Case Studies

Building a Stronger Finance Function Through Clarity & Alignment

2 minute read

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: A national dairy company’s finance department faced inefficiencies, unclear roles, and low morale amid leadership turnover. Catena Solutions conducted a comprehensive assessment to realign structure, process, and technology with business goals. Through trust-building, clear recommendations, and practical tools, the project gave leaders a roadmap to operational efficiency and positioned the team for long-term stability and engagement.

Project at a Glance

• Finance Function Assessment: Evaluated organizational structure, processes, technology, and team challenges
• Roles & Responsibilities: Developed RACI matrices to clarify ownership and reduce overlapping responsibilities
• Technology Recommendations: Identified solutions to streamline expense and invoice processing
• Transformation Roadmap: Prioritized quick wins and longer-term improvements to strengthen finance operations

The Challenge: Why Was the Company’s Finance Department Struggling?

The company’s finance team was under pressure. Its structure, processes, and technology were no longer keeping pace with strategic objectives or the needs of the broader organization. Amid leadership transitions, the department lacked direction and struggled to deliver timely, consistent results. Key challenges included:

• The perception of the finance team as purely transactional, leading to low morale and resistance to change.
• Unclear ownership of processes, with fragmented roles and overlapping responsibilities.
• Missed deadlines, including recurring issues with month-end close.
• Outdated and disconnected systems without proper credit card integration or end-to-end workflows.
• No defined roadmap for improvement or vision of a future-state organization.
• Limited leadership bandwidth and the absence of a permanent finance head during a critical transition period.

The Solution: How Did Catena Solutions Strengthen the Finance Function?

Catena Solutions was brought in to assess current operations and deliver actionable recommendations for improvement. Leveraging deep finance transformation expertise, our consultant:

• Conducted stakeholder interviews across all levels to understand workloads, challenges, and aspirations.
• Facilitated a SWOT analysis with executives to identify key strengths, opportunities, and barriers to efficiency.
• Mapped responsibilities and built RACI matrices to clarify accountability and eliminate redundancies.
• Evaluated and recommended integrated technology solutions (e.g., Ramp, Bill) to streamline expense and invoice processing.
• Delivered a concise, prioritized roadmap and tools to support immediate changes and future-state planning.

Our consultant’s ability to build trust and maintain engagement—even among initially skeptical team members—was pivotal. By creating space for honest dialogue, aligning personal aspirations with organizational goals, and maintaining focus on practical outcomes, Catena helped the team regain clarity and confidence.

Our consultant’s ability to build trust and maintain engagement, even among initially skeptical team members, was pivotal.

The Benefit: How Did the Assessment Improve Finance Operations?

The finance function assessment provided leadership with a clear path toward a more efficient, empowered organization. Key outcomes included:

• Identification of process gaps and quick wins
• Improved process discipline and reduced workload
• A roadmap to guide leadership through the transition
• Improved staff morale and engagement

Catena Solutions helps finance teams strengthen structure, process, and performance to drive efficiency and engagement. Contact us to learn how we can help your organization move forward with clarity and confidence.