Cereal Docks, a leading Italian agri-food processing group, selected Board to streamline its management, control, and reporting processes. By automating workflows, reducing manual data preparation by over 50%, and unifying operations under a single platform, the company has significantly enhanced efficiency and decision-making. Board GCR plays a central role in the financial consolidation process, ensuring timely, accurate, and standardized reporting across the group’s ten subsidiaries. With seamless data integration and automated reporting, Cereal Docks has reduced complexity while gaining better control over its financial processes. Looking ahead, Cereal Docks plans to implement budgeting and forecasting functionalities to further foster collaboration and data-driven planning across all business areas.
Cereal Docks is an industrial group founded in 1983, specializing in the production of ingredients such as meals, oils, and lecithins—natural emulsifiers widely used in food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic applications. The group processes over 3 million tons of raw materials annually across six production plants and four storage centers, supported by 420 employees.
In the last decade, Cereal Docks has grown significantly, expanding from four subsidiaries to ten, which brought an increase in business complexity. Managing processes using Excel spreadsheets became increasingly unsustainable, leading to inefficiencies and a heightened risk of human error. Giovanni Fanin, Corporate Director of Cereal Docks, explains: “Our rapid growth meant we needed to move away from manual processes. Board has given us the tools to streamline workflows and focus on what matters most—making informed decisions quickly.”
Streamlining operations and enhancing efficiency with Board
Since implementing Board, Cereal Docks has achieved a significant improvement in efficiency. The platform has automated key processes, saving over 50% of time previously spent on manual data collection and preparation.
Board GCR has also improved the quality of financial consolidation and reporting. By standardizing the closing process across ten subsidiaries, the platform has eliminated discrepancies, automated intercompany reconciliations, and accelerated month-end reporting. “Before Board, consolidation was a time-consuming and error-prone process,”Alberto Basso, Group Controller Manager at Cereal Docks, highlights. “Now, we have full visibility across all entities and can close our financials with confidence and accuracy.”
Automation has also reduced manual errors, leading to more accurate data and faster decision-making. Board features have also improved the quality of reports by significantly reducing human errors. This has enabled finance teams to dedicate more time to high-value activities like strategic planning and performance analysis. Monica Piva, Accounting Manager, highlights:
“The level of detail and accuracy we now have in our financial reports allows us to act faster and make decisions with greater confidence.”
Seamless integration enables scalable financial planning and consolidation
The platform has further improved collaboration across teams by unifying management and control processes in a single environment. The integration of financial and operational data ensures all teams work from a single source of truth, enabling better alignment and faster communication.
Board GCR plays a key role in automating the financial close process, from statutory and management reporting to cash flow reconciliation and XBRL filing. The system’s robust consolidation engine ensures compliance with accounting standards while streamlining data entry from multiple sources. Giovanni Fanin adds:
“Having a centralized platform that connects all our financial data has fundamentally changed how we operate. We’re no longer bogged down in manual processes, allowing us to focus on what really matters—driving the business forward.” After just one year of implementation, Cereal Docks uses Board for statutory financial statements, control activities, and detailed reporting. The drill-down capabilities allow for granular analysis, helping the team quickly identify and address key issues.
Looking ahead
The next phase for Cereal Docks is the implementation of budgeting and forecasting functionalities. This will further unify business areas within a single platform, enhancing cross-department collaboration and fostering an even more data-driven decision-making culture. Fanin concludes:
“The flexibility of the platform means we’re well-prepared for the future, whether it’s integrating new data sources or adapting to the needs of a growing business.”
