Driving Operational Efficiency for The Pharo Foundation with D365 Business Central

Customer Overview

The Pharo Foundation is a mission-driven international non-profit organisation committed to uplifting communities in Africa through education, healthcare, agriculture and water programmes. With operations spread across multiple countries, the Foundation required a scalable system to replace its spreadsheet-heavy processes and improve visibility, efficiency and accountability. 

“Working with Mercurius IT has been transformational.”  Said Saeed Yusuf, Global Financial Controller, The Pharo Foundation. “We’ve moved from outdated, manual systems to a fully integrated, cloud-based platform that gives us real-time control and visibility across our operations. This has empowered our teams to make more informed decisions and focus more on what really matters: delivering impact across Africa.”

By implementing Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, The Pharo Foundation has unlocked real-time financial reporting, reduced manual processes and enhanced operational efficiency, while laying a foundation for continued growth.

Challenges

Before partnering with Mercurius IT, The Pharo Foundation faced challenges in financial visibility, speed and operational consistency across its global offices. These included: 

• Delayed emergency response due to manual budget approvals and long email chains 
• Time-consuming financial reporting, with key reports taking up to two days to prepare 
• Siloed data across departments and country offices, resulting in inefficiencies 
• Inconsistent procurement processes, limited inventory visibility and reliance on manual entries 

As a non-profit organisation, optimising time, resources and funds was crucial without compromising on compliance or service delivery.

The Solution

Working with Mercurius IT, The Pharo Foundation implemented Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, across its operations. The solution included:

Key improvements included:

• A fully digital purchase requisition process, eliminating paperwork and enabling mobile approvals 
• Real-time financial reporting, including budget variance analysis by country, programme and department 
• Automated intercompany accounting and streamlined data governance 
• Role-based access and approval workflows for budget managers 
• Inventory tracking and reporting for commercial units 
• A scalable cloud platform that connects country offices for a unified financial view 

The Benefits

1. Time Savings: Business Central has significantly reduced reporting time. Budget variance reports that once took up to two days to compile manually are now ready within a couple of hours, giving teams more time for value-adding analysis. The digitisation of the purchase requisition process means budget managers can now approve requests using the mobile app, which has eliminated paperwork and reduced delays. 

2. Improved Efficiency: The Foundation has seen improvements in reporting, procurement, payments and invoicing. For example, in one country office, the processing time for school fee invoices has been reduced by 40 percent. This has freed up finance officers to focus on more strategic tasks while also supporting a healthier work-life balance. 

3. Inventory Visibility and Margin Growth: In one of its commercial businesses, Business Central revealed inventory discrepancies, as bulk aggregate suppliers were underdelivering. With improved visibility, the team implemented stronger procurement controls, which led to gross margin improvements from 15 percent to 25 percent. 

4. Data Integrity: The solution has improved data quality across the organisation.
Key improvements include: 

• Automated intercompany postings 
• Project and cost centre-level budget tracking 
• Downloadable, fit-for-purpose financial reports 
• Organisation-wide visibility and improved audit readiness 

5. Foundation for Cost Optimisation: Although it is still early to quantify cost savings, Business Central has provided visibility into areas of inefficiency. This gives the Foundation a clear direction for cost optimisation in the future. 

6. Scalability: The implementation has positioned The Pharo Foundation for scalable growth. With faster reporting cycles, real-time data and enhanced budget accountability, leadership now has the information they need to make timely, informed decisions. 

What’s Next

The Pharo Foundation continues to expand its use of Business Central, with plans for deeper cost analysis, further automation and improved data reporting capabilities. While it is still early to calculate a full return on investment, the benefits are already clear: 

• Significant time savings in reporting and procurement 
• Improved operational efficiency 
• Margin improvements driven by inventory visibility

These results indicate a positive ROI, with further benefits expected as the organisation scales its impact. 

Why Mercurius IT

Mercurius IT brought a combination of technical expertise and a strong understanding of non-profit requirements. The solution was tailored to meet The Pharo Foundation’s operational needs. The Mercurius IT team worked closely with internal stakeholders to ensure Business Central would support finance teams and programme managers alike.