How I work
From intake to handover. No theory, just what happens in practice for each service.
Approach
- 1 Measure & Define – What's the current situation? Where are the bottlenecks? Gather data, set priorities. Within 1-2 weeks we know where we stand and what needs to happen.
- 2 Analyze & Plan – Why is it going wrong? What's the root cause? Create a plan with concrete actions, timeline and responsibilities. Everyone aligned on what we'll tackle.
- 3 Improve & Execute – Get to work. Quick wins first, then bigger changes. Adjust processes, configure systems, bring people along. Course-correct as we go.
- 4 Secure & Transfer – Make sure it keeps working after I leave. Document everything, train the team, agree on how things continue. Available for questions, but the organization runs itself.
Credit Management - In Practice
Week 1-2: Understanding the situation
Export AR aging from the system. Review who's paying late and why. Talk to sales, finance and legal if needed to understand the pain points. Check credit policies (if they exist). Review credit insurance or factoring arrangements and how they're set up.
Week 3-4: Setting priorities
Tackle the largest outstanding amounts first. Address customers who are chronically late. Calculate DSO and benchmark against industry standards. Implement quick improvements: better invoices, clearer payment terms, improved customer communication.
Month 2-3: Building structure
Write credit policies if they don't exist, or sharpen them if too vague. Set up credit limits - who gets how much credit, based on what? Establish collection processes with clear steps: when to call, when to send reminders, when to escalate. Align with sales on handling large customers with payment issues.
Month 3+: Embedding and measuring
Build dashboards so everyone can see how things stand. Define KPIs: DSO, percentage 60+ days, write-offs. Schedule weekly or monthly reviews to discuss progress. Train the team so they can continue independently. If factoring or credit insurance makes sense, kick off that process.
Business Control - In Practice
Week 1-2: Understanding what matters
Review existing reports. Talk to management about what they want to steer and what they currently lack visibility on. Check budgeting: is there a budget, is it followed, is it still relevant? Analyze P&L: where are the biggest costs, where's the revenue, what are the trends?
Week 3-4: Setting up forecasting
If there's no good forecast, build one. Not overly complex, just usable. Run scenarios: what if revenue drops 10%, what if a major cost increases? Define KPIs that actually help - not 50 metrics but 5-7 that matter. Set up dashboards in Excel, Power BI or whatever the company already uses.
Month 2-3: Improving insight
Set up variance analysis: why does actuals differ from budget or forecast? Where can we cut costs without breaking things? Where should we invest? Clean up management reporting - not 40 pages but a clear story with key numbers and action points.
Month 3+: Rhythm and ownership
Schedule monthly review meetings. Continuously update forecast (rolling forecast). Prepare budget cycle for next year if that's coming up. Train controllers or finance team to continue independently. Document governance: who decides what based on which numbers.
Financial Control - In Practice
Week 1-2: Mapping processes
How does month-end close work now? How long does it take, where does it get stuck, what goes wrong? Review balance sheet items - are reconciliations up to date? Check accounting policies: do they exist, are they followed? Talk to whoever does the books and the auditor about what they're encountering.
Week 3-4: Quick wins
Speed up month-end close through better planning. Get delayed reconciliations current. Document standard procedures for recurring tasks. Resolve intercompany reconciliations if they exist. Review control framework: where are the gaps, what's working well?
Month 2-3: Getting compliance right
Check if reporting meets IFRS or Dutch GAAP (whichever applies). Prepare for audit - what did the auditor say last year, what needs to improve? Document internal controls where that hasn't been done. Tackle technical accounting issues: unusual transactions, valuations, provisions.
Month 3+: Sustainable improvement
Support year-end close if that's coming up. Document processes so someone else can take over. Train finance team on things that are currently going wrong. Make audit coordination run smoothly. Implement system improvements where possible (better templates, automations).
Automation & Intelligence - In Practice
Week 1-2: Mapping frustrations
What takes too much time? Where do people make errors because it's manual work? Which reports take way too long? Look at existing systems: ERP, Excel chaos, standalone tools nobody understands anymore. Talk to people doing the work about what frustrates them most.
Week 3-4: Low-hanging fruit
Automate Excel reports with Power Query or Python. Set up workflows in n8n or Power Automate for repetitive tasks. Improve data export from ERP so there's less manual work. Build Power BI dashboards that update automatically instead of manual Excel sheets.
Month 2-3: Bigger improvements
Better configure ERP if needed (SAP, NetSuite, Dynamics - whichever). Build API connections between systems that are currently manually transferred. Build predictive models if there's value (e.g., which customers will likely pay late?). Set up data warehouse if data is currently scattered everywhere.
Month 3+: Handover and training
Document scripts and automations. Train finance team to make small adjustments themselves. Arrange maintenance: who picks it up if something breaks? Set up monitoring so you can see when something stops working. Pick up anything else that needs automation before I step out.
Does this resonate with you
Let's have a conversation. We'll talk through your situation, I'll share my thoughts, and whether I'm the right fit.