A family-run investment company, renowned for supporting entrepreneurs with governance, growth, and development, recently initiated several changes and embraced an opportunity to refine its Finance department's operations, as part of its commitment to continuous growth and improvement
This is where TriFinance played a pivotal role, helping the company realign its finance processes with its strategy, optimize the management of key day-to-day activities, and improve its governance. The collaboration with TriFinance led to a transformation in the Finance function, with TriFinance redefining the mission and vision of the finance department to ensure it was aligned with the company’s strategic goals and equipped to drive long-term success.
"By blending business expertise with strategic alignment, TriFinance crafted a TOM that addressed the company’s immediate needs while setting them up for long-term success", says Olivier Heindryckx - Expert Lead Financial Institutions
The approach
The combination of services we provided played a key role in helping us deliver value to our client more quickly. Our involvement in the finance support provided the necessary foundation for a practical TOM, while our work in controlling & reporting and risk management addressed specific pain points in other sub-missions. Additionally, our pragmatic approach and full integration into day-to-day operations ensured a seamless partnership. By embedding our consultants within the organization, we ensured that solutions were not only designed for success but also implemented with a deep understanding of the company’s operational realities.
1. Finance optimization & TOM development
The primary focus of our engagement was to develop a Target Operating Model (TOM) while ensuring operational continuity after a Finance Manager left the company. The company had two separate entities, one in Belgium and one in Luxembourg, each responsible for similar functions like accounting and invoicing. A key objective of TriFinance’s involvement was to improve collaboration between these two teams, streamline processes, and improve overall efficiency, building on the company’s strong foundation.
TriFinance took a hands-on approach, embedding in the daily operations to gain a deep understanding of the challenges faced by the team. By identifying bottlenecks and pain points, we were able to deliver tangible solutions that streamlined the finance processes and improved workflow.
Jonathan Delcourt, Consultant at TriFinance explained: "For example, we proposed improvements within the invoicing process that led to the setup of an end-to-end internal project."
We conducted a comprehensive analysis of the operating model, focusing on five key dimensions: organization & governance, processes, systems, data, and people. Our goal was to establish a clearer organizational framework that empowered the team to operate at their full potential.
The Target Operating Model (TOM) provided a strategic framework to optimize finance governance and processes. We identified key inefficiencies in the existing workflows, focusing on critical processes such as Accounts Payable and Cash Flow management.
Key deliverables included:
- Inventory of finance processes
- Process flows description for Accounts Payable and Expense notes management
- Standardized procedures
- Risk controls
- Identification of pain points and actionable recommendations
On the organizational side, we worked closely with the Head of Finance to define the vision, mission, and strategic objectives for the finance department.
Jacinthe Dewaele, Project Manager at TriFinance explains: "We translated the company’s broader strategic goals into clear objectives for the Finance department, and cascaded these down to teams and individuals, defining roles and responsibilities using a RACI framework."
This comprehensive approach improved alignment across teams and created a more motivated, engaged, and efficient finance function.
"What sets us apart from our competitors is our ability to seamlessly combine business expertise with pragmatic advisory. By immersing ourselves in the day-to-day activities, we gain a deep understanding of the challenges and nuances that shape the business. This hands-on approach not only allows us to build a robust TOM but also ensures full buy-in from the stakeholders, driving lasting, meaningful change." Says Stéphanie Struelens - Lead Pragmatic Advisory and Implementation Financial Institutions.
2. Business Controlling & Reporting
The work on the Target Operating Model led to a second key focus area: Business Controlling & Reporting. The company’s finance team identified opportunities for improvement in reporting, operational risk management, and investment portfolio monitoring. The goal was to enhance efficiency and accuracy.
TriFinance worked alongside the team to automate and streamline reporting processes, while also providing ad-hoc support for key short-term deliverables, including report production, investment portfolio monitoring, and reviewing valuation models. The aim was to make the reporting process more reliable, faster, and less dependent on manual intervention.
"By creating a more automated, integrated approach to business reporting, the company gained better visibility into its performance, which helped drive more informed decision-making and allowed the team to focus on more strategic tasks", says Stéphanie Struelens.
3. Risk Management
Building on the efficiency-driven approach, the scope was expanded to strengthen the Risk Management framework to better support the company’s growth trajectory. We led efforts to reinforce a comprehensive risk and control inventory and define the company’s risk appetite. We facilitated discussions with key departments (including investment, portfolio management, and operations) to identify potential risks and assess them effectively.
By working closely with Sofina’s management, we helped define a risk appetite that is aligned with the company’s strategic goals, allowing Sofina’s leadership to go through the decision-making process within the risk appetite,” says Nathalie Gys, Risk Management expert at TriFinance.
A qualitative risk and control assessment for 2024 was conducted, visualized in a risk map, and compared to the defined risk appetite in a one-pager. This provided key deliverables for the risk governance, offering the company a clear snapshot of its risk profile, empowering confident risk management in a dynamic environment.
Impact and Results
The collaboration with TriFinance led to a transformation in the Finance function. The development of the Target Operating Model (TOM) provided a practical roadmap for optimizing day-to-day management, particularly in Risk and Business Reporting.
Leadership quickly saw improvements in process efficiency, reporting facilitation, and a stronger alignment between the finance team’s objectives and the company’s strategic goals.
TriFinance’s partnership with the company showcases the impact of combining strong business expertise with strategic direction. TriFinance delivered meaningful improvements that helped align the finance function with broader strategic goals. By providing a hands-on approach and a streamlined TOM, we empowered the finance team to meet their objectives and positioned the company for continued success during a period of transition. This partnership demonstrated the value of integrating operational insight with strategic vision for long-term growth.
