Bloovi interview: How PolySto Group unified six entities to enable sustainable growth
What happens when you bring six companies, each with its own culture and systems, together under one roof? For PolySto Group, it meant both opportunities and complexity. As a specialist in hygienic finishes for food-processing areas, the organization faced a crucial question: how to create clarity and control when the foundation is so fragmented? CFO Christiaan De Page knows the answer. “You can only build for the future if you have visibility into all the numbers, thanks to a single data source as the foundation.”
PolySto Group specializes in the hygienic finishing of spaces where food is processed: wall cladding, ceilings, doors, impact edges and wall protection. Everything is designed to make production areas in the food sector resistant to intensive use, aggressive cleaning and bacterial growth. “We operate in a very specific niche,” says Christiaan De Page. “Our materials are so robust and durable that cracks cannot form. No cracks means no bacteria. Quality and craftsmanship, that’s what we stand for.” And PolySto Group wants to extend that quality to its own operations.
From fragmented to streamlined
Prior to 2021, the PolySto Group consisted of six separate entities. “Although they were under one roof, they operated completely independently of one another, using different systems and working methods,” Christiaan explains. “That created fragmentation and a lack of overview. The new shareholder expected clear margins, but the initial figures showed discrepancies.” For Christiaan, it was clear: without a firm grasp of the numbers, you can’t steer the company. “You can only build the future if you have visibility into all the figures and data,” he says.
Together with CEO Jasper De Jaeger, Christiaan brought structure by consolidating all entities into a single software environment, creating a unified financial foundation for the entire group. At the same time, the reporting frequency was increased. Whereas reporting used to be done only periodically, follow-ups are now conducted monthly, allowing the team to make adjustments more quickly and gain immediate insight into performance. “That regularity makes a big difference,” says Christiaan. “You immediately see where opportunities lie and where optimization is needed.”
“You can only build the future if you have visibility into all the figures and data” - Christiaan De Page, CFO at Polysto Group.
Greater transparency, healthier margins
With all entities in a single system, we were able to truly streamline financial and operational processes, from purchasing and sales to production, work orders, inventory management and the supply chain. Thanks to this unified financial foundation, analyses and reports became reliable and structured.
“Automation helps us implement changes efficiently and maintain control over the organisation. By accurately tracking working hours and rates, we were also able to refine our cost calculations and better align invoicing with reality. This allowed us to quickly return to healthy margins.” At the same time, the team worked on cost optimisation and a more focused sales approach for further improvement.
Exact as a partner
PolySto Group chose Exact’s business software as the central ERP system to support all financial and operational activities. “Creating quotes, tracking orders, invoicing… Everything runs through the same seamless cycle,” explains Christiaan. “That simplicity helps us implement changes smoothly.”
For more complex project tracking, PolySto links specialized tools to Exact Online, ensuring that the various processes are seamlessly integrated, while AI takes over more and more routine tasks. “Thanks to the PSD2 bank integration, bank transactions are automatically imported, after which matching and posting take place within Exact Accounting Online. Whereas this used to be done manually, it now runs fully automatically, with fewer steps and greater accuracy,” says Christiaan.
Thanks to the direct link between Exact Online and the bank, transactions are automatically matched and posted, for example.
International growth and partnership
PolySto Group recently took a significant step in its international strategy by entering into a partnership with Hydewa. For the time being, both companies will continue to operate independently, but they are systematically aligning their processes. “This allows the operational structures of both companies to support each other optimally.”
Is further international expansion on the agenda? “We expect to make additional acquisitions in the future,” Christiaan nods. “That offers extra opportunities for the finance department to further optimize processes. The foundation is solid, so all future growth can build on this.”
Key takeaway
Christiaan’s advice to entrepreneurs: “Ensure you have a single reliable source of figures and data. Only then can you report, analyze, forecast, and make adjustments. That’s when you truly gain control of your organization and can achieve sustainable growth.”
Source: Bloovi.be
