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Data's a mess. Planning's in Excel.
Reporting takes forever.

We fix all three. Weeks, not years.
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Perspective December 2024 4 min read

You can carry on as you are...

HM
Hem Maan
Founder, Bolt Consulting

Most finance teams we meet have normalised chaos. Month-end panic isn't a crisis anymore - it's just how it is. The spreadsheet only one person understands? That's just Dave's spreadsheet. The data that doesn't quite match? You'll fix it next quarter.

The Sunday afternoon reconciliations? Part of the job. The board asking a question your model can't answer? You'll figure something out. You always do.

And that's the thing - you've made it work. Your team is talented. They've held it together with duct tape and determination. Nobody's called it a crisis because you haven't let it become one.

But it doesn't have to be this way.

The gap between where you are and where you could be isn't a two-year transformation programme. It's not ripping everything out. It's a few focused decisions, made well.

Staying where you are is a valid choice. But if you're still reading, you're probably ready for a different one.

The challenges keeping Finance Directors up at night

Month-end takes 12+ days

Your team scrambles to close the books while the board waits for numbers that are already outdated by the time they arrive.

"Which spreadsheet is current?"

Version control is a nightmare. Critical decisions are made on conflicting data while your team plays detective tracking down the source.

Board asks, you can't answer

"What if revenue drops 15%?" Simple scenario questions require 2-3 days of manual rework. The CFO shouldn't need to promise "I'll get back to you."

Errors hiding in plain sight

Broken links, circular references, manual overrides - your forecasts carry risks you can't see until audit finds them first.

FP&A talent keeps leaving

Your best people didn't earn finance degrees to spend 80% of their time copy-pasting. They want strategic impact, not data entry.

Technology paralysis

Anaplan? Pigment? Planful? Power BI? Every vendor says they're the answer. You need unbiased guidance, not another sales pitch.

How We Help

A clear path from chaos to clarity

We don't push products. We start by understanding your world, then guide you to solutions that actually fit.

1

The Bolt Blueprint

We audit what you have, map what you need, and build a transformation roadmap tailored to your reality. In 2-3 weeks, you'll know exactly what to fix and how.

From £5,000* · 75% proceed to full implementation
2

Technology Selection

Unbiased guidance on the right platform for your needs. We negotiate with vendors on your behalf.

Included if applicable
3

Implementation

End-to-end delivery: requirements, build, testing, training. We stay until it works.

Can span 1-12 months†
4

Admin-as-a-Service

Ongoing support without hiring FTEs. We keep your systems optimised as your business evolves.

From £3,000/month

* Often waived if we proceed to a full engagement.

† Depends on scope and complexity. Simple projects can go live in weeks.

Certified across the platforms that actually fit mid-market finance teams

Companies working with Bolt typically reduce their close cycle by 40-60%, achieve real-time scenario capability, and reach platform self-sufficiency within 3 months of go-live.

We went from a 10-day close to 3 days. The board stopped asking where the numbers came from. They just trust them now.

Finance Director
UK Manufacturing, £45M revenue

Ready to make a decision?

No pitch deck. No pressure. Just an honest conversation about your options.

Show me your work

What's broken?

Pick the one that makes you twitch. Be honest. We've heard it all.

🎯
"I can't trust our numbers"
Different reports say different things. Nobody knows what's real.
"Everything is manual"
Copy-paste hell. Version chaos. Your best people doing data entry.
😰
"The board asks, we panic"
"What if revenue drops 20%?" means a weekend locked in Excel.
🔌
"Our tools don't talk"
Siloed systems. Export-import loops. The same data in 12 places.
💸
"We bought [thing] and it's a mess"
Expensive software nobody uses. Failed implementation. Buyer's remorse.
👥
"I don't know what we spend on people"
Headcount in spreadsheets. No visibility on true cost or capacity.

Where does this hurt most? This helps us point you in the right direction.

How bad is it? Scale of "mild annoyance" to "career-limiting".

Annoying Painful Serious Critical Board meeting Monday
Serious
It's causing real problems. Time to fix it properly.

What have you tried? Select all that apply. No judgment.

Nothing yet - just researching
Smart. Measure twice, cut once.
Excel heroics
Macros, VLOOKUP wizardry, prayers to the spreadsheet gods.
Bought software
It was supposed to solve everything. It didn't.
Hired a consultancy
Big deck. Big invoice. Results TBD.
Internal project
The team did their best. It ran out of steam.

Where should we send your results? We'll include some tailored recommendations.

Your diagnosis

Data trust issues feeding into planning chaos

You can't trust the numbers because data is scattered across systems with no single source of truth. This makes every planning cycle a scramble to reconcile conflicting sources.
What we'd recommend
Start with Data Foundation work before touching planning tools. Fix the pipes first, then fix the planning. We typically begin with a 2-week Optimisation Study to map your data landscape and build a pragmatic roadmap.

No pitch deck. No pressure. Just an honest conversation about your options.

You're all set.

Thanks, there. We've received your details and one of our team will be in touch shortly to discuss your situation.

In the meantime, feel free to explore our solutions or read some of our insights.