CEMEX
consolidating global finance operations across thirteen countries
context
A global building-materials leader running finance and back-office operations separately in each country, with inconsistent processes, uneven controls, and limited audit visibility across the estate.
role
Senior Client Global Transformation Leader, IBM Consulting.
what was done
Consolidated shared services across six end-to-end process towers — procure-to-pay, order-to-cash, record-to-report, hire-to-retire, acquire-to-retire, and design-to-cost — covering more than 900 staff across thirteen countries and five languages. Standardized core finance processes and controls, then led the commercial restructuring of the agreement from a ten-year term to a five-year term.
outcome
Standardized processes and controls across thirteen countries, improving auditability and reducing operational risk while supporting cost-reduction targets. The restructured agreement replaced a decade-long commitment with a term that matched the business case.
why it matters now
Cross-border standardization under multiple regulatory regimes is the precondition for any enterprise data or artificial intelligence program. You cannot govern what has thirteen different definitions.
figures
Thirteen countries; 900+ staff; six process towers; five languages; ten-year to five-year term.