Clearing Back-Office Bottlenecks for Good  

What Order-To-Cash Taught Us About Building Better Operations 

By Kristin Frontario, SVP, Global Business Services, Acosta Group

As your business grows, so do invoices, approvals, deductions, and all of those behind-the-scenes details that can overwhelm even the strongest teams. 

That pressure builds fast. Your sales and operations teams end up buried in reconciliations and follow-ups instead of spending time with customers or planning what’s next. 

Most insurgent brands are held back by systems — not demand. Our Order-to-Cash (OTC) work showed us there’s a more effective way to manage the load. 

How OTC Set the Standard 

OTC was the first place we applied a centralized, standardized model. Our focus was simple: reduce aging balances, resolve issues quickly, improve accuracy, and give teams relief from constant fire drills. 

It worked. Consistently. 

Cycle times tightened. 
Visibility improved. 
Cash flow accelerated. 

By removing friction from day-to-day tasks, clients finally gained the control they’d been missing. OTC proved that when the essentials run like clockwork, everything else can move faster. 

From One Function to Many 

As OTC matured over the course of a decade, clients began asking for more clarity and speed across the rest of their operations. The result was our Global Business Services (GBS) model. 

Today, GBS supports accounts payable and receivable, supply chain, HR, payroll, financial planning, demand planning, and IT infrastructure. Across each area, teams follow the same approach: centralized delivery, standardized workflows, and automation that keeps work consistent and visible. 

What a Streamlined Model Delivers 

GBS isn’t just task support. It’s a modular shared services model built to flex, supporting a single function or end-to-end operations. Whatever your business needs now or where it’s headed next, you’ll get: 

• A delivery method that scales with growth 
• Complete process integration and automation 
• Real-time dashboards built for cross-functional decision-making 
• Capacity to adapt as needs shift 
• Continuous improvement built into the work 

Powered by IBM 

Of course, none of this works without serious technology. Our partnership with IBM gives you access to advanced automation and workflow tools without changing the systems you already use. We connect the dots, automate repeatable tasks, and surface the data that helps leaders make sound decisions. 

This is business services outsourcing and automation that supports teams instead of replacing them. 

You get enterprise-grade capability without enterprise-level disruption. 

A Foundation for Growth, Not More Busywork 

At its core, GBS is built for people. It takes the repetitive, frustrating parts of work off their plates so they can focus on what matters. 

When the noise goes away, teams have more room to think, plan, and lead. They stop spending hours chasing data or reconciling reports and start using that time to make better decisions and build stronger connections across the business. 

Teams can step out of reactive mode and focus on work that makes a difference. 

How Fast Will You See Results?  

Most clients see early gains within the first few months, especially when starting with OTC. Aging balances decline. Turnaround times shrink. Cash flow improves. 

It also lifts morale. When people aren’t drowning in fixes and follow-ups, they feel more grounded, capable, and steady in their roles, which can strengthen retention and day-to-day engagement. 

What does this look like in practice? 

In one recent engagement, GBS helped a fast-growing foodservice brand clear a full year of aged deductions in just 90 days, bringing balances current and giving finance teams room to focus on what’s ahead. 

As GBS expands across other support functions, the benefits compound. Complexity drops. More roadblocks disappear. Leaders gain confidence that their operation can keep pace with the business, not slow it down. 

A strong operations partner does more than process transactions. They watch the signals that show whether work is moving the way it should. They provide insight so you always know what can be improved and where support is needed. That visibility brings cost savings and lower operational risk. 

Ready for What’s Next 

If you’re looking for a steadier, more scalable way to run your business, you don’t have to figure it out alone. 

No matter what the market looks like, strong operations protect margins, reduce waste, and help your teams do their best work. 

Our GBS team is ready when you are.