The challenge.
Feeling stuck in a cycle of delays and complexity that made it hard to move and make decisions quickly, Jason Frichol approached The CFO Centre. Among their challenges were continued delays of key financial reports, unstable forecasts, and overly complicated analysis that left leadership second-guessing the numbers. Inventory challenges and the absence of robust budgeting added to the strain, while vital insights often took too long to emerge, missing time-dependent opportunities.
The internal controls and risk management needed to be optimised. Critical aspects of cash flow, liquidity, and funding were often overlooked, hamstringing better optimisation to scale. This resulted in some missed opportunities and wasted time for a company jostling to defend and grow its leading position in fast-paced verticals.
ACDOCO SA realised that, collectively, these issues stunted their scalability, weakened resilience, and left the business vulnerable in a competitive landscape. They needed expert intervention.
The approach.
A top-class Fractional CFO with over 30 years of experience, Rajiv Maharaj, was matched with ACDOCO SA. With his sharp financial insight, Rajiv applied a structured, data-informed strategy that translated into real business gains.
The implementation of a robust cash flow model provided greater forecasting accuracy and control. This enabled the optimisation of working capital through enhanced debtor workflows and collections processes. This and other measures resulted in material improvements, while overdue debtors were significantly reduced, enhancing liquidity and financial discipline.
Risk mitigation was a key focus, with potential exposures successfully neutralised. Critical corrections to insurance coverage—encompassing both inventory and stock throughput—strengthened the company’s resilience. The statutory audit process was led with precision, culminating in a clean audit delivered efficiently, reinforcing governance and stakeholder confidence.
Operational excellence was further driven by the introduction of flash management reporting delivered just days post–month-end, enabling faster insights and decision-making. Advanced demand planning systems were deployed to improve forecasting and supply chain alignment. Strategic negotiations enhanced payment terms with partners, and the exit from unprofitable portfolios helped sharpen the business’s focus on sustainable growth.
Client’s experience with a Fractional CFO.
Rajiv’s strategic oversight as ACDOCO SA’s Fractional CFO was instrumental in transforming the business trajectory. From the outset, they experienced improvements in their financial processes and reporting, which brought clarity, consistency, and strategic alignment to their decision-making.
Beyond technical expertise, the arrangement’s flexibility and scalability enabled them to adapt quickly to changing business needs without the overhead of a full-time executive. ACDOCO SA was able to dial up support during peak periods and streamline during quieter cycles, all while maintaining high-quality output. Most notably, the material reduction in opportunity costs, by freeing up internal resources and accelerating strategic initiatives, has underscored the value of this partnership as ACDOCO SA continues with record year-on-year growth, outperforming industry and category benchmarks.
For ACDOCO SA, outsourcing the CFO function elevated their capabilities in an agile, cost-effective, and deeply aligned way with their growth ambitions.
