Area

Objectives

Main Activities

Tools

Financial Accounting

Timely & accurate reporting.

• Accrual recognition

• Month-end close management

• Historical reporting and commentary

• Sales, Company (Income) tax, Payroll tax

• Grants

• Financial policies and procedures

• Financial audit (in time)

Accounting Software: Xero

Financial reporting: Fathom or Spotlight

Data automation: DataDear

Financial Operations

Automation and process improvement.

• Supporting month-end reconciliation process

• AP operations

• Payment processing

• Payroll and employee queries

• Expense management

• Treasury mgmt (Cash)

• Cap table management

• Contract management

• Supporting People Ops

Accounts payable: Approvalmax

Month-end rec: Hubdoc

Expenses: Xero

Captable: Captable or Cake

Leave: BambooHR

Payments: Transferwise, Stripe, CBA, Paypal

SaaS management: Airwallex, Hudled

FP&A/Management Accounting/ Investor Relations

Boosting stakeholder trust and confidence.

Linking company strategy to revenue performance.

Empower internal stakeholders with financial literacy.

• Forecast/Budget

• Performance vs targets

• Reporting/Analytics

• Investment/Decision Support projects

• Board and shareholder reporting

Business intelligence: Metabase

Data visualisation: Metabase

Budget/Forecast/Performance: Fathom or Spotlight or Causal

Shareholder software: Visible.v

Budget & Forecasting

Implement an effective budgeting and forecast process.

Develop and implement a comprehensive budgeting and forecast process that aligns with organisational goals and enhances financial planning.

Reduce the timeline of the budgeting process to ensure we have locked in budget for FY.

Cross-functional collaboration.

Provide training to key personnel on the tolls and process.

Ensure budget/forecast aligns with KPIs and strategic objectives.

Robust and consistent process implemented within 3 years.

Every 6 months monitor and assess what is working and what isn’t working.

FP&A / Strategic Finance

Align company strategy with revenue performance.

Develop and implement a strategy to align company goals and initiatives with revenue performance.

Achieve x% increase in YoY revenue with an ability to explain what initiatives specifically drove the revenue.

Identify synergies between pillar objectives and revenue metrics. Establish cross-functional team to ensure collaboration.

Build ROI modelling to measure revenue impact.

Realigns company focus to include revenue performance that supports long term sustainability and growth.

Develop and communicate the new strategy alignment framework within the next six months. Monitor progress quarterly for the next 3 years to ensure revenue/product alignment.

Investor Relations

Develop and maintain a comprehensive investor report in preparation for an IPO.

Clearly outline the components of the investor report, including financial highlights, KPIs, business strategy, and risk factors.

Identify the specific regulations and disclosure requirements relevant to the industry and jurisdiction in which the IPO is planned.

Define measurable targets for financial transparency, such as achieving a certain level of detail in financial statements and providing historical performance data.

Set benchmarks for the completeness of non-financial information, such as market positioning, competitive analysis, and growth strategies.

Invest in technology and systems that facilitate data gathering and reporting, ensuring the efficiency and accuracy of the IPO preparation process.

Align the content of the investor report with the expectations of potential investors, addressing key concerns and providing a compelling narrative about the company's growth potential.

Conduct thorough market research to understand the preferences and priorities of investors in the target market.

Develop a detailed timeline for the preparation of the investor report, with milestones for drafting, reviewing, and finalizing each section.

Financial Reporting

Establish a consistent and timely schedule for financial reporting.

Identify the current challenges or bottlenecks in the financial reporting process that need improvement, such as data collection, validation, or review procedures.

Define specific deadlines for each stage of the financial reporting process, from data collection to final review, ensuring accountability at every step.

Assess the current processes and resources involved in financial reporting, identifying areas for optimisation and efficiency improvements.

Align the financial reporting timeline with the needs of stakeholders, such as investors, regulatory bodies, and internal decision-makers.

Communicate the importance of timely financial reporting to the broader organisational strategy, emphasising its role in supporting informed decision-making and maintaining transparency.

Establish a specific timeframe for achieving the goal, such as implementing a new financial reporting schedule within the next 12 months.

Break down the timeline into actionable phases, with interim milestones to track progress and adjustments as necessary.

Operational Finance

Achieve operational excellence through the optimisation and automation of operational (transactional) finance.

Identify specific pain points or bottlenecks in the current processes that automation can address.

Set measurable targets for efficiency improvement, such as reducing processing times by a certain percentage.

Conduct a comprehensive assessment of existing processes to identify areas for optimisation and automation.

Invest in suitable automation tools and technologies that align with the organisation's operational and technological capabilities.

Align the optimisation and automation efforts with broader organisational goals, emphasising how increased efficiency in operational finance contributes to cost savings and improved decision-making.

Set measurable milestones for each phase, such as completing the automation of invoice processing within the next six months and achieving full operational finance automation within 18 months.