SVP ERP & Business Systems
NorthMark Execution Playbook
VISION · GOALS · JTBD · DISCOVERY · VALIDATION · ROADMAP
CONFIDENTIAL

NorthMark Strategies · Dallas, TX

Reporting to Todd Heeter, CFO

01 · Foundation
Vision & Operating Philosophy
The foundational lens through which every decision — build vs. buy, hire vs. contract, automate vs. tolerate — is evaluated. Three EBITDA levers anchor every initiative.
Build a finance systems function — both the people and the capability — that directly impacts NorthMark's EBITDA through three mechanisms: reducing operational costs, increasing financial efficiency and decision speed, and ensuring risk compliance at scale. We make disciplined build-versus-buy decisions grounded in our stage and competitive advantage. We hire operators who understand the business, we enforce industry standards and SOX compliance from day one, and we create a team that grows with the firm — bringing people along as we evolve from reporting to decision intelligence.
LEVER 01
Cost Reduction
Reduce operational costs through automation, process elimination, and PwC dependency reduction. Every manual hour eliminated is a direct EBITDA contribution.
LEVER 02
Efficiency Gain
Increase financial efficiency and decision speed. Compress close cycle, accelerate M&A integration, and move from 5-day answers to real-time insight.
LEVER 03
Risk Mitigation
Ensure risk compliance at scale. SOX from day one, zero audit findings, clean controls, and complete financial data lineage across every entity.
Operating Principles
How We Make Decisions
Principle 01
Every build-vs-buy decision is grounded in our stage of growth and competitive advantage. We don't build what we can configure. We don't configure what we can buy.
Principle 02
We hire operators who understand the business, not just the technology. Every team member can explain the finance impact of their work.
Principle 03
SOX and industry standards are enforced from day one, not retrofitted. Control debt is more expensive than control investment.
Principle 04
PwC executes our architecture. We own the vision, design, and decisions. They are not our strategy — they are our implementation partner under our direction.
Principle 05
The golden record is the foundation of everything. No analytics, no decision intelligence, no automation — until the data is clean and trusted.
Principle 06
M&A speed is a competitive advantage. Integration readiness is not a nice-to-have. Every day of integration friction is a day of lost synergy value.
02 · Goals
Six Goals · Three-Year Horizon
Each goal is tied to one or more EBITDA levers, has a measurable target, and connects to the unified data platform. Goal 6 (Golden Record) is the enabling layer beneath all others.
GOAL 01
Efficiency Cost
Close Cycle Speed
TARGET: 6-day month-end close by end of Year 1
  • 100% of closes by Day 6, zero post-close adjustments
  • Intercompany eliminations automated — no manual reconciliation
  • GL reconciles to subledger automatically at close
  • All manual journal entries tracked, authorized, and auditable
Data: All close data flows through golden record — no shadow spreadsheets
GOAL 02
Efficiency Risk
M&A Integration Readiness
TARGET: Integrate financials within 90 days of acquisition close by Year 2
  • Day 1: Revenue and cost visibility in consolidated reporting
  • Day 30: Full GL consolidation — COA mapped, eliminations running
  • Day 90: Operational metrics clean, management reporting live
  • Repeatable playbook — every acquisition uses same process
Data: Acquired entity mapped to standard COA and golden record within 30 days
GOAL 03
Risk Efficiency
Spartanburg Financial Infrastructure
TARGET: Systems live and validated by mid-2026 facility go-live
  • Fixed asset capitalization automated from Day 1
  • CIP tracking real-time through project accounting
  • Multi-entity intercompany transactions automated
  • Operational GL live — no parallel manual system
Data: Spartanburg in golden record from Day 1 — no separate financial system
GOAL 04
Risk
Audit Readiness & Compliance
TARGET: Zero material findings + SOX-compliant framework by Year 1
  • Clean external audit opinion — no material weaknesses
  • All controls documented, tested, and operating effectively
  • Access rights clean — segregation of duties enforced
  • Audit trail complete — who did what and when, in D365
Data: All financial data lineage traceable through unified data platform
GOAL 05
Cost Efficiency
Finance Systems Team Build
TARGET: 5–7 person team at 70% productivity by end of Year 1
  • All roles filled by Month 9: ERP PO Finance, ERP PO Operations, Integration & Data Lead, QA Lead
  • PwC handoff begins Month 12 — internal team runs day-to-day
  • Team owns golden record architecture — no external dependency for operational decisions
  • PwC transitions to advisory only by Month 18
Data: Team owns golden record — no external dependency for operational decisions
GOAL 06 · FOUNDATION
Cost Efficiency Risk
Unified Data Platform & Golden Record
TARGET: Single source of truth across D365, Coupa, Snowflake by Year 2
  • Standard COA enforced across all entities
  • Zero reconciliation variance between systems
  • Self-serve reporting — no IT dependency for standard queries
  • Enables analytics, anomaly detection, decision intelligence in Year 3
Woven into every goal AND stands alone — this is the enabling architecture
03 · Jobs to Be Done
What the Business Actually Needs
JTBDs are the real problems behind every goal. They represent moments of friction experienced by each stakeholder — the "when X happens, I need Y so I can Z" that drives your entire roadmap. These are derived from discovery intelligence, not assumptions.
TH
Todd Heeter
CFO · YOUR BOSS
Goals 1,2,4,5,6
JTBD · Decision Velocity
When I ask a question about portfolio performance or working capital, I need self-serve access to dashboards instead of submitting a request and waiting 2–5 days, so I can make capital deployment decisions faster and with higher confidence.
JTBD · M&A Visibility
When we acquire a company, I need Day 1 revenue and cost visibility in consolidated reporting, so I can understand the economics immediately and manage investor communication without waiting weeks for PwC.
JTBD · Audit Confidence
When external auditors show up, I need zero surprises — a clean audit opinion with no material findings, so I can demonstrate control to investors and avoid costly remediation that impacts EBITDA.
JTBD · Systems Evolution
When I need to evolve the close process or reporting, I need an internal product owner who understands both finance and technology, so I can drive innovation without being bottlenecked by consultant cycles or PwC timelines.
BN
Brett Neely
VP Operational Accounting
Goals 1, 2, 6
JTBD · Close Reconciliation
When month-end closes and the GL doesn't reconcile to subledgers, I need to manually investigate variances across D365, legacy systems, and spreadsheets, so I can verify numbers are correct — but this is hours of work that should be automated.
JTBD · Intercompany
When intercompany transactions post, I need automated matching and elimination, so I can close without spending 3–4 days on manual intercompany reconciliation every single month.
JTBD · M&A COA Mapping
When onboarding an acquired entity's financials, I need their chart of accounts automatically mapped to ours, so I can skip the 4–6 week PwC remapping exercise and reach clean consolidation in 30 days instead of 120.
JTBD · Internal Ownership
When the close happens, I need the internal ERP team — not PwC — running the process, so I can own the close, iterate quickly, and not wait on consultant availability for every process change.
JTBD · Spartanburg Close
When Spartanburg starts operations, I need operational metrics flowing directly into our GL structure, so I can do variance analysis without manual data pulls from a separate facility system.
EB
Eric Bonner
VP Internal Audit
Goal 4
JTBD · Control Design
When designing controls, I need a clear matrix of what D365 controls exist vs. what manual controls are needed, so I can build an efficient, audit-friendly control environment without over-controlling or creating unnecessary manual burden.
JTBD · Audit Trail
When testing controls, I need an audit trail in D365 that shows who did what and when, so I can document operating effectiveness without relying on spreadsheet evidence that auditors will challenge.
JTBD · SOD Monitoring
When auditors ask about segregation of duties, I need to see immediately if anyone has conflicting access rights, so I can remediate before audit finds it — not during the audit when it's a finding.
WK
William Kachel
VP Treasury Strategy
Goals 2, 3
JTBD · Post-Acquisition Working Capital
When we close an acquisition, I need immediate visibility into the acquired entity's cash position and working capital metrics, so I can begin optimizing DPO and DSO immediately instead of waiting 60 days for clean financials from PwC.
JTBD · Spartanburg Cash
When Spartanburg is operational, I need daily cash position visibility from the facility, so I can manage working capital and optimize payment timing without waiting for month-end consolidation.
RP
River Paison
Global SVP Portfolio Analytics
Goal 6
JTBD · Data Reconciliation
When I need to analyze portfolio performance, I need financial data from D365, Coupa, and operational systems already reconciled in one place, so I can answer questions in hours instead of spending days on data reconciliation before any analysis can start.
JTBD · Trusted Analytics
When I need to spot anomalies or trends, I need clean, standardized data with no variance between transactional systems, so I can trust the analysis and make confident recommendations without caveat-laden footnotes.
MH
Marisa Haywood
Director Procurement Operations
Goal 6
JTBD · Coupa-to-D365 Flow
When I process a purchase order in Coupa, I need that data to flow automatically into D365 for accrual and matching, so I can reduce manual invoice matching exceptions and avoid AP backlogs at month-end that delay the close.
JF
Jeff Farmer
Enterprise PMO
Goal 3
JTBD · CIP Tracking
When Spartanburg is ramping up, I need project accounting (CIP) integrated with operational GL, so I can track construction costs in real time and avoid cost overruns that aren't visible until month-end.
JTBD · Asset Capitalization
When the facility goes live, I need fixed asset capitalization automated and working from Day 1, so I can begin depreciation immediately and avoid manual tracking of hundreds of millions in capital assets.
04 · Strategic Themes
Five Pillars of Execution
Themes cluster related JTBDs and goals into strategic capability areas. Each theme has a clear "what needs to be true" to call it done. This is how you communicate your roadmap to Todd, the board, and your team.
THEME 01
Foundation
Make the numbers trustworthy
Months 1–12
Before anything else — analytics, M&A, Spartanburg — the numbers must be right. GL reconciles automatically. Manual entries are tracked. Controls are documented. The close is clean. Nothing else is credible until this is done.
JOBS THIS SOLVES
Close reconciliation (Brett) Intercompany automation (Brett) Audit trail (Eric) Control matrix (Eric) SOD monitoring (Eric) Manual JE tracking (Brett)
THEME 02
Spartanburg
Financial infrastructure for the facility
Hard Deadline: Mid-2026
The $2.8B SC facility is a hard deadline with zero flexibility. Financial systems must be live and validated before go-live — not after. Fixed assets, CIP tracking, multi-entity intercompany, and operational GL all must be ready. This is non-negotiable Tier 1 work.
JOBS THIS SOLVES
CIP tracking (Jeff) Fixed asset capitalization (Jeff) Spartanburg close (Brett) Daily cash visibility (William)
THEME 03
Integration
M&A playbook and rapid consolidation
Months 6–24
NorthMark has an active M&A pipeline. Integration speed is a direct EBITDA lever — every day of delayed consolidation is a day of unrealized synergies. Build a repeatable playbook: COA mapping, consolidation rules, Day 1/30/60/90 financial milestones, and intercompany setup — automated, documented, repeatable.
JOBS THIS SOLVES
Day 1 visibility (Todd) M&A COA mapping (Brett) Post-acquisition working capital (William) Integration playbook (Todd)
THEME 04
Intelligence
From transactions to decisions
Months 12–36
Once the foundation is solid and data is clean, the unlock is speed-to-insight. Todd stops waiting 5 days for answers. River gets pre-reconciled data in Snowflake. Portfolio analytics becomes real-time. This is where finance systems becomes a competitive advantage — not just a compliance function.
JOBS THIS SOLVES
Self-serve dashboards (Todd) Data reconciliation (River) Trusted analytics (River) Coupa-to-D365 flow (Marisa)
THEME 05
Scale
Operating model that grows with the firm
All 36 Months
Every capability we build must scale. Every hire must understand both finance and technology. PwC must progressively transition from executor to advisor. This theme runs in parallel with everything else — it's not a phase, it's the operating discipline that makes all other themes sustainable and self-reinforcing.
JOBS THIS SOLVES
Internal team ownership (Brett) Systems evolution (Todd) PwC transition (Todd) Golden record ownership (Team)
05 · Discovery Questions
Critical Discovery Question Bank
These questions must be answered before you can validate JTBDs, quantify business impact, or build a prioritized roadmap. Organized by category with priority flags. The CRITICAL questions determine whether Tier 1 vs. Tier 3 prioritization is even possible.

You walk in to the Todd meeting with one objective: fill in the blanks that quantify your business case. You already know the problems exist. You need the numbers. Ask these in your first 1:1 with Todd and your first stakeholder rounds. Every answer feeds directly into the validation and prioritization framework.

CAT 01
M&A Cadence & Integration
Determines whether M&A integration readiness is Tier 1 mission-critical or Tier 2. If Todd plans 3+ deals in Year 1, this becomes the most important goal after Spartanburg.
  • Q1.1
    How many acquisitions are we planning in Year 1 and Year 2? What's the typical complexity — bolt-on or platform?
    Determines whether M&A integration is Tier 1 (multiple deals/year) or Tier 2 (1 deal every 18 months)
    CRITICAL
  • Q1.2
    Walk me through the last acquisition — how long did it take to reach clean consolidated financials? Where did the process get stuck?
    Quantifies the current baseline. Gives you the "from" number for your 90-day target story
    CRITICAL
  • Q1.3
    What was the cost of integration friction — lost synergy realization, management time, PwC fees?
    Builds the financial case for M&A integration investment. Needed to fill business case placeholder
    HIGH
  • Q1.4
    What does financial integration need to look like for M&A to move at the speed you want?
    Todd's answer defines what "done" looks like from the CFO's perspective — not your assumption
    HIGH
CAT 02
Spartanburg Go-Live
Spartanburg is automatically Tier 1 — the question is what "financially ready" means and exactly when. A July vs. April go-live changes your Year 1 critical path dramatically.
  • Q2.1
    What is the exact target go-live date for Spartanburg? Is that date firm, or is there a range?
    Sets your hard deadline for financial systems readiness — everything else moves around this date
    CRITICAL
  • Q2.2
    What does "financially ready on Day 1" mean to you for Spartanburg? What would happen if financial systems weren't ready at go-live?
    Defines the success criteria from Todd's lens — aligns your definition of done with his expectation
    CRITICAL
  • Q2.3
    What financial systems is the facility currently planned to run on? Is it D365 from Day 1 or is there a separate system being considered?
    If Spartanburg plans a separate system, your integration architecture changes completely
    CRITICAL
  • Q2.4
    What's the current state of CIP tracking for Spartanburg construction? Who owns it and where does that data live today?
    Identifies whether you're starting from scratch or cleaning up an existing process
    HIGH
CAT 03
Current Close Cycle & Operational State
Establishes your "from" baseline for Goal 1. Without the current close day, you can't define what 6-day close means relative to today — or how much improvement is actually needed.
  • Q3.1
    What day does the month-end close currently land? What would world-class look like for a firm our size and complexity?
    Baseline for Goal 1. If close is already Day 7, the path to Day 6 is different than if close is Day 14
    CRITICAL
  • Q3.2
    What percentage of the close process is still manual today? Where does the close get stuck most often?
    Identifies the highest-ROI automation targets for Year 1
    HIGH
  • Q3.3
    What's the current finance operations headcount and cost? What's the ratio of automated vs. manual work?
    Fills the operational cost reduction business case placeholder. Needed to quantify automation ROI
    HIGH
  • Q3.4
    How many entities are currently consolidating? How many will we add in Year 1 through M&A or Spartanburg?
    Defines consolidation complexity — the more entities, the more urgent intercompany automation becomes
    HIGH
CAT 04
Audit Readiness & Compliance State
Any open findings or material weaknesses make Goal 4 Tier 1 immediately — there's no discretion when audit risk is present. Also needed to build the business case ROI for compliance investment.
  • Q4.1
    Are there any open audit findings or material weaknesses from the last external audit? What's the remediation timeline?
    If yes — this becomes Tier 1, Day 1 work. Non-negotiable
    CRITICAL
  • Q4.2
    What's the current annual external audit cost? What's the trend — is it increasing?
    Fills the audit cost business case placeholder. Needed to quantify risk mitigation ROI
    HIGH
  • Q4.3
    What does PwC own in the control design and documentation today? Are controls fully documented or still being built?
    Determines if you're maintaining an existing framework or building from scratch
    HIGH
CAT 05
Data, Reporting & Decision Velocity
Establishes the current pain around decision speed — Todd's most direct JTBD. Also clarifies who owns Snowflake architecture today, which determines your data platform starting point.
  • Q5.1
    What's a question you asked in the last 30 days that took longer than you wanted to answer? What would have changed if you could answer it in the room?
    Todd's most direct JTBD. His answer becomes your intelligence theme anchor story
    HIGH
  • Q5.2
    Who owns the Snowflake architecture today? Is it connected to D365 and Coupa, or is that work still ahead of us?
    If Snowflake is already partially connected, you build on top. If not, this is a larger Year 1-2 initiative
    HIGH
  • Q5.3
    What decisions are you currently making with data you know is imperfect? What's the cost of that uncertainty?
    Quantifies the cost of bad data — builds the business case for golden record investment
    STRATEGIC
CAT 06
PwC Engagement & Team Build
Defines the financial case for the team build and the PwC transition timeline. The annual PwC spend number is one of the most important business case inputs you'll receive.
  • Q6.1
    What is the current annual PwC engagement cost? What percentage is operational (running the system) vs. advisory (design and strategy)?
    This number directly funds your team build case. $X PwC spend → internal team ROI calculation
    CRITICAL
  • Q6.2
    What's your expectation for how quickly we transition from PwC execution to internal team execution? Is there an 18-month target in mind?
    Aligns your Goal 5 timeline with Todd's expectation — avoids building a plan he'll reject as too slow or too fast
    HIGH
  • Q6.3
    What are the open SVP Controller and SVP Data Architecture roles expected to bring — and how does their scope interact with mine?
    Your single most important org clarity question. Prevents scope conflict before it happens
    CRITICAL
CAT 07
Success Definition & Org Clarity
These are the questions you ask last — once you have the facts. They define whether you and Todd are aligned on what winning looks like before you build the roadmap.
  • Q7.1
    What does a great Year 1 look like to you? What would make you say "I made the right hire"?
    Aligns your definition of success with Todd's — the single most important question you'll ask
    CRITICAL
  • Q7.2
    What's the biggest risk to NorthMark's growth in the next 18 months that better financial systems could mitigate?
    Surfaces the risk Todd is most worried about — which may be different from the JTBDs you've identified
    HIGH
  • Q7.3
    How much influence do I have in defining what the Controller and Data Architecture SVP roles look like from a scope perspective?
    You're the first SVP in. This is the moment to shape the operating model — before peers arrive
    STRATEGIC
06 · Validation Plan
Days 1–30: Confirm, Quantify, Prioritize
You walk in knowing the JTBDs. You spend the first 30 days proving they're real, quantifying the impact, and building the Tier 1/2/3 priority framework that drives your roadmap. Three phases. Three outputs.
PHASE 01
Listen & Observe
Days 1–10
  • Sit with each stakeholder using JTBD open questions
  • Listen for the moment of friction — not the solution
  • Note frequency, severity, and current workaround
  • Do not propose solutions yet — diagnose only
  • Observe D365 audit trail, manual JE patterns, close calendar
  • Map the "spreadsheet graveyard" — where does shadow data live?
PHASE 02
Quantify
Days 11–20
  • Return to each stakeholder with specific quantification questions
  • "You said close reconciliation takes time — is it 4 hours or 40 hours?"
  • Convert every qualitative friction into a number
  • Fill the business case placeholders: PwC spend, audit cost, close day, deal timeline
  • Triangulate: 3+ independent sources = confirmed fact
  • Separate confirmed facts from perception and political noise
PHASE 03
Prioritize & Build
Days 21–30
  • Stack-rank validated JTBDs by urgency, impact, and dependencies
  • Assign each JTBD to Tier 1, 2, or 3
  • Identify which JTBDs unlock multiple others (cascade effects)
  • Draft the Year 1 roadmap based on Tier 1 JTBDs
  • Present synthesis to Todd: "Here's what I found, here's what we build first"
Three-Layer Validation Model
Layer 1: Triangulation
3+ independent sources = confirmed fact. If only Todd says something is broken, it may be perception. If Todd, Brett, and Eric all say the same thing independently — it's real. Confirmed facts go directly on the roadmap.
Layer 2: Data vs. Perception
Every qualitative claim must have a quantitative anchor. "The close is slow" becomes "the close lands on Day 12." "PwC costs too much" becomes "$X annual spend." Without numbers, you can't prioritize and you can't build a business case.
Layer 3: System Observation
The system doesn't lie. Check D365 audit trails, manual JE patterns, bypass behaviors, and reconciliation workbooks. What the system shows vs. what stakeholders say reveals the actual state — not the perceived state.
Prioritization Framework: Three Tiers
TIER 1 Mission-Critical — Blocks a goal, creates audit risk, or has a hard deadline. Do these first.
Spartanburg financial systems readiness (hard deadline: mid-2026 — no flexibility)
Any open audit findings or material weaknesses (remediating these is Day 1 work)
GL-to-subledger reconciliation (if close is currently landing Day 10+, this is a blocker)
SOX control framework (if controls are not documented, external audit risk is immediate)
M&A integration readiness (if 3+ deals planned in Year 1 — this moves from Tier 2 to Tier 1)
TIER 2 High-Value — Solves real friction, quantifiable ROI, but not a blocker. Schedule for Year 1-2.
Intercompany automation (saves 3–4 days/month once close baseline is confirmed)
COA mapping playbook for M&A (if deal cadence is 1–2/year rather than 3+)
Coupa-to-D365 integration (eliminates AP exceptions and close delays)
Team build — ERP Product Owners and Integration Lead (Month 3–9)
PwC transition plan — operational handoff timeline and capability transfer
TIER 3 Strategic — Enables future capability. Lower urgency. Build when foundation is solid.
Snowflake golden record and self-serve analytics (Year 2, requires clean foundation first)
Portfolio analytics integration with River's team (Year 2-3)
Anomaly detection and decision intelligence (Year 3 — requires data quality first)
Working capital optimization dashboard (builds on golden record — Year 2)
07 · Roadmap
36-Month Execution Roadmap
Organized by time horizon, each phase has a primary theme, specific deliverables, and a clear "phase exit criteria" — what must be true before moving to the next phase. Spartanburg runs in parallel as a non-negotiable constraint.
Days 1–30
Discovery
Listen, Validate, Prioritize
Scale
Meet all 8 stakeholders. Execute JTBD validation interviews. Fill discovery question bank.
Foundation
Observe D365 audit trail, close calendar, manual JE patterns, and reconciliation workbooks.
Spartanburg
Confirm go-live date, current CIP state, and financial systems architecture planned for Day 1.
Exit criteria: Tier 1/2/3 prioritization complete. Year 1 roadmap drafted. Presented to Todd.
Month 1–3
Foundation Start
Foundation & Spartanburg Track Launch
Foundation
Remediate any open audit findings. Document all existing controls. Begin SOX framework build.
Spartanburg
Confirm D365 architecture for facility. CIP project accounting design complete. Fixed asset framework designed.
Scale
Begin hiring: ERP Product Owner Finance first. Reframe PwC scope — they execute your architecture.
Exit criteria: No open audit findings. Spartanburg financial architecture approved. Hiring plan active.
Month 3–6
Build Core
Close Automation & Spartanburg Systems Build
Foundation
Automate GL-to-subledger reconciliation. Build intercompany matching and elimination rules. Eliminate top 3 manual close touchpoints.
Spartanburg
D365 Spartanburg entity live in staging. CIP tracking configured. Multi-entity intercompany rules built and tested.
Integration
Draft M&A integration playbook. Build standard COA mapping template. Design Day 1/30/60/90 milestone framework.
Exit criteria: Close cycle improving. Spartanburg on track for go-live. Playbook drafted.
Month 6–9
Go-Live Prep
Spartanburg Go-Live & Close Target Hit
Spartanburg
Spartanburg D365 live. Fixed asset capitalization automated from Day 1. Operational GL running. No parallel manual system.
Foundation
6-day close target hit for the first time. All manual entries tracked and authorized. SOX controls documented and tested.
Scale
All 5 core team roles filled. Team running day-to-day operations. PwC transitioning from executor to advisor role.
Exit criteria: Spartanburg live. 6-day close achieved. Team operational. First clean audit opinion.
Month 9–18
Expand
M&A Playbook Active & Golden Record Build
Integration
Execute first acquisition using M&A playbook. Day 1 visibility. Day 30 GL consolidation. Day 90 operational metrics clean.
Intelligence
D365-to-Snowflake integration live. Standard COA enforced across all entities. Begin golden record architecture with data team SVP.
Scale
PwC engagement reduced by 30–50%. Internal team fully owns close and operational decisions. Advisory-only PwC relationship established.
Exit criteria: First M&A integration <90 days. Golden record foundation complete. PwC cost materially reduced.
Month 18–36
Intelligence
Decision Intelligence & Scale
Intelligence
Self-serve analytics live. Todd answers questions in the room. River's portfolio analytics running on clean, pre-reconciled data from golden record.
Intelligence
Anomaly detection on financial data. Working capital optimization dashboard. Variance analysis automated for Spartanburg operational metrics.
Scale
Finance systems function is fully self-sufficient. Every new entity, acquisition, or facility onboards using a repeatable, documented playbook — no PwC required for standard integrations.
Exit criteria: NorthMark CFO asks questions — they get answered in the room. Finance systems is a competitive advantage, not just compliance.
08 · Features & Initiatives
Roadmap → Backlog
Each roadmap phase broken into specific, actionable work items. Every feature is written as a work item (what to build/configure) plus stakeholder context (who needs it and why). Close cycle automation is the most detailed — it is your foundation. Nothing else works without it.
AREA 01 · PRIORITY: TIER 1
Close Cycle Automation
TARGET: 6-Day Close · Month 1–6
EPIC 1.1 — GL-to-Subledger Reconciliation Automation
FEATURE 1.1.1
D365 CONFIG CRITICAL PATH
Configure D365 Financial Period Close Workspace
Set up the period close workspace in D365 Finance with task assignments, due dates, dependencies, and status tracking. Replace the current close calendar (likely a spreadsheet or email chain) with a single system-driven checklist that Brett and his team work from every month.
STAKEHOLDER CONTEXT
"When I'm running the close, I need visibility into which reconciliations are complete vs. pending, so I can manage the critical path and hit the 6-day target." — Brett Neely
FEATURE 1.1.2
D365 CONFIG CRITICAL PATH
Build Subledger-to-GL Matching Rules for AP and AR
Configure D365 subledger transfer rules so AP and AR automatically post to the GL with matching journal entries. Define tolerance thresholds, exception handling, and automated variance flagging. Eliminate the manual investigation loop where Brett checks why the GL doesn't match the AP aging report.
STAKEHOLDER CONTEXT
"When month-end closes and the GL doesn't reconcile to subledgers, I need to manually investigate variances across D365, legacy systems, and spreadsheets." — Brett Neely
FEATURE 1.1.3
D365 CONFIG
Automate Manual Journal Entry Tracking & Authorization Workflow
Configure D365 journal approval workflows so every manual journal entry requires a documented business reason, approver assignment, and audit timestamp. Build a month-end report that shows all manual entries by preparer, approver, amount, and purpose — fed directly to Eric Bonner for audit evidence.
STAKEHOLDER CONTEXT
"When auditors ask me to walk through the close, I need a documented process with clear handoffs and sign-offs." — Eric Bonner. "I need to see all manual journal entries flagged and authorized." — Eric Bonner
EPIC 1.2 — Intercompany Automation
FEATURE 1.2.1
D365 CONFIG CRITICAL PATH
Configure D365 Intercompany Accounting — Auto-Matching & Elimination Rules
Map all intercompany relationships across current entities and Spartanburg. Configure D365 intercompany posting rules so transactions between entities automatically generate offsetting entries. Build elimination rules for consolidation so month-end intercompany balancing requires zero manual intervention. This single feature recovers 3–4 days of close time per month.
STAKEHOLDER CONTEXT
"When intercompany transactions post, I need automated matching and elimination, so I can close without spending 3–4 days on manual intercompany reconciliation every single month." — Brett Neely
FEATURE 1.2.2
D365 CONFIG
Build Intercompany Exception Dashboard
Configure a real-time dashboard showing all unmatched intercompany transactions, aging by entity, and dollar variance. Brett sees the exception list — not the full transaction set. Issues are visible 5 days before close, not discovered during close. Feeds directly into the period close workspace checklist (Feature 1.1.1).
STAKEHOLDER CONTEXT
As VP Operational Accounting, Brett needs to manage the critical path of close — not discover intercompany breaks on Day 3 of a 6-day close target. Pre-close visibility is the unlock.
EPIC 1.3 — Coupa-to-D365 Integration (AP Close Automation)
FEATURE 1.3.1
INTEGRATION TIER 2
Automate PO-to-Invoice-to-GL Flow: Coupa → D365
Configure the Coupa-to-D365 integration so approved POs in Coupa automatically trigger accruals in D365, and matched invoices post without manual AP entry. Define matching rules (2-way vs 3-way match), tolerance levels, and exception routing. Eliminates AP exceptions that delay the close and reduces manual invoice processing headcount requirement.
STAKEHOLDER CONTEXT
"When I process a purchase order in Coupa, I need that data to flow automatically into D365 for accrual, so I can reduce manual invoice matching and AP exceptions." — Marisa Haywood
AREA 02 · PRIORITY: TIER 1 · HARD DEADLINE
Spartanburg Financial Infrastructure
DEADLINE: Mid-2026 · Zero Flexibility
FEATURE 2.1
DAY 1 REQUIRED D365 CONFIG
Provision Spartanburg Legal Entity in D365 — COA, Dimensions, Intercompany Rules
Create the Spartanburg legal entity in D365 with standard COA mapped to NorthMark's global chart. Configure financial dimensions for facility (cost center, department, operational unit). Establish intercompany posting rules between Spartanburg and parent entities from Day 1. This must be complete before any other Spartanburg financial feature can be built.
STAKEHOLDER CONTEXT
As CFO, Todd needs Spartanburg data in the consolidated golden record from Day 1. No separate financial system — everything flows through D365 from first transaction.
FEATURE 2.2
DAY 1 REQUIRED D365 CONFIG
Configure Fixed Asset Module — CIP Tracking & Automatic Capitalization Rules
Set up D365 Fixed Assets for Spartanburg with Construction-in-Progress (CIP) accounts, capitalization thresholds, and automatic transfer-to-asset rules upon go-live. Configure depreciation books (GAAP and tax), asset classes, and useful life parameters for all facility asset categories. Jeff Farmer needs real-time CIP tracking during construction; Brett needs automatic capitalization on completion date — no manual journal entries to move CIP to fixed assets.
STAKEHOLDER CONTEXT
"When the facility goes live, I need fixed asset capitalization automated from Day 1, so I can begin depreciation immediately and avoid manual tracking of hundreds of millions in capital assets." — Jeff Farmer
FEATURE 2.3
D365 CONFIG
Build Project Accounting Module for Spartanburg Construction Phase
Configure D365 Project Management & Accounting for the Spartanburg construction project. Set up project structure, cost categories, budget tracking, and commitment accounting. All construction POs and vendor invoices coded to project — real-time budget vs. actual visibility for Jeff Farmer and Todd. Automatic CIP posting from project costs eliminates manual journal entry for every construction invoice.
STAKEHOLDER CONTEXT
"When Spartanburg is ramping up, I need project accounting (CIP) integrated with operational GL, so I can track construction costs in real time and avoid cost overruns." — Jeff Farmer
FEATURE 2.4
INTEGRATION
Operational Metrics Feed: Facility Systems → D365 GL
Design and build the data integration between Spartanburg's operational systems (facility management, production, logistics) and D365 GL. Operational metrics — cost per unit, throughput, margin by shift — auto-post to financial dimensions. Brett runs variance analysis directly in D365 without manual data pulls from a separate facility system. Architecture decision: API integration vs. Azure Data Factory pipeline vs. Snowflake staging layer — confirm with Data Architecture SVP.
STAKEHOLDER CONTEXT
"When Spartanburg starts operations, I need operational metrics flowing directly into our GL structure, so I can do variance analysis without manual data pulls." — Brett Neely
AREA 03 · PRIORITY: TIER 1
Audit Readiness & SOX Controls
Year 1 · Zero Findings Target
FEATURE 3.1
DAY 1 IF FINDINGS EXIST
Build D365 Control Matrix: System Controls vs. Manual Controls
Document every D365 system control (automated, always-on) vs. every manual compensating control. Identify gaps where no control exists. For each gap, design the lowest-cost control — preferably system-enforced. Feed matrix directly to Eric Bonner for SOX documentation. This becomes the master record for external auditors.
STAKEHOLDER CONTEXT
"When designing controls, I need a clear matrix of what D365 controls exist vs. what manual controls are needed, so I can build an efficient, audit-friendly control environment." — Eric Bonner
FEATURE 3.2
D365 CONFIG
Configure Segregation of Duties (SOD) Rules & Access Rights Audit in D365
Map all D365 security roles to job functions. Identify and eliminate any conflicting access combinations (create PO + approve PO, post journal + approve journal). Configure automated SOD conflict alerts. Run quarterly access rights review process. Eric should never find a SOD violation in an audit — he should find and remediate it first.
STAKEHOLDER CONTEXT
"When auditors ask about segregation of duties, I need to know immediately if anyone has conflicting access rights, so I can remediate before audit finds it." — Eric Bonner
AREA 04 · PRIORITY: TIER 1 IF 3+ DEALS/YR · TIER 2 IF FEWER
M&A Integration Playbook
Target: 90-Day Integration · Month 6–24
FEATURE 4.1
PLAYBOOK
Build Standard COA Mapping Template & Entity Onboarding Framework
Create a reusable COA mapping workbook that translates any acquired entity's chart of accounts to NorthMark's standard structure. Include mapping rules for common account types (revenue, COGS, G&A), dimension mapping (cost center, department), and intercompany account pre-identification. Every acquisition uses this template — Brett's team completes it in Week 1 of integration instead of PwC taking 4–6 weeks to build it from scratch.
STAKEHOLDER CONTEXT
"When onboarding an acquired entity's financials, I need their chart of accounts automatically mapped to ours, so I can skip the 4–6 week PwC remapping exercise." — Brett Neely
FEATURE 4.2
PLAYBOOK
Define Day 1 / Day 30 / Day 60 / Day 90 Financial Milestone Framework
Document the exact financial deliverables required at each milestone post-acquisition close. Day 1: revenue and cost visibility in management reporting. Day 30: full GL consolidation — COA mapped, eliminations running. Day 60: operational metrics live in D365. Day 90: clean close, management reporting, working capital visibility. This becomes the playbook Todd uses to hold the team accountable to integration speed.
STAKEHOLDER CONTEXT
"When integrating an acquisition, I need a playbook that says on Day 30 we should have X, on Day 60 we should have Y, so I can hold the team accountable to integration speed." — Todd Heeter
AREA 05 · PRIORITY: TIER 2
Finance Systems Team Build
5–7 People · 70% Productivity by Year 1
FEATURE 5.1
ORG DESIGN
Define Role Architecture: JDs, Competency Profiles, Hiring Sequence
Write job descriptions and competency profiles for all 5 roles: ERP Product Owner Finance, ERP Product Owner Operations, Integration & Data Lead, QA & Support Lead, Admin Support. Define hiring sequence: Finance PO first (Month 1–2), Operations PO second (Month 2–4), Integration Lead third (Month 3–5). Each role must understand both the finance domain and the technology — not one or the other.
STAKEHOLDER CONTEXT
As CFO, Todd needs an internal product owner who understands both finance and technology — not a pure IT resource or a pure accountant. Every hire must be bilingual: finance and systems.
FEATURE 5.2
ORG DESIGN
Design PwC Transition Plan: Executor → Advisor → Exit
Document the current PwC scope and ownership. Map each PwC workstream to an internal hire that will absorb it. Build a 3-phase transition: Month 1–6 (PwC executes, internal team shadows), Month 6–12 (internal team executes, PwC reviews), Month 12–18 (internal team fully owns, PwC advisory only). Every engagement renewal decision is made against this plan — not by default.
STAKEHOLDER CONTEXT
Todd's expectation: reduce PwC dependency over 18 months. The transition plan gives you a documented, defensible plan to reduce spend — not a vague intention. It also gives PwC a clear expectation of where they're heading.
09 · KPIs & Success Metrics
How You'll Measure Winning
Every goal has a baseline, a target, a measurement frequency, and an owner. These are what you report to Todd quarterly. They're also what you use to hold yourself and your team accountable — and what you use to make the case for continued investment. Baselines marked TBD are filled in from your discovery questions in Days 1–10.
6
GOALS TRACKED
22
TOTAL METRICS
Monthly
PRIMARY CADENCE
Todd
PRIMARY AUDIENCE
GOAL 01
Close Cycle Speed
Target: 6-Day Close · Year 1
METRIC BASELINE YEAR 1 TARGET FREQUENCY DATA SOURCE
Month-end close day (calendar day) TBD from Brett Day 6 Monthly D365 Period Close Workspace
Post-close adjustment journal entries TBD Zero Monthly D365 Journal Audit Trail
GL-to-subledger variance at close TBD $0 unresolved Monthly D365 Reconciliation Report
Intercompany exceptions unresolved at close TBD Zero Monthly D365 Intercompany Dashboard
Manual journal entries as % of total JEs TBD <10% Monthly D365 Journal Audit Trail
GOAL 02
M&A Integration Readiness
Target: 90-Day Integration · Year 2
METRIC BASELINE TARGET FREQUENCY DATA SOURCE
Days to full GL consolidation post-acquisition TBD from Todd 30 days Per deal Integration playbook tracker
Days to Day 1 revenue & cost visibility TBD Day 1 Per deal Management reporting
Days to operational metrics in D365 TBD 90 days Per deal Integration playbook tracker
PwC hours billed per integration TBD -50% vs. baseline Per deal PwC engagement invoices
GOAL 03 · HARD DEADLINE
Spartanburg Financial Infrastructure
Deadline: Mid-2026
MILESTONE / METRIC STATUS TARGET DEADLINE OWNER
D365 Spartanburg entity live in UAT In Progress Complete Month 3 Nanda + PwC
CIP tracking live & reconciled to project costs In Progress Complete Month 4 Nanda + Jeff Farmer
Fixed asset module configured & tested Pending Complete Month 5 ERP PO Operations
Intercompany rules tested across all entities Pending Complete Month 5 ERP PO Finance
Parallel close run — Spartanburg live in production Pending Go-Live Mid-2026 Nanda
GOAL 04
Audit Readiness & Compliance
Target: Zero Material Findings · Year 1
METRIC BASELINE TARGET FREQUENCY DATA SOURCE
External audit findings — material weaknesses TBD from Eric Zero Annual External audit report
Controls documented & tested (% complete) TBD 100% Quarterly Control matrix (Eric)
Open SOD conflicts in D365 TBD Zero Monthly D365 Security Role Audit
External audit cost ($) TBD from Todd Flat or declining Annual Finance budget
GOAL 05
Finance Systems Team Build
Target: 5–7 People · 70% Productivity · Year 1
METRIC BASELINE TARGET DEADLINE DATA SOURCE
Core team roles filled (of 5) 0 (Day 1) 5 of 5 Month 9 HR / Headcount tracker
PwC operational workstreams handed off to internal team 0% 80% Month 12 PwC transition plan tracker
Annual PwC spend ($) TBD from Todd -40% by Month 18 Quarterly Finance budget / PwC invoices
Team operational issues resolved without PwC escalation TBD >90% Monthly Support ticket log
GOAL 06 · FOUNDATION
Unified Data Platform & Golden Record
Target: Single Source of Truth · Year 2
METRIC BASELINE TARGET FREQUENCY DATA SOURCE
Entities on standard COA (% of total) TBD 100% Quarterly D365 / COA registry
Reconciliation variance between D365, Coupa & Snowflake TBD $0 Monthly Snowflake reconciliation layer
CFO/finance questions answered same-day (vs. multi-day) 2–5 days today Same day Quarterly survey Todd / River feedback
Shadow spreadsheets eliminated (finance ops) TBD count Zero critical ones Quarterly audit Process observation
Reporting Cadence to Todd
MONTHLY
Close day achieved
Post-close adjustments
Intercompany exceptions
Open SOD conflicts
Spartanburg milestone status
QUARTERLY
Controls documented %
Team headcount vs. plan
PwC spend vs. target
Entities on standard COA
Decision velocity (same-day %)
Business case ROI update
PER EVENT
M&A integration milestones
Audit findings (post-audit)
PwC handoff completions
New entity onboarding
Major system configuration go-lives
10 · Business Case
The EBITDA Impact Story
This is what you present to Todd at Day 30. Every investment — team headcount, PwC reallocation, D365 configuration work — is tied to a quantifiable return. Values marked [ FILL ] are placeholders you complete from your discovery conversations in Days 1–10. The structure, logic, and assumptions are already built — you bring the numbers.
$
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY · DAY 30 PRESENTATION TO TODD
The finance systems function I am building will deliver EBITDA impact across three levers: cost reduction through PwC displacement and automation, efficiency gain through close cycle compression and M&A integration speed, and risk mitigation through audit readiness and SOX compliance. The Year 1 investment — team build plus D365 configuration — pays back within 18 months on the PwC reduction alone, before accounting for M&A synergy acceleration or audit cost avoidance.
LEVER 01 · COST REDUCTION
[ FILL ]
Annual run-rate savings by Month 18
PwC spend reduction + finance ops automation savings. Fills in once PwC annual cost and finance headcount cost confirmed from Todd.
LEVER 02 · EFFICIENCY GAIN
[ FILL ]
Synergy value unlocked per acquisition
M&A integration compressed from current baseline to 90 days. Fills in once last acquisition synergy value and integration timeline confirmed.
LEVER 03 · RISK MITIGATION
[ FILL ]
Audit cost & capital premium protected
Zero material findings saves audit fee escalation + cost-of-capital premium. Fills in once current audit cost and findings confirmed from Eric.
BC-01 · COST REDUCTION
PwC Displacement & Team Build ROI
THE LOGIC
PwC's current engagement covers both operational execution (running the system, managing close, building reports) and strategic advisory (design decisions, architecture). Your internal team absorbs the operational layer — roughly 60–70% of total PwC spend — within 18 months. PwC transitions to pure advisory. The internal team costs less per hour, builds institutional knowledge, and eliminates consultant ramp-up time on every new initiative.
THE MATH (FILL IN FROM DISCOVERY)
Current annual PwC spend [ FILL — Q6.1 ]
% that is operational (vs. advisory) Est. 60–70%
Internal team annual fully-loaded cost Est. $1.2–1.8M (5 people)
Net annual savings (run-rate by Month 18) [ PwC × 65% ] − $1.5M
Payback period 12–18 months
DISCOVERY QUESTION THAT UNLOCKS THIS
"What is the current annual PwC engagement cost, and what percentage is operational execution vs. strategic advisory?" — Q6.1
BC-02 · EFFICIENCY GAIN
Close Cycle Compression ROI
THE LOGIC
Every day of close compression has two direct financial benefits. First, working capital visibility — William Kachel can optimize cash deployment days earlier each month. Second, finance ops labor cost — if Brett's team currently spends 8–12 days on close work, compressing to 6 days returns 2–6 days of finance labor per month to higher-value work. At scale across a growing entity count, this compounds. Additionally, faster close means Todd makes M&A and capital decisions on current data — not month-old data.
THE MATH
Current close day [ FILL — Q3.1 ]
Finance ops headcount on close [ FILL — Q3.3 ]
Days compressed (current → Day 6) [ Current − 6 ]
Finance labor hours returned monthly Days saved × Headcount × 8hrs
Annual labor value recaptured [ FILL post-discovery ]
DISCOVERY QUESTIONS THAT UNLOCK THIS
"What day does the month-end close currently land?" (Q3.1) · "What's the current finance ops headcount on close?" (Q3.3)
BC-03 · EFFICIENCY GAIN
M&A Integration Speed — Synergy Acceleration
THE LOGIC
NorthMark is PE-style — every acquisition has a projected synergy value. Today, if integration takes 120–180 days to reach clean consolidated financials, that's 30–90 days of unrealized synergies per deal compared to a 90-day target. At a PE discount rate of 15–20%, every month of synergy delay has a present value cost. The M&A playbook and COA mapping framework pays for itself on the first deal it accelerates.
THE MATH
Current integration timeline (days) [ FILL — Q1.2 ]
Target integration timeline 90 days
Projected synergy value per deal ($) [ FILL — Q1.3 ]
Discount rate (PE style) 15–20%
PV of synergy unlocked per deal Synergies × (Days saved ÷ 365) × Rate
Annual value (at deal cadence) [ FILL post-discovery ]
DISCOVERY QUESTIONS THAT UNLOCK THIS
"Walk me through the last acquisition — how long to clean consolidated financials? What was the friction cost?" (Q1.2, Q1.3)
BC-04 · RISK MITIGATION
Audit Risk & Cost-of-Capital Protection
THE LOGIC
For a PE-style firm raising capital or preparing for exit, every material audit finding creates three costs: direct audit fee escalation (auditors charge more when they find problems), remediation cost (PwC or consultants to fix the control), and most importantly cost-of-capital impact — investors price control weaknesses into their required return. A clean audit opinion is worth 50–200bps in cost-of-capital. On a $2.8B Spartanburg facility financing, that is a material number.
THE MATH
Current external audit cost [ FILL — Q4.2 ]
Open findings / remediation cost [ FILL — Q4.1 ]
Spartanburg facility financing amount ~$2.8B
Cost-of-capital premium per finding 50–200 bps
Value of clean opinion (Spartanburg) $2.8B × 50bps = $14M+
Annual audit fee savings (clean vs. findings) [ FILL post-discovery ]
DISCOVERY QUESTIONS THAT UNLOCK THIS
"Are there any open audit findings or material weaknesses?" (Q4.1) · "What's the current annual external audit cost?" (Q4.2)
BC-05 · EFFICIENCY GAIN
Decision Velocity — CFO Time Value
THE LOGIC
Todd at $600K+ total comp makes roughly $300/hour. If he waits 2–5 days for answers that should take minutes, and this happens 3–5 times per week, that's 6–25 hours of CFO decision lag per week. More importantly, delayed capital deployment decisions, slower M&A targeting, and slower portfolio response all have an opportunity cost that dwarfs the direct labor math. The golden record and self-serve analytics layer pays for itself in CFO decision quality alone.
THE MATH
Avg. wait time for CFO data questions today [ FILL — Q5.1 ]
Frequency of data requests per week [ FILL — Q5.1 ]
CFO + SVP team hourly cost ~$300–500/hr blended
Annual decision lag cost (direct) [ FILL post-discovery ]
Opportunity cost (capital deployment delay) Strategic — not quantified
DISCOVERY QUESTION THAT UNLOCKS THIS
"What's a question you asked in the last 30 days that took longer than you wanted to answer? What would have changed if you could answer it in the room?" — Q5.1
Investment Required vs. Return Summary
YEAR 1 INVESTMENT
Internal team (5 people, fully loaded) ~$1.4–1.8M
D365 configuration work (PwC Year 1) [ FILL ]
Azure / Snowflake infrastructure Already contracted
Total Year 1 incremental investment [ FILL post-discovery ]
YEAR 1–2 RETURN
PwC displacement savings (run-rate) [ FILL ]
M&A synergy acceleration (per deal) [ FILL ]
Audit risk protection (cost-of-capital) $14M+ on Spartanburg financing alone
Payback period 12–18 months (PwC savings alone)
The framing for Todd: "The team build pays for itself on PwC displacement within 18 months. Everything else — M&A speed, audit protection, decision velocity — is upside. And the Spartanburg cost-of-capital argument alone — 50bps on a $2.8B facility — justifies the entire Year 1 investment before we count anything else."
11 · 90-Day Execution Plan
Week-by-Week. Day 1 to Day 90.
This is your operating calendar. Every week has a primary focus, specific deliverables, key meetings, and a decision gate. Three parallel tracks run simultaneously — Discovery, Spartanburg, and Team Build — because the hard deadline won't wait for the discovery to finish. You are doing all three at once from Day 1.
PHASE 01 · DAYS 1–30
Listen & Orient
Meet everyone. Observe everything. Ask the 25 discovery questions. Fill in all baselines. Deliver nothing yet except trust and credibility.
DELIVERABLE → Day 30 synthesis to Todd
PHASE 02 · DAYS 31–60
Validate & Design
Quantify every JTBD. Present business case to Todd. Lock Year 1 roadmap. Begin D365 configuration design. Launch first two hires.
DELIVERABLE → Approved Year 1 roadmap
PHASE 03 · DAYS 61–90
Build & Execute
First D365 configuration work live. Spartanburg entity provisioned. PwC reframed. First hire onboarding. Close cycle baseline measured.
DELIVERABLE → 90-day review with Todd
TRACKS RUNNING IN PARALLEL:
Discovery & Validation
Spartanburg (Hard Deadline)
Team Build
Foundation / D365
PwC Reframe
WEEK 1
Days 1–5
Land, Listen, Don't Touch Anything
MEETINGS
1:1 with Todd (Day 1 — ask Q7.1 first)
1:1 with Brett Neely
1:1 with Eric Bonner
Meet PwC lead partner
DELIVERABLES
Stakeholder map complete
D365 access provisioned
PwC current scope documented
Open audit findings confirmed
SPARTANBURG TRACK
Confirm exact go-live date (Q2.1)
Get current CIP state from Jeff
Confirm D365 architecture plan
Rule for Week 1: You are a sponge. No solutions, no proposals, no changes. Build trust by asking great questions and listening completely.
WEEK 2
Days 6–10
Deep Stakeholder Listening & System Observation
MEETINGS
1:1 with William Kachel
1:1 with River Paison
1:1 with Marisa Haywood
1:1 with Jeff Farmer
DELIVERABLES
All 7 JTBD interviews complete
D365 audit trail reviewed
Close calendar documented
Shadow spreadsheet inventory started
SPARTANBURG TRACK
Review current CIP tracking method
Identify financial systems gap list
Schedule PwC Spartanburg design session
System observation: Pull last 3 months of D365 journal entries. Look for manual bypass patterns, high-frequency manual JEs, and intercompany entries with no matching. This is where the real state lives — not in what people tell you.
WEEK 3
Days 11–15
Quantification Round — Turn Qualitative into Numbers
MEETINGS
Follow-up 1:1 with Brett (quantify close hours)
Follow-up 1:1 with Todd (PwC spend, M&A cadence)
Follow-up 1:1 with Eric (audit cost, open findings)
DELIVERABLES
All discovery question baselines filled
JTBD triangulation complete
Tier 1/2/3 prioritization draft
Business case numbers populated
TEAM BUILD TRACK
Draft JD for ERP PO Finance
Confirm headcount budget with Todd
Identify internal candidates first
Decision gate: By end of Week 3, you should know the current close day, PwC spend, audit state, and M&A cadence. If you don't have these four numbers, extend quantification into Week 4 before building the roadmap.
WEEK 4
Days 16–20
Synthesize & Build Day 30 Presentation
MEETINGS
PwC lead: scope reframe conversation
Todd: preview Day 30 synthesis topics
Brett: close process walkthrough (end-to-end)
DELIVERABLES
Day 30 synthesis document drafted
Year 1 roadmap first draft
Tier 1 priorities locked
Business case ROI numbers complete
PWCREFRAME TRACK
Map every current PwC workstream
Identify which to absorb first (Month 6–12)
Draft transition plan outline
GATE
DAY 30
Day 30 Synthesis — Present to Todd
Present: "Here's what I found, here's what's confirmed vs. perceived, here's the Tier 1/2/3 prioritization, here's the Year 1 roadmap, here's the business case with real numbers." Get Todd's alignment before you build anything. This is the most important meeting of your first 90 days.
JTBDs validated Business case complete Year 1 roadmap approved Hiring budget confirmed PwC reframe plan agreed
WEEK 5–6
Days 21–30
Design Phase Begins — D365 Architecture & Spartanburg Entity
FOUNDATION / D365
Period close workspace design
GL reconciliation rules scoped
Manual JE workflow designed
D365 control matrix drafted with Eric
SPARTANBURG TRACK
Spartanburg entity design approved
COA mapping for new entity complete
CIP project accounting scoped
PwC Spartanburg workstream kicked off
TEAM BUILD TRACK
ERP PO Finance posted and recruiting
Sourcing strategy confirmed
Interview panel designed
WEEK 7–8
Days 31–45
Configuration Build Begins — PwC Working Under Your Direction
FOUNDATION / D365
Period close workspace — PwC configuring
Subledger matching rules in build
SOD rules configured with Eric
First close baseline measurement (Day 45)
SPARTANBURG TRACK
Spartanburg entity in D365 UAT
Fixed asset module configuration started
Project accounting for CIP in build
Integration architecture decision made
PWCREFRAME TRACK
PwC reframe meeting held
"You execute our architecture" framing live
First internal team member shadowing PwC
Transition timeline documented
PwC reframe script: "Going forward, I'll own the architecture and design decisions. Your team executes against my spec. I review and accept all deliverables before they go to Todd. I want your expertise — applied to my strategy." Say it clearly, once, directly to the PwC partner.
WEEK 9–10
Days 46–60
First Hires Onboarding & Spartanburg UAT Testing
FOUNDATION / D365
Period close workspace — UAT with Brett
First close run using new workspace
Intercompany rules designed
Manual JE workflow in UAT
SPARTANBURG TRACK
Fixed asset module UAT
CIP tracking tested against real data
Intercompany rules tested
Parallel close run preparation
TEAM BUILD TRACK
ERP PO Finance — Day 1 onboarding
ERP PO Operations posted
Onboarding plan executed
First shadowing assignments with PwC
GATE
DAY 60
Mid-Point Check — Are We On Track?
Quick Todd check-in (30 min): roadmap on track, Spartanburg on schedule, first hire onboarded. Not a full presentation — a calibration. "Here's where we are vs. where I said we'd be. Here's one thing I learned that changed my thinking."
Spartanburg entity in UAT First hire onboarded Close workspace live PwC reframed
WEEK 11–12
Days 61–75
First Wins Visible — Close Improving, Spartanburg Nearly Ready
FOUNDATION / D365
Second close run — measure day improvement
Intercompany rules live and tested
SOD conflicts resolved
Manual JE workflow fully live
SPARTANBURG TRACK
Fixed assets live in production
CIP → fixed asset transfer rules tested
Operational metrics feed designed
Go-live readiness assessment complete
TEAM BUILD TRACK
ERP PO Operations interviewing
Integration & Data Lead posted
ERP PO Finance fully productive
PwC handoff of first workstream started
WEEK 13
Days 76–90
90-Day Review — Present Results, Lock Year 1 Execution
PRESENTATION TO TODD
Close day: baseline → current → trajectory
Spartanburg: on track for go-live (Y/N)
Hire #1 onboarded and productive
PwC scope reduction % achieved
WHAT YOU SHOW
KPI scorecard — first real data
Business case — actuals vs. projections
Year 1 roadmap — confirmed or revised
Team build progress vs. plan
THE MESSAGE
"I found what I expected to find, plus two things I didn't. Here's what we've already fixed. Here's the Year 1 plan I'm committing to. Here's what I need from you to hit it."
Day 90 Exit Criteria — What "Winning the First 90 Days" Looks Like
DISCOVERY
All JTBDs validated with numbers. Business case complete and presented. Todd aligned on Year 1 priorities. No surprises remain.
SPARTANBURG
Entity live in D365 UAT. Fixed assets and CIP configured. On track for mid-2026 go-live. No financial systems risk to facility timeline.
FOUNDATION
Close workspace live. Manual JE workflow active. SOD conflicts identified and remediation plan in place. Close day trending toward Day 6.
TEAM & PWCREFRAME
ERP PO Finance onboarded and productive. ERP PO Operations in final interviews. PwC executing under your architecture. First workstream handoff started.
"By Day 90, Todd should be able to say: I know exactly what we're building, why we're building it, what it will cost, and what it will return. And I can see it already starting to happen."