Driving digital transformation and operational efficiency for a $9 Billion global distributor through data integration, technology strategy, and predictive analytics.

The company faced challenges in improving customer and employee experiences while increasing margins. The company's outdated and fragmented application landscape made it difficult to obtain insightful analytics that could drive profitability and, most importantly, improve customer service. Additionally, frequent acquisitions and extended integration timelines further complicated these efforts.

We established a multi-year business transformation initiative that had a well-defined roadmap consisting of short-, medium- and long-term deliverables, clear investment plan with outcomes and business benefits. Key initiatives included:

• Master Data Management: We developed a strategy that spans Customers, Products, Suppliers and other key data entities.  This ensured harmonization, consistency and a single version of the truth.
• Data Lake Creation: We built a data lake to ingest data from all business applications, enabling data consistency and predictive analytics. Dashboards were created with KPIs and metrics to provide real-time insights across business functions. This served as the future state data and analytics solution.
• Technology Implementation Strategy: We architected a comprehensive back-office, mid-office and front-office technology implementation strategy that allowed for seamless solutions implementation without disrupting daily business operations.
• Pricing Engine Implementation: We integrated a pricing engine that directly supported margin expansion and improved profitability.
• Robotic Process Automation (RPA): We deployed RPA to automate financial and supply chain processes, significantly improving operational efficiency.

Leading digital transformation for a $2 Billion North American distributor and manufacturer: Optimizing ERP, data analytics, and customer engagement for enhanced operational efficiency and growth.

We established the modernization vision, strategy and operating model changes to support a three-year transformation initiative that included replacing the business operating system, analytical platform, and digital engagement platform for customers.  Our contributions encompassed:

• Transformed the business operating system, analytical platform, and customer engagement platform to optimize processes and enhance digital capabilities.
• Defined the technology vision that seamlessly aligned with the company’s go-to-market strategy and operational requirements, providing a solid foundation for future growth.
• Revived a stalled ERP implementation and successfully completed the rollout in two years with a fully integrated international solution.
• Designed and engineered a robust data and analytics solution that provided near real-time insights for the supply chain team.  In addition, implemented enterprise performance management solution for budgeting, financial consolidation, accounts reconciliation, and financial reporting.
• Designed a state-of-art custom B2B digital platform to foster customer collaboration, including a Product Information Management tool for capturing and managing product data and attributes.
• Deployed Generative AI capabilities to optimize and automate key business functions, enhancing operational efficiency across the organization.

Stood-up of the acquired portfolio company and integration of a roll-up carve-out business acquisition.

We assisted a California-based PE firm with AUM of over $10 Billion in standing-up the finance and accounting functions of the acquired $ 4 Billion carve-out global cyber security business. Additionally, we supported the M&A integration of a $2 Billion carve-out business acquisition. We played a pivotal role in the stand-up, integration, and transformation efforts across multiple business functions, enabling the PE firm to achieve greater transparency, improve management reporting efficiency, and support its strategic growth and financial oversight goals, including:

• M&A Integration Support: Provided strategic support throughout the diligence process and played a key role in the integration of a $2 billion roll-up carve-out business acquisition.
• ERP Conversion Advisory: Prepared detailed project plans for the finance and accounting functions, provided thought leadership, aligned with the company’s leadership team, and assisted with the execution of the conversion from Oracle to SAP.
• Process Optimization: Led various process improvement initiatives to enhance efficiency, particularly around month-end close acceleration, global revenue accounting operations, and the integration of financial reporting systems.
• Financial Reporting: Performed assessments for proper accounting treatment on complex transactions, including purchase price accounting, asset retirement obligations, goodwill impairment, and internally developed software capitalization. Prepared financial statements and provided audit readiness support.
• Lease Accounting: Drove the system conversion and implementation of lease accounting software, from system selection process, business requirements gathering, data validation, to integration of lease administration systems with the new platform to ensure compliance and improve efficiency.

Growth strategy through co-investment partners and optimization of finance and accounting operation.

We were involved in the business development and on-boarding of the largest California-based public fund co-investor as part of the growth strategy of a New York-based PE firm with AUM of over $500 Billion.  We also collaborated with the New York-based PE firm to drive key operational improvements and support several strategic initiatives at the PE firm level:

• Finance Transformation: We worked closely with numerous stakeholders, including General Partners (GPs) as key investors, fund-of-funds controllers as primary users, information technology experts, and the FrontInvest customer service team, to execute the systems conversion from MAS 90 to a cloud-based platform and the implementation of FrontInvest. Through a comprehensive understanding of stakeholder needs, we developed business requirements, verified data inputs, and aligned the design and reporting to meet their expectations. Our involvement included facilitating project management, business requirements gathering, data conversion and validation, and user acceptance testing. Additionally, we collaborated with the key stakeholders in designing and developing customized dashboards for GPs and Limited Partners (LPs) to effectively monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) and essential metrics across funds, investors, investments, and portfolio companies.
• Alternative Investments Platform Setup: We supported the integration of California-based public fund investments into a New York-based PE firm’s fund administration platform. We oversaw the day-to-day operations and reporting in accordance with stringent Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and KPIs.
• Risk Assessment and Compliance: Development, monitoring and testing of risk assessments and controls in compliance with SOC 1 Type 2 requirements and banking regulations.

M&A diligence support and integration, IPO readiness and execution, and carved-out and divestiture.

We supported a Texas-based PE firm with AUM of approximately $230 billion in standing-up the finance and accounting of the acquired carve-out global technology business, driving significant value creation by streamlining financial processes, enhancing reporting accuracy, and optimizing operational efficiency.

We also assisted with the M&A diligence support and integration, preparation of private placement (144A) offering memorandum specifically on finance and accounting related areas, IPO readiness and execution, preparation of Form S-1 focusing on finance and accounting related areas such as financial statements, MD&A, pro-forma preparation, SOX readiness including control deficiencies remediation efforts, audit readiness, technical accounting on complex transactions, SEC consultation and responses to the SEC comments letter on finance and accounting, follow-on offerings with significant events requiring pro-forma, carve-out of complex comingled business of about $20 Billion in total value, valuation support, FP&A budget and forecast models update for the adoption of ASC 606 revenue recognition, debt compliance, hedge accounting assessment, change in fiscal year project plans and impact assessment, process improvements of revenue globally, technical accounting assessment for the adoption of ASC 842 lease accounting and the relevant lease accounting system implementation, finance system conversion support from Anaplan and implementation of Oracle Enterprise Performance Management, Hyperion conversion and SAP Business Planning and Consolidation implementation support while the company was in the process of IPO and significant divestiture/carve-out, Blackline implementation support, and other.

IPO readiness initiative improving month-end close cycle from four (4) months to ten (10) Days across all entities

The global SaaS company faced significant challenges in preparing for its IPO, including a month-end close process that took up to 4 months. The company was experiencing high employee turnover, lacked consolidated financials, and encountered frequent delays in reconciliations and audits, all of which hindered its ability to meet the financial reporting requirements for becoming a publicly listed company.

After a thorough assessment, we identified key inefficiencies and began addressing them immediately.  Within the first month, we established a structured close process, and by the end of the second month, reconciliations were completed, and the company was on track for audit readiness.

We also performed HRIS conversion, integrated all international subsidiaries, and now the company closes in 7-10 days for all entities.

In addition to month-end close process optimization, we assisted the Company with the preparation of technical accounting memos on critical matters, such as revenue recognition, preferred equity, warrants, functional currency.  We also provided audit readiness support, identified gaps and offered best practice recommendations for the revenue process improvement, NetSuite optimization, tax strategy, and other ad-hoc projects.