Xypex Chemicals, which specializes in concrete waterproofing and protection, operates across four entities worldwide. Headquartered in Richmond, Canada, Xypex is witnessing continued growth. But for Xypex’s finance team, rapid expansion meant increasing complexity in its financial reporting. Kaitlyn Nguyen, Assistant Controller at Xypex, made it her mission to find a durable FP&A solution to address these challenges.
Replacing outdated manual financial reporting processes
Before adopting Datarails, Kaitlyn faced several key challenges:
- Manual and time-consuming consolidation: The team manually downloaded raw data, using Excel spreadsheets for reconciliations, and employed complex formulas to generate consolidated reports.
“We used to spend several days each month manually consolidating data across four entities. It was a tedious process that was highly prone to errors.”
Kaitlyn Nguyen, Assistant Controller
Xypex Chemicals
- Error-prone processes: The manual nature of the reporting process made it prone to errors. Mistakes in formulas or data reconciliation often resulted in inaccuracies, requiring additional time to identify and rectify discrepancies.
- Limited Reporting Capabilities: The lack of automation and reporting capabilities meant a heavy reliance on spreadsheets, limiting their ability to produce real-time, reliable financial insights and analysis.
“Our ERP system still required us to download raw data, use Excel spreadsheets, and manually reconcile everything. We needed a solution that could handle consolidation and reporting efficiently.”
Kaitlyn Nguyen, Assistant Controller
Xypex Chemicals
Solution: The perfect formula with Datarails
The ease of integration and the robust reporting capabilities of Datarails provided Xypex with a solution that could be quickly implemented delivering immediate value.
“The way Datarails integrates with our system is amazing. It links directly to our data, everything is automatically updated, and we no longer have to worry about discrepancies.”
Kaitlyn Nguyen, Assistant Controller
Xypex Chemicals
The automation and synchronization allowed the finance team to streamline their monthly reporting process, eliminating the need for manual reconciliations and reducing the risk of human error.
Results
Since implementing Datarails, Xypex Chemicals has seen rock-solid reporting across their financial reporting process:
- Time Savings:
“Our reporting time was cut from several days to a few hours each month. Now, I can complete the entire consolidation in less than half a day!”
Kaitlyn Nguyen, Assistant Controller
Xypex Chemicals
The automation and real-time data synchronization features allow the finance team to quickly refresh models and ensure accurate financial data is always available for review.
- Increased Accuracy:
The automated workflows have minimized errors and improved the overall accuracy of financial reports by an estimated 10-15%.
“The biggest improvement is that we can trust the data. With everything integrated directly, the chances of human error have dropped significantly.”
Kaitlyn Nguyen, Assistant Controller
Xypex Chemicals
- Enhanced Strategic Analysis:
With the time saved on manual tasks, the finance team has been able to shift focus to more strategic activities.
“We can conduct monthly variance and trend analyses and in-depth performance reviews by division, something we only did quarterly before Datarails.”
Kaitlyn Nguyen, Assistant Controller
Xypex Chemicals
- Scalability for Future Growth:
Datarails has provided Xypex with a scalable solution for its future growth. Kaitlyn shared, “If we add a new entity or division, it’s easy to incorporate it into our reports.”
Conclusion: Executives can make faster decisions and get more reliable insights
The finance team now delivers more timely and reliable financial insights to management, aiding in faster decision-making and supporting the company’s strategic initiatives.
“The biggest benefit is the time savings and reduction of errors. We now provide more strategic insights and analysis, which helps the company make informed decisions quickly.”
“With Datarails, we’ve not only improved efficiency but also gained the ability to deliver more value-added insights to management, which helps us stand out in executive meetings.”
Kaitlyn Nguyen, Assistant Controller
Xypex Chemicals