CHALLENGE

A PE-backed building materials manufacturer and distributor launched a multi-year transformation to accelerate growth, improve operational efficiency, and professionalize its finance organization. A major focus was separating its integrated manufacturing and distribution businesses, an uncommon structure in the sector, adding complexity to financial reporting, planning, and performance management. Within manufacturing, finance operations were constrained by limited FP&A maturity and lack of manufacturing-specific expertise. Cost per unit increased without clear drivers, budgeting and forecasting materially missed targets, and reporting lacked the rigor to explain performance. Fragmented GL structures and inconsistent transaction coding further limited visibility, making analysis slow and unreliable. These issues were compounded by change fatigue from multiple ownership transitions, reinforcing a laissez-faire culture.

OUR ROLE

ETONIEN provided an Interim VP of FP&A to support the Manufacturing Divisional CFO through this transformation period. Operating in a complex and imperfect environment, ETONIEN’s interim finance professional helped to stabilize core FP&A processes, elevate analytical rigor, and embed sustainable practices that would persist beyond the interim period.

SOLUTIONS

FP&A Operating Model & Reporting Reset

• Assessed FP&A capabilities and identified gaps in cost analysis, volume planning, and performance reporting.
• Established ownership, cadence, and standards for planning, forecasting, and management reporting.
• Implemented variance analyses isolating volume, price, mix, and cost-per-unit drivers to clarify performance.

Cost Per Unit & Manufacturing Analysis

• Diagnosed root causes of rising unit costs across plants and product lines.
• Aligned financial analysis with operational realities to expose inefficiencies and improvement opportunities.

AOP, Budgeting & Forecast Stabilization

• Led development of the 2026 Annual Operating Plan for the $1B manufacturing division.
• Rebuilt sales, units, and cost-per-unit forecasts, securing alignment on revised assumptions.
• Designed flexible templates enabling rapid scenario updates as inputs evolved.
• Consolidated SG&A and variable cost pool inputs and partnered with FP&A on executive-ready analyses and narratives.
• Worked with the CFO and CEO to refine messaging for leadership review.

KPI Enablement & Sustainable Change

• Developed integrated financial and operational KPIs with dashboards for timely insights.
• Documented processes, trained teams, and reinforced consistent execution.
• Applied practical change management to ensure lasting adoption and performance sustainment.

OUTCOME

ETONIEN’s Interim VP of FP&A helped stabilize and significantly elevate FP&A capabilities within this portfolio company during a critical period of transformation. The manufacturing division gained clearer visibility into cost drivers, more reliable budgeting and forecasting, and materially improved management reporting that enabled informed decision-making. By pairing hands-on execution with disciplined documentation and training, ETONIEN’s interim professional ensured that improvements were durable rather than temporary.