From manual to modern - transforming accounts payable for a global CDMO

Finance transformation

Our global contract development and manufacturing organisation (CDMO) client with over 50 years of experience in small molecule API development expanded rapidly—from a single site in northeast England to five manufacturing locations and three R&D labs across the UK, Europe, and the Americas.

This rapid growth, largely through acquisitions, led to fragmented financial operations and inconsistent accounts payable (AP) processes. Each legal entity operated independently, relying on manual spreadsheets and disconnected systems. Helixr was brought in to evaluate and improve the group’s AP processes, reduce inefficiencies, and enable better financial control.

The challenge

Operating in a highly regulated environment, handling large volumes of supplier invoices across multiple ERP systems meant that manual data entry and invoice matching made the AP process slow, error-prone, and difficult to scale.

Key challenges included:

A lack of standardised AP processes across global sites
Heavy reliance on manual data input, increasing errors and delays
Disconnected ERP and accounting systems
Difficulty tracking KPIs and managing compliance
Regulatory pressures requiring validated systems in line with FDA and MHRA expectations
Helixr was tasked with simplifying and automating the end-to-end invoice process.

Our approach

Our finance transformation specialists performed a full diagnostic of the existing processes, people and technology used to handle supplier invoices . We worked with stakeholders to clearly define the project goals and compliance requirements.

Key steps in our approach included:

Reviewing the end-to-end invoice lifecycle across all sites
Mapping the variations in process across different ERP and accounting systems
Identifying bottlenecks in approval workflows and data entry
Assessing leading AP automation solutions in the market
We recommended and implemented Esker’s, cloud-based accounts payable automation platform selected for:
Its AI-powered Optical Character Recognition (OCR) capabilities
Seamless integration with SAP S/4HANA, QuickBooks, and SAGE
User-friendly interface for business and finance users
Proven ability to support compliance in regulated environments
As part of implementation, we led the computer system validation (CSV) of the AP solution using GAMP5 guidelines to ensure it met FDA and MHRA standards. This included documentation, risk assessment, testing, and audit readiness.

The outcome

The client saw measurable benefits within weeks of going live:
Streamlined processing: End-to-end invoice handling now automated, including three-way matching
Speed and accuracy: Processing times reduced across all sites, with few errors and minimal manual intervention . Days payable parity with industry peers.
Audit-ready workflows: Full traceability and automated approval flows across all sites
Improved supplier relations: On-time payments resulted in stronger vendor satisfaction
Cash flow visibility: Centralised dashboards and insights enabled better financial control and forecasting
Compliance achieved: Full GAMP5-validated solution, aligned with industry regulations

Why Helixr?

Our experts help organisations transform their financial processes using advanced technologies to boost accuracy and efficiency. We move beyond traditional record-to-report methods toward predictive analytics that support better business decisions, while staying adaptable to internal and external challenges.

Through our Finance transformation services, we optimise core activities like accounts payable and receivable, period-end close, and cash flow management—ensuring accurate, smooth, compliant, and efficient daily operations.

Whether you’re navigating rapid growth, managing complexity across systems, or aiming to modernise your finance operations, Helixr helps you get there—efficiently and compliantly.

Our expert

Wood Muk

Solution Architect

Uday Kompella

Solution Consultant

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