Upgrading Finance

My Christmas shopping is done! Not because like most men I am any good at it but because everyone wanted Vouchers, which couldn't be simpler. United will line out at Villa Park tomorrow we travel more in hope than expectation but we are a bogey team for the Villa so I live in hope.

It was an interesting week with most people still at their desks and reporting they will be until next Tuesday, so I look forward to more interesting 2026 Discovery Calls, don't forget to Book yours.

I reviewed the Book performance at just shy of 1K Downloads and consider it a great success and one for which I am eternally grateful for your support. You can still Download it for Free on my revamped Website at: How to Transform Finance. If you have a slow day in the Office in the run up to or even over the Christmas I heartily recommend you Download a copy.

The Irish Version will be delivered in late January just after I come back watching United knock Brighton out of the Cup. I will not feature on its Cover, neither will the Ha'penny Bridge but I do need an Irish Forward Writer...

The new Newsletter has c.1.5K Subscribers and is on course for its 2.2K target. This week I learned that the powers that be in Marketing say its 11 touchpoints before you or your material lands, whereby a potential Client comes across you 11 times. I may need to create 10 more new Newsletters at that rate.

However, all joking aside my recent Transformation Roadmap does highlight that waiting too long to make the Critical Decisions will always cost you time and money. Month One is critical, everyone I speak to who needs 'help' as opposed to 'support' has lived to rue their Month One Decisions or lack thereof. Month One from maybe 12, 18 or 24 Months in total think of it like that and consider what it is really worth to you.

Next year Finance Leaders will embark on the 12 Changes of Christmas in an effort to Upgrade Finance:

1. ERP Upgrades - Its the system and we all understand a system, the Business cannot function without it, need I say more
2. Point Solution - We broke a Process so we have to buy a System that is not an ERP before IT come calling and say no
3. Reorganisations - Performance is sub par so we need a rejig in the driving seat or the passenger seat if you run a Division rather than the whole shooting match
4. Restructure - It a full blown Target Operating Model implementation
5. Cost Cutting - Somebody, somewhere pulled a number out of the hat, that you must deliver for the Markets or the Owners, whilst improving performance, keeping the lights on and future proofing Finance at the same time
6. Control Audits - Never let an Auditor do them, would you let a Racing Driver fix your engine? No, that's a mechanics job
7. This Year we Partner with the Business - A new job for somebody but an Assessment of existing resources comes first
8. Period End - You broke it, it was late, it had some unforced error, either way its your neck on the line, lets map it out, watch the problem float to the surface then sink it!
9. Shared Services - This year we consolidate Finance into a lean, mean adding machine whilst delivering the promised ROI in 3 years
10. Outsourcing - We know its broke, we know its inefficient, we can't fix it so logically we look to...No, please stop and lets talk first
11. Recognition - You want your Team to be the best in your Company, at Finance, anywhere in the UK and you want them to love doing it
12. Digital - AI, AI, AI as Santa says

Whichever way you choose to Upgrade Finance talk to someone who has done all of the above first, then lets take your Finance Team to the Oscars and stand out from all the rest.

All possible in 2026 if you think your tough enough, do ya...?

Merry Christmas,

Michael.