes turned into long waits.”

When that platform was eventually withdrawn with little warning and support, Team Academy needed a system that was not only more flexible, but better supported.

The accessplanit solution

Team Academy chose accessplanit because it offered more than just a configurable system. They wanted a platform backed by a team that understands how bespoke training actually works and is easy to work with day to day.

With accessplanit, courses, trainers, venues, communications and finances sit in one connected system, giving Team Academy a single source of truth across their operation. Automated workflows handle confirmations, reminders and follow-ups so clients and trainers receive the right information at the right time without manual chasing.

Custom fields, dashboards and filters give them flexibility and visibility - from internal quality checks to tracking course expenses and seeing what’s coming up across the year. Invoicing and expense tracking also bring financial clarity without relying on separate spreadsheets.

Just as important was the implementation approach. accessplanit works closely with customers during setup so they understand how the system supports their workflows. That involvement helps teams feel confident using and evolving the platform from day one.

As Lorraine explained:

“At the start it feels like learning a new language, but someone will get on a call, show you and explain the logic. They’re not just telling you what to click - they’re helping you understand how it works so you can use it properly.”

This meant Team Academy launched with confidence. The system felt like something they understood and owned, with UK-based support available whenever they need it.

Key features of accessplanit used

Automation and workflows

Automation handles booking confirmations, joining instructions, reminders and post-course follow-ups once a course has been quality-checked. This ensures consistent communication with both clients and trainers without manual chasing.

For Team Academy, this removes mental load and reduces the risk of something being missed in a busy, bespoke schedule.

“If you’ve got software doing what you want it to do and it works, you just don’t have the worries.”

The impact:

• Consistent client and trainer communications
• Less manual admin
• Greater confidence nothing slips through the cracks

Custom fields for real-world flexibility

accessplanit’s custom fields allow Team Academy to shape the system around how they actually operate.

One example that Team Academy have implemented themselves is a simple tick-box sense check used before a course is finalised. Until that box is ticked, key workflows do not trigger. It acts as a safeguard to make sure details are correct before anything goes out.

“I’ve had a little sense-check tick box added to our platform before anything flows. Once that’s ticked, I know everything’s right and the emails can go. It’s a lifesaver.”

Custom fields are also used to capture trainer fees and course-level expenses in context.

The impact:

• Better quality control
• Automation that supports accuracy
• A system that adapts to their processes, not the other way round

Dashboards and filters for quick visibility

Dashboards and filters give fast visibility over what’s running, what still needs a venue and what’s coming up next. Instead of building reports, Team Academy can quickly view the information they need day to day.

“You can filter anything you want. I love it.”

The impact:

• Immediate operational oversight
• Faster decision-making
• Less time spent digging for information

Invoicing and financial tracking

Invoices are created in the platform and exported into Xero, while expenses such as travel, venues and trainer fees are logged at course level. This keeps financial information tied to delivery rather than scattered across spreadsheets.

For Team Academy, prompt invoicing is especially important because they often cover upfront costs when designing bespoke programmes.

“We often front the costs for venues or trainers, so getting invoices out quickly really matters. Having everything linked to the course makes that much easier.”

The impact:

• Faster invoicing
• Clearer view of course profitability
• Less reliance on spreadsheets

Results

Operationally, the difference is calm. Admin is more contained, communication is consistent and financial tracking is clearer. Fewer things rely on memory or manual effort. “Once it’s quality-checked and ticked, everything just flows", Lorraine says.

But the most striking result for Team Academy has been the human experience of support. They describe the support team as responsive, approachable and genuinely invested in solving problems.

“You put a ticket in and think, that was quick. And it’s not just a reply - they actually want to fix it.”

There is also a sense that the support team meets them where they are. If something is easier to show than explain, they will jump on a call. If a question needs context, they take the time to understand it.

“Someone will hop on Teams and show you. You feel like humans again. That makes a bigger difference than people realise.”

This consistency has rebuilt trust after previous experiences with slower, more distant providers.

“The experience with the people has been absolutely lovely. Everyone wants to find a solution.”

Next steps

Team Academy is gradually exploring more of what the platform can do. They are looking at making better use of feedback data and strengthening client follow-up.

These are seen as natural next steps rather than pressures. The system already supports their core operation well.

Just as importantly, they know support is there when they want to expand how they use it.

Conclusion

accessplanit has not changed what Team Academy delivers. It has changed how supported they feel while delivering it.

Admin is more controlled, communication is reliable, and financial visibility is clearer. When any questions arise, there is a supportive team ready to help. For a consultancy built on human connection and leadership development, that really matters!

One reflection from Team Academy sums it up well:

“When the admin is under control, you can focus on the work that generates value. And when you know support is there if you need it, you relax into the system. It stops being a worry and starts being a help.”

For Team Academy, the platform provides structure - and the support team provides confidence. Together, that allows them to stay focused on what they do best: developing leaders.