Why build finance when you can buy it faster and cheaper?

Take the case of Blue Earth Capital for example, an impact investor separated from a larger group. The challenge was daunting: set up a complete, reliable finance function in under six months while keeping leadership focused on its noble mission of impact investment. Rather than diverting precious capital and time into building internal infrastructure, Blue Earth Capital plugged into a pre-configured managed services environment covering technology, people and processes.

With a “finance function in a box” solution – world-class platforms, standardized but adaptable processes, central execution teams and country-level regulatory expertise – the firm secured immediate operational readiness, accurate reporting, trusted compliance and the ability to meet investor expectations from day one.

Over time, the partnership with EY as trusted advisor has not only delivered stability but also enabled continuous improvement, cultural alignment and scalable capacity so finance can remain a strategic enabler of impact investment. Backed by the trust-based partnership with EY, the finance team scaled its capabilities within the ambitious timeline to reliably handle a twofold increase in assets under management and transaction volumes, while delivery costs edged up by only 25%.

With confidence that its finance operations were in safe hands, Blue Earth Capital focused on addressing the world’s most pressing environmental and social challenges with total assets under management of USD 1.7 billion (2025), making a real difference to the planet and the underserved people who live on it.

Or consider the case of IntraBio, a privately held biopharmaceutical company based in Austin, Texas. The company faced a different inflection point: moving from R&D into global commercialization following FDA approval. Manual processes that once sufficed now risked delaying market entry, creating regulatory exposure and pulling management attention away from breakthrough science.

Instead of building internally, IntraBio adopted an integrated EY managed services solution underpinned by SAP S/4HANA Cloud – consolidating finance, accounting, tax, treasury and payroll into a unified, digitally driven model. This created an IPO-ready finance platform, strengthened cash and compliance management, centralized global processes and enabled fast international expansion with automated entity set-ups. EY estimates that by helping manage IntraBio’s finance function, EY has helped the company to reduce its projected operating costs by nearly one-third. Aside from the steep decline in operating costs, reporting became faster and more consistent and leadership could stay focused on value creation and patient outcomes – confident that finance was robust, scalable and future-fit.

Across both cases, the benefits are clear and repeatable:

• Speed to value: functional capability from bookkeeping to close, compliance to insight established in months, not years
• Quality at scale: standardized processes, strong controls and reliable reporting
• Outcome-based delivery: aligned to business objectives, not just service levels
• Strategic focus: CFOs and CEOs freed to concentrate on growth, capital and customers
• Flexibility and resilience: capacity that adapts as business needs evolve
• Technology without capital burden: continuous access to leading platforms and innovation
• Investor and regulatory confidence: strengthened governance and reduced risk
• Single point of accountability: to avoid shifting or unclear responsibilities and fragmentation

Most importantly, well-run managed services shift finance from being a cost center or operational headache to a platform for sustainable growth. They give ambitious SMEs and carve-outs what they need most: the ability to move faster with confidence, make better decisions with trusted data and scale boldly without compromising purpose, quality or control.

What professional managed services partners bring

The best managed finance environments combine three essentials: exceptional people, mature processes and proven technology – delivered as a single, integrated service.

Beyond the operating model itself, a collaborative working relationship is critical. In our experience, the strongest partners don’t simply process transactions; they run and continuously improve finance as a strategic capability. This depends on deep professional understanding of the business, cultural alignment, clearly defined roles and responsibilities, and a trust-based approach that avoids scope creep and hidden costs.

Ultimately, good execution combined with a good partnership creates enduring value: stronger control, scalable performance, sharper insight – and leaders free to focus on growth.