Why Wipfli?
Wipfli has a deep history of providing outsourcing solutions and retail industry experience. We tailor our services to retailers’ unique needs, helping you quickly address the challenges you face today and apply best practices to build long-term success. We also document, evaluate and analyze your internal processes to help with future transitions.
Our outsourcing services for retail include:
Streamline your financial management, improve processes and gain strategic insights into cash flow and profitability with Wipfli’s outsourced accounting for retail companies. We provide you with an experienced, scalable team to cover critical financial functions so that you can focus on customers and growth.
Wipfli’s outsourced technology services help retailers navigate complex tech landscapes and maintain consistent performance. Our experienced team assesses your technology infrastructure and provides tailored strategies and solutions to meet retail-specific challenges.
Wipfli’s retail operations outsourcing helps you execute strategy for critical areas of your business, from cutting costs to optimizing pricing. Our COO services help you define and drive strategy, and our operational consulting team can help you deploy the right tactics to achieve your objectives.
Wipfli offers outsourced HR support that focuses on helping you streamline processes and apply effective HR strategies. With support for operations, strategy, payroll and benefits, we can help you mitigate risk while advancing your desired culture.
Avoid the complexity and cost of finding high-level talent with Wipfli’s outsourced C-suite services. Our fractional executives bring extensive experience in finance, technology, people and operations, all adapted to your business.
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Let's talk about how outsourced services can give you frontline and strategic support that allows your team to focus on your core business operations rather than administrative or back-office work.
Insights and resources
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Outsourced controller for construction: Grow smarter?
Construction companies often still rely on a small internal team to handle financials. But firms following a legacy approach struggle to make the more agile decisions needed to thrive in today’s highly competitive market. That’s why more construction firms are turning to strengthen their reporting, analysis and financial management capabilities. An outsourced controller can help your leadership team take smarter, more strategic action at a fraction of the cost of hiring a full-time controller for your team. Keep reading to learn more about how an outsourced controller can help your business succeed. What does an outsourced financial controller do in construction? A financial controller is a senior member of your finance team who keeps your financial reporting accurate and, within the construction industry, reviews your work in progress (WIP) schedule to identify potential overruns in estimated costs. Typical outsourced controller responsibilities include: Ensuring accurate financial reporting: Overseeing income and cash flow statements, as well as your balance sheet and WIP and contract schedules. Managing your accounting team: Bridging the gap between your accounting team and your CFO by overseeing daily accounting work while delivering essential information to your leadership. Developing and managing budgets: Ensuring appropriate budgets for both external client jobs and internal operations, as well as communicating with your project managers to maintain accurate details around current job costs. Risk management and compliance: Avoiding cost overruns and implementing internal controls to help you mitigate financial risks. Maintaining cash flow: Keeping accounts receivable and accounts payable running smoothly to give your business a healthy level of cash flow . Analyzing financial data: Delivering key insights on trends, opportunities and problem areas to help your C-suite make more informed, strategic choices. Outsourcing allows you to fill this role with an experienced professional in a fractional or part-time capacity. Pros: How an outsourced controller helps construction firms Hiring an outsourced controller allows you to add clearer financial insights and management without onboarding a full-time senior employee. For mid-market businesses that want the ability to make more data-driven decisions, this can often be a great fit. 1. Smarter financial decisions An effective controller delivers clearer, more accurate financials to your C-suite. This gives your leadership more data for informed decision-making, which can help make your whole business more agile or scale up to meet your growth goals . 2. Pay for what you need Outsourcing means that you only pay for the services you actually need. It’s not uncommon for controllers at smaller companies to spend part of their days doing office manager work because there aren’t enough duties to fill a 40-hour workweek. If your business isn’t at a point where you need a full-time controller, outsourcing allows you to hire one fractionally — for 10 or 20 hours a week rather than 40 — while still attracting high-caliber talent and experience. 3. Deep industry experience Bringin in a fractional team member who has significant experience working with other businesses in your industry gives you a fresh perspective on how you can do things better and keep up with your peers. You’ll also gain a team member who understands financial excellence from a construction industry perspective and is prepared to hold your project managers accountable for accurate cost updates. 4. High qualifications and minimal training You won’t have to spend time training an outsourced controller to do the job. Instead, you’ll get a highly qualified, capable employee ready to hit the ground running and deliver (with the caveat that they will still need time to learn how your particular business works). 5. More efficient, effective business performance You’ll be adding someone who understands modern accounting processes and systems and will work to implement those within your business. This can play a huge role in improving your business’s overall performance by giving you a better grip on how money is moving through your organization and allowing you to plug holes, mitigate risks and find efficiencies. Cons: What are the downsides of an outsourced controller? An outsourced controller is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Some potential downsides you may face include: 1. Fractional capacity This pro can also be a con. An outsourced controller will typically work with more than one client at a time. If you want someone who is focused entirely on your business in a full-time capacity, hiring internally makes more sense. 2. Systems or infrastructure challenges Outsourced controllers often work remotely and many proactively seek ways to bring your processes and workflows up to date. If your company doesn’t have the infrastructure to support remote work or updated systems, it will be harder for your new controller to make a real impact. 3. Could lack construction experience If you choose an outsourcing partner that lacks construction-specific knowledge and experience, your new controller may need significantly more time to learn how everything works. You’ll be better served by deliberately selecting for construction experience during your outsourcing search. Outsourced controller for construction vs. construction accounting team Construction accounting option Advantages Potential drawbacks Outsourced controller for construction Provides construction-specific financial leadership without the cost of a full-time controller. Offers flexible outsourced controller services that can scale with the firm’s needs. Strengthens WIP reporting, job cost analysis, cash flow management and internal controls. Usually works on a fractional basis and may support multiple clients. Requires reliable remote access, accounting systems and communication. Results depend on choosing a provider with construction industry experience. In-house construction accounting team Provides dedicated, full-time support for construction accounting and daily financial operations. Builds on deep knowledge of the company’s projects, job costs, processes and culture. Offers immediate access for routine accounting and reporting needs. Increases payroll, benefits, recruiting and training costs. May not provide senior-level construction controller expertise or an outside perspective. Can be difficult to scale as project volume and financial needs change. Should you hire an outsourced controller or go in-house? If your existing financial capabilities need an upgrade, should you outsource a controller role or hire in-house? That typically depends on your specific business needs, including size, financial resources and strategic goals. 1. Business size and market position Business size is a critical factor. If your business is large enough to need full-time controller services, you may be better off hiring a full-time employee. But if you’re a smaller or medium-sized business, an outsourced controller gives you a resource to compete with larger firms in your market without taking on more headcount. 2. Financial resources Both outsourcing and internal hiring require a significant financial commitment. But one will typically make more financial sense than the other. Assess how much controller support your business needs (you may want to consult with an advisor on this) and do a cost-benefit analysis of hiring versus outsourcing for the role. Read more Why construction firms need to get real about cybersecurity How outsourced controllers can help you scale your business It’s time for construction firms to upskill their teams
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5 practical process improvements for financial institutions
As financial institutions seek to adapt to today’s ever more competitive business climate , leaders are looking for new ways to operate more efficiently. But could the key to doing this successfully be simpler than you think? For many institutions, the answer is yes. While some may benefit from new systems, better analytics or AI , there are often lower-hanging fruit available, like simple, practical process improvements that deliver meaningful improvements in efficiency while cutting costs. Keep reading to learn the top process improvements that could help your team operate more effectively. Too many financial institutions are still missing out on efficiencies Financial institutions are often slow to embrace change. This makes sense for a heavily regulated industry, but it also means many institutions are still operating like the 1970s — and missing out on practical opportunities to work faster and more effectively. For example, many institutions are still using pen, paper and calculator tape to prepare call reports or reconcile accounts. These institutions often don’t even use basic software like Excel, let alone the more advanced features that may be available within their core systems. If your institution operates this way, you might still need 25 hours to prepare a call report, while your more up-to-date competitors can do it in 5 or 6 hours. These kinds of operational inefficiencies add up, costing your institution time and money. However, there are practical steps you can take to change that. Five practical action steps for financial institutions to operate more efficiently Improving your financial institution’s processes doesn’t have to mean upgrading to expensive new systems. Try these targeted, practical adjustments (some of which are free to implement) to operate more efficiently, save people-hours and stop wasting resources. 1. Embrace a mindset shift For many years, “because we’ve always done it this way” was a good enough reason to keep a process in place. Changing that starts with a mindset shift that encourages your team members to question existing processes and look for more efficient ways to operate. For starters, simply ask why existing processes are the way they are. There may be a good reason, but you could also quickly discover processes that are ripe for innovation. Identify and act on those opportunities when they come up. As your team gets more comfortable thinking this way, you’ll uncover more of them. 2. Print to PDF rather than a hard copy If a report needs to be signed, many financial institutions continue to print a hard copy, gather signatures and then scan that report back into their systems. Making the switch to printing to PDF and getting electronic signatures instead is faster, less prone to getting lost in the shuffle and will save your institution a lot of money on paper over time. 3. Use Excel rather than calculator tape Another quick win: moving from adding machines and calculator tape to Excel. Most other industries made this jump decades ago, but many financial institutions have continued to do things the old-fashioned way. This is a low-cost transition that makes a big impact. If your team gets comfortable with Excel (for example, learning how to use formulas), this can dramatically speed up work around reporting while also making it easier to catch errors. 4. Make better use of your core systems Every financial institution runs on a handful of core systems. But many institutions don’t take advantage of all the features these systems offer, including those that can improve operational efficiency. Ask your core provider to help you learn more about your core systems’ full capabilities. Do they include a built-in auto-reconciliation feature, for example? Can you sign off on reports within the system? Also, explore whether there are any add-on features available that would be worth investing in. Core providers are working hard to remain relevant during the AI era and may have new feature offerings that you don’t know about, but which could help your team work faster and more effectively. 5. Leverage outsourcing For institutions looking to operate more efficiently, outsourcing can often help — but not necessarily in the way you might expect. The most effective use of outsourcing here is often as a coach — for example, an outsourced CFO who comes to support your full-time CFO specifically by looking for process improvements, implementing more efficient processes and then exiting stage left. Outsourcing can also be a crucial tool to spread institutional knowledge. Within many financial institutions, crucial process knowledge is often closely held by a small number of senior employees who are at or near retirement age. An outsourced CFO can help transition that knowledge to younger team members, as well as cross-train your team so that critical skills are more widely distributed. Read more Fractional CXO: A growth engine for financial institutions A guide to succession planning for financial institutions A short guide to vCISOs for financial institutions
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Navigating changing Head Start compensation requirements
In 2024, the Supporting the Head Start Workforce and Consistent Quality Programming established new compensation requirements for Head Start programs. Two years later (2026), with a new administration in place, many of those rules appear on the verge of being overturned in a new notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM), Restoring Flexibility to Support Head Start Program Access , which rescinds many of those requirements and returns greater flexibility to local agencies. Despite the proposed rollback, the underlying workforce challenges that drove the original rule remain a major focus across the sector. Continue reading to learn what current rules could be going away and how your Head Start program should approach employee pay and benefits, regardless of the federal rules. Employee Compensation The 2024 Supporting the Head Start Workforce and Consistent Quality Programming rule introduced several significant workforce support provisions focused on employee compensation. Among other requirements, the rule directed larger programs to: Establish or update salary structures Work toward greater wage comparability with public school educators Ensure compensation was sufficient to support basic living costs within a program’s geographic area These changes reflected a broader federal recognition that workforce shortages, turnover and recruitment difficulties were affecting Head Start’s ability to deliver high-quality services. The proposed 2026 rule would remove many of these requirements, citing concerns that the rules are overly prescriptive, costly and beyond the scope of statutory requirements. If finalized, agencies would have greater flexibility to determine local compensation practices and priorities. While the future of these requirements remains uncertain, the workforce challenges that prompted the original rule have not disappeared. Across the sector, agencies continue to experience recruitment pressures, turnover concerns and ongoing competition for qualified talent. The conversation around compensation is likely to remain central to Head Start workforce planning regardless of whether the 2024 provisions ultimately remain in place, are modified or are rescinded. Employee Benefits In addition to compensation-related provisions, the 2024 rule introduced several requirements related to employee benefits. Programs were expected to provide or facilitate access to healthcare coverage, paid leave and behavioral health resources for eligible employees. Additional provisions encouraged agencies to connect staff with resources such as loan forgiveness programs, childcare assistance and other support services. The proposed 2026 NPRM would remove many of those specific benefits-related mandates. As with compensation, the stated goal is to restore local flexibility and reduce administrative and financial burdens on programs. Even as regulatory expectations evolve, the broader workforce conversation continues. Employee expectations regarding health benefits, paid time off, retirement programs and overall well-being support have changed significantly in recent years. The workforce concerns that influenced the 2024 rule remain active topics throughout the Head Start and Early Head Start community, particularly as agencies continue to navigate hiring challenges and competition for talent. Why Head Start compensation rules could already be changing The proposed rollback reflects a broader shift in federal policy priorities. The Administration for Children and Families has stated that the compensation and benefits provisions established in 2024 are costly, overly prescriptive and not fully aligned with the statutory language of the Head Start Act. The NPRM estimates that removing these requirements could save Head Start programs billions of dollars in future costs while providing agencies with greater flexibility to address local workforce needs. Whether the proposed changes are finalized remains to be seen. What is clear, however, is that workforce challenges continue to persist throughout the Head Start and Early Head Start community. And recent workforce data shared across the sector continues to highlight concerns related to vacancies, turnover, employee burnout and competition for talent. Whether future standards become more prescriptive or more flexible, agencies still need a stable workforce to deliver high-quality services to children and families. For this reason, agencies should consider building workforce strategies that can withstand changing regulatory environments. How should Head Start agencies proceed with a plan? Rather than viewing compensation and benefits solely through the lens of compliance, Head Start agencies should focus on how their workforce practices support the attraction, retention and engagement of qualified employees. Regardless of what happens to the 2024 provisions, agencies will continue to face competition for talent and the need to build a stable workforce capable of delivering high-quality services to children and families. Several workforce practices continue to represent sound strategies regardless of the regulatory environment: 1. Build a strong compensation foundation A well-designed salary structure provides the foundation for consistent, transparent and equitable compensation decisions. It establishes pay relationships across positions, creates clear salary ranges and helps agencies make compensation decisions that align with their compensation philosophy, budget realities and workforce needs. Just as importantly, salary structures should not be viewed as a one-time exercise. Labor markets continue to evolve, wage rates continue to increase and employee expectations continue to change. Agencies should regularly review and update their structures to help ensure they remain aligned with market conditions and organizational objectives. Agencies may also benefit from evaluating how their wages compare with both the labor market and the cost of living in their communities. While regulatory requirements may evolve, employees ultimately make employment decisions based on whether compensation is competitive and supports their economic needs. Understanding local wage pressures, labor market expectations and broader economic conditions can help agencies make more informed workforce decisions and strengthen their ability to attract and retain talent. Salary transparency is also becoming increasingly common and, in some jurisdictions, legally required. Clearly communicating pay ranges and compensation practices can help strengthen employee trust and support recruitment efforts. 2. Monitor the labor market broadly Public school districts remain an important comparison point, particularly for educational positions. However, many Head Start agencies compete for talent well beyond the education sector. Family support staff, transportation personnel, administrative professionals, fiscal staff, health services employees and agency leaders are often recruited by employers across nonprofit, government, healthcare, retail, hospitality and other industries. Understanding local labor market trends requires a broader perspective than school district comparisons alone. School district salary schedules can still provide valuable insights, but agencies should ensure they are making apples-to-apples comparisons. For example, when evaluating teacher compensation, it is important to understand not only annual salaries but also the number of contracted workdays and hours behind those salaries. Two districts with similar annual salaries may have significantly different hourly pay rates once work schedules are considered. In addition to school district data, agencies should consider reputable compensation surveys, nonprofit benchmarking resources and local labor market information. Looking across industries can provide a more complete picture of the competitive landscape and the talent market from which agencies are recruiting. 3. Prioritize pay equity and living wages Pay equity should remain a priority regardless of regulatory requirements. Consistent and transparent pay practices support employee trust, engagement and retention while helping agencies identify compensation issues before they become workforce challenges. Regular pay equity reviews can help organizations identify wage compression, unintended disparities and inconsistencies in compensation practices. These reviews can also provide valuable information when planning future compensation investments and salary structure updates. Agencies should also continue monitoring compensation relationships both internally and externally. Internal reviews help ensure compensation practices are applied consistently, while external benchmarking helps determine whether wages remain competitive within the broader labor market. The workforce challenges that helped drive the 2024 rule, including recruitment difficulties and employee turnover, continue to reinforce the importance of equitable and competitive compensation practices. 4. Evaluate total rewards, not just wages Compensation is only one component of an employee’s decision to join or remain with an organization. Benefits, paid leave, retirement offerings, professional development opportunities, well-being resources and workplace culture all contribute to an agency’s overall employment value proposition. As workforce expectations continue to evolve, agencies should periodically assess whether their benefits programs remain competitive and aligned with employee needs. Reviewing benefit offerings against local employers, neighboring school districts and comparable nonprofit organizations can provide valuable insights into potential opportunities for enhancement. Programs should consider the full employee experience when evaluating workforce strategies. In some situations, improvements to benefits, leave programs, professional development opportunities or wellness resources may have a meaningful impact on attraction and retention without requiring the same long-term financial commitment as significant wage increases. A strong total rewards strategy helps employees understand and appreciate the full value of working for the organization, not just the paycheck they receive. 5. Make workforce decisions using reliable data Compensation and benefits decisions are often among the most significant investments an agency makes. Reliable market data can help organizations make informed decisions, prioritize limited resources and identify workforce risks before they affect service delivery. Agencies that regularly benchmark compensation and benefits, monitor turnover trends, evaluate employee feedback and assess market competitiveness are often better positioned to make proactive workforce decisions. Data-driven planning can also help leadership teams and boards navigate shifting regulatory expectations while maintaining focus on long-term workforce sustainability. Ultimately, regulations may change, but the need to attract and retain qualified employees remains constant. Agencies that proactively evaluate compensation, benefits, market competitiveness and pay equity will be better positioned to support their workforce and continue delivering high-quality services to children and families. Use market data responsibly As agencies evaluate the competitiveness of compensation and benefits, it is important to use appropriate market data sources and benchmarking methods. While comparing compensation and benefits information with neighboring agencies, school districts, preschools and other employers can provide valuable workforce insights, organizations should avoid coordinating compensation decisions or sharing future pay plans with competitors. Discussions that move beyond publicly available information and into current or future compensation strategies may create antitrust concerns. Instead, agencies should rely on publicly available salary schedules, published compensation surveys, third-party benchmarking studies and independent market analyses when evaluating compensation competitiveness. Using objective market data helps agencies make informed workforce decisions while maintaining appropriate independence in compensation planning. Learn more Leveraging technology to enhance data value for Head Start programs Webinar: Head Start compensation and benefits Webinar: Find out how one Head Start leader turned smarter analytics into organizational wins
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