The challenge

As the organisation entered a new phase of ownership, it became clear that the finance function was no longer providing the visibility needed to support good decision-making.

Years of evolving processes, inconsistent practices and increasing operational complexity meant the financial information no longer reflected how the business actually operated. Budgeting, remuneration, cashflow management and reporting all required review before the business could confidently plan for future growth.

My role

I led a comprehensive review of the finance function, including the accounting system, project management platform and supporting operational processes.

The review extended well beyond financial reporting, covering revenue recognition, remuneration structures, cashflow management, policies, internal controls and management reporting. Rather than making isolated improvements, the objective was to create a finance function that supported the wider business ecosystem.

The results

• Standardised month-end and invoicing processes created a reliable financial close.

• Services invoicing was reduced to two business days, supporting contractual obligations and improving cashflow.

• Budgets became aligned with the way the business actually operated.

• The business transitioned from relying on regular owner funding for payroll to building sustainable cash reserves.

• Administrative workload reduced from 1.0 FTE to approximately 0.6 FTE through process redesign and automation.

Lasting impact

This work established the financial foundations that supported future operational improvements. Reliable reporting, stronger cashflow and consistent financial controls enabled the business to make decisions with confidence and continue investing in its long-term growth.

The challenge

As the business expanded its customer base and vendor partnerships, an entirely manual licence renewal process was becoming a significant operational risk.

The existing paper-based approach relied heavily on individual knowledge, making it difficult to scale while maintaining consistency, visibility and quality.

My role

Rather than implementing an expensive enterprise solution, I evaluated how the organisation already worked and identified an opportunity to leverage its existing CRM platform.

Working with the business, I redesigned the renewal process and implemented a licence management solution within the existing CRM. This allowed operational improvements without introducing unnecessary complexity or requiring staff to learn another system.

Outcomes

• Manual licence renewal processes were eliminated.

• Renewal records became standardised and auditable.

• Peer review and operational controls were introduced.

• Renewal opportunities were generated faster and more consistently.

• Staff adoption was high because the solution was built into systems they already used every day.

Lasting impact

The organisation gained an operational process that could grow alongside the business. As customer numbers and vendor partnerships expanded, the underlying process remained reliable, scalable and easy for the team to adopt.

The challenge

As the organisation matured, its core business systems had become increasingly difficult to manage.

Attempts to force sales, delivery and operational requirements into a single platform had created unnecessary complexity, inconsistent data and weakened internal controls. The technology was no longer supporting the business - it was driving how people worked.

My role

I led the evaluation of the organisation's business systems, balancing the requirements of sales, service delivery and management while focusing on long-term business value rather than individual preferences.

The review concluded that separate best-of-breed platforms would better support the organisation than continuing with a single highly customised system.

HubSpot was implemented to support customer relationship management, while Projectworks became the dedicated platform for project delivery and resource management. The implementation included process redesign, governance, staff training and an extended period of continuous refinement as the business evolved.

Outcomes

• Stronger internal controls through clear separation of business functions.

• Improved data quality and reporting confidence.

• Better visibility for sales, delivery and leadership teams.

• Simplified business processes despite increased organisational complexity.

• Systems that evolved with the business rather than needing regular replacement.

Lasting impact

More than three years later, these platforms continue to support the organisation's growth. Rather than chasing another software replacement, the business has been able to continually improve its processes and capabilities on a stable operational foundation.