Case Study: Automating FP&A Reporting with Enterprise Data Integration
Overview
A large-cap publicly traded biotech company faced significant challenges in consolidating financial data across multiple systems for its FP&A reporting. Their finance team spent countless hours manually downloading data and updating reports, creating bottlenecks and opportunities for error. Neon Redwood deployed a comprehensive data integration platform (ETL + Data warehouse) that automated their reporting workflow, delivering results in just six weeks, work that had previously been attempted unsuccessfully for years.
Challenge
A senior member of the client's finance group struggled for years to create consolidated reporting for budget variance analysis (BVA) and financial planning & analysis (FP&A) with critical financial data locked away in proprietary systems.
The problems compounded each other. Financial data lived in Workato, NetSuite, HR systems, and a patchwork of Excel spreadsheets, none of which talked to each other. An analyst spent 40+ hours every month just downloading data and loading it into Power BI. Every time the data needed refreshing, the entire process started over from scratch.
IT had limited bandwidth to help, leaving finance to make do with inadequate tools. As the company grew, the situation became increasingly unsustainable.
Solution
Neon Redwood deployed a proprietary data integration software (DataFlow) to create a unified data warehouse that automatically extracted, transformed, and loaded (ETL) data from all of the client's disparate systems. The solution was implemented in the client's own cloud environment, ensuring complete security and control.
What Made This Implementation Successful
Rapid Deployment: Achieved parity with existing reports in just 6 weeks
Comprehensive Integration: Connected NetSuite, HR systems, custom Excel spreadsheets, and other data sources into a unified warehouse
Automated ETL Pipelines: Built sophisticated data workflows that eliminated manual data collection and transformation
Security-First Approach: Worked closely with the client's IT team to match their cybersecurity posture and policies
Beyond Parity: The initial scope expanded as opportunities emerged, ultimately delivering capabilities that exceeded the original requirements
Rigorous Quality Assurance: Conducted follow-on rounds of extensive validation with the client's teams to ensure data accuracy and reliability
Why the Client Chose Neon Redwood
The client needed a team that could handle the entire implementation, not a "plug-and-play" tool that would require extensive configuration and internal resources they didn't have.
Neon Redwood brought deep biotech experience, including familiarity with drug deployment models and pharma rollouts. The team didn't just set up data feeds; they understood what the data meant and how to maximize its value for decision-making.
Every team member is a solutions engineer focused on client success. And because security was a priority, the solution was deployed in the client's own cloud environment, giving them complete control.
| Metric | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Time to Update Reports | 40+ hours/month | Fully automated |
| Data Processing | Manual downloads & uploads | Real-time integration |
| Error Rate | High (manual entry) | Minimal (automated validation) |
| Report Accessibility | Limited, static | On-demand, dynamic |
Strategic Benefits
The project fast-tracked a large portion of the client's broader data infrastructure goals while avoiding expensive software licenses that other solutions would have required.
For the finance team, the impact was immediate: no more repetitive, error-prone manual processes. Analysts could focus on strategic analysis rather than data collection. Leadership and the board gained access to real-time insights on demand.
Most importantly, the solution scales as the company grows.
Key Takeaways
Speed Matters: The right partner can deliver in weeks what internal teams struggle with for years
Domain Expertise is Critical: Understanding biotech operations enabled faster implementation and better solutions
Quality Over Speed: While initial implementation was rapid, the team invested several additional months in thorough validation and expansion of the initial use cases
Flexible Deployment Options: Being able to deploy in the client's own cloud environment addressed security concerns
Scope Can Evolve: Starting with clear objectives while remaining flexible enabled delivery beyond initial expectations
About Neon Redwood
Neon Redwood delivers elite engineering, finance, and investment solutions that address complex challenges. We specialize in data engineering, AI/ML implementation, venture services, IT infrastructure, and investment intelligence. Combining the technical depth of top-tier engineering teams with the speed and focus of a boutique consultancy, our multidisciplinary team has deep expertise across the technology, biotech, finance, and real estate sectors.
