Anti-pattern
The automated mess
Bots and OCR layered onto un-simplified steps. We require a material reduction in process steps before any automation is scoped.
Our method
Never automate the mess.
SECAR (Simplify, Eliminate, Consolidate, Automate, Relocate) is the gated sequence behind our transformation, process and automation work. You can't reach the downstream levers until the upstream ones have done their job.
SSimplifyGate 1
EEliminateGate 2
CConsolidateGate 3
AAutomateGate 4
RRelocateGate 5
The SECAR sequence
Five gates. One direction.
OverviewRelocation is the consequence of transformation, not the tool
Each layer must be in place before the next can carry weight. Scroll to build the sequence from the ground up.
Layer 01 of 05S: Simplify
De-layer approvals, unify intake channels and cut hand-offs before touching systems or org design.
Layer 02 of 05E: Eliminate
Zero-base every task, report and check. If it drives no decision, it goes, including shadow spreadsheets and duplicate validations.
Layer 03 of 05C: Consolidate
One global standard: harmonised chart of accounts, vendor and customer masters, policies and processing cycles.
Layer 04 of 05A: Automate
APIs, ERP rules, matching and intelligent document processing, deployed on a process that is now stable enough to automate.
Layer 05 of 05R: Relocate
Move stable, rule-based exception work to shared services, a GCC or a partner, as the consequence of transformation rather than the tool.
Why sequence matters
Lift-and-shift exports the problem. SECAR removes it.
When fragmented, manual processes are moved or automated first and fixed later, organisations pay three times: in long stabilisation periods, in attrition among analysts firefighting undocumented exceptions, and in automation that hard-codes yesterday's waste.
Anti-pattern
The lift-and-shift disaster
Moving work before it's standardised. No migration wave starts until the global design and master data are signed off.
Anti-pattern
Knowledge drain
Rushed transitions lose exception know-how. Dual running continues until the receiving team delivers clean cycles on its own.
Across finance
SECAR in every process tower
| Tower | Simplify | Eliminate | Consolidate | Automate | Relocate | Measured by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Procure-to-Pay | Flatten PO approvals; guided buying | Stop retrospective POs and tracking spreadsheets | Standard payment terms; one vendor master | Invoice capture, 3-way match, bank integration | Price/quantity exceptions, statement recs | First-time match rate · cost per invoice |
| Order-to-Cash | Objective credit scoring; fewer dispute codes | Stop order re-keying and low-balance chasing | Group credit limits; one billing engine | EDI orders, cash application, dunning | Complex cash allocation, disputes | DSO · unapplied cash · dispute cycle time |
| Record-to-Report | Parallel close; standard journal templates | Remove immaterial accruals and repeat top-sides | Global chart of accounts; intercompany hub | Recurring journals, auto-reconciliation | Variance-based recs, journal review | Days to close · auto-reconciled accounts |
| FP&A | Driver-based planning; variance thresholds | Kill unconsumed reports and data wrangling | One semantic data layer; central reporting | Automated pipelines, self-service BI | Reporting factory, baseline modelling | Report turnaround · partnering vs. assembly |
Works with what you know
The sequence your methods were missing.
SECAR doesn't replace Lean, Six Sigma or Agile. It tells you when each one belongs, so teams stop perfecting work that should have been eliminated, or sprinting to automate requirements that aren't stable yet.
- Lean provides the waste diagnostics for Simplify and Eliminate.
- Six Sigma / DMAIC solves root causes inside a stage, often during Consolidate.
- Agile delivers the Automate stage in sprints, once rules and data are stable.
- Kaizen drives daily improvement after Relocate, inside a stable team.
Where we use it
SECAR in our services
Core offering
Finance Transformation
SECAR shapes the opportunity assessment, the business case and the sequence of work packages.
S · E · C
Lean Re-engineering
Process mapping and lean analysis deliver the Simplify, Eliminate and Consolidate gates.
A
Finance Process Automation
Automation starts only once the process has passed the upstream gates.