Business Transformation Consultancy

Transformation that still works after go-live.

I'm Syra Munir. I help organisations improve their processes, implement new systems, and get teams ready for the change.

Message me on WhatsApp See case studies
20+
years in finance and operations
900+
funds moved to Yardi on one programme
6
ERP and property platforms, hands-on
The Museum of the Future in Dubai, its steel facade cut with Arabic calligraphy against a clear sky

Dubai · Museum of the Future

Experience with

  • Nuveen Real Estate
  • Cushman & Wakefield
  • JLL
  • Ballymore
  • Rightmove
  • APCO Worldwide

Services

Four kinds of work, usually on the same project.

I work between business leaders, IT and the implementation partner, and stay through go-live and the weeks after it.

Process redesign and controls

I map how the work is really done today, find the bottlenecks, and design the future process with SOPs and controls before anything is configured.

  • Current and future state mapping
  • SOPs and audit trails
  • Process re-engineering

System implementation

From requirements to cutover on Odoo, NetSuite, Yardi, MRI Horizon, Propman and Maconomy, working alongside your implementation partner.

  • Requirements and Business Design Documents
  • Functional specifications
  • Sandbox testing before rollout

Data migration and data quality

Clean data in, reconciled data out. I cleanse and map records, review ETL outputs and build validation rules that stop errors at the point of entry.

  • Data cleansing and mapping
  • ETL review and reconciliation
  • Validation rules

Readiness, training and adoption

A system is finished when people use it with confidence. I run UAT, plan cutover, train teams and stay on for post-go-live support.

  • UAT scripts and defect tracking
  • Cutover, go-live and hypercare
  • Workshops and user training

Approach

ERP projects fail for predictable reasons.

I have seen the same four problems on programme after programme. Each one is avoidable if it is dealt with early.

  • Legacy processes. Weak processes move straight into the new system if nobody fixes them first.
  • Unrealistic timelines. Pressure to move fast sets targets that cannot be met, and quality pays for it.
  • Thin planning. Skipping proper scope analysis at the start causes poor planning later.
  • Under-equipped project leads. Internal leads know the business well but have rarely run a change of this size.
Looking up at One Canada Square and neighbouring towers in Canary Wharf, London
London · Canary Wharf
  1. 1

    Plan

    A clear roadmap built from a thorough Business Design Document, written with the implementation partner and agreed before the build starts.

  2. 2

    Transform

    Understand current processes and pain points, then automate where it brings efficiency and transparent reporting. Test in a sandbox first.

  3. 3

    Grow

    Regular workshops and training so your team builds real confidence and takes ownership of the new system.

Case studies

Three real estate engagements.

Client names are withheld. The situations, the work and the results are as delivered.

ERP transformation

$1.2Tn

assets under management across the portfolios in scope

One Yardi Voyager platform for regional reporting across a global portfolio.

Situation
A global real estate investment manager relied on a network of managing agents in several regions. The goal was a single ERP platform aligned with US group reporting, while agents stayed on their own systems.
Approach
I designed a formal assessment plan, audited the existing systems, set clear goals for the transition and built a detailed roadmap of initiatives, timelines and resources, tracked continuously.
Outcome
The audit exposed large gaps in the underlying data, which led to a new Central Data Management System. Funds moved onto Yardi Voyager, giving the group one consistent source for reporting.

Data integrity and reporting

100%

improvement in data integrity after validation rules went live

Validation rules at the point of entry ended rework on regulatory reporting.

Situation
A global asset manager with more than 500 fund portfolios processed a high volume of invoices. Incorrect coding was causing problems for indirect tax and Construction Industry Scheme reporting.
Approach
I interviewed staff, reviewed system reports and identified the vendors behind most of the errors. I designed rules that flag an issue and block processing until it is corrected, tested first in a sandbox.
Outcome
Errors were stopped at source instead of being corrected later, which freed staff time lost to manual rework. Data integrity improved by 100% and confidence in regulatory reporting returned.

Revenue recovery

Millions

in write-offs flagged for review once visibility was restored

Finding the tenant invoices that were never delivered.

Situation
An institutional investor client saw write-offs being generated in the millions and feared a system flaw. Its approach to write-offs was not being mirrored in the organisation's own processes.
Approach
I analysed the process end to end and found there was no way to see whether tenant invoices had been delivered. I worked with the data and IT teams to reconfigure the system, aligned credit control with the client's workflow and ran a full data cleanse.
Outcome
A new report shows every failed delivery by tenant, invoice number, date and amount. It is built into the invoicing process and goes to senior managers every week.
Syra Munir, consultant at North Star Consultants

About

Syra Munir, Consultant

I spent the first part of my career running finance teams, as Financial Controller and Finance Manager in hospitality, leisure and technology businesses with turnover from £2m to £115m. That is where I learned what a process change costs the people who have to live with it.

Since then I have delivered system and data change for real estate firms in London and for trading businesses in Dubai.

I am financially grounded and hands-on. At one leisure group I cut weekly cash in transit from £300k to under £10k and recovered £143k in unbilled revenue through an invoicing review.

Systems I work in

  • SAP
  • Odoo
  • NetSuite
  • Yardi Voyager
  • MRI Horizon
  • Propman
  • Maconomy
  • Power BI
  • JIRA

Contact

Planning a system change, or fixing one?

Send me a message with a line about your project. I take on contract, interim and consulting work, on site or remotely, wherever your team is.

Message me on WhatsApp

WhatsApp +971 50 109 6951

Based in Dubai and London · Working with clients internationally