From Gut Feel to Data-Driven Decisions

CEO of TydeCo, Matt Lescault, has seen many businesses stumble during growth simply because their infrastructure couldn’t handle the strain. 

In this interview, Matt breaks down the key areas where businesses often go wrong and explains how reliable, integrated systems create full transparency across your HR and finance teams to alleviate the need for forced, risky decisions based purely on your gut.

Integrating Financial Data

The biggest mistake I see is relying on disconnected systems. Without proper integration, you’re making decisions based purely on guesswork instead of trustworthy data.

• Integrated, centralized systems allow data (financial & statistical or non-financial) to flow more smoothly between departments, making things actionable and scalable.
• Trusted data is the foundation of accurate decision-making, so if that data is 100% accurate, leaders on your team have full confidence to base key decisions on it.
• Relying solely on guesswork can backfire. That’s why our entire finance and data analytics approach is rooted in time-honored checks and balances accuracy.

In my experience, integration and accuracy are non-negotiables. Without them, any hope of scaling your business safely and effectively just becomes a gamble.

“If individuals don’t trust the data they’re consuming, they’re not going to make decisions based on that data. They’re going to make decisions based on their gut.”

Matthew Lescault, CEO

Finance Meets HR

HR is such an important aspect to your success, not only as a business but from a financial perspective as well. Finance and HR need to be in sync if you want growth. 

• The idea is that HR and finance should be parallel, interconnected departments. One impacts the other, from recruitment all the way to performance reviews.
• Our job as leaders is to create systems that respect both sides equally, giving staff the confidence and trust in our willingness to invest in their personal and professional growth.
• With critical alignment of the two departments, both benefit from shared data showing exactly how the lifecycle is developing and ultimately increasing the value of your teams.

Balancing both HR and finance departments is critical for success. When they’re aligned, staff feel more validated and all aspects of the business can develop transparently and accountably.

“If we don’t respect the value of the people side of the house as much as we respect the finance side, we’re going to fall off on our goals as an organization.”

Matthew Lescault, CEO

Integrating Payroll

Integrating payroll and finances may seem like a straightforward process, but the real value lies in just how effectively it can inform operations and influence performance.

• Comprehensive ERP data integration goes beyond just payroll entries; it allows for dynamic allocations across departments and improves cost tracking and performance analysis.
• Reporting isn’t just about tracking hours. Proper integration flags potential compliance issues like nexus requirements and keeps you ahead of labor laws and tax obligations, instead of always reacting after the fact.
• When an organization grows, payroll integration complexity increases, so implementing a proactive reporting system early on will help mitigate any future setbacks as you grow from, say, 20 to 400 employees.

By prioritising effective payroll integration from the start, you can far better streamline your operations and position your organization for more reliable success as you grow.

“The scale of complexity actually is exponential. And so, if you don’t get these types of systems in early and often, then you have a much, much bigger challenge to overcome.”

Matthew Lescault, CEO

Scaling Without Hiring

As your business develops, hiring is inevitable, so it’s best to focus on strategic roles and effective systems if you want to manage that growth effectively.

Growth shouldn’t drive hiring. It should drive process development, where systems handle the bulk of the work rather than just adding more staff to address workflow capacity issues.

Integrated CRM and ERP systems can automate a lot of your processes, cutting back on the manual labor and eliminating the need for extra staff as you scale.

For real value, every new hire should be a strategic decision that aims to solve a problem automation can’t – analysts to improve client segmentation or evaluate business strategy, for example.

Investing in the right systems and hiring strategically will definitely ease the challenges of scaling, plus enhance your organization’s overall effectiveness as it grows.

“Systems can help reduce the need for manual labor to help you scale. But, it doesn’t necessarily eliminate the need to invest in strategic positions.”

Matthew Lescault, CEO

Building Transparency Across Teams

There’s no doubt that transparency drives clearer decisions and better engagement across all stakeholders, so let’s dive into why this is important for business.

• Different stakeholders need different levels of transparency, so providing people with data relevant to them helps focus efforts more clearly without the overwhelm of unnecessary details.
• Dashboards may give teams clarity, but transparency encourages ‘buy-in’ from everyone involved – team members, customers, and vendors, because everyone understands the reasons behind the decisions or actions. 
• Too much data, without focus, leads to confusion, which is why clear, directive-based information allows leaders to accurately assess performance and make the right decisions.

Leaders who share data clearly and in the right way can create an environment where everyone feels informed and engaged, and ultimately drive an organization’s success.

“Transparency within business provides clear directives for people.”

Matthew Lescault, CEO

Here, I highlight the true value of having the right people and systems in place within your company to inspire organizational growth and empower your staff through shared insights. When your finance and HR departments work in harmony, you build trust within the data and remove the guesswork, allowing your business to be both compliant and adaptable as it scales logically toward long-term success.

For a closer look at how Sage Intacct enables that kind of smart, scalable infrastructure—start here.