Stories where everything could have gone wrong, but went right.
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Case 1: how we helped a commercial real estate owner regain peace of mind through document consolidation
Situation:
An international holding with hundreds of commercial real estate units faced a common growth challenge: documents, agreements, and data were scattered across different systems and teams, with no standardized approach.
Due to the absence of a unified system, the employees spent weeks searching for the required data. Tenant issues, operational risks, and missed deadlines were only addressed after the damage was done.
Our actions:
We joined the owner’s project team and audited asset and document management processes.
Based on the audit findings, we developed a centralized digital platform with a clear data structure, unified document naming and classification standards.
In three months, we digitized and classified over 5,000 archive documents.
We developed unified data access and update logic, with version control and full transparency of every object.
Result:
The document search time was reduced from 5 days to 5 minutes.
The speed of report preparation for the owner increased by 80%.
A risk management panel was established, which contributed to a 25% drop in accidents in six months.
Management decisions now take hours instead of weeks.
The company acquired a unified, transparent, and scalable digital asset management tool.
Case 2: how we brought procurement and contract management under control to improve speed, transparency, and safety
Situation:
An international holding with a large commercial real estate portfolio struggled with inefficient procurement and contractual processes. Departments operated independently, using their own templates and Excel registers, without transparency. Agreement approval took 6-8 weeks, and procurements frequently lacked proper legal documentation. The management lacked an overall understanding of current obligations, risks, and transaction status. This resulted in project delays, unauthorized expenses and duplication of procurements.
Our actions:
We audited seven functional divisions (operations, development, maintenance, IT, marketing, procurements, lawyers) and established standardized end-to-end procurement and contract management procedures, from application to execution.
We designed the business process architecture, implemented a digital approval workflow, integrated legal and procurement functions into a single system.
We developed templates and checklists, standardized contractor verification and legal assessment processes, defined roles and responsibilities.
We trained more than 900 employees and deployed a procurement and agreement control system for the management.
Result:
The agreement approval time was reduced from 40-60 days to 5-7 days.
The number of mistakes and document returns dropped by 60%.
The speed of preparation and approval of procurement documents improved by 70%.
The level of adherence to compliance policies increased to 98%.
The management gained a consolidated real-time overview of all obligations, and the risk of unapproved expenditures was reduced by more than 50%.
The legal and procurement functions were synchronized to ensure transparency, speed and process controllability across all holding units.
Case 3: how we designed an authorization and limits framework to accelerate decision-making fivefold
Situation:
Document approval and execution processes at a large development company were centralized: each decision required approval at the head office level, resulting in delays in decision-making and performance of contractual obligations, including at payment processing, agreement execution, and project launch.
Managers of regional units lacked clearly defined authorities and limits, causing local operations to stall and employees to spend up to 60% of their time on internal approvals.
The company required a system to speed up local decision-making while maintaining control and governance at the head office level.
Our actions:
We audited management authorities and approval processes at all departments; based on the obtained data, we:
1. developed an authorization matrix for all roles, from operational to top managers;
2. introduced financial limits and approval levels for various document categories and amounts (procurements, agreements, payments, change of terms, etc.);
3. deployed a digital routing system: a document is automatically sent for approval to the proper employee level depending on the transaction amount and category;
4. designed a management authority register synchronized with HR changes and updated in real time;
5. trained employees to work with the new model and integrated the system into the electronic document management process.
Result:
The average document approval and execution time was reduced from 10-15 days to 2-3 days.
80% of operational decisions are now handled at the unit level without head office involvement, with no compromise in quality.
The central office retained full control through the management limit panel and approval register.
Case 4: how we designed a personal data management system and reduced the risk of fines to zero
Situation:
A trading and service company with an active customer base and hundreds of employees processed personal data of buyers, employees, contractors, and website users on a daily basis.
However, the core obligations of a personal data operator were neglected: data collection, storage, and protection processes were not formalized, personal data were stored across multiple systems, consents were not obtained regularly, and there was no control over employee access. The company failed to maintain a register of data processing activities, did not appoint a data protection officer, and had no internal regulations in line with legal requirements.
This created a high risk of fines (at least 300,000 rubles per violation) and reputational risks in dealings with banks and contractors.
Our actions:
We audited the data processing system from HR processes and CRM to agreements with customers and contractors. Based on the audit, we:
1. developed a complete set of local regulations: Personal Data Processing Policy, Security Regulation, ISPD register, data access and storage procedure;
2. introduced a consent register and an incident log to gain control over data processing;
3. appointed a data protection officer, approved his functions and instruction;
4. updated agreements with contractors to include specific provisions on data transfer and assignment of processing;
5. trained employees of key units (HR, marketing, IT, sales) on the fundamentals of data protection and responsible handling of personal data;
6. prepared the company for potential audit by the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology, and Mass Media.
Result:
A legally compliant personal data processing system was established. All personal data-related processes became transparent and controllable, from consent obtainment to data deletion. Risks of fines and resource blocking were reduced to a minimum.
The time for preparation of responses to requests from contractors and inspection authorities decreased from days to hours.
The trust of partners and banks in the company increased, the company gained a reputation of a reliable and responsible data processor.
Case 5: how we transformed the corporate structure from 15 companies to 7, achieving greater control, transparency, and 25% cost savings
Situation:
A large diversified group of companies holding more than 350 commercial real estate units across the country was developing organically and had no unified asset ownership structure.
Its portfolio consisted of over 15 legal entities established at different times for various business areas, projects, and regions. Over time, the structure grew cumbersome and unmanageable:
- assets and obligations were distributed chaotically;
- some legal entities performed duplicate functions, while others were inactive;
- intra-group transactions became complicated due to overlapping ownership and control;
- there was no transparency for banks, investors, or tax authorities.
This increased operational expenses, reduced controllability, and created legal and tax risks related to asset ownership and transfer.
Our actions:
We conducted a comprehensive audit of the corporate structure and the real estate portfolio, including:
- analysis of titles to real estate units, leases, pledges, and encumbrances;
- inventory of all legal entities, their functions, authorized capital, and links;
- assessment of tax consequences of potential reorganization forms.
Result:
The number of legal entities was reduced from 15 to 7, the group maintained control over all assets.
The real estate portfolio was structured by regions and function, which accelerated management processes by 40% and reduced costs.
Administrative expenses on accountancy, audit, and support were decreased by 25%.
Legal and tax risks were lowered, interaction with banks and investors became easier.
We formed a transparent and scalable corporate structure ready for attraction of financing or partial asset sale.
Management reporting is now prepared on a unified basis, ensuring full control over ownership and use of each unit.
Case 6: how we helped cut the agreement conclusion time threefold by developing and implementing a system of 30 document templates
Situation:
A production company with an advanced system of suppliers, labor contracts, and service agreements was issuing dozens of documents daily, ranging from procurement-related documents to service agreements.
Each unit used its own templates, texts, and wordings.
This resulted in inconsistent terms, extended approval timelines, and an increase in legal exposure.
Preparation and approval of a single agreement took an average of 10-15 business days, with lawyers spending significant time on repetitive routine tasks and error correction.
Our actions:
We reviewed all standard company transactions and agreed on the main terms with the sales, procurement, finance, and legal functions.
We used this information to create a library of more than 30 document templates, including:
- supply, contractor, service, lease agreements, NDAs, etc.;
- annexes, specifications, certificates, and supplementary agreements;
- templates of letters, notices, and statements of disagreements.
Each template was cross-checked and legally approved to ensure standardized risk provisions and appropriate distribution of liability.
Some templates were automated with pre-filled key fields and built-in guidance to enable employees without legal training to prepare documents quickly.
We also developed a user manual and a template update system for in-house lawyers.
Result:
Preparation and approval of standard agreements became three times faster (from 10-15 to 3-5 business days).
The number of legal mistakes dropped by 70%.
All company units adopted standardized, approved templates.
The legal department freed up to 40% of working hours to focus on project and strategic tasks.
The number of approvals “from scratch” was reduced, up to 80% of all documents are now based on ready-to-use templates.
The company gained a sustainable document management system, where efficiency is achieved without sacrificing quality.
Case 7. How we launched an IT company from scratch: designed a robust legal architecture and protected the business from day one
Situation:
A team of IT entrepreneurs created an online platform for digital services.
Initially, there was no legal structure, documentation, or systemic processes: the founders’ roles were undefined, rights to the software code were not formalized, and relationships with contractors and users were not regulated.
The company needed a legal foundation: a safe and transparent operational model to work with customers, investors, and employees with no risk of blocking, disputes, or tax claims.
Our actions:
We supported the project from registration of the legal entity to product launch, developed a comprehensive legal architecture:
- determined the optimal form and structure of ownership, defined the founders’ roles, and designed exit and interest protection mechanisms;
- prepared articles of association, corporate agreement, and resolutions of management bodies;
- developed a contractual model for key areas: IT development, licenses, confidentiality, data processing, and intellectual property;
- created a complete set of legal documents for the website and users: offer, personal data processing policy, user agreement, cookie policy, NDA;
- registered rights to the software code and visual elements, ensuring legal protection of intellectual property;
- developed a compliance model for the first year: regulations, access control, reporting, procedure to govern relations with freelancers and customers.
Result:
The legal entity was established with a transparent ownership structure and clear rules for the founders.
All major risks at the outset (personal data, copyright, taxes and labor relations) were reduced to a minimum.
The company received a full set of agreements and internal documents required for lawful operation of the IT platform.
The rights to the software code and brand belong to the company, establishing a solid foundation for attracting investment.
Company operations became safe and controllable: the first agreements with customers were entered into within the first three months from registration.
Case 8: how we took full control of the real estate sale from coordinating DD to obtaining the approval from the Government Commission on Monitoring Foreign Investment in Russia and closing the M&A deal
Situation:
A foreign owner decided to sell available land assets in Russia. A large number of niche consultants were involved in the exit process. The project suffered from poor synchronization and delays.
Our actions:
As a project manager, we assumed control over the entire project, defined roles of each process member, and implemented a coordination system tailored to the owner. All required project documents were prepared under the supervision of our team.
Result:
The asset sale deal was closed within three months.
Case 9: how we developed a reporting system for the owner of a commercial real estate company by reducing the data preparation time
Situation:
The owner of a large commercial real estate portfolio was receiving fragmented reports from various departments (lease, finance, maintenance). The information was inconsistent, lacked a unified format, and required up to five business days to prepare manually in Excel. As a result, it was impossible to quickly assess the real financial condition of assets, perform a plan-fact analysis, or adopt strategic decisions regarding investments or sales. The owner was operating in the dark.
Our actions:
We audited all data sources and the owner’s need for information.
1. We developed a unified KPI (key performance indicator) system for the entire portfolio: return per square meter, vacancy ratio, maintenance cost, etc.
2. We implemented a hierarchical reporting system: an operational report for managers (daily), a tactical report for directors (weekly), and a strategic dashboard for the owner (online access).
3. We implemented a critical deviation alert system (e.g., lease revenue falling below plan or growth in unplanned expenses).
Result:
- The time for preparation of a monthly reporting package for the owner was reduced from 5 days to 2 hours.
- The owner obtained an up-to-date overview of the entire business on a single screen at any time.
- Management decisions (e.g., about unit reconstruction or lease strategy change) are now adopted based on precise data rather than intuition.
- Transparency and accountability across teams increased once all department metrics were consolidated and visible in a unified system.