Merging multiple companies into a single entity is never easy. Add to that a fragmented financial system, and things become even more complicated.

diva-e, a leading German digital services company, faced this exact challenge.

With 12 different financial systems running in parallel, the company struggled with data inconsistencies, manual workarounds, and a lack of real-time financial transparency—a situation that became a major obstacle when dealing with private equity investors and strategic growth decisions.

To fix this, diva-e needed a single, standardized ERP system—one that could streamline operations, improve decision-making, and enhance financial visibility.

The solution? Choosing the right ERP partner and committing to best-practice implementation.

In this article, we’ll break down:

• The challenges diva-e faced before ERP implementation
• How choosing the right ERP improved efficiency & transparency
• Key lessons learned for consulting leaders implementing ERP
• A 9-step checklist to ensure a smooth ERP rollout

Thinking about implementing an ERP for your business? Be sure to check out our detailed checklist at the end to help you make the right decisions and avoid common pitfalls.

Diva-e’s pre-ERP Challenges: Managing Complexity Across 12 Systems

Like many consulting and professional services firms that grow through acquisitions, diva-e was not operating as a truly unified company. Even though the brand was recognized as one entity, internally, it was a collection of 12 businesses running on separate systems.

This led to significant inefficiencies:

• Data inconsistencies across units, making it impossible to get a real-time view of financial performance.
• Manual workarounds, with Excel-based reporting cobbled together from various data sources.
• Difficulty tracking key metrics, such as contribution margin per client or utilization rates.

"Even till the end of 2022, we had 12 different systems operating… We were one company in name, but not in our systems."​ – Tilman Au, CEO at diva-e

Why is this a problem for investors and PE firms?

For private equity firms, financial transparency is non-negotiable. PE firms and potential acquirers need precise, real-time financials to evaluate risk, identify growth opportunities, and justify valuation.

The lack of a centralized ERP system meant that diva-e:

• Struggled to provide unified financial reports, slowing down decision-making.
• Had to manually reconcile figures, leading to discrepancies in reported KPIs.
• Faced complications in due diligence, making acquisition negotiations more complex.

"The numbers didn’t match… Different systems led to different KPI definitions, creating complexity.”​

Why diva-e Chose Unit4 ERP: Key Decision Criteria

Choosing the right ERP is just as critical as deciding to implement one in the first place.

For diva-e, the primary selection criteria included:

• Expertise in Professional Services – They needed an ERP built for project-based businesses, with strong capabilities for tracking utilization, contribution margin, and revenue recognition.
• International Scalability – Given diva-e’s ambitions for expansion beyond Germany, the system had to support multi-country operations.
• A Vendor That Acts as a Partner – diva-e prioritized a hands-on, collaborative vendor who would support them beyond implementation.

"You have to choose a partner who will support you in critical situations. ERP implementation never runs 100% smoothly."​

Ultimately, diva-e opted to partner with Unit4.

Why?

Beyond the technology, diva-e selected Unit4 because of alignment in vision and values. Unlike other vendors, Unit4’s leadership took a collaborative approach, ensuring diva-e’s team felt supported throughout the process.

"I focused more on the soft facts… At the end of the day, it’s the people behind the system who make the difference."​

ERP Implementation: What Works & What Doesn’t

Phase 1 of ERP implementation is all about aligning vision and setting realistic goals.

Before diving into implementation, diva-e and Unit4 went through a conceptual phase to understand each other’s business needs and ERP capabilities, and define realistic goals to avoid over-customization.

Key lesson learned: Try sticking to industry best practices rather than forcing legacy processes into the new system.

After all, there’s usually a reason why your ERP partner built the process that way.

"It took us time to understand the standard Unit4 approach. The key was accepting that we didn’t need to customize everything."​

The 2nd phase of the process is all about implementation strategy & execution.

Here’s how they did it:

• Built steering committees to oversee the project.
• Prioritized standardization over custom solutions.

However, when diva-e deviated from the standard approach, challenges arose. For example, Tilman mentioned during his interview that whenever they stopped meeting weekly, small problems snowballed.

Regular touchpoints are essential for successful implementation.

The final phase involves post-implementation adjustments.

The real value of the ERP came once the system was fully operational. Despite initial learning curves, the benefits were almost immediate.

How ERP Data Visibility Increased Valuation & Secured a Strategic Sale

For investors and private equity firms, financial clarity isn’t optional—it’s essential.

When evaluating a company, they need instant access to reliable, real-time financials to assess profitability, scalability, and risk. Any ambiguity, manual reporting, or inconsistent KPIs raises red flags, slowing down due diligence and potentially jeopardizing a deal.

Before implementing Unit4’s ERP, diva-e struggled with fragmented financial reporting. With 12 different systems, contribution margin tracking was inconsistent, financial consolidation was manual and error-prone, and key profitability metrics were delayed or disputed.

This lack of real-time data made it harder to:

• Showcase precise profitability per client or project.
• Provide a unified financial view to potential acquirers.
• Make quick, data-backed decisions during negotiations.

By implementing a centralized ERP system, diva-e gained:

1. Instant contribution margin tracking – allowing leadership to optimize pricing and resourcing.
2. Reliable, consolidated financials – eliminating discrepancies and instilling investor confidence.
3. Faster due diligence – ensuring investors could validate the business model without delays.

"Now, we can track contribution margin per client in real time. That was impossible before."​

During acquisition talks with Conclusion, these enhancements proved invaluable.

With a single source of truth for financials, diva-e reduced investor risk perception, demonstrated operational maturity, and accelerated negotiations. Investors weren’t just buying a growing company; they were investing in a business with full financial control and transparency—a critical factor in securing the deal.

In Summary

For consulting firms looking to scale, attract investment, or prepare for an acquisition, a well-implemented ERP system can dramatically enhance valuation.

As diva-e’s experience shows, financial transparency isn’t just a finance issue—it’s a business growth enabler.

Thinking about implementing ERP? Follow these steps:

9-Step Checklist for Successful ERP Implementation

• 1. Define clear business objectives to ensure the ERP addresses critical challenges like financial visibility and operational efficiency.
• 2. Choose a system designed for your industry to avoid mismatches between ERP capabilities and your business needs.
• 3. Evaluate the vendor’s partnership quality to ensure they offer strong implementation support and long-term collaboration.
• 4. Standardize processes before customization to avoid complexity and leverage industry best practices.
• 5. Set up a cross-functional steering committee to align finance, operations, and IT from the start.
• 6. Roll out the ERP in phases to minimize risk and ensure smoother adoption.
• 7. Prioritize continuous training and communication to drive user adoption and long-term success.
• 8. Regularly monitor ERP performance to identify gaps and optimize processes.
• 9. Maintain vendor check-ins and updates to stay ahead of new features and improvements.