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Introduction

After a rapid and massive spell of expansion through M&A, a large agricultural equipment dealer was left with a few urgent issues to address—disjointed financial systems, inadequate FP&A, a messy data environment, and lackluster reporting among them. That's where Embark enters the picture.

Our Solutions

With expert solutions in Digital Transformation, Data Analytics & Automation, Accounting & Reporting, and Office of the CFO services, Embark was the ideal partner for the company.

The “Big Wins”

1. Seamless budgeting & forecasting

Embark implemented Anaplan to transform slow, cumbersome spreadsheet-based processes into streamlined, automated financial planning capabilities. 

 

2. Unlocked actionable intelligence

Thanks to centralized access to integrated financial data across systems, Embark provided leadership with comprehensive, real-time visibility to make data-driven decisions.

Our clients are happy. We’re happy. Everybody’s happy.

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We have had great experience with highly competent people in all projects we have engaged them for. In my experience the competence of the folks has been hard to replicate consistently with other companies. 

Melanie Merritt, Corporate Controller of Helmerich & Payne, Inc.

The team is on top of it. They have been understanding and flexible with pricing and timing the engagement. The team, at all levels, is very competent in regards to the project. They stay in constant communication and engage us in a very personal yet professional manner.

Terry Nwosuocha, CPA - Senior Director of Financial Reporting & Accounting of SecurityScorecard

Amazing supportive attitude supported by a deep and broad knowledge and skill. Our requirement is always 1000% fulfilled by Embark team.

Bruce Suzuki, Lyseon North America Inc. (LNAI)

Embark sends the best people, so much so that it makes us think that these people grow on trees. We know they don't and we are grateful for all Embark does for our team.

Brandon Walls, CPA - Vice President, Controller of Ashford Hospitality Trust

Executive summary

A major agricultural equipment dealer faced significant challenges following rapid expansion and diversification. The company acquired a number of businesses to diversify operations and create new efficiencies. However, such rapid expansion also led to a complex web of financial systems that now spread across various divisions. Embark streamlined these processes and systems for the company, integrating advanced tools like Anaplan and Azure Data Lake for efficient, real-time reporting and forecasting. Building on this solid foundation, Embark continues to transform the company’s financial operations into an efficient, cohesive unit leadership can rely on for timely, accurate, forward-looking insights.

Challenges & objectives

The client’s expansion introduced new complexities across its people, processes, and technology.  Now facing disjointed ERP systems, data environments, and FP&A capabilities struggling to address so many moving parts, leadership wanted to improve consistency, efficiency, and intelligence across financial operations, targeting specific problem areas like:

  • Disparate Legacy Systems: Manual, error-prone financial reporting and planning relying on disconnected ERPs and Excel rather than scalable FP&A platforms.
  • Limited Data Accessibility: Difficulty obtaining holistic financial views and drilling into transaction details across their many disjointed systems.
  • Inefficient Budgeting & Forecasting: Reliance on cumbersome, spreadsheet-based processes for financial planning versus streamlined, automated FP&A tools.

Looking ahead, the company wanted to incorporate centralized, automated solutions for aggregating and analyzing financial data as well as accelerating FP&A processes. Key goals included:

  • Consolidating Systems: Integrating information into a uniform data environment.
  • Enhancing Analytics and Reporting: Drastically improving visibility through centralized access to financial metrics and reporting.
  • Transforming Financial Planning: Establishing more agile budgeting, forecasting, and modeling capabilities.

How Embark helped

Leadership initially engaged Embark to identify and optimize the best FP&A platform for its particular needs and objectives. Ultimately landing on Anaplan as the ideal FP&A solution for the company, Embark’s work focused on a strategic blend of technology integration and process optimization to help the company reach its objectives – and then some.

Anaplan Implementation & FP&A Enhancement

  • Guided finance leadership through the FP&A vendor selection process, eventually selecting Anaplan as the optimal solution.

  • Launched a data transformation project with the implementation of Anaplan, centralizing and enhancing budgeting and forecasting.

  • Transitioned budgeting from Excel to Anaplan for a more streamlined and efficient process.

  • Integrated advanced forecasting capabilities within Anaplan to improve financial planning.

  • Enabled in-depth financial analysis and strategic decision-making using Anaplan's comprehensive reporting tools.

  • Established a scalable and efficient financial framework within Anaplan, adaptable to the company’s growth.

  • Empowered leadership to independently manage their financial reporting and analysis using Anaplan.

  • Facilitated the setup of Azure Data Lake, integrating it with Anaplan for consolidated data management.

  • Enhanced FP&A reporting capabilities by providing real-time financial data through Anaplan.

Operational Efficiency & Process Optimization

  • Enhanced the efficiency of financial statement reporting processes.

  • Supported finance leadership in managing the transition and effective adoption of Anaplan and other financial systems.

  • Integrated Anaplan with existing systems, creating a cohesive financial management environment.

  • Simplified the management of complex financial data from various divisions.

  • Customized solutions to meet the company’s unique challenges and diversified business structure.

  • Advised on the selection and replacement of legacy ERP systems, impacting the organization's efficiency.

  • Documented financial operations processes for improved clarity and compliance.

Results: our client now has a footing to build from

Embark provided critical knowledge and skills to help management meet their many objectives, effectively preparing the company for public entity status after completion of the SPAC reverse merger transaction. Between our expertise on a broad spectrum of needs and the best practices we imparted on process improvement, team structure, and communication, our client now has the accounting & reporting foundation they need for a successful future.

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