FINANCE TRANSFORMATION

Today’s organizations are under greater pressure to simultaneously drive top-line growth and reduce operating expenses. This eventually cascades to the Finance function, that has typically responded over the past decade in shrinking, but not redefining their value proposition to the business. As such, we find a number of Finance executives struggling with the ongoing pressure to continue to take cost out and reduce headcount, but unable to “crack the code” on truly rearchitecting a function that integrates with operations, speaks their “language”, therefore resulting in wholly new value proposition to the business.

Through our experiences, Finance organizations that find themselves in the struggle of simultaneously redefining their value to the business while taking a leadership position in the management of costs require a fundamental transformation. This first entails a top-to-bottom, thoughtful assessment of the function’s strengths and weaknesses across the various functional silos, defining value within the eyes of the internal customer, as well as in considering dimensions such as Information, Governance, Human Resource Capability, Technology Enablement, and Process. This analysis establishes the foundation for a new strategic framework for Finance, and from there a comprehensive design is established, including a business case and roadmap to realize the aspirational state.

This effort is truly transformational and requires Operations to commit to the change as well. Behavioral and cultural change is required, but in many organizations, we find it is long overdue.

Archstone Consulting brings the multi-industry expertise, seasoned Finance professionals and proven tools and methodologies to support large-scale Finance transformations. Every transformation has its unique nuances. Whether an enterprise wide Finace transformation or a set of sequenced improvement efforts, Archstone Consulting supports our clients with leading edge thinking paired with a pragmatic approach.