Case Study
ST STITHIANS COLLEGE
St Stithians achieves smarter, faster budgeting with IDU’s integrated solution
ABOUT ST STITHIANS
St Stithians College is a proudly South African school, embracing diversity and offering a distinctive educational experience. Founded in 1953 as a Methodist Church School, Christian spirituality is central to the school's identity. The College consists of primary and secondary boys’ and girls’ schools, together with a coeducational junior primary school. They are an independent, non-profit institution located on an expansive green campus in Sandton, Johannesburg. In addition, St Stithians incorporates Kamoka Bush School near Modimolle, and the Thandulwazi Maths & Science Academy on the campus.
THE BUSINESS CHALLENGE
St Stithians College, one of South Africa’s leading educational institutions, faced mounting challenges in managing its complex budgeting and reporting needs. With more than 2,600 students across multiple schools and a 100‑hectare campus that included education, sporting, catering, residential, and lifestyle facilities, the scale of operations was vast.
Relying on Excel spreadsheets created inefficiencies and risks. Single‑custodian spreadsheets required repeated manual maintenance, data validation, and consolidation, draining the finance department’s resources. More time was spent preparing and reconciling budgets than developing meaningful financial plans to support the school’s growth and strategic vision.
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THE SOLUTION
To overcome these challenges, St Stithians implemented IDU‑Concept, creating an inclusive, online budgeting, forecasting, and reporting environment. Managers could now capture budgets directly into the system, eliminating the need for manual data cleansing and aggregation. Automated roll‑ups and user‑friendly capture screens streamlined the process, reducing input requirements and minimizing errors.
The real‑time, integrated solution empowered operational management and freed the finance team to focus on analysis, investigation, and strategic advice. By reducing administrative burden and manual intervention, IDU delivered faster budget turnaround times, improved accuracy, and immediate returns in the very first budget cycle.
A PARTNER IN SUCCESS
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“Partnering with St Stithians to replace spreadsheets with IDU was about empowering their finance team and operational managers. Seeing immediate returns in their first budget cycle proves how quickly IDU delivers efficiency, accuracy, and strategic value.” – Mark Sayle, Account Manager, IDU
“Collecting and collating information from operations drained the resources of the finance department. More time was spent preparing the budget than developing a financial plan for the school. With IDU, the benefits are evident and providing immediate returns.”
Johnny Smith, Head of Finance, St Stithians College
THE RESULT
Faster budget turnaround times through automation and reduced manual intervention.
Improved accuracy and reduced risk by eliminating spreadsheet errors and omissions.
Empowered operational managers with direct budget capture and real‑time visibility.
Finance team freed for strategic work, focusing on analysis and planning rather than administration.
