How Structural Optimisation, AI, and IT Capitalisation Drive Growth for Financial Companies

Sharpfin has met with Ruby Tuesday, a company that helps growth companies expand faster and become more valuable. Ruby Tuesday was founded by Kimilia Carlsson Edland and Cecilia Ingmo Magnergård, both of whom have extensive experience in running companies as well as strategically and operationally accelerating business growth, including through the company Nordicstation, which they sold to Stella Capital in 2023.

1. Efficient structure and process management

Scaling a company often means managing a complex landscape of processes, systems, and people. For companies in the financial sector, this is even more critical, as every decision and structure must withstand market fluctuations and regulatory requirements. Here, structural optimisation plays a central role.

Structural optimisation is about ensuring that all resources, processes, and systems in the company are organised to support growth efficiently. For growth companies, this is crucial because rapid expansion without the right structure often leads to inefficiencies, increased costs, and frustration at all levels, says Kimilia Carlsson Edland.

Cecilia Magnergård emphasises the importance of having a clear framework in place to manage all these factors.

It’s not just about organising processes but also about creating a culture where everyone understands their role and responsibilities. For many companies, structural optimisation also involves defining and adapting decision-making processes, making it easier to respond to market changes and customer needs.

In many growth companies, it can be challenging to understand what structural optimisation actually entails. For Ruby Tuesday, it’s not just about creating efficiency but also about increasing the company’s value.

When you have a well-functioning structure, the risk of errors and misunderstandings decreases, which directly impacts the company’s value. It’s about creating long-term sustainability, where every part of the company functions as part of a larger machine, explains Kimilia.

2. Digitalisation and AI as growth drivers

Creating this type of structural change often requires system changes, something many companies see as a major hurdle.

However, according to Ruby Tuesday, system implementations are not as complicated as many believe.

Many see system integrations as large, complicated projects. But by carefully planning the process and having a clear vision and defined use cases for the system, these changes can be implemented smoothly without disrupting operations but rather enhancing them, says Cecilia.

Another aspect of structural optimisation is digitalisation. Here, AI and automation become crucial components. Companies in the financial sector often have vast amounts of data to process and analyse. By utilising AI and digital tools, companies can streamline their processes and make more informed decisions in real-time.

AI is no longer something far off—it’s here now, and it’s one of the most powerful tools for creating efficient and scalable companies. It’s not just about adapting to changes but also about proactively using these tools to grow, says Kimilia.

Ruby Tuesday highlights Sharpfin as a good example of a service that can help financial companies grow faster through digitalisation.

Sharpfin enables companies to scale their financial operations while maintaining full control over their processes. It’s a perfect solution for companies that need to structure their financial functions in order to expand without losing oversight or control, says Cecilia.

3. Strategic capitalisation of IT structures

For growth companies in the financial industry, it’s also important to consider how they capitalise on their IT structures.

Capitalisation of enterprise IT is essential for creating a sustainable technological foundation that can support long-term growth. It’s not just about having the right systems in place but about ensuring that the IT structure is flexible enough to grow with the company without needing replacement or restructuring every time there are changes in the business model, explains Kimilia.

By capitalising on IT investments correctly, companies ensure that their technological platform can support both current and future needs. This involves focusing on building a stable IT infrastructure that enables scalability without increasing the risk of future problems.

When companies focus on the right IT structure from the start, they can avoid future bottlenecks and inefficiencies as they grow. It’s about building for the future and making the right technology investments that allow for managing both internal processes and external market challenges, says Cecilia.

4. System implementation with a clear strategy

Implementing new systems should not be seen as a risk and cost but as a necessity to meet future demands and opportunities. It is crucial to stay attuned to available solutions and not settle for choosing the easiest path.

To succeed in the long run, it is important to carefully define and understand the business’s needs and requirements and to set the right expectations for vendors.

Being well-prepared, conducting thorough requirement analysis, and having a clear long-term strategy are essential. Involving the organisation correctly, structured planning, and a clear explanation of purpose and method are fundamental to a successful implementation.

For us, it’s about creating long-term sustainability for our clients. Structural optimisation is a way to enable growth companies to expand in a way that is both efficient and profitable. And when we combine this with digital solutions such as Sharpfin, we open up entirely new opportunities, concludes Cecilia.