Accountability Meets Empowerment: Community Living Toronto’s Success with SAP Concur

For over seven decades, Community Living Toronto (CLTO) has dedicated itself to empowering individuals with intellectual disabilities to live fulfilling lives. With a workforce of over 1,000 employees and a broad reach across Toronto, CLTO provides essential services, including housing, employment, and day programs, to support more than 4,000 individuals. Their mission is anchored in the principles of inclusion, respect, and personal autonomy. In 2018, a significant discovery highlighted the need for a major overhaul in their financial management systems, leading CLTO to embrace SAP Concur solutions for transformative change.

The Problem: Outdated Systems and High-Stakes Inefficiencies

Managing daily expenses for 100 supported homes is a complex task. Staff at CLTO handle routine purchases on behalf of residents, from groceries and transportation to occasional flights and hotel bookings. For years, these transactions were processed manually, with receipts collected, placed in envelopes, and sent to the head office for hand reconciliation. This labour-intensive method exposed CLTO to significant risks, as evidenced by a 2018 incident where a former staff member racked up over $15,000 in personal grocery purchases over two years.

"We assumed the mismatches were just part of the volume," said Betty Yam, Chief Financial and Administrative Officer. "It wasn't until a new, detail-oriented supervisor stepped in that we discovered the fraud."

This revelation highlighted the urgent need for a modern, secure, and efficient system.

The Solution: An Intuitive and Scalable Platform

Community Living Toronto recognized the need for change. With more than 500 staff making daily purchases, their paper-based expense management system lacked both visibility and protection. The finance team sought a user-friendly platform that could manage decentralized purchases while maintaining strong oversight—and found it in Concur Expense.

To facilitate a smooth transition, the team developed internal training modules utilizing real-life scenarios and delivered them through CLTO's learning platform. The adoption was swift, and even without additional support, staff found the tool easy to use.

"You don’t need to read an iPhone manual to use an iPhone," Yam said. "Concur Expense feels the same way."

Streamlined Financial Support for Residents

CLTO also manages the personal finances of more than 300 individuals, ensuring they can access their government-issued supports safely and freely. Previously, this process involved staff accessing client debit cards, managing PINs, withdrawing cash, and manually tracking expenses—a cumbersome and risky approach.

The team knew that they needed a space to manage resident finances, separate from the finances of the organization, which they were able to create in Concur Expense. Each resident was assigned to a cost centre, and purchases were made using organizational P-cards with receipts uploaded directly into the system. Monthly reports from Concur Expense helped reconcile these expenses, eliminating the need for scattered paperwork and ensuring full transparency.

"There’s no more ATM withdrawals. No more cash. No more paper chasing," Yam explained. "Every dollar is tracked and supported with a receipt."

Enhanced Compliance and Audit Readiness

The shift to digital also improved compliance with Ontario’s Quality Assurance Measures, which require monthly reconciliation and record-keeping for each person in care. Previously, financial records were stored in physical binders across 50 locations, with only a fraction audited annually.

"We used to audit maybe 10 percent of files annually," Yam said. "Now we can access anything we need, whenever we need it."

This newfound transparency has allowed the finance team to focus on monitoring patterns and ensuring policy alignment rather than being bogged down by data entry.

Funding the Transition Smartly

While CLTO received no additional funding for this transformation, they leveraged rebates from increased use of their Visa program to cover the costs of SAP Concur solutions. This strategy ensured they could adopt the new system without straining their limited operating budget.

"It was basically a wash," Yam stated. "What we get in return—in fraud prevention, saved hours, and audit readiness—is worth far more."

Empowering Inclusion with Modern Tech

By making expense reporting easier, more secure, and more transparent, CLTO has strengthened its commitment to inclusion. Frontline staff can now dedicate more time to the people they serve, while individuals are supported in managing their finances safely.

"This isn’t just about expenses," Yam emphasized. "It’s about helping people live their lives. We’re making it easier and safer for them to do that, while staying accountable to the public and to the people we serve."

Looking Ahead

CLTO is currently piloting the Intelligent Audit tool from SAP Concur and exploring deeper integrations across its ERP and client systems. For an organization built on trust and care, SAP Concur solutions have become an indispensable tool.

To learn more about how Community Living Toronto turned accountability into empowerment with SAP Concur solutions read the full case study here.