Alstom is a rail transport systems manufacturer operating in more than 70 countries worldwide. With approximately 1,500 employees and a revenue of 795 million EUR in Belgium, the company relies on robust financial processes to support its operations and supply chain. To ensure business continuity in its finance department, Alstom partners with TriFinance.
This collaboration is built on a strong foundation, with several of our consultants and alumni working closely alongside Alstom's internal teams to drive financial excellence. The journey of Project Consultant Valentin Champagne is a perfect example of this synergy: what began as a mission to stabilize daily bookkeeping operations organically evolved into a vital project controlling role, proving the true value of adaptable finance professionals.
Stepping in to stabilize daily bookkeeping operations
Alstom urgently needed hands-on support to catch up on a backlog of VAT controls and ensure the seamless continuation of daily bookkeeping tasks. TriFinance introduced Valentin Champagne, a consultant with an audit and tax background, to step into the GL bookkeeper role.
His primary focus was on catching up on VAT controls, establishing provisions during monthly closings, managing intrastat declarations, and resolving AP issues through systemic supplier reconciliation. By stepping in to assist with the monthly financial closings, Valentin helped alleviate the pressure on the internal accounting team. Additionally, he ensured a smooth collaboration with Alstom's offshore Shared Service Center in India by verifying their output and providing coaching on complex invoice discrepancies. Working as a true partner with the internal stakeholders, this approach quickly restored operational calm and maintained the high quality of financial reporting for the BeNeLux entities.
An organic transition to project controlling
TriFinance consultants are known for their ability to grow on the job and adapt to shifting business needs. When Alstom required additional support in its controlling department, management recognized Valentin’s deep understanding of the company's complex multinational structure and his eagerness to take on new responsibilities.
This led to a hybrid role where, for about a year and a half, Valentin successfully balanced his GL bookkeeping responsibilities with a gradual transition into project controlling. This flexible approach allowed Alstom to maintain crucial support during monthly closings while smoothly onboarding him into the controlling team without losing any operational momentum.
This project perfectly illustrates how a consultant's growth mindset can answer a client's evolving needs. Because of his willingness to learn and deliver quality work, Valentin organically grew from providing operational bookkeeping support into a fully-fledged project controlling role.
Managing multi-million projects with strict cost control
Today, Valentin operates fully as a project controller, overseeing a portfolio of 29 multi-million euro projects. His responsibilities encompass the end-to-end financial tracking of these projects in SAP, focusing on proactive cost control, and identifying both financial risks and potential savings.
By closely monitoring costs and delivering clear, monthly reports to management, he ensures that project margins remain stable and protected against unexpected deviations. This rigorous financial project management guarantees that any unforeseen costs are swiftly addressed, safeguarding the broader profitability of the projects and ensuring the financial health of the wider organization.
I learned to manage my projects as if they were my own little businesses, strictly tracking that the incurred costs aligned with the pre-established budgets and investigating immediately if they did not.
Key results at a glance
- Restored compliance: A critical backlog in VAT controls was successfully cleared, contributing to restore operational stability within the client’s accounting team.
- Secured business continuity: Daily bookkeeping tasks and monthly financial closings were stabilized, supported by streamlined collaboration and coaching with the offshore Shared Service Center.
- Financial oversight for major projects: Dedicated cost tracking was established for 29 projects, safeguarding profit margins on budgets.
- Structural process improvements: Project billing processes were permanently optimized to ensure all expenses remained within contractual agreements.
- Agile adaptability: The consultant seamlessly evolved alongside the client’s shifting departmental needs, moving from pure GL support to hybrid controlling, and finally to full-time project controlling.
Valentin improved our project billing processes by strictly monitoring costs and ensuring margins were kept under control within our contractual agreements. These improvements are still actively applied today and help our team on a daily basis.
Is your finance team prepared for unexpected transitions?
Does your finance department need reliable, hands-on support to clear backlogs, or are you looking for consultants who can seamlessly grow alongside your evolving business needs? TriFinance combines high-quality operational support in Finance Operations & Controlling with the drive to structurally improve your processes. Contact us today to explore how we can ensure continuity and drive performance within your team together.
