From Spreadsheets to Strategy:
A Finance & Data Transformation Journey
Project Type
Finance Automation / ERP Implementation
Date
Sep 2025
Location
Auckland, New Zealand
Role
Solution Architect
Client Industry
Retail and Distribution
Tech Stack
Infor M3 (ERP System)
Infor ION (Middleware for API orchestrations)
Infor API Gateway (REST API repository for integrations)
SQL Server
Power BI (Design strategy)
The Client
The client is a privately owned FMCG distributor with over 25 years of experience, connecting international brands to customers and consumers across New Zealand. They manage a portfolio of well-known brands, including Monin, St Dalfour, and Hershey’s, providing end-to-end distribution and support for their international brand partners.
The Challenge
The client had been operating on an outdated ERP for over a decade, with no vendor support and a heavy reliance on spreadsheets, creating significant constraints across finance and reporting. Inventory costs and COGS were manually tracked through journals, inventory balances required days of reconciliation effort each quarter, and AR, AP, and GL teams were limited by inadequate tools for debtor tracking and collections. The lack of centralized reporting left management without real-time visibility into financial and operational performance.
The Solution
As part of a broader transformation program, the client implemented Infor M3 CloudSuite as its new ERP, modernising both finance processes and data capabilities. The initiative redesigned finance operations by transitioning from manual average costing to automated standard costing with integrated COGS attribution and faster close cycles, while deploying AR, AP, and GL automation such as three-way matching, credit controls, and system-driven dunning. It also established a robust data strategy by leveraging the Infor Data Lake as a central staging layer for ERP-driven operational and financial data, streaming this into a consolidated data warehouse. This enabled the BI team to deliver Power BI dashboards, including role-based views for CFOs, Controllers, and Management Accountants, providing real-time visibility into cash flow, profitability, and payment performance.
