How Akeura Aligned People, Processes and Technology with Novutech

Choosing the right technology is one thing. Getting everyone on board with the decision is another.

For Akeura, a global clinical research organization bringing together three companies, the challenge wasn't just about selecting a new system. It was about aligning people, understanding processes and finding a clear path forward.

Through Novutech's Digital & Value Office, Akeura was able to bring stakeholders together, align business needs and turn different perspectives into a shared direction.

‍

The challenge: Everyone had an opinion, but no clear decision

When different teams come together, agreeing on a common way forward isn't always easy.

For Akeura, the combination of three organizations meant bringing together people with different perspectives, existing processes and expectations.

As Miranda, Global Head of Accounting, Tax and Treasury at Akeura, explains:

Previously, a lot of people were involved. Everyone had their opinions, and there was always a 'yes, but'. So it was impossible to come to a conclusion.

The team knew that greater integration was necessary. But knowing what needed to change and figuring out how to make it happen were two different challenges.

The challenge was to involve the right stakeholders, consider the different business processes and find a way to move forward without getting stuck in endless discussions.

‍

Digital & Value Office: Connecting strategy with execution

For Akeura, moving forward required more than technical expertise. It called for a structured approach that considered the organization as a whole.

This is the thinking behind Novutech's Digital & Value Office: helping finance and operations leaders connect their strategic objectives with practical actions.

The approach brings together three essential pillars:

• People: Involving stakeholders, understanding different perspectives and building alignment around shared decisions.
• Processes: Taking business workflows and operational requirements into account before moving forward.
• Technology: Evaluating solutions based on business needs, with independent strategic advice.

These elements cannot be considered in isolation.

For Akeura, this approach also included an independent software evaluation, as explored in Vendor-Agnostic Technology Assessment: How Novutech Helped Akeura Choose the Right Software.

As Miranda puts it:

I think it's a combination of all three: people, processes, techniques, all together.

For Akeura, this combination helped address a challenge that went well beyond the technology itself.

‍

From individual preferences to a shared direction

One of the most meaningful outcomes of the collaboration was how the teams came together.

At the beginning, stakeholders had their own preferences and concerns. And as John, Project Lead for the NetSuite implementation at Akeura, acknowledged, involving people in a change process can be difficult.

What surprised him was how quickly the team's perspective evolved.

They stopped focusing just on themselves. We kind of became one group.

Rather than simply being presented with a decision, the people involved had participated in the process and reached their own shared conclusion about which solution best suited their needs.

For John, this was an unexpected benefit of working with Novutech. Beyond helping Akeura make a technology decision, the assessment brought people from different backgrounds together around a common objective.

‍

The real value went beyond the technology

Looking back on the experience, John highlighted something particularly interesting: the additional value that came from the process itself.

I didn't expect all the other stuff we got. I think the value of the other things is more than the choice itself.

For Akeura, the benefits weren't limited to the selected tool. The involvement of stakeholders, the shared understanding of business needs and the alignment between teams were equally important parts of the experience.

It also reflects the broader purpose of strategic technology advisory: helping organizations make decisions they can collectively support and translate into action. Discover how Akeura brought three companies together to make a shared technology decision in just two weeks in our article, Akeura's Vendor Assessment: From Three Teams to One Decision in Two Weeks.

When asked what Novutech represented to her, Miranda summed it up:

For me, the partner to really bring strategy into real-life actions.

‍

Watch Akeura's experience with the Digital & Value Office

Discover how Akeura worked with Novutech to overcome internal alignment challenges, involve stakeholders and bring people, processes and technology together.

Hear Miranda and John share why the value of the experience went far beyond selecting a software solution.

‍

Ready to turn your strategy into action?

Digital transformation is not just about implementing new technology. It's about making sure your people, processes and systems work together to support your business objectives.

At Novutech, our Digital & Value Office helps growing European companies identify priorities, make informed technology decisions and translate strategic ambitions into practical next steps.

Whether you're navigating organizational change, reviewing your technology landscape or looking to improve your finance operations, we can help you move forward with clarity.

Book a discovery call to discuss your transformation priorities.