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Board

Executive

Facilities

Finance

Fleet

HR

IT

Legal

Marketing

Operations

Procurement

Product

Revenue Operations

Risk & Compliance

Sales

Security

Sustainability

Technology

New Hire Request: Senior Data Analyst — Finance Team

Executive Summary

The Finance team is requesting approval to hire a Senior Data Analyst to address a growing backlog of reporting and modelling work that is currently delaying monthly close commentary, board pack preparation, and ad hoc commercial analysis. The fully-loaded annual cost of the role is estimated at $142,000 including salary, superannuation, equipment, software licences, and onboarding. Three automation alternatives were assessed before this request was raised; each was found to address part of the problem but not the analytical judgement component. It is recommended this role be approved and advertised immediately with a target start date of Q2.

Current Problem

The Finance team currently operates with two analysts supporting a business that has grown revenue by 40% in two years without a corresponding increase in analytical headcount. The result is a consistent backlog: monthly close commentary is regularly submitted two days late, the board pack financial narrative is prepared under time pressure with limited peer review, and commercial teams wait an average of six days for modelling support on pricing and scenario requests. The CFO has absorbed the shortfall personally, which is not a sustainable or appropriate use of that role.

New Hire

New Hire

Riff asks what measurable difference this hire makes, whether AI or process changes were tried first, and what the role costs fully-loaded. Does the ROI stack up?

HR

Finance

Operations

New Software Request: Purchase CRM.com for the Customer Support Team

Executive Summary

The team currently uses a combination of Excel spreadsheets and an unsupported CRM module embedded in the company ERP. Neither tool has kept pace with AI-driven developments in customer relationship management, and the gap is measurable. At a minimum, the switch to CRM.com is forecast to save 2 hours per week across 18 account managers, with that recovered capacity redirected to high-leverage activities including proactive renewal outreach, at-risk account intervention, and pipeline hygiene. The per-seat cost is $35 per month. It is recommended we pilot with the full account management team at a cost of $3,780 over six months before committing to an annual contract.

Current Problem

The current CRM module was included as part of the ERP implementation in 2019 and has not received a meaningful update since. It lacks integration with the company email platform, does not support pipeline forecasting, and offers no AI-assisted prompting for follow-up actions. Account managers have responded by maintaining parallel records in Excel, which creates version control issues and makes it impossible to report on pipeline health with confidence. Two account managers resigned in the past year citing tooling frustration as a contributing factor. The team lead has raised this issue in three consecutive quarterly reviews without resolution.

Software Purchase

Software Purchase

Riff asks what problem this solves, what you already have that overlaps, and what it truly costs over the contract term. Is this the right tool, or just the one someone demoed? Following the discussion, a fit-for-purpose business case is drafted, ready for approval.

Finance

IT

Procurement

Unbudgeted Spend Approval: Emergency IT Infrastructure — Server Room Cooling Unit

Executive Summary

Approval is sought for $28,500 in unbudgeted expenditure to replace the primary cooling unit in the Sydney server room following mechanical failure detected on Tuesday evening. The risk of not acting within 48 hours is assessed as high: sustained operating temperatures above threshold will trigger automatic server shutdown, taking down all production systems including the customer-facing platform and internal ERP. A temporary portable unit has been installed at a cost of $1,200 per week to buy time for this approval. Two permanent replacement options were assessed; the recommended option is mid-range by cost and can be installed within 72 hours of approval.

Current Problem

The cooling unit failure was identified by automated monitoring at 11:42pm on Tuesday. The unit is 11 years old and was flagged as end-of-life in last year's infrastructure audit; replacement was included in the capital plan for next financial year. The interim portable unit stabilises temperatures but is not rated for sustained operation beyond three weeks. Operating beyond that window without a permanent solution materially increases the risk of hardware failure, with replacement server costs estimated at $180,000 and potential data recovery costs above that. The IT team has sourced three quotes; all confirm availability within the required timeframe.

Unbudgeted Spend

Unbudgeted Spend

Riff asks what triggered this, what it costs, what the risk of not acting is, and whether a cheaper path exists. Is this genuinely urgent, or just unplanned? Following the discussion, a fit-for-purpose business case is drafted, ready for approval.

Finance

Operations

IT

Vendor Agreement Approval: New Logistics Partner — National Freight Co.

Executive Summary

Procurement is seeking approval to enter a 24-month freight agreement with National Freight Co. to replace the current arrangement with Metro Logistics, whose service levels have declined materially over the past two quarters. National Freight Co. was selected from a shortlist of four providers following a structured RFQ process. The proposed rate card delivers a 9% reduction in per-shipment cost based on current volumes, with guaranteed next-day metro delivery and a 48-hour regional window. Key exit provisions include a 60-day notice clause and a performance-based exit right triggered by two consecutive months below 95% on-time delivery.

Current Problem

Metro Logistics has failed to meet contracted on-time delivery thresholds in five of the past eight months. Customer complaints attributed to late delivery have increased by 34% year-on-year, and the commercial team has issued two formal credits in the past quarter as a direct result. Attempts to address the performance issues through the Metro account management team have produced short-term improvement followed by regression. The current contract expires in 11 weeks, creating a natural transition point that Procurement recommends using rather than renewing under the current terms.

Vendor / Supplier Agreement

Vendor / Supplier Agreement

Riff asks what you're getting, who else provides it, what the exit terms are, and what risk this relationship creates. Is this the right partner at the right terms? Following the discussion, a fit-for-purpose business case is drafted, ready for approval.

Finance

Legal

Procurement

Contract Renewal Review: Annual SaaS Licence — Salesforce Enterprise

Executive Summary

The Salesforce Enterprise licence is due for renewal on 1 March at a proposed rate of $187,000 per annum, representing a 12% increase on the current contract. Following a structured review, it is recommended that the renewal proceed but with renegotiation targeting the current year's rate plus CPI only, on the basis that utilisation analysis shows 22 of 95 licences are inactive and the AI features included in the Enterprise tier are not in use. If renegotiation is unsuccessful, a migration assessment to HubSpot Enterprise — completed as part of this review — suggests an equivalent capability can be delivered at approximately $134,000 per annum.

Current Problem

The Salesforce contract has auto-renewed for the past three years without a structured review of utilisation, value delivered, or market alternatives. The 12% increase proposed for the coming year was flagged by Accounts Payable as part of routine invoice processing — not as part of a deliberate renewal strategy. The 22 inactive licences represent $43,340 in annual spend on unused seats. The AI features included in the Enterprise tier have not been activated because no one was assigned to evaluate or implement them following purchase.

Contract Renewal

Contract Renewal

Riff asks whether this is still delivering value, whether the market rate has shifted, and whether you should be renegotiating. Is auto-renew the right answer? Following the discussion, a fit-for-purpose business case is drafted, ready for approval.

Finance

Legal

Procurement

Cost Saving Initiative: Consolidate Commercial Cleaning Contracts Across Three Sites

Executive Summary

Operations is proposing to consolidate commercial cleaning contracts across the Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane offices from three separate providers to a single national provider. The combined current spend is $312,000 per annum. The proposed consolidated contract with CleanNation is $248,000 per annum, representing a saving of $64,000 or 21%. Implementation costs are estimated at $4,200 to cover contract termination fees across the two sites being transitioned. The payback period is 24 days. It is recommended this initiative be approved with a transition target of 1 April.

Current Problem

The three cleaning contracts were established independently by each site manager at the time each office was opened, and they have never been consolidated or benchmarked as a portfolio. Rates across the three contracts vary significantly for comparable service specifications, suggesting the company is not benefiting from volume leverage. Each contract has also been renewed on a rolling annual basis without competitive retender. The last formal market test for any of these contracts was conducted in 2021.

New Cost Saving Initiative

New Cost Saving Initiative

Riff asks how confident you are in the saving, what it costs to implement, what the payback period is, and what could go wrong. Does the number actually hold up? Following the discussion, a fit-for-purpose business case is drafted, ready for approval.

Finance

Operations

Procurement

Growth Initiative: Launch B2B Referral Program for Enterprise Customers

Executive Summary

Sales is proposing a structured B2B referral program targeting the top 40 enterprise accounts, with a cash incentive of $2,500 per qualified referral that converts to a paid customer within 90 days. The program is forecast to generate 12 to 18 new enterprise customers in the first 12 months, based on industry benchmarks and the current net promoter score of 71 among the target cohort. Revenue from those customers, at average contract value, is forecast at $480,000 to $720,000. The total program cost including incentives, platform, and internal coordination is $68,000. Success will be measured at six months against a minimum threshold of five converted referrals.

Current Problem

The company currently generates approximately 8% of new enterprise revenue through informal referrals, without any structured program to encourage, track, or reward that behaviour. Sales analysis shows that referred customers have a 40% lower customer acquisition cost, a 25% higher first-year contract value, and a materially lower churn rate compared to outbound-sourced customers. Despite this, no budget or resource has been allocated to formalise the referral channel. The opportunity has been noted in three consecutive sales planning sessions but not progressed due to competing priorities.

New Growth Initiative

New Growth Initiative

Riff asks what the opportunity actually is, what assumptions underpin the revenue forecast, what it costs to pursue, and what success looks like in 12 months. Is the upside real? Following the discussion, a fit-for-purpose business case is drafted, ready for approval.

Finance

Marketing

Sales

Build vs Buy Analysis: Customer Self-Service Portal

Executive Summary

Technology is seeking a decision on whether to build a customer self-service portal in-house or procure an off-the-shelf solution. Following a structured analysis, the recommendation is to buy. The total cost of building, modelled over three years including build, maintenance, and ongoing ownership, is estimated at $840,000. The leading vendor option, Portal.io, delivers equivalent core functionality at a three-year total cost of $290,000. The capability gap between the two is not material for the use cases in scope. The build option introduces an 18-month delivery timeline against a 10-week implementation for the vendor solution.

Current Problem

The current customer support model requires all account changes, usage queries, and reporting requests to be handled by the internal team via email and phone. This generates approximately 340 inbound contacts per month that could be fully self-served. The support team spends an estimated 60% of capacity on these routine contacts, leaving limited bandwidth for complex customer needs. A self-service portal has been on the product roadmap for 18 months but has not progressed due to competing engineering priorities and an unresolved build vs buy decision.

Build vs Buy

Build vs Buy

Riff asks what the capability gaps are, what it truly costs to build including long-term ownership, what vendor options exist, and which path creates more risk. Is building actually the right call? Following the discussion, a fit-for-purpose business case is drafted, ready for approval.

Finance

Technology

Product

Contractor Engagement Approval: UX Designer, 6-Month Contract

Executive Summary

People & Culture is seeking approval to engage a senior UX designer on a fixed-term contractor basis for six months to support the product redesign currently underway. The proposed rate is $1,100 per day for an estimated 80 days of engagement, totalling $88,000. The IP and confidentiality requirements have been reviewed by Legal, and an appropriate contractor agreement is in place. The decision to engage a contractor rather than hire permanently was assessed against current workload forecasts; the redesign project represents a defined scope of work that does not justify a permanent headcount addition at this stage.

Current Problem

The product team is currently mid-way through a significant redesign of the core user interface, a project that has a hard deadline tied to the Q3 customer release. The internal design team has capacity for ongoing BAU work but not the intensity of output required to deliver the redesign to schedule. The team lead estimates a shortfall of approximately 80 design days over the next six months. Delaying the release would carry a commercial cost estimated at $140,000 in lost renewal revenue from customers who have been shown the new experience at conference.

Contractor or Freelancer Engagement

Contractor or Freelancer Engagement

Riff asks whether this should be a permanent role, what the IP and confidentiality considerations are, and whether the scope and rate are clearly defined. Is this the right engagement model? Following the discussion, a fit-for-purpose business case is drafted, ready for approval.

HR

Finance

Procurement

Pricing Exception: 22% Discount Request — Accenture Enterprise Deal

Executive Summary

Sales is requesting approval for a 22% discount on the Accenture enterprise contract, reducing the annual contract value from $180,000 to $140,400. The margin impact of the discount is a reduction from 68% to 57% gross margin on this account. The strategic rationale is that Accenture represents a reference customer with a named logo value estimated at $400,000 in influenced pipeline based on comparable reference wins. It is recommended the discount be approved as a one-time exception with a documented condition that Accenture participates in one case study and two prospect reference calls in the first 12 months of the contract.

Current Problem

Accenture's procurement team has indicated that the current proposed price exceeds their pre-approved vendor budget for this category by approximately 20%. The deal has been in negotiation for 11 weeks and the Sales team believes a further two to three weeks without a pricing response will result in Accenture selecting a competitor. The account was identified 14 months ago as a strategic target due to the logo and reference value. Losing this deal would reset that effort and represents a meaningful miss against the enterprise sales target for the half.

Pricing Exception or Discount

Pricing Exception or Discount

Riff asks what the margin impact is, what precedent this sets, and whether the strategic rationale is strong enough to justify the exception. Is this discount worth it? Following the discussion, a fit-for-purpose business case is drafted, ready for approval.

Finance

Revenue Operations

Sales

Policy Change Approval: Hybrid Work Policy Update

Executive Summary

People & Culture is seeking approval to update the company's hybrid work policy to introduce a minimum of three days in-office attendance per week, replacing the current two-day minimum introduced in 2022. The change applies to all permanent employees below Director level. It is recommended the updated policy take effect from the first Monday of next quarter, with a four-week transition period during which managers conduct individual conversations with team members whose current arrangements fall outside the new expectation. The change was assessed for compliance implications; no enterprise agreement clauses are affected.

Current Problem

Data from badge access and desk booking systems shows that average in-office attendance has declined from 2.4 days per week in Q1 last year to 1.8 days per week in the most recent quarter. Qualitative feedback from team leaders across Operations, Finance, and Sales indicates that collaboration quality and informal knowledge transfer have been affected. Three senior leaders raised the issue in the most recent leadership team offsite as a contributing factor to slower onboarding of new team members and reduced cross-functional alignment. The current policy minimum of two days is not being enforced consistently, which has created inequity across teams.

Policy Creation or Change

Policy Creation or Change

Riff asks what problem this policy solves, who is affected, what alternatives were considered, and what the compliance implications are. Is this policy actually needed? Following the discussion, a fit-for-purpose business case is drafted, ready for approval.

HR

Risk & Compliance

Legal

CapEx Approval: Warehouse Forklift Replacement — Distribution Centre

Executive Summary

Operations is seeking approval to replace two end-of-life counterbalance forklifts at the Dandenong distribution centre at a total capital cost of $148,000. The recommended units are electric, with a full lifetime cost — including maintenance, battery replacement, and residual value at end of a 10-year life — modelled at $192,000 per unit against $218,000 for the equivalent LPG models over the same period. The return on investment, measured against continuing to operate and repair the current fleet, is 2.9 years. Both current units are beyond their rated service life and have generated $34,000 in unplanned maintenance spend in the past 18 months.

Current Problem

The two current forklifts were commissioned in 2013 and are both beyond their 10-year rated service life. Maintenance records show increasing frequency of mechanical failures, with six unplanned breakdowns in the past 12 months causing a combined 14 hours of operational downtime. The most recent service assessment, completed by the OEM in August, rated both units as uneconomical to repair and recommended replacement. Continuing to operate the current fleet is creating a risk of a more serious mechanical failure or safety incident, and the maintenance cost trajectory is expected to accelerate.

Capital Expenditure

Capital Expenditure

Riff asks what you're buying, why now, what alternatives were considered, and what the return looks like over the asset's full life including depreciation and maintenance. Does this CapEx stack up? Following the discussion, a fit-for-purpose business case is drafted, ready for approval.

Finance

Operations

Equipment Upgrade Approval: Production Line Filling Machine — Newcastle Site

Executive Summary

Operations is requesting approval to upgrade the primary filling machine on Production Line 2 at the Newcastle facility at a total installed cost of $215,000. The upgraded unit increases fill cycle speed by 34%, reduces product waste per cycle by 12%, and supports the SKU range expansion approved in last quarter's commercial plan. The return on investment, modelled against current throughput at current margin, is 2.1 years. The current unit is operational but cannot accommodate the new SKU formats without modification that would cost $68,000 and still not deliver the throughput required.

Current Problem

Production Line 2 is currently the constraining resource in the Newcastle facility's weekly schedule. The line operates at full capacity four days per week and is unable to absorb the volume growth forecast for the next 12 months without either capital investment or outsourcing. The current filling machine was designed for a narrower SKU range than the business currently operates, and cycle time per unit is 22% slower than the equivalent equipment on Production Line 1 at the same site. The commercial team has had to decline two retailer ranging opportunities in the past six months due to insufficient production capacity.

Equipment Upgrade

Equipment Upgrade

Riff asks what's wrong with the current setup, what the upgrade genuinely delivers, and whether the timing and cost justifies acting now rather than later. Is the upgrade worth it? Following the discussion, a fit-for-purpose business case is drafted, ready for approval.

Finance

Operations

IT

Equipment Replacement Approval: HVAC System — Head Office

Executive Summary

Facilities is seeking approval to replace the central HVAC system at the Melbourne head office at a total cost of $312,000. The system is 17 years old, has failed its last two routine service assessments, and is assessed by the specialist contractor as beyond economical repair. The risk of continued operation is rated as high, with a projected failure probability of 60% within the next 12 months based on the condition assessment. Replacement will also reduce annual energy consumption by an estimated 28% against the current system, generating $18,400 in annual savings from year one.

Current Problem

The current HVAC system was installed during the original office fitout in 2007 and has never been replaced. It has been maintained on a reactive basis for the past four years following the discontinuation of the manufacturer's preventive maintenance program for this model. The most recent condition assessment, completed in September, identified compressor wear, refrigerant leakage, and control system failures that the assessing engineer described as characteristic of a system at end of serviceable life. A partial repair was completed in March at a cost of $24,000; that repair has not resolved the underlying degradation.

Equipment Replacement

Equipment Replacement

Riff asks what the condition assessment shows, what the risk of continued operation is, and whether repair is a viable alternative. Is replacement the right call right now? Following the discussion, a fit-for-purpose business case is drafted, ready for approval.

Finance

Operations

Facilities

Campaign Spend Approval: Q3 Digital Performance Campaign

Executive Summary

Marketing is seeking approval for $145,000 in Q3 digital campaign spend targeting mid-market CFOs across financial services and professional services verticals. The campaign objective is 80 qualified sales conversations over the quarter, at a target cost per qualified lead of $1,812. The expected revenue contribution from a 20% lead-to-close rate at average contract value is $1.44 million, with a return on marketing investment of 9.9x. Success will be measured at the midpoint of the campaign and at the end of the quarter against those defined targets, with spend paused if cost per lead exceeds $2,500 in the first three weeks.

Current Problem

Q3 represents the strongest seasonal demand period in the company's target verticals, driven by financial year-end planning cycles and budget allocation activity among CFOs and finance leaders. Pipeline entering Q3 is currently tracking 18% below the same point last year, and the sales team does not have sufficient inbound activity to close the gap through conversion improvement alone. The Marketing budget for H2 has been approved in principle but campaign spend allocation for Q3 has not been formally authorised, creating a six-week gap before the peak demand window opens.

Marketing or Campaign Spend

Marketing or Campaign Spend

Riff asks who the audience is, what you're trying to achieve, what the expected return is, and how you'll measure whether it worked. Is this spend justified before it's approved? Following the discussion, a fit-for-purpose business case is drafted, ready for approval.

Finance

Marketing

Data Access Approval: Third-Party Analytics Partnership — InsightLab

Executive Summary

IT Security and Legal are co-sponsoring a request to approve a data access arrangement with InsightLab, a third-party analytics provider, to enable customer usage data to be processed in InsightLab's environment for the purposes of churn prediction modelling. The legal basis for the sharing is a legitimate interest assessment and updated customer consent language, both reviewed by Legal. The data shared will be pseudonymised prior to transfer, access will be scoped to the minimum required for the modelling purpose, and a Data Processing Agreement has been executed. The arrangement is approved for an initial 12-month period subject to annual review.

Current Problem

The company's internal data team has built a churn prediction model using historical data, but the model's accuracy is limited by the volume of training data available internally. InsightLab operates a consortium model in which multiple non-competing companies contribute pseudonymised usage data in exchange for access to a substantially larger training dataset. The product and customer success teams have identified churn prediction accuracy as the highest-leverage improvement available to the retention program, with an estimated $320,000 annual revenue impact if the current model's accuracy improves from 61% to 75%.

Data Access or Sharing Agreement

Data Access or Sharing Agreement

Riff asks who is requesting access, what data is involved, what the legal basis is, and what controls are in place. Is the regulatory and reputational risk properly understood? Following the discussion, a fit-for-purpose business case is drafted, ready for approval.

IT

Risk & Compliance

Legal

Security

Facilities Decision: Sydney Office Lease Renewal

Executive Summary

Facilities is seeking approval to renew the Sydney office lease at 1 Martin Place for a further five years at a rate of $142 per square metre per annum, representing a 6% reduction on the current rate achieved through negotiation. The total lease commitment over five years is $2.13 million. Two alternatives were assessed: a move to a smaller footprint in Barangaroo at lower cost, and a shift to a full flexible workspace model. Neither alternative was recommended given the client-facing nature of the Sydney team and the cultural importance of a permanent, high-quality address. The workforce impact of each option was explicitly modelled.

Current Problem

The current Sydney lease expires in four months. Commencing relocation planning at this stage would place significant operational pressure on the Facilities and IT teams and is likely to result in a disrupted move rather than a well-executed transition. The Sydney office accommodates 42 permanent staff and is used for client meetings on approximately 60 days per year. Average attendance over the past 12 months was 31 people per day, indicating some surplus capacity in the current 1,500 square metre tenancy. The lease rate at renewal has been benchmarked against four comparable tenancies in the precinct.

Office or Facilities Decision

Office or Facilities Decision

Riff asks what the space requirements actually are, what the full lease cost looks like, what the workforce impact is, and what alternatives were considered. Is this the right call for the long term? Following the discussion, a fit-for-purpose business case is drafted, ready for approval.

HR

Finance

Facilities

Promotion Approval: Senior Account Manager to Team Lead

Executive Summary

People & Culture is seeking approval to promote Jordan Nguyen from Senior Account Manager to Team Lead, effective the first of next month, with a salary adjustment from $112,000 to $128,000. The market rate for a Team Lead role in this sector in Melbourne is $124,000 to $135,000 based on current benchmarking data. The promotion case documents a consistent pattern of above-target performance over three review periods, informal people leadership demonstrated across two team restructures, and a readiness assessment conducted by the current Team Lead who is transitioning to a Regional Manager role. The cost of not promoting is assessed as a meaningful retention risk.

Current Problem

Jordan has been in the Senior Account Manager role for 26 months and has been the de facto team lead for the past six months following the departure of the previous Team Lead. The role has been backfilled informally while the business assessed the best permanent structure. Jordan's performance has been rated 'Exceeds Expectations' in the past two annual reviews and 'Significantly Exceeds Expectations' in the most recent mid-year check-in. Two other team members have made informal enquiries about career development, referencing Jordan's situation as a signal about the company's approach to internal progression.

Promotion or Role Change

Promotion or Role Change

Riff asks what the person has delivered, how they demonstrate the next level, what the market rate is, and what the cost of not promoting looks like. Is there a real case here? Following the discussion, a fit-for-purpose business case is drafted, ready for approval.

HR

Finance

Equity Grant Approval: Options Grant — Key Engineering Hire

Executive Summary

People & Culture and Finance are co-sponsoring a request to approve an options grant of 85,000 shares to Alex Patel, Senior Software Engineer, as part of the total compensation package for this hire. The grant represents 0.34% of the fully diluted cap table and falls within the approved employee options pool. The vesting schedule is a four-year term with a one-year cliff and monthly vesting thereafter, consistent with the company's standard terms. The grant size was determined by benchmarking against comparable senior engineering hires in the Australian market and by reference to the two most recent grants at the same level.

Current Problem

Alex Patel is a senior engineer with specialised experience in distributed systems who has been identified as a critical hire for the platform scaling work planned for the next 18 months. The cash component of the offer is at the top of the approved band for the Senior Engineer level; the grant is being used to close the total compensation gap against two competing offers, one of which includes equity. The loss of this candidate would require restarting a six-week search process and would push the platform team's delivery timeline for the Q3 milestone by an estimated three months.

Equity or Incentive Grant

Equity or Incentive Grant

Riff asks what the rationale is, how the grant size sits relative to the pool, what the vesting terms are, and how this fits the broader remuneration strategy. Is this grant structured correctly? Following the discussion, a fit-for-purpose business case is drafted, ready for approval.

HR

Finance

Board

Sponsorship Approval: Industry Conference Naming Rights — FinTech Summit Australia

Executive Summary

Marketing is seeking approval for a $75,000 naming rights sponsorship of the FinTech Summit Australia, to be held in Melbourne in September. The sponsorship includes four speaking slots, a premium exhibition position, a 500-attendee branded dinner, and digital co-branding across all event communications reaching an estimated 12,000 subscribers. The target audience — CFOs, Heads of Finance, and senior Finance leaders in the $50 million to $500 million revenue segment — is precisely aligned with the company's ICP. Success will be measured by qualified conversations generated, pipeline attributed to the event, and brand recall in the post-event attendee survey.

Current Problem

The company currently has limited brand presence in the financial services vertical despite it representing 28% of revenue. Analysis of the last 12 months of new enterprise deals shows that 14 of 22 customers cited brand recognition or a peer recommendation as a factor in their decision to engage. The sales team reports that cold outreach into financial services accounts converts at half the rate of accounts where the brand is known. The FinTech Summit is the most attended event in this segment with consistent audience quality; competitors in the space have been naming rights sponsors for the past two years.

Event or Sponsorship Spend

Event or Sponsorship Spend

Riff asks who the audience is, what you're trying to achieve, what it costs end-to-end, and how you'll measure value. Is this worth it before the cheque is written? Following the discussion, a fit-for-purpose business case is drafted, ready for approval.

Finance

Marketing

Market Expansion Business Case: New Zealand Entry

Executive Summary

Strategy and Sales are jointly seeking approval to enter the New Zealand market in Q1 next year, commencing with a targeted outbound sales effort supported by a part-time country resource. The total cost of entry in Year 1 is estimated at $340,000, including the country resource, travel, local entity establishment, and marketing adaptation. The New Zealand market has been sized at approximately 180 qualified target accounts based on the current ICP. Year 1 revenue is targeted at $420,000, with a path to breakeven in Month 14. The capability gaps required to operate in New Zealand have been identified, and all are addressable within the Year 1 cost model.

Current Problem

The company currently serves four New Zealand customers acquired through inbound channels without any deliberate market presence. These customers have a materially higher NPS than the Australian average, and two have provided unsolicited referrals to other New Zealand businesses. The sales team has identified 180 qualified New Zealand accounts that match the current Australian ICP, none of which have been contacted. Market intelligence suggests one direct competitor is currently building a New Zealand presence, creating a first-mover dynamic. The board has indicated appetite for international expansion subject to a disciplined market entry case.

New Market or Geographic Expansion

New Market or Geographic Expansion

Riff asks what the market opportunity actually looks like, what it costs to enter, what capabilities are missing, and what success looks like in 12 months. Is the enthusiasm backed by analysis? Following the discussion, a fit-for-purpose business case is drafted, ready for approval.

Finance

Sales

Redundancy Approval: Operations Coordinator Role — Dandenong Site

Executive Summary

People & Culture and Legal are co-sponsoring a request to approve the redundancy of the Operations Coordinator role at the Dandenong site following the automation of the scheduling and reporting functions previously performed by this role. The redundancy entitlements for the affected employee are $34,200, comprising four weeks' notice and 11 weeks' redundancy pay based on seven years of service. Alternatives to redundancy were assessed, including redeployment to two other open roles; neither was assessed as a suitable match based on the skills required. The downstream workload impact on the site team has been modelled and is manageable within current headcount.

Current Problem

The Operations Coordinator role was established to manage daily shift scheduling and weekly reporting for the Dandenong site. Both functions have been automated as part of the digital operations project completed in Q2: shift scheduling is now generated by the workforce management system, and site reporting is produced automatically from the production platform. A task analysis of the role over the past two months shows that 80% of the original role scope has been eliminated, and the remaining 20% has been absorbed by the Site Manager as part of the technology implementation. The role no longer has a substantive purpose in the current operating model.

Redundancy or Role Elimination

Redundancy or Role Elimination

Riff asks what the business rationale is, what alternatives were genuinely considered, what the redundancy entitlements are, and what the downstream impact on workload looks like. Is this decision defensible? Following the discussion, a fit-for-purpose business case is drafted, ready for approval.

HR

Finance

Legal

EV Fleet Upgrade Approval: Sales Team Vehicles — 12 Vehicles

Executive Summary

Fleet Management is seeking approval to replace 12 end-of-lease petrol vehicles in the sales fleet with electric equivalents over the next two quarters. The total cost of ownership across the 12 EVs over a five-year period, including charging infrastructure at two office locations, is modelled at $892,000 against $1,040,000 for equivalent petrol vehicles. The saving is $148,000 over five years or $29,600 per annum. The carbon reduction is estimated at 47 tonnes of CO2-equivalent per annum, contributing 18% toward the company's Scope 2 reduction target for the year. Charging infrastructure at both sites is confirmed as technically feasible with a combined installation cost of $34,000.

Current Problem

Twelve vehicles in the sales fleet are reaching the end of their current lease terms between April and August. A decision on replacement must be made within six weeks to avoid gap leasing costs while new vehicles are sourced. Fleet Management has historically replaced like-for-like without a formal assessment of the EV option. The company's updated sustainability policy, adopted in March, commits to transitioning the sales fleet to electric by 2028; this replacement cycle is the first opportunity to make meaningful progress against that commitment. The sales team operates across metropolitan and suburban areas only; range anxiety is not a material operational constraint.

EV Upgrade

EV Upgrade

Riff asks what the total cost of ownership looks like versus the current fleet, what infrastructure is needed for charging, and what the carbon reduction actually delivers against targets. Does the switch make financial and strategic sense? Following the discussion, a fit-for-purpose business case is drafted, ready for approval.

Finance

Fleet

Sustainability

Renewable Energy Purchase Approval: Three-Year Power Purchase Agreement

Executive Summary

Sustainability and Finance are co-sponsoring a request to approve a three-year Power Purchase Agreement with SolarGrid for 100% renewable electricity supply across all owned and directly leased sites. The proposed rate is $0.084 per kWh, compared to the current blended tariff of $0.097 per kWh. Over the three-year term and at current consumption, the saving is estimated at $186,000. The carbon reduction is 1,240 tonnes of CO2-equivalent per annum, addressing 62% of the company's Scope 2 emissions and representing the single largest action available to meet the 2026 Scope 2 reduction target. Exit provisions include a 90-day notice clause and a maximum break fee of $42,000.

Current Problem

The company currently purchases electricity from the grid through a standard commercial tariff with no renewable component. Scope 2 emissions from purchased electricity account for 31% of the company's total reported emissions. The 2026 ESG reporting cycle will be the first under the company's public emissions reduction commitment, and the current Scope 2 position makes it impossible to demonstrate meaningful progress without a direct renewable procurement arrangement. Three board members raised this gap at the most recent sustainability committee meeting. The current electricity contracts across three sites expire at staggered intervals over the next 18 months, creating a natural window for consolidation.

Renewable Electricity Purchase

Renewable Electricity Purchase

Riff asks how the price compares to current tariff, what the contract terms and exit risk look like, and what the carbon reduction delivers against ESG commitments. Is this the right deal at the right terms? Following the discussion, a fit-for-purpose business case is drafted, ready for approval.

Finance

Operations

Sustainability

Sustainability Project Approval: Warehouse Solar Installation — Dandenong Site

Executive Summary

Operations and Sustainability are seeking approval to install a 250kW rooftop solar system at the Dandenong warehouse at a capital cost of $312,000, eligible for a $78,000 government incentive bringing the net cost to $234,000. At current electricity consumption and tariff rates, the system is forecast to generate annual savings of $58,000, giving a payback period of 4.0 years. The carbon reduction is estimated at 312 tonnes of CO2-equivalent per annum, addressing the majority of the Dandenong site's Scope 2 emissions. The installation has been confirmed as structurally feasible; the roof was assessed during the 2023 building refurbishment and is rated for the additional load.

Current Problem

The Dandenong warehouse is the company's largest single site by energy consumption, accounting for 38% of total Scope 2 emissions. The site operates seven days a week with refrigeration and production equipment running continuously, making the electricity bill the largest controllable cost at the site. Energy costs have increased by 24% over the past two years. The company's Scope 2 reduction target requires a 40% reduction in site-level emissions by 2027; without action at Dandenong, that target cannot be achieved across the portfolio. Solar has been discussed informally for three years but has not been progressed to a formal business case.

Sustainability Project

Sustainability Project

Riff asks what the environmental impact is, what the financial return or cost avoidance looks like, and how this sits against existing ESG commitments. Can you make the case beyond good intentions? Following the discussion, a fit-for-purpose business case is drafted, ready for approval.

Finance

Operations

Sustainability

Unplanned Works Approval: Burst Water Main Repair — Melbourne Office

Executive Summary

Facilities is seeking urgent approval for $18,400 in unplanned works to repair a burst water main affecting the basement level of the Melbourne office. A specialist plumbing contractor has been engaged on a time-and-materials basis to contain the immediate water ingress; permanent repair is estimated at $14,200 with $4,200 in make-good for the affected electrical conduit. The risk of delaying the permanent repair beyond 48 hours is assessed as high: the temporary repair is not rated for sustained pressure and the affected electrical circuit serves the building's fire detection system, which is currently operating on bypass. A cheaper temporary fix was assessed and rejected on safety grounds.

Current Problem

The burst was identified at 7:15am by the building manager following reports from overnight security of water pooling in the basement carpark. The water main in question is part of the original building infrastructure and has been flagged in two previous facilities audits as showing signs of corrosion. A planned replacement was included in the FY26 capital program but had not yet been scheduled. The building owner has been notified; their response confirmed that maintenance responsibility for this section of the main rests with the tenant under the terms of the lease. Insurance has been notified and a claim reference has been obtained.

Unplanned Works Approval

Unplanned Works Approval

Riff asks what happened, what the fix costs, what the risk of delay is, and whether a temporary solution buys time for a better decision. Is this the right response, or just the fastest one? Following the discussion, a fit-for-purpose business case is drafted, ready for approval.

Finance

Operations

Risk & Compliance

Funding Application: State Government Infrastructure Grant

Executive Summary

Finance is seeking approval to submit an application for a State Government Infrastructure Grant of up to $500,000 to co-fund the planned solar and battery storage installation at the Brisbane manufacturing site. The grant program closes in six weeks; a decision to apply must be made within 10 days to allow adequate preparation time. The eligibility criteria have been confirmed as met. The internal delivery commitment if the grant is awarded is a minimum 1:1 co-contribution, a 24-month delivery timeline, and quarterly progress reporting to the granting agency. Internal capacity to manage the grant and deliver the project has been assessed and confirmed as available within the current capital program.

Current Problem

The Brisbane solar and battery installation was approved in principle in the FY26 capital plan at a total cost of $1.1 million, but was deferred to FY27 due to competing capital priorities. The State Government grant program, announced three weeks ago, provides a pathway to accelerate the project and reduce the company's net capital contribution to approximately $600,000. Missing this funding cycle would defer the project by a further 12 to 18 months and delay the associated Scope 2 emissions reductions that are material to the 2026 ESG reporting commitment. A second funding window for this program has not been confirmed.

Funding Application

Funding Application

Riff asks what the funding requires, what you're committing to if successful, and whether you have the internal capacity to deliver. Is this opportunity worth pursuing? Following the discussion, a fit-for-purpose business case is drafted, ready for approval.

Finance

Operations

Community Program Approval: Schools Engagement Initiative

Executive Summary

Communications and People & Culture are seeking approval for a structured schools engagement program targeting Year 10 and 11 students in the three local government areas surrounding the company's major operational sites. The total program cost for the first year is $84,000, comprising a part-time program coordinator, curriculum materials, school partnership costs, and executive time for 12 in-school sessions. The program's connection to the company's community investment strategy and employee value proposition has been documented. Success will be measured by number of schools partnered, student participants, employee volunteer hours, and a student perception survey administered at the end of the program year.

Current Problem

The company has committed publicly to investing in the communities in which it operates as part of its sustainability and social impact reporting. Currently, the community investment program consists of ad hoc charitable donations totalling approximately $40,000 per year with no strategic framework, no measurement, and limited employee involvement. Feedback from the most recent employee engagement survey identified 'community impact' as the lowest-scoring dimension of the company's EVP, with 34% of respondents rating it as important to them personally. The company operates in three areas with above-average youth unemployment, creating both a community need and a future talent pipeline rationale for this type of program.

Community Program

Community Program

Riff asks who benefits, what it costs end-to-end, how it connects to organisational values, and how you'll know it worked. Is this investment structured well enough to defend? Following the discussion, a fit-for-purpose business case is drafted, ready for approval.

Finance

Marketing

Ready to rethink how decisions get approved?

Ready to rethink how decisions get approved?