10 acquisitions, 18 months: scaled securely with Utilize
How a fast-growing financial advisory firm built a stable, cloud-first IT platform to support rapid expansion while protecting client data.
Trusted financial advice, built for growth
Coming together with their private equity partner in May 2023, Affinia was built with a clear dual mission: to support owner-managed businesses, particularly in their local communities, and to create rewarding careers for their colleagues. From the outset, the ambition was to build something special – both for clients and for the people within the business.
In just 18 months, the firm completed 10 acquisitions, making it easy for clients to do business with them a central goal throughout. With each new office came the challenge of integrating people, systems, and processes, all while keeping disruption to clients and staff to a minimum.
The challenge
Scaling IT infrastructure at acquisition speed
Completing 10 acquisitions in 18 months is an extraordinary pace. Each new Affinia office brought its own legacy systems and ways of working. The firm needed a stable, scalable, cloud-first platform capable of adding new offices with minimal disruption, while maintaining a secure and robust security position to protect client data.
Unpredictable costs and legacy infrastructure
Having worked with multiple managed service providers previously, the firm had experienced project costs that varied significantly as details emerged. On-premise servers across the business needed to be moved into Azure cloud, but without a consistent pricing model it was difficult to plan and forecast with confidence.
Rapid integration with tight operational deadlines
A key requirement was getting each newly acquired office onto the firm’s core timesheet and billing systems within the first month or two of completing a deal. With four new office integrations running simultaneously alongside a major Azure cloud build, the complexity and risk of disruption was considerable.
The solution
A stable, secure platform and a proactive partnership
Utilize delivered a scalable, Azure-based infrastructure that allowed the firm to onboard new offices consistently and with minimal disruption. Utilize’s ASCEND model brought cost certainty through per-user pricing and all-inclusive professional services. Critically, Utilize acted as a genuine partner, re-prioritising work when needed, communicating clearly with incoming offices, and providing both on-site and consultancy resource to keep the business moving.
Azure cloud migration and secure remote access
Utilize supported the firm in building out its Azure cloud platform and Azure Virtual Desktop environment, moving all core technology off on-premise servers. When the simultaneous integration of four new offices created a conflict with this programme of work, the Utilize team worked quickly to re-prioritise and developed an innovative solution to give new offices secure access to timesheet and billing systems with minimal disruption to clients and staff.
Dedicated on-site engineer and strategic consultancy
Two specific changes strengthened the partnership. First, a dedicated engineer was introduced to work on-site and visit different offices to help deal with IT issues directly. Second, a consultant was brought in to scope all change activity, helping to accelerate business-as-usual projects and keep the firm’s core environment secure and stable.
Results
10 acquisitions in 18 months
The firm completed 10 acquisitions in 18 months, supported throughout by a stable, scalable IT platform that allowed new offices to be added with minimal disruption.
Cost certainty at scale
Utilize’s ASCEND model, with per-user pricing and all-inclusive professional services, gave the firm confidence from a budgeting and forecasting perspective.
New offices integrated within the first month or two
Acquired offices were brought onto core timesheet and billing systems within the first month or two of completing each deal, a critical milestone for operational continuity.
Freedom to focus on financial advice
With IT and cyber security managed by Utilize, the firm was freed up to focus on its strategic goals and the cultural elements of working with new partners, and on providing trusted financial advice to clients.
Discover how we can help your business hit peak performance
Learn more about how Utilize can transform your digital journey. Speak to a member of our team today.
Arrange a call back Book a free consultation