For companies managing multiple entities and project-based work, the accounting process can become a bottleneck—especially when moving transaction data between systems. One manual misstep in the wrong folder can mean hours of reverting and rechecking.
That's the situation a growing mid-market finance team found themselves in. SILICON’s team was managing project-based work across multiple entities, moving expense data through their accounting system in a labour-intensive process that left them constantly worried about costly errors.
With Pleo’s onboarding, that's changed entirely. What once took manual work and careful double-checking now happens with a single click and complete peace of mind.
Why manual work is a ticking time bomb
Before Pleo, the team's workflow looked something like this: expenses would be reviewed, marked as ready for export, then manually moved into a separate folder before being pushed into their ERP system. It was a careful balancing act.
"It was very error-prone," Shafier Saboerali, Financial Controller at SILICON, explained. "We have different entities onboarded. If you prepared transactions for export for one entity and accidentally dragged them into the wrong folder, things could go completely wrong. Then you'd have to revert everything."
The process required constant verification to ensure nothing ended up in the wrong place. And with the high volume of daily transactions, the risk of error was a constant concern.
Beyond the risk, the manual work was costing time and energy. Every transaction required someone to physically move it through the system, adding unnecessary steps to an already complex accounting cycle.
Setting clear onboarding goals
When SILICON decided to switch, they set a specific objective: migrate everything from their existing provider to Pleo within a defined window, with zero disruption.
"We basically wanted to clear everything out from the other provider, offboard them, and fully onboard with Pleo," Shafier said. "We set goals for ourselves to create all the users and transfer all the cards."
From the start, Pleo's onboarding team laid everything out clearly.
"All the points were laid out neatly: what needed to be done from our end, and what was expected from us," Shafier recalled. "The execution was successful."
The breakthrough: one-click ERP exports
What really stood out to them, though, wasn't just the onboarding. It was the technical solution Pleo delivered: a direct link to their ERP system.
That single integration changed everything.
Now, instead of manually moving transactions between folders and hoping nothing goes into the wrong entity's bucket, they press one button. The data flows directly into the ERP system—no intermediate steps, no room for error.
"It's literally just pressing one button, it starts loading, and it flows right in," Shafier said. "I find that really great."
Setting employees free from the approval bottleneck
Previously, when costs were incurred for project-based work, employees couldn't do it themselves. They had to contact finance, get the CFO's sign-off, and only then could they proceed.
"This meant people were more dependent on finance," Shafier noted. "Before they could spend anything, they had to send messages asking for a card and a code. Then I had to create it, verify it, get the CFO to approve it, and only then could they proceed."
With Pleo, that bottleneck disappeared. Project data flows automatically into Pleo, syncing one-to-one with the ERP system. Employees can now log their expenses immediately, mapping them to the correct project without waiting for finance approval.
"That step is no longer necessary, and they can log it immediately. It saves time and it's much more efficient."
The interface helps, too. SILICON's team appreciates the cleaner, less cluttered view compared to their previous system.
"The overview itself is less busy and easier to follow. What's important is right there in front of you."
The knock-on effect
Since going live, SILICON's noticed another benefit: month-end exports to the ERP system are now significantly faster.
What was once a source of friction—something that required checking, rechecking, and careful manual steps—is now reliable and routine. That frees up time for actual finance work.
For a team managing multiple entities and project-based work, the benefits are structural.
Making the switch worth it
Would they recommend Pleo to others in a similar situation? Absolutely.
"I would definitely recommend it." — Shafier Saboerali, Financial Controller at SILICON
It's feedback that speaks to the value of tailored onboarding—recognising that different teams move at different speeds depending on their experience level.
For SILICON’s team, the takeaway is simple: Pleo eliminated a manual, error-prone accounting process and replaced it with direct, reliable integration. That's freed up time, reduced risk, and made their project accounting faster and cleaner.
And in project-based accounting, where every manual step is a potential point of failure, that's exactly what matters.
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