Case Study: How Raftel Strategy’s Outsourced CFO Services Transformed a Digital Agency’s Financial Operations

One of our clients was a fast-growing digital marketing agency managing multi-million-dollar campaigns for some of the world’s leading brands. Between client billings, media pass-through costs, and global ad spend, reconciling accounts isn’t just about tracking expenses, it’s about maintaining trust and visibility across your financial operations. For this client, that complexity had reached a breaking point.

When we first met the team, they had over 800 general ledger accounts in QuickBooks, with new accounts opening every month with no structure or consistency. Their monthly close dragged on for nearly 40 days, OpEx (operating expenses) forecasting was more guesswork than analysis, and leadership had lost confidence in the numbers entirely.

“We were blind,” the Head of Finance told us. “We had hundreds of random accounts and no way to tell what was actually happening in the business.”

And that’s where Raftel Strategy’s full-stack financial services came in.

Building the Foundation

Our first priority was to simplify and standardize. As part of our custom Tactical Financial Operations offering, we rebuilt the company’s entire chart of accounts, collapsing hundreds of redundant entries into a clear, organized structure that would support accurate, scalable reporting.

Next, we introduced a 13-week cash forecasting model to give leadership visibility into operating cash flow and liquidity across all entities. This allowed the finance team to plan with confidence instead of reacting after the fact, a core principle of strategic financial planning.

Finally, we implemented a consistent, automated monthly close process. By introducing controls, integrating tools, and eliminating manual rework, the team could now close their books in a quarter of the time, while having even more strategic insight and improved US GAAP compliance.

“They brought structure,” the Head of Finance said. “We’d had turnover and chaos. Raftel made sense of it all.”

So, did it work?

Absolutely. Within months, the company’s finance function was operating at a completely different level:

• Monthly close time was cut by 75%, from 40 days to just 10.

• Forecasting accuracy jumped to 90%, giving leadership confidence in decision-making.

• Reporting became reliable, with every department working from the same clean, unified dataset.

“Our forecasting went from guessing to knowing,” said the Head of Finance. “We used to have 30% confidence in our numbers and now it’s 90%.”

And beyond the numbers, the transformation gave the team back something just as valuable, time. Instead of spending hours cleaning data, they could finally focus on the strategic financial analysis that drives growth.

“Raftel didn’t just clean things up. They built a foundation we can grow with,” the Head of Finance said.

SUMMARY: The Impact of Outsourced CFO Services

To help our client gain control of their finances, Raftel Strategy delivered comprehensive and custom financial solution, including:

• Rebuilding and standardizing their chart of accounts.

• Designing a 13-week cash flow forecasting model for better cash flow management and visibility.

• Automating the month-end close through bookkeeping and payroll process improvements.

The result? A clean, efficient, and scalable financial operations with leadership finally able to make confident, data-driven decisions. By partnering with Raftel Strategy’s outsourced CFO and bookkeeping services, our client turned a messy, fragmented finance function into a streamlined, data-driven system that supports faster budgeting and forecasting, confident investor reporting, and sustainable growth.

FAQs:

1. How did Raftel Strategy help the digital marketing agency regain control of its finances?

Raftel Strategy rebuilt the agency’s entire financial infrastructure through its Tactical Financial Operations program. The team standardized the chart of accounts, implemented a 13-week cash flow forecasting model, and automated the monthly close process. These steps turned a fragmented finance function into a scalable, transparent, and compliant system, giving leadership complete confidence in their numbers.

2. What was the impact of reorganizing the chart of accounts?

By collapsing over 800 unstructured ledger accounts into a streamlined, logical framework, Raftel Strategy created the foundation for accurate reporting and analysis. This restructuring improved visibility, reduced manual reconciliation, and enabled faster financial reporting, which directly supported US GAAP compliance and improved strategic financial planning across the company.

3. Why is a 13-week cash flow forecasting model valuable for growing companies?

A 13-week cash flow model offers short-term visibility into liquidity, enabling leadership to plan ahead rather than react after the fact. For this digital marketing agency, it meant understanding operating cash needs across global entities and confidently managing OpEx forecasting. This tool is now a cornerstone of the company’s financial management and CFO oversight.

4. How did automating the month-end close improve efficiency and accuracy?

Before partnering with Raftel Strategy, the agency’s monthly close took nearly 40 days. After automating bookkeeping, payroll, and reconciliations, the close time dropped to just 10 days, a 75% improvement. This automation also eliminated manual errors, strengthened financial controllership, and allowed the finance team to shift focus from data cleanup to strategic financial analysis and growth planning.

5. What long-term benefits did the agency achieve by partnering with Raftel Strategy?

The transformation delivered lasting impact. The company now operates with forecasting accuracy above 90%, faster month-end closes, and unified, reliable reporting across departments. More importantly, leadership gained back time and trust—moving from reactive accounting to proactive, data-driven financial operations. With Raftel Strategy’s outsourced CFO and full-stack finance services, the agency built a financial foundation designed for scalability and sustainable growth.