Building an enterprise platform that unified $600M in operational efficiency across Finance, IT, and Compliance.
A Fortune 500 entertainment and hospitality company asked me to lead legacy enterprise product EOL and replacement for Finance—support agreements were expiring in 6-9 months, some exposing the firm to exorbitant renewal costs.
I accepted, but asked for a week to evaluate the landscape first. That week changed everything.
Data systems transferring information only through SFTP flat files. Multiple applications with overlapping features. No unified data layer.
No platform connecting workflow across departments. Teams couldn't track inquiries, link processes to audit controls, or get visibility across AP, AR, IT, Finance, Risk, and Compliance.
This wasn't a product replacement. This was a platform opportunity.
I returned to my executive director with a proposal: instead of point-to-point legacy replacement, build a platform that could unify workflow, compliance, and data across these systems.
The platform wouldn't just replace aging tools. It would become the connective tissue for a broader transformation—enabling Oracle ERP modernization, cloud data consolidation, and legacy system decommissioning to work together rather than as isolated projects.
I evaluated 6 platforms against 8 business requirements derived from divisional pain points:
| Requirement | Why It Mattered |
|---|---|
| Point-and-click configuration | Business self-service without professional services dependency |
| Content management | Centralized document repository |
| Workflow and BPM | Process standardization across teams |
| Multi-system integration | Connect the 7 core enterprise systems |
| Web forms and portals | Client-facing transparency |
| Case management | Track inquiries and link to audit controls |
| Cloud solution | Scalability, reduced infrastructure burden |
| Mobility | Field and remote access |
A custom-built platform that unified workflow, compliance, and data across enterprise systems was the only path that met all requirements. Off-the-shelf solutions failed on point-and-click configuration or multi-system integration—they required professional services for changes the business needed to make themselves.
A platform strategy needs a first use case that proves value and unlocks broader adoption. I evaluated three candidates:
| Option | ROI | Risk | Complexity | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accounts Payable | $1.1M/12mo, $7M/60mo | Low | Moderate | ✓ Selected |
| Accounts Receivable | Higher total savings | Medium | Higher | Second priority |
| Gaming Audit | Significant | High | Multi-jurisdiction compliance | Deferred |
AP had the right profile: quantifiable business case that could stand alone while proving the broader platform thesis. AR had bigger numbers but higher risk. Gaming Audit had multi-jurisdiction compliance requirements that would slow the MVP.
The company was still recovering from a major data breach. Security concerns around API usage and cloud storage were at an all-time high.
On my first Friday, I met with the VP of Architecture—a 19-year company veteran who had blocked every previous attempt at cloud integration. The concern: shared cloud environments couldn't be trusted. The company ran mostly on-premises servers with out-of-the-box functionality only. No O365 integrations into business applications.
I didn't argue philosophy. I proposed a hypothesis: build AP's digitized invoice workflow with an Okta integration enabling O365 mailbox approvals.
By using Okta to authenticate approvals through O365, we could execute a secure workflow without exposing the core database to the public internet.
One MVP to prove three things: that a unified hub could deliver value, that APIs could be implemented securely, and that thoughtful architecture could limit risk.
The VP authorized the test. That single decision unlocked O365 integration enterprise-wide and cleared the path for the broader transformation.
Replaced fragmented email threads
Clients gained visibility into inquiry status
Enabled training improvements
Real-time visibility into AR pipeline (previously impossible).
The platform became the connective tissue for a broader transformation. Four initiatives, enabled by the unified architecture:
| Initiative | Value | What It Delivered |
|---|---|---|
| The Platform | $175M | Gaming Audit ($3.6B annual process), Ticketing ($445M), Convention Billing ($1B revenue) |
| Oracle Cloud Financials ERP & EPM | $150M | Order to Cash implementation, 17 data integrations across Hotel, Conventions, F&B, Entertainment |
| Enterprise Cloud Data Hub | $125M | ETL development, Azure migration with security partitioning |
| Financial System Decommissioning | $125M | 23 legacy systems retired, data retention compliance across IT, Legal, Finance |
Integrated for the first time in company history.
"Replace legacy products" was a project. "Build an enterprise platform that connects them" was a product. The week I spent evaluating before executing was the most valuable week of the engagement.
AP wasn't chosen because it was easy—it was chosen because it had a quantifiable business case ($1.1M/$7M) that could stand alone while proving the broader platform thesis.
Executive stakeholders weren't resistant to progress—they were resistant to risk without evidence. One testable hypothesis turned blockers into partners.
The ask was legacy product replacement. The diagnosis revealed architectural fragmentation—7 core systems operating in isolation with no unified data layer.
The bet was building a platform instead of replacing products one by one. The beachhead strategy proved value with AP ($1.1M in 12 months) while earning trust from security stakeholders through a single testable hypothesis.
The results: ~$600M in operational efficiency, $300M in software cost savings, 7 systems unified, 23 legacy systems decommissioned, and 40+ integrations across the enterprise.
The platform became the connective tissue that made the broader transformation possible.