“We sell more, but we are not earning more.”
The connection to finance
Profitability analysis by customer, product, order and business unit connects revenue, discounts and costs.
FINANCIAL UNDERSTANDING. THE WHOLE BUSINESS.
See the whole.
Make change happen.
We bring together financial expertise, business design and implementation. For operations that work today – and change that lasts.
Select an area to explore the connection.
- “We sell more, but we are not earning more.”
- “We do not know which customers and products actually make us money.”
- “We are profitable, but we still run out of cash.”
- “We buy too much and tie up cash in the wrong products.”
- “Our margins vary widely and we do not understand why.”
- “We make countless manual adjustments every month.”
- “We have a large inventory, but we are not sure what it is worth.”
- “We buy too much and tie up cash in the wrong products.”
- “We are unsure whether our provisions and allowances are reasonable.”
- “We have delivered, but invoicing is falling behind.”
- “Our margins vary widely and we do not understand why.”
- “We make countless manual adjustments every month.”
- “Our products cost more to make than we expected.”
- “We have a lot in production, but cannot tell what is finished or what it has cost.”
- “Our margins vary widely and we do not understand why.”
- “Our projects look profitable until we close them.”
- “Our forecasts are always off.”
- “We do not know which customers and products actually make us money.”
- “Reports arrive too late for us to act.”
- “We are unsure whether our provisions and allowances are reasonable.”
- “Different parts of the business report different numbers for the same thing.”
TWO PERSPECTIVES. ONE BIG PICTURE.
Close to finance.
Connected to the business.
Insource + aRway
Insource brings practical understanding of finance and daily operations. aRway makes the connections between processes, information and systems clear. Together, we help you move from insight to implementation.
Our companiesDOES THIS SOUND FAMILIAR?
Start with what is not working.
Choose an area and start with your situation. The same problem can affect several parts of the business – finance connects them.
Sales
“We do not know which customers and products actually make us money.”
The connection to finance
Cost allocation, contribution margins and product costing connect sales and resource use to profitability.
“We are profitable, but we still run out of cash.”
The connection to finance
Cash flow, working capital, receivables and payment planning explain when profit becomes available cash.
Purchasing
“We buy too much and tie up cash in the wrong products.”
The connection to finance
Demand forecasts, purchasing plans and inventory turnover connect purchasing decisions to working capital and liquidity.
“Our margins vary widely and we do not understand why.”
The connection to finance
Cost of goods, price changes, freight and accruals need to be traced through the flow to explain gross margin.
“We make countless manual adjustments every month.”
The connection to finance
Accruals, reconciliations, integration gaps and controls reveal where operational information needs correcting before it can be posted.
Inventory
“We have a large inventory, but we are not sure what it is worth.”
The connection to finance
Inventory valuation, obsolescence, acquisition costs and valuation policies connect stock movements to the recorded inventory value.
“We buy too much and tie up cash in the wrong products.”
The connection to finance
Demand forecasts, purchasing plans and inventory turnover connect purchasing decisions to working capital and liquidity.
“We are unsure whether our provisions and allowances are reasonable.”
The connection to finance
Bad debts, warranties, returns, inventory obsolescence and other provisions require evidence from operations to support assessment.
Delivery
“We have delivered, but invoicing is falling behind.”
The connection to finance
Delivery confirmations, billing information and agreed terms connect completed work to revenue, receivables and cash flow.
“Our margins vary widely and we do not understand why.”
The connection to finance
Cost of goods, price changes, freight and accruals need to be traced through the flow to explain gross margin.
“We make countless manual adjustments every month.”
The connection to finance
Accruals, reconciliations, integration gaps and controls reveal where operational information needs correcting before it can be posted.
Production
“Our products cost more to make than we expected.”
The connection to finance
Material consumption, labour, scrap and rework connect to product costing, actual manufacturing cost and margins.
“We have a lot in production, but cannot tell what is finished or what it has cost.”
The connection to finance
Production status, consumption and reporting provide the basis for valuing work in progress, accruals and cost monitoring.
“Our margins vary widely and we do not understand why.”
The connection to finance
Cost of goods, price changes, freight and accruals need to be traced through the flow to explain gross margin.
Projects & services
“Our projects look profitable until we close them.”
The connection to finance
Project accounting, percentage-of-completion revenue recognition and remaining-cost tracking connect progress to the forecast result.
“Our forecasts are always off.”
The connection to finance
Forecast models, assumptions, drivers and variance analysis connect operational plans to financial expectations.
“We do not know which customers and products actually make us money.”
The connection to finance
Cost allocation, contribution margins and product costing connect sales and resource use to profitability.
Finance
“Reports arrive too late for us to act.”
The connection to finance
Month-end closing, reporting flows and automation connect business events to timely information for decisions.
“We are unsure whether our provisions and allowances are reasonable.”
The connection to finance
Bad debts, warranties, returns, inventory obsolescence and other provisions require evidence from operations to support assessment.
“Different parts of the business report different numbers for the same thing.”
The connection to finance
Shared definitions, information ownership and common calculation rules make financial and operational measures comparable.
Different entry points into one business model. We trace the connections between work, information, systems and finance.
DEVELOPMENT & CHANGE
What do you need to develop?
Change, requirements, standardisation and governance offer other entry points into the same business model. Start with your problem and use a blueprint to understand the connections.
ChangeWe know what we want to change, but not the consequences.
“We are replacing a system, but what will it actually affect?”
What do we need to understand?
Which parts of the business use the system, what information passes through it and which dependencies need managing?
How a blueprint helps
A blueprint connects the system to business capabilities, information flows and dependencies, supporting impact analysis and transition planning.
“We are merging two businesses, but they work in completely different ways.”
What do we need to understand?
Where do capabilities, ways of working, information and systems differ? What needs to be shared, and what can vary?
How a blueprint helps
A common reference model makes the differences comparable and structures harmonisation following an acquisition or reorganisation.
“We need to modernise our business, but do not know where to start.”
What do we need to understand?
What is the current state, which capabilities need developing and which dependencies affect priorities?
How a blueprint helps
The blueprint provides a structure for the current and target states. Gaps and dependencies help prioritise the steps of change.
RequirementsWe roughly know what we need, but cannot describe it.
“We are procuring a new system, but how do we know what to ask for?”
What do we need to understand?
What must the business be able to do, what information is needed and how should alternatives be assessed?
How a blueprint helps
The blueprint structures capability requirements, information requirements and assessment criteria without tying them to a particular vendor solution.
“The business and IT do not speak the same language.”
What do we need to understand?
Which terms are used differently, and how do business needs relate to solution functionality?
How a blueprint helps
Shared terminology, information models and capabilities create a traceable path from needs to solutions.
“The vendor says the system can do everything, but how do we know what really fits?”
What do we need to understand?
Which needs have documented support, where are the gaps and what must be verified with the vendor?
How a blueprint helps
Fit-gap analysis compares business requirements with documented system support. The blueprint keeps needs separate from the vendor description.
Relevant supportDesign & Performance
StandardisationWe do the same things in different ways.
“Why does every department have its own way of doing the same thing?”
What do we need to understand?
Which variations meet a real need, and which create unnecessary work or uncertainty?
How a blueprint helps
Reference processes provide a common starting point for ways of working and controlled management of local variations.
“We have the same information in several systems, but it means different things.”
What do we need to understand?
Where do definitions differ, who owns the information and what is each system responsible for?
How a blueprint helps
A shared information model makes definitions, information ownership and system boundaries explicit.
“We have documented countless processes, but nobody knows how they connect.”
What do we need to understand?
What is handed over between processes, who receives it and how do the parts contribute to a connected flow?
How a blueprint helps
The blueprint connects processes into value flows with clear handovers, information outputs and responsibilities.
Governance and efficiencyWe do not know why things are not working.
“We have too many manual handovers and too much duplicated work.”
What do we need to understand?
Where do delays, repeated data entry and activities that add no value occur?
How a blueprint helps
Connected flows reveal friction and redundant activities, providing a basis for assessing automation opportunities.
“We do not know who is responsible when something goes wrong between departments.”
What do we need to understand?
Who owns the handover, information and control when several parts of the business are involved?
How a blueprint helps
The blueprint links responsibilities and information ownership to handover points and control mechanisms.
“We have goals, rules and policies, but do not know whether the business actually follows them.”
What do we need to understand?
How is governance translated into ways of working, and which controls and evidence show what happens in practice?
How a blueprint helps
Traceability from goals and rules to capabilities, processes, information and controls supports assessment of compliance.
AN EXAMPLE OF CROSS-FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS
“We do not know what our inventory is really worth.”
We can start with accounting policies, reconciliations and allowances. A business blueprint also helps us trace where value arises and changes across the business.
Purchasing
Purchase prices, discounts, freight and other acquisition costs.
Inventory
Goods receipts, stock movements, balances, stocktaking and obsolescence.
Finance
Valuation policies, accounting entries, allowances and accruals.
Decision support
Inventory value, cost of goods, gross margin and capital tied up.
This creates a shared basis for investigating differences in information, the assumptions being used and what needs to improve. The example illustrates an approach.
Talk to us about your inventoryHOW WE HELP
From daily operations
to your next step.
Your needs determine where we start. A relationship can grow from operational support into improvement and wider change.
THE COMPANIES BEHIND THE WORK
Complementary expertise.
A connected perspective.
Insource
Financial understanding.
Practical implementation.
Insource works in finance, management and interim consulting. The focus is on understanding the business, strengthening daily operations and implementing improvements.
Meet InsourceaRway
Clear connections.
Considered business design.
aRway works with business architecture and modelling. Processes, information, requirements and systems are brought into a context that can be understood and developed.
Meet aRwayENTERPRISE BLUEPRINT
From a business problem
to a shared basis for decisions.
Enterprise Blueprint connects business capabilities, processes, information and systems. Insource and aRway help you use and adapt the reference models to your situation – from financial questions to broader change.
A separate initiative at enterpriseblueprint.se
Accelerator material belongs to a separate initiative. Contact us about content and availability.
THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE WORK
Start a conversation.
Tell us what you are facing. We will help you find a relevant starting point.
Claes Eliasson
Managing Director & Partner
Change management · M&A · CFO services
Claes has held CEO, COO and CFO roles. His work spans change management, acquisitions and integration, and restructuring businesses facing financial challenges.
Read the biography at AndersenEmail ClaesPeder Rydberg
Partner
ERP strategy · Digital transformation · Performance management
Peder has worked as a CFO, CIO, advisor and project manager. He focuses on business transformation, process improvement and ERP systems, with experience in integration and transformation programmes.
Read the biography at AndersenEmail PederDaniel Suneson
Partner
Finance & IT · ERP implementation · Process improvement
Daniel connects finance and IT with a focus on processes and systems. His experience includes ERP implementations, controlling and integrating finance processes following acquisitions.
Read the biography at AndersenEmail DanielGustav Nadal
Chairman & Partner
Strategy · Change management · CFO services
Gustav has held CEO and CFO roles and works across finance, strategy and leadership. His experience includes shared service centres, M&A advisory and the integration of systems and businesses.
Read the biography at AndersenEmail GustavAnders Fransson
Partner
Business architecture · Information governance · Transformation
Business and enterprise architecture connecting processes, information and systems. Information and data governance and structure for regulatory-driven change. Target architectures, governance models and support for teams delivering change.
Email AndersPatrik Hallén
Partner
Business architecture · Information governance · Transformation
Business and enterprise architecture that makes complex change understandable. Information and data governance, regulatory compliance and clear responsibilities. Target architectures, operating models and visual decision support for leaders and delivery teams.
Email PatrikANDERSEN CONSULTING
Swedish presence.
International connections.
Our connection to Andersen Consulting is through Andersen Consulting Sweden, a member firm of Andersen Consulting. Our Swedish specialist expertise is part of an international context.
INSIGHTS & PERSPECTIVES
Knowledge to build on.
Explore perspectives from our companies on finance, business modelling and change.
Insource
The evolving finance function
Articles and perspectives on finance, ways of working and management.
Read at InsourceaRway
Understanding business through models
Explore processes, information and Enterprise Architecture.
Read at aRwayEnterprise Blueprint
Reference material as a starting point
How we use blueprints to build a shared basis for decisions.
ENTERPRISE BLUEPRINT