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Who We Help

Different starting points. Same need: evidence.

PE-backed teams need to verify inherited operations fast. Lean finance teams need a case their CFO can approve. The same control-first assessment gives each the evidence to act.

Typical buyers: CFO · Controller · Head of Finance · Finance Operations

PE-Backed & Portfolio Companies

You inherited the stack. Now prove what holds — and what needs fixing.

Pre-close diligence answers deal questions. Post-close, finance still has to operate. We verify how approvals, cards, contracts, SaaS spend, and policy enforcement actually work, then rank the material gaps against the operating priorities already in motion.

Common Triggers
  • I inherited the stack and don’t know which gaps are real.
  • The policy exists, but I cannot prove it is enforced.
  • Access, cards, or approvals still depend on manual follow-up.
  • I need a remediation sequence that fits post-close priorities without becoming a competing transformation project.

What you get

Documented baseline

A sponsor-ready view of how key finance controls actually operate today.

Risk-ranked remediation plan

Critical exposures first, sequenced against operating priorities and the finance calendar.

Evidence-led software decisions

A process/configuration/software path tied to a documented gap.

One operator through remediation

The same owner remains through implementation and stabilization.

Post-Close Remediation Sequence

Findings are sequenced by materiality, operating constraints, and the finance calendar — not by a generic transformation clock.

01 Baseline

Controls scored

Key finance controls are assessed; findings are evidenced and ranked.

02 Prioritize

Material gaps sequenced

Critical exposures first, with owners, dependencies, and operating timing defined.

03 Remediate & Stabilize

Fixes implemented and held

Process, configuration, or software changes are rolled out, verified, and moved into ongoing ownership.

Mid-Market Finance Teams

A hunch doesn’t get budget. Evidence does.

You may already know where the friction lives, but a lean team rarely has spare capacity to prove it, quantify it, compare solutions, and then run the rollout. We turn the symptoms into a scored, CFO-ready case and stay to execute the decision.

Common Triggers
  • We know the workflow is weak, but we cannot quantify the case to change it.
  • We implemented the platform but never finished the control design.
  • The written policy and the system behavior no longer match.
  • We do not have headcount for a dedicated implementation owner.

What you get

CFO-ready finding set

Specific findings with evidence, risk, and remediation, not a general complaint.

Business case where measurable

Waste and time quantified when the evidence supports it.

No dedicated project hire required

Illuminate runs the assessment, decision work, and rollout with your team.

Ongoing administration available

The configuration and controls continue to evolve after go-live.

CFO Decision Brief

Illustrative Decision Brief
Current StateTravel is booked without enforceable pre-trip approval and policy controls; finance reviews exceptions after purchase.
EvidenceOut-of-policy activity becomes visible only after spend is committed, and the current workflow cannot reliably route exceptions before booking.
Risk / CostPreventable out-of-policy spend, manual exception review, and limited pre-spend visibility.
RecommendationImplement a travel and expense platform that supports configurable pre-booking policy enforcement and exception approval before purchase.
Decision RequiredApprove requirements and platform evaluation for a solution that supports pre-booking controls, approval routing, travel/card/expense integration, and the required ERP reporting.

Ready to see where you stand?

Start with a 30-minute fit call. No pitch, just a look at where the real gaps are.

Book a 30-Minute Scoping Call