Dianna Butterworth, CFO of physio-led strength training network Kieser, reveals how the company has completely transformed its operational resilience, leveraging NetSuite solutions provider and integration partner Annexa to scale.
The network of 30+ clinics and ~1,000 staff, reached a breaking point as it scaled.
At one stage, the business was running:
- 27 separate Xero instances
- 80+ Excel spreadsheets just to build a single budget
- A 25-day reporting cycle
- Manual processes that required logging in and out of systems just to answer basic questions
As CFO Dianna Butterworth puts it, “everything worked, until it didn’t”.
Working with Annexa, Kieser consolidated its entire finance and reporting stack into a single NetSuite platform and the impact has been significant:
- Reporting cycle cut from 25 days to 3
- Bookkeeping ratio improved from 1:5 clinics to 1:15 clinics
- Budgeting cycle reduced from 5-6 months to 1 month
- 1,500+ monthly invoices now automated
- Real-time financial visibility pushed down to clinic level
But the more interesting part isn’t the tech, it’s what it unlocked. Clinic leaders now have live access to their performance data, allowing them to make staffing and operational decisions in real time, rather than waiting weeks for finance reports. We speak to Dianna to find out more.
Q: Kieser’s finance transformation is a story many mid-market businesses will relate to. What did things actually look like before you partnered with Annexa?
We had grown rapidly across Australia, but the finance function hadn’t kept pace. At one point, we were running 27 separate Xero files, each with different structures, and relying on more than 80 spreadsheets just to build a single budget.
Nothing was connected. Data didn’t flow. Every answer required manual effort.
Q: What were the real risks of continuing like that?
The biggest risk was that finance couldn’t support the business’growth plans and provide meaningful insights quickly.
We were spending all our time on manual processing: data entry, reconciliations, fixing errors. At one stage, we were processing thousands of intercompany transactions manually every month.
That meant we weren’t delivering insights. We weren’t helping leaders at any level of the business to make decisions.
With our growth plans to open new clinics, the model was only going to get worse, more systems, more spreadsheets, more headcount just to keep up.
Q: What made you choose Annexa as your transformation partner?
We knew we didn’t just need software, we needed a partner who could design the right architecture for scale.
Annexa played a critical role from day one. They helped us step back and rethink the entire finance ecosystem, not just replace systems, but connect them properly for the long term growth of our business.
That included implementation, integrations, change management, and ongoing optimisation. They weren’t just deploying NetSuite — they were helping us build a finance function that could actually support national growth.
Q: What did the transformation actually involve behind the scenes?
First, consolidation.
We moved from 27 Xero files into a single NetSuite ERP environment — one source of truth across the business. That alone eliminated a huge amount of duplication and reconciliation complexity.
Then came full integration.
With Annexa’s support, we connected our front-of-house systems directly into NetSuite, so data flows automatically from all areas of the business including our clinics into finance. That removed a lot of manual touchpoints and reduced errors.
We also overhauled planning and budgeting using NetSuite Planning & Budgeting, replacing those 80+ spreadsheets with a structured, centralised model.
This wasn’t just a system upgrade, it was a full redesign of how finance operates.
Q: ERP transformations are often oversimplified. What was the reality of going through this with Annexa?
It’s hard. There’s no way around that.
The technology is one part, but the real work is in changing processes and behaviours. You’re asking people to move away from systems they’ve used for years and trust a new way of working.
Annexa helped guide that process, from scoping to implementation to training, but internally, you still need to commit to the change.
There’s also a “messy middle” where things feel slower before they get better. That’s normal. The key is having the right partner, sticking with it and taking your team on the journey with you.
Q: What has changed most since the transformation went live?
Speed and clarity.
Month-end close went from 20–25 days down to around three to five days. Year-end reporting can now be finalised within days instead of weeks.
Budgeting has gone from a six-month process to roughly two months, and we can now run scenarios in minutes instead of not at all.
We’ve also automated major processes like intercompany transactions and reconciliations, removing thousands of manual tasks every month.
But the biggest shift is that we can trust the data.
Q: How has that impacted decision-making across the business?
It’s completely changed how the business operates.
We now have real-time visibility across clinics. Leaders don’t have to wait weeks for reports, they can see performance as it happens and act on it.
That means better staffing decisions, better resource allocation, and ultimately better client outcomes.
Finance has moved from being reactive to being embedded in operations.
Q: There’s a growing trend of CFOs leading technology transformation. Did you see that play out here?
Absolutely.
This was a finance-led transformation, enabled by technology, not the other way around.
As CFO, you see the cost of inefficiency, the risk of poor data, and the impact on decision-making. That puts you in a strong position to drive change.
Working with Annexa, we were able to translate those business challenges into a technology solution that actually delivered value.
Q: What advice would you give to other mid-market CFOs still operating in fragmented systems?
Don’t wait too long.
There’s a point where spreadsheets and disconnected systems stop being a workaround and start becoming a barrier to growth.
It’s important to choose your partner carefully. The technology matters, but the implementation partner matters just as much, if not more.
For us, Annexa brought not just technical expertise, but structure, guidance and a clear pathway through what is a very complex transformation.
Q: Finally, what does a “healthy” finance function look like now at Kieser?
It looks like control, visibility and impact.
We have one system, one version of the truth, and the ability to move quickly.
Our finance team has shifted from manual processing to analysis and strategy. As I’ve said internally, we’ve gone from data entry checkers to real analysts.
And most importantly, finance is now helping the business grow with immediate insights, not slowing it down