How DDST Group Gained Financial Control And Bought Back Time With Toolza

90% time reduction on payment processing

"Bookkeeping tells you the score after the game. Management accounting lets you change the play while it's happening."

— Pavlo Kovalenko, CFO at DDST Group

Pavlo Kovalenko
CFO at DDST Group

About DDST Group

DDST Group operates in the affiliate marketing sector, managing 3 operational projects with ~1,500 monthly transactions handled by a five-person finance team. CFO Pavlo Kovalenko leads the financial operations for the growing organization, focusing on transforming reactive financial management into proactive strategic control.

The Challenge

When Pavlo assessed DDST Group's financial operations, the company relied on manual Excel-based processes that created significant bottlenecks.

The manual process was slow, risky, and consumed valuable strategic time:

Payment processing for 10-15 people took 4-5 hours per batch
Multiple team members working in the same spreadsheets increased error risk
Previous tools didn't provide the same consolidated, operational view
Manual reporting consumed the CFO's time that should have been spent on strategic decisions
Crypto and fiat assets tracked in separate systems
No invoice administration or approval workflows

As Pavlo put it:

"Everything done manually carries risk. When I see an Excel spreadsheet, I know there can be errors."

Why Toolza

Pavlo needed an integrated management accounting system that could handle both crypto and fiat assets while providing real-time financial control. Toolza delivered exactly that combination:

Integrated crypto + fiat management

finally, both asset types in one platform

Real-time P&L, balance sheet, and cash flow

complete financial picture at a glance

Invoices are centralized

all invoices stored and visible in one system

Batch processing capabilities

registry-based transaction handling

All tools in one place

no switching between systems to see merchant documents or account balances

Implementation

The transition required commitment:

Timeline:

1-2 weeks for full directory setup (partners, personnel)

Team involvement:

Finance team participated in system customization

Short-term challenge:

Parallel operation of old and new systems during migration

Learning curve:

New interface required each team member to adapt

He also realized that the process requires patience since moving the entire team to a new system would mean having parallel systems, learning curves, and short-term stress. But he was sure the end result would be worth it.

Results

By implementing Toolza, DDST Group transformed from reactive bookkeeping to proactive financial management:

Quantifiable Impact

90%

Payment processing time: 4-5 hours → 30 minutes

~1,500

Monthly transactions now managed efficiently

Real-time reporting replaced end-of-period-only visibility

Eliminated manual errors through automated workflows

Strategic Transformation:

CFO time shifted from operational tasks to strategic thinking

Real-time financial visibility enables proactive course correction

"Sense of control" — ability to see complete resources and obligations picture

Cash flow forecasting provides confidence in meeting payment obligations

"For the first time in life, you can buy time. It's about the quality of life."

— Pavlo Kovalenko, CFO at DDST Group

With Toolza, DDST Group can now:

See declining profits mid-month and take corrective action

Forecast cash flow with confidence

Make data-driven decisions before month-end, not after

Focus on where to put the next marginal dollar, not just documenting the last one