Part 2 of 4 - What Finance Should Be Doing
Roger Knocker • February 11, 2026
Part 2 of 4
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In our world, Finance is trained in the same tools we sell.
They use them.
They believe in them.
They drink their own champagne.
They’re part of the selling process.
They engage in proposals.
They check the numbers.
They make sure the margin is real, not just a spreadsheet dream.
They check the assumptions.
They help set expectations with the client.
They don’t hide behind process. They lead with clarity.
They review contracts.
They ensure everything needed for success is documented.
Upfront.
No surprises.
When the deal lands, Finance helps onboard the customer.
Make it painless.
Automate
the handover.
Communicate
status clearly.
They don’t just raise invoices.
They tell the client it’s coming.
They help us get that invoice through customer systems.
They thank the customer for their cooperation.
Imagine that.
Now step into Ops.
Finance stays involved.
They don’t wait for month-end to ask what went wrong.
They walk the journey with us.
We embed Finance into delivery.
Not as controllers.
But as commercial conscience.
They sit inside project teams.
They track project margin in real time.
They know what was promised.
They know what’s happening.
And they flag issues before they become financial damage.
They help us monitor the solution.
They track operational data.
They protect master data integrity.
And as the transactions flow through the general ledger?
They don’t just reconcile.
They check.
Are the entries complete?
Valid?
Accurate?
They perform reasonability checks.
They ask: “Do the financial ratios still make sense?”
And if they don’t?
They don’t send us a journal and expect us to decode it.
They don’t scare us with words like:
Debit.
Credit.
Unrealised.
IFRS.
Revenue recognition.
They speak plainly.
“This number’s off.
You were aiming for 48% margin. You’re tracking at 32%.
Here’s why.
Here’s what to fix.”
They bring:
Beautiful dashboards.
Clear visibility.
Real understanding.
They tell us:
Where we are.
What’s working.
What isn’t.
They help fix the source. Our master data, our workflows, our pricing logic - before the wrong results land in our accounts.
They help us track to budget.
They show us where the forecast is heading.
And if it’s not looking good?
They bring ideas.
Cost-saving moves.
Smart shifts in resource allocation.
Real help.
Because Finance isn’t just about compliance.
It’s about confidence.
And let’s be honest:
Finance isn’t billable.
So let’s stop treating them like overhead.
Let’s give them a real mission:
“Protect project margins.
Support business outcomes.
Enable commercial success.”
And let’s align the incentives.
No bonus for volume.
No reward for automating hundreds of irrelevant journals.
Bonuses come when we win.
When margin is protected.
When clients are satisfied.
When cash is collected.
Because journals don’t keep the lights on.
Profits do.
Build a high-impact finance team that drives profit, improves margins, and partners with operations to deliver real business value.
Finance already has the rhythm strategy needs. Learn how consistency, structure, and discipline turn ideas into measurable business results.
