CONSULTING SERVICES
EXCELLENCE TOWARDS FINANCE BUSINESS PARTNERING
Finance Analytics Lead
Business information and data across multiple silos can be integrated to give finance teams insights at your fingertips. The traditional role of finance is focussed on the nuts and bolts of Finance as an internal accounting service for businesses. But the evolving role of finance places increased demands on Finance teams to leverage financial information and modern technology to provide deep business insight to business operations.
Let us help you implement an advanced analytics strategy to help you modernise your finance department. We can plug into key points of your finance department and support the implementation of analytics processes that get your exco the informed perspectives necessary to guide corporate strategy. Our consulting service can help you leverage your existing tools or pick new tools that will help your team gain insights using the masses of data at the insights.
EPM
System Maturity Assessments
System Architecture within Finance teams has to leverage the, skills knowledge expertise within Finance Team, their diverse toolkits and the wide variety of software, databases and ERP platforms used to implement their services. The challenge in such a diverse environment is the codependence of manual and automated systems, structured and unstructured data, digital and analog data.
New accounting standards place further demands on accurately assessing depreciation (IAS16), recognising revenue (IFRS15) , recognising leases (IFRS16) or accurately consolidating entities (IFRS10). Finance teams are struggling with the increase demands of these standards and might rush to buy systems that are not aligned with their long term strategy.
Our experience to assess your existing system, provide an assessment of your systems and assess the maturity of the system. This assessment gives finance teams a strong foundation for which to prioritize the right mixture of technology and process improvements to avoid the shock that comes with adopting new systems.
Financial Data Modelling
Forecasting and Budgeting bring with them Scenario models to guide the company in its strategy. These are then used to effectively assess business performance. Small and flexible models developed by select business users become the bedrock of an organisation’s strategic focus. But as they grow in influence, they grow in complexity, become dependent on specialised inputs,while simultaneously needing to be flexible to executive modification.
Double entry accounting demands that pulling a lever on one element of a financial model, must by necessity result in an effect on other elements. An experienced hand knows the difference between costs and expenses, revenue and income, debt and finance costs, depreciation and expenses, direct and indirect, cash and accrual, and most importantly accounting profits and cashflows!
Cash Generating Unit (IAS 36) calculations are dependent on these forecasts and have become critical communication tools for shareholders, banks and other stakeholders.
Project Management
You have your desired future state. You might even have selected the right system and design. But how do you effectively implement with your weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual reporting requirements? Effective projects require active management and strong governance. Don’t let poor project governance lead to the downfall of your much needed system. An Independent Project Manager will help you ensure your project is implemented within Budgeted cost and time without straining your existing team.
EPM implementations consolidate the combined talents of an organizations functional specialists production and distribution managers to treasury managers. Project Management needs to balance the need for governance along with the complex integration requirements that Finance teams commonly manage. An experienced EPM Project Manager can guide your team and the implementation team to deliver your desired technical requirement.
Solution Architecture
Effective EPM implementations rely on a complete architectural vision to ensure your EPM platform has longevity. While software vendors can provide robust platforms, there are no out of the box systems that can encompass the specific strategic advantages of a company’s financial model. A robust architecture will consider all of an organisation’s functional specialisations and integrate the diverse data sets correctly, to ensure their EPM platform delivers on their strategic agenda. To do this, good solution architecture will leverage the technology platform to best achieve this outcome.
Zimela is keen on seeking out the opportunity of Africa and Africans, often overlooked in favour of contemporary models of thinking that don’t seek to serve the spirit of ubuntu that sustains South African life.