ECU Worldwide: Streamlining Global Finance Operations Across 88 Countries with Datamatics

ECU Worldwide, a leading global logistics and supply chain solutions provider, delivers seamless multimodal freight services across 88 countries. Operating at a global scale, the organization manages complex financial operations that support high-volume, multi-currency transactions across regions. As the business expanded, ECU Worldwide recognized the need to modernize and centralize its finance operations to improve efficiency, control, and scalability while maintaining consistent service quality worldwide.

The Challenge: Fragmented Global Finance Operations

ECU Worldwide faced significant challenges managing Accounts Payable (AP), Accounts Receivable (AR), and Record-to-Report (R2R) processes across multiple geographies.
Finance operations were decentralized, highly manual, and supported by multiple complex systems, resulting in inconsistent quality standards and limited visibility.

High operational costs, lack of automation, and the absence of standardized processes made it difficult to maintain efficiency, compliance, and scalability across 88 countries.

The Solution: Centralized, AI-Powered Finance Transformation

Operating across more than 80 countries through acquisitions, ECU Worldwide faced a fundamental challenge: each region functioned in silos, with disparate people, processes, and systems and no unified global operating model.  ECU Worldwide partnered with Datamatics  to address this complexity by introducing a centralized, structured, and technology-driven approach to finance operations.

Datamatics established a centralized Shared Services Center (SSC), transitioning finance processes in a phased manner from 88 countries and supporting nearly 250 full-time equivalents. This approach ensured business continuity while progressively standardizing operations across geographies. A centralized data repository and intelligent, workflow-driven processes replaced fragmented, manual practices, creating a single source of truth and consistent governance worldwide.

At the core of the transformation was FINATO, Datamatics’ AI-powered Intelligent Automation Suite. FINATO automated key finance functions including Accounts Payable (AP), Accounts Receivable (AR), and Record-to-Report (R2R) significantly reducing manual effort and improving accuracy. Advanced AI engines enabled the system to read and process invoices with human-like intelligence, while AP automation seamlessly matched invoices with pre-approved estimates, increasing straight-through processing rates to nearly 60%. As a result, manual intervention across both front-office and back-office operations was reduced by almost 50–60%.

Lean Six Sigma methodologies were embedded to eliminate inefficiencies, standardize workflows, and drive measurable productivity gains. Multilingual capabilities further enabled smooth collaboration across global teams. The solution also replaced spreadsheet- and email-based processes with a centralized portal that served as a secure repository and automated end-to-end workflows, enhancing visibility and control.

To ensure sustained value, Datamatics set up a dedicated Center of Excellence (CoE) and Knowledge University, enabling continuous improvement, process governance, and ongoing capability development across ECU Worldwide’s finance organization.

• Centralized Shared Services Center supporting global finance operations across 88 countries. • FINATO-driven automation for AP, AR, and R2R processes.
• Phased transition of finance operations with minimal business disruption.
• Lean Six Sigma-led process standardization and efficiency improvements.
• Multilingual support enabling smooth global operations.
• Center of Excellence and Knowledge University for continuous improvement and governance.