From control gap to working system.
One engagement can take you from a 5-domain assessment, through remediation and software selection, into implementation and ongoing administration. Start at the stage that matches what you’ve already proven.
Firsthand implementation and administration experience across leading platforms in these categories.
01. Finance Operations Controls Assessment
Prove the gap before you pay to fix it.
We test how finance operations actually run across five domains: T&E, AP and invoice approval, contracts, SaaS and license visibility, and card administration. The assessment scores the control, the evidence behind it, the risk if it fails, and the remediation path.
Illuminate evaluates operational finance systems and controls — how workflows, approvals, access, evidence, integrations, and system rules work in practice.
This is not a financial statement audit and does not provide attestation or assurance services.
Two depths. Six lenses. Weighted by what matters.
Does the control exist?
A focused breadth assessment across the five domains.
How well does it actually work?
Deeper testing of maturity, operating friction, exposure, and measurable upside.
Critical gaps do not disappear into an average.
Critical, Important, and Contextual findings are weighted differently, with material red flags surfaced separately.
Six Lenses: System · Control · Visibility · Policy · Integration · Cost
Travel & Expense
Booking, pre-trip approval, policy enforcement, receipts, reimbursement, duplicate prevention, spend visibility, and ERP integration.
AP & Invoice Approval
Invoice intake and coding, PO matching, approval routing, segregation of duties, vendor-bank changes, duplicate-payment controls, audit trail, and ERP integration.
Contract Management
Repository completeness, ownership, signing authority, intake and approvals, renewals, obligations, metadata, and cross-system visibility.
SaaS & License Visibility
Inventory completeness, ownership, utilization, redundant tools, purchase controls, renewals, offboarding, and license-cost exposure.
Card Program Admin
Issuance, spend limits, merchant controls, receipt enforcement, approval integrity, fraud response, offboarding, and reconciliation.
Deliverables
Scored control ledger · Evidence-backed finding register · Quantified waste/time exposure where measurable · Prioritized remediation roadmap · Executive summary
Typical timeline: 2–4 weeks depending on scope. See why we run this before installing anything →
02. Remediation & Software Selection
Not every gap needs a new tool.
For each finding, we determine whether the right fix is policy, configuration, workflow, integration, or software. Where software is justified, we define requirements, narrow the field, run structured evaluations, and document the recommendation so the decision can survive scrutiny.
Software is recommended only when the evidence supports a platform change. We define the required controls, workflow, integrations, and operating constraints first, then evaluate platforms against those requirements. If the existing system can meet the requirement through configuration or process changes, replacing it is not the default answer.
03. Implementation & Rollout
Install the fix the finding actually called for.
Implementation starts after scope is validated. We map policy and approvals, configure permissions and controls, coordinate integrations and data, test the design, document the process, train the team, and drive rollout through go-live.
Common ScopeAlready have a validated scope and selected platform? We can start at implementation.
04. Ongoing Systems Administration & Advisory
Go-live is the start of the operating model, not the end of the project.
Stay on retainer for system administration, configuration changes, support requests, vendor coordination, access and offboarding changes, and ongoing control maintenance.
As the systems begin producing reliable operating data, use spend, approvals, exceptions, utilization, renewals, and workflow patterns to identify savings opportunities, policy changes, control improvements, and the next system decisions worth making.
Common ScopeThe objective is not just to keep the system running - it is to make the operation smarter as the system produces better information.
Optional: AI-assisted process redesign for selected repeatable workflows, with human review, controls, and training.