Stop Adding Start Subtracting

Every Finance transformation starts the same way: new tools, bigger dashboards, more reports. That's the mistake. The best transformations start with deletion. Most Finance teams are drowning in reports no one actually uses:

. The 50-page monthly pack skimmed in 5 minutes

. Variance analysis that explains the past but never changes the future

. The "just in case" dashboards no one checks

That's not reporting. That's clutter with a Finance logo. Killing reports is uncomfortable because it forces honesty:

. You don't know who really uses them (if anyone does)

. You've confused being busy with being valuable

. Smart people are spending time producing outputs instead of driving outcomes

So here's the real test: If no one would miss it, why does it still exist?

High-performing Finance teams don't start with tools. They map decisions

The Fix: Ask these three Questions before building anything:

1. What decision does this influence? (If none, delete it.)

2. Who owns that decision? (If no one, delete it.)

3. Can we get this insight faster or cheaper? (If yes, replace it.)

Everything else is noise. Noise costs credibility.

Real Finance transformation doesn't start with new software..