Multi-brand franchisor — FP&A buildout and ERP implementation
Multi-brand franchise system in an active growth phase, adding brands through acquisition
Function
Context
Engagement
Multi-yearThe challenge
The platform was scaling through brand additions and franchise growth faster than the back office could keep up. Reporting was manual and inconsistent across brands. Executives had no real-time visibility into unit-level performance or franchise profitability. Cash forecasting did not match the pace of the expansion. The PE sponsor needed a finance function that could operate at the pace of an active roll-up — what existed could not.
How the work unfolded
Unit economics framework
What metrics matter, who owns them, what cadence keeps leadership informed — before any tool selection
Structured RFP and selection
Requirements surfaced from the people who will actually run the system, not from a vendor matrix
Implementation paced to the close
Go-live timed against the close calendar — the accounting team had to keep the books going throughout
New brands integrated within six months
System adopted as the operating record. Each acquisition harmonized within six months of close
The approach
The FP&A function did not exist. Before any tool selection, the foundation had to be right — what metrics matter, who owns them, and what cadence keeps the leadership team informed rather than overwhelmed. The unit-economics framework came first, because without it, expansion decisions get made on instinct rather than on a number anyone can defend.
NetSuite was selected through a structured RFP that started with the requirements of the people who would actually run on the system — the accounting team, the controllers, the operators — not with the features on a vendor's slide deck. The selection was made to serve the business, not to impress the board.
Implementation was paced against the close calendar rather than the vendor's timeline. The accounting team had to keep the books going while the new system was being built. That tension is where most ERP implementations fail. The goal was to reach go-live with the team using the system as the operating record — not just technically live, but practically owned.
Power BI dashboards were deployed alongside the ERP to centralize the data layer and give executives the unit-level and brand-level visibility the business needed. Each new brand acquisition was integrated into the harmonized reporting infrastructure within six months.
The ERP is not the finish line. Adoption is. A system that goes live but does not get used is just expensive shelfware.
The outcome
The FP&A function was built from scratch and reporting standardized across all brands. NetSuite ERP was selected through a structured RFP and implemented on a timeline that kept the accounting team with the project rather than against it. Power BI dashboards centralized the data layer and removed the manual reporting that had been consuming Finance's capacity. A unit-economics framework guided expansion decisions and brand strategy. Cash forecasting matured to support the PE sponsor through rapid growth. New brands were integrated into the harmonized systems within six months of acquisition close.
Function built
FP&A from scratch
No function existed — stood up alongside a business already in growth mode
System
NetSuite live
Selected through structured RFP, implemented on the close calendar, adopted as the operating record
Integration pace
Six months
Each acquired brand harmonized into unified reporting within six months of close
Working on something similar?
Get in touch