Cross departmental partnering

Company or Client – XYZ Co (client agent confidentiality)
Trading activity – Producer of industrial minerals.

What?

Following an ERP system failure and the resignation of two subsequent financial controllers in 2001, I was seconded to take control over what can only be described as an “emergency” situation. The relationship between finance  and other key departments was at its low.

How?

  • Called all 16 production managers, head of IT, 4 heads of sales divisions and head of logistics individually to re-open communication channels, to initiate a new (proactive, trusting, open and friendly) relationship and to arrange face to face individual meetings.
  • Called an emergency open day session with the finance team to highlight major crisis point and prioritise tasks to bring the situation under control as quickly as possible.
  • Carried out extensive research on individual plants, teams, managers and process fault lines to set effective agenda for each meetings.
  • Carried out all individual meetings and took detailed notes. Almost neutralised the embedded departmental politics with open, friendly, non-political and blame-free approach to stabilise a crisis situation.
  • Carried out process audit and sought FD’s approval for immediate process and system related measures.
  • Mapped out all relationship fault lines.
  • Took individual steps to appraise each fault line and repair them.

Company or Client – Team Homes & Sister companies
Trading activity – Property development, Modular and precast Construction & GreenTech

What?

Worked very closely with all departments in providing proactive and insightful information to support business decisions and transformed finance as a real value added support and internal consultancy function.

How?

  • Enabled management to explore strategic initiatives by providing timely proactive information based on actual & research based data and what if modelling.
  • Compiled timely management information pack to include budget, variance analysis, income statement, balance sheet, cashflow, risk analysis, KPI report, functional non- financial reports (e.g. H&S, HR, IT etc), process innovation, project report, funding status review, strategic review and financial commentary etc.
  • Provided production department extensive multi dimensional cost analysis to control manufacturing costs. From the system price matrix a line by line price comparison was carried out every month which highlighted to the buyer if  actual prices exceeded the optimal price based on the supplier data feed. This was always keeping the price down.
  • Project team was provided with a real-time link to project appraisal and sub contractor accounts enabling them to speak to sub contractors with confidence.
  • Assisted site finding team in carrying out quick appraisal of sites in less than 15 mins enabling them to minimise time spend on non-starter projects.
  • Assisted all departments in appraising their cost forecast and in eliminating waste.