Brown Webb Richardson: Moving Off Legacy Servers to a Governed, SaaS-Based IT Environment
About
Brown Webb Richardson (BWR) has operated in Hawke’s Bay for 119 years, providing accounting, tax and business advisory services. From agribusiness and commercial enterprises to not-for-profit organisations and investors, the firm helps clients navigate everything from cash flow management and strategic planning to succession and long-term growth.
BWR’s growth strategy was clear: build capacity through efficiency and let growth follow as a result rather than a target. Rather than chasing new tools for their own sake, BWR has spent the past four and a half years closing risk exposure and building a baseline it can scale from.
Tribe has been BWR’s technology partner through that process, responsible for the infrastructure, strengthening security posture and that sits behind the firm’s day-to-day operations.
BWR’s Position
When Inge McCarthy joined BWR as Innovation Manager 4.5 years ago, the firm ran on server-based infrastructure. Backups were physically driven to the bank each day. Remote access depended on VPNs. Staff visiting clients couldn’t retrieve files or reports unless they’d prepared in advance.
The risk wasn’t just inconvenience, it was exposure. VPN-dependent access is harder to govern and audit than modern identity-based controls, and daily physical backups carry their own continuity risk.
BWR’s directors had already committed to a digital-first, remote-first strategy before Inge arrived. What was missing was an expert team to action the strategy.
“There was already a strategy in place to go digital-first and remote-first. It just hadn’t been resourced internally yet. When I came on board, I was given the mandate to drive it forward.” – Inge McCarthy, Innovation Manager, BWR
How did Tribe bring the strategy to life?
BWR set the strategy internally. Tribe’s role was execution: assessing the existing environment, building a migration roadmap, and managing the risk of moving a 119-year-old firm’s operations onto new infrastructure without disrupting client service.
BWR selected and implemented its new practice management platform independently, through its own business process mapping and user requirements work. Tribe’s engagement began around that go-live, with responsibility for network readiness, printers, system load and infrastructure capacity, the groundwork for the SaaS migration that followed.
Phase 1: Infrastructure baseline. Tribe moved BWR off its server and onto a SaaS environment, decommissioning the VPN and replacing it with governed remote access. This modernised legacy access and gave staff mobility without compromising control.
Phase 2: From static reporting to live automation. Recurring compliance and administrative work, GST, payroll and other cyclical tasks had previously run off a manual monthly system report. With the infrastructure baseline in place, this work now runs on the automation built into BWR’s practice management platform, replacing static reporting with live, always-current tracking.
Phase 3: Security posture and governance. Two years into the partnership, Tribe and BWR worked together to strengthen their security policies, implementing Conditional Access across the environment. Every change was tested in weekly working sessions before deployment, a remediation-first approach that reduced the risk of disruption to staff.
“It’s a constantly evolving process, not a project with a finish line. With AI adoption accelerating, our reputation is closely tied to how well we protect client data and privacy.” – Inge McCarthy, Innovation Manager, BWR
The Results:
- Remote access without VPNs. Staff work securely from anywhere, with identity-based controls replacing perimeter-based ones.
- Live, automated recurring workflows. GST, payroll and other cyclical tasks run on always-current automation, replacing the static monthly reporting BWR relied on previously.
- Digital client experience. Digital signing and secure client portals were already in use, but client-facing systems are now integrated, with automation triggering staff alerts as clients act, rather than each tool.
- IT embedded in governance. Technology decisions are now part of HR and performance conversations, not siloed in a separate department.
“Feedback tends to show up as client requests ‘can I get that digitally now?’ rather than direct praise. The real win is the disappearance of complaints about what staff used to be able to do in the old system.” – Inge McCarthy, Innovation Manager, BWR
“It wasn’t one big success story. It was a gradual one, built over four and a half years. Progress came through small steps, adapting along the way, and recognising that the biggest wins often only become visible in hindsight.” – Inge McCarthy, Innovation Manager, BWR
Why did BWR choose Tribe?
BWR’s confidence in Tribe was built over years of working together across Hawke’s Bay, well before this project began. That track record shaped how the partnership runs day to day: BWR sets the strategy, and relies on Tribe for the technical assessment, roadmap and delivery behind it.
“I’d compare our partnership with Tribe to a long marriage. It’s built on trust and reliability, and it’s not something I actively think about because it just works. Over the past four years, we’ve built a strong relationship, and I know I have the right people to call whenever I need support.” – Inge McCarthy, Innovation Manager, BWR
Advice for Businesses Evaluating an IT Partner
Inge is direct about where that accountability should sit.
“Don’t lose sight of your own strategy. Contractors and advisors should feed into your strategy, not lead it.” – Inge McCarthy, Innovation Manager, BWR
Her advice to firms earlier in the process: fix governance and access controls before automating or adopting AI.
“Conditional access and security policies need to be properly set up before automating or adopting AI. Once those foundations are in place, it’s worth looking at what others even in completely different industries are doing. The lessons often translate across sectors.” – Inge McCarthy, Innovation Manager, BWR
What’s Next for BWR
BWR’s technology roadmap now runs alongside its wider business strategy rather than behind it. With a governed, SaaS-based baseline in place, BWR continues to work with Tribe on the next layer: sustaining uptime, managing SaaS-driven change, and evaluating where automation and AI can be adopted safely as the risk landscape shifts.
Work With Our Tribe
If your business is still running on legacy infrastructure and considering automation or AI, the sequence matters: assessment, governance, then scale. Tribe can help you build the roadmap. Get in touch with our team today.
