Opening a new chapter in financial management

Client background

The Metropolitan Library Commission of Oklahoma County (MLC) has always been a little different. Formed under a unique Oklahoma statute in 1965, the government entity oversees a network of 19 libraries across the state’s most populous county. It operates independently from city or county governments and answers to a 27-member commission — but like libraries everywhere, its mission is simple: to inform, empower and connect communities.

With an annual budget of $60 million and 450 employees, this is no small-town system. However, until 2016, its financial infrastructure still relied on an aging, homegrown platform — one so outdated that parts of it were displayed only in disk operating system (DOS) era green text.

“When I got here, I thought, ‘We can’t keep doing this,’” recalls Controller John Rahhal. “The system had been patched together over 40 years. It really wasn’t an adequate accounting system. If you wanted a report, you went to IT and hoped for the best.”

That all changed in 2016 when MLC selected Sage Intacct, guided through the process by a team from Baker Tilly and won over by the power of the platform and the people behind it. “Sage Intacct just felt like the right fit from the demos,” John says. “And the Baker Tilly team gave us confidence they’d be there when we needed them.”

The business challenge

Before modernizing its financial systems, MLC operated with decades-old accounting software that lacked automation and real-time visibility. Many processes were still paper-based. Budget managers waited for monthly printed general ledger (GL) reports to understand their available funds. Purchasing approvals were routed manually and preparing the board packet took an entire day.

“It was like working in the DOS operating system era,” recalls John Rahhal, controller for the library. “Nothing integrated. Nothing was automated. And everything was taking longer than it should have.”

Because budget owners lacked self-service access to their own financial data, the finance team received a steady stream of requests. Report formatting in Excel was time-consuming and prone to error. The system simply wasn’t built to support the pace or complexity of a modern public library system.

Strategy and solution

MLC teamed up with Baker Tilly to implement Sage Intacct and reimagine MLC’s financial operations. With a deep understanding of not-for-profit financial transformation and public sector organizations, Baker Tilly helped the team transition from outdated, manual processes to a modern, cloud-based platform built for transparency, efficiency and scale.

The change has been transformative. Purchasing and approvals shifted online. Managers gained access to real-time dashboards that show budgets, expenses and fund balances. “We used to print 30 or 40 pages of general ledger reports every month,” John says. “Now our managers log in and see what they need. They’re empowered.”

Baker Tilly also helped MLC build dynamic board reporting and automate workflows, reducing the burden on the finance team and freeing time for higher-value tasks.

The improvements have been far-reaching. According to John, MLC has saved more than 1,000 hours per year through automation and efficiency gains —a time savings equivalent to one full-time staff member.

Board reporting, once a day-long ordeal, is now streamlined and accurate. Purchasing approvals are faster. Budget managers no longer rely on email or printed reports to understand their position. “They make better decisions because they have better access to data,” John says.

And because Sage Intacct is built for flexibility, the system supports MLC’s ongoing evolution. “We’re continuing to refine and improve,” John adds. “And Baker Tilly has stayed engaged the whole way. They don’t disappear when the project is over.”

For a public library system entrusted with community resources, that level of transparency and confidence matters. “This isn’t just about saving time,” John says. “It’s about doing our jobs better, helping others do theirs and supporting the mission that matters to all of us.”