The Challenge

Grupo Marques operates across multiple business units and geographic regions, each with its own operational rhythm and financial needs. The company had built a solid foundation in its core operations, but as it grew, the financial infrastructure couldn't keep pace.

The problem was fragmentation. Data lived in different systems. Spreadsheets multiplied. Bank reconciliations happened separately by unit. There was no single, reliable view of the company's true financial position. When leadership needed answers about cash flow, profitability, or cost structure, getting them took days—and the numbers often didn't align across different reports.

"We had visibility issues," one finance leader explained. "We couldn't trust the numbers we were looking at. Different reports showed different values for the same line items. It was impossible to make confident decisions."

The real cost wasn't just time. It was risk. Without accurate, timely financial data, the company couldn't optimize pricing. It couldn't forecast cash needs with confidence. It couldn't identify cost-reduction opportunities. And as revenue fluctuated, the lack of financial discipline became a genuine threat to liquidity and growth.

The team knew something had to change. But where to start?

The Solution

The company made a strategic decision: build a centralized controladoria—a unified financial control function that would serve as the backbone for all financial decision-making across the group.

This wasn't just about installing new software. It was about reimagining how financial information flowed through the organization. The approach had three core pillars.

First: Consolidate and standardize. The team began consolidating bank reconciliations across units into a single, unified view. They mapped out a standardized chart of accounts in the ERP system. They created clear procedures—POPs (Procedimentos Operacionais Padrão)—for every critical process: accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, inventory, and cash flow forecasting.

"We needed one source of truth," a key team member said. "Not five different spreadsheets that might or might not agree with each other."

Second: Establish rhythm and discipline. The company implemented a fixed payment cadence—every Friday, without exception. Weekly cash-flow forecasting became routine. Monthly closes moved from ad-hoc to scheduled, with clear ownership and deadlines. This rhythm created predictability and accountability.

Third: Build the right team and culture. Leadership made a clear commitment: this transformation required dedicated focus. They brought in experienced finance professionals. They invested in training. They made it clear that financial discipline wasn't optional—it was central to how the company would operate going forward.

"The commitment from the top made all the difference," one team member reflected. "When leadership says this matters, people step up."

The team also tackled data quality head-on. Every accounting entry was reviewed for correct classification. Divergences between systems were investigated and resolved. Within weeks, the company could see that its DRE (income statement) and accounts payable were finally aligned—a small win that signaled bigger changes ahead.

The Transformation

The results came faster than expected.

Within the first month, the company had a consolidated bank reconciliation that gave leadership real visibility into cash position. Within two months, they had a reliable monthly DRE that could be presented to the board with confidence. The forecast accuracy improved. Payments became predictable. The team could finally answer the question: "How much cash do we have, and what do we need next week?"

But the wins went deeper than process. The company identified cost-reduction opportunities it had missed before. It could see which products and customers were truly profitable. It could make pricing decisions based on actual cost data, not guesses. One specific initiative—eliminating unnecessary external certifications—freed up resources immediately.

"Now we can see the real picture," leadership noted. "We know where the money is going. We know what's working and what isn't."

The controladoria pilot proved so successful that the company began planning to replicate it across other entities in the group. The ERP system, once a source of frustration, became a trusted tool. The team grew more confident in the data it produced.

Perhaps most importantly, the company created a foundation for sustainable growth. With accurate financial information flowing in real time, leadership could make strategic decisions with confidence. They could negotiate with suppliers from a position of strength. They could invest in growth initiatives knowing the financial impact. They could manage working capital proactively instead of reactively.

"This isn't just about better reporting," a finance leader reflected. "It's about having the information we need to run the business the way we want to run it. That changes everything."

The journey isn't finished. The company continues to refine processes, expand automation, and deepen the insights it draws from financial data. But the transformation is real. Grupo Marques moved from fragmented, reactive financial management to centralized, disciplined, data-driven decision-making. And that shift is already enabling the next phase of growth.