Zetica

Zetica is the UK’s leading provider of engineering and environmental geophysics, specialising in non-intrusive site investigations and rail infrastructure assessments. With over 30 years of industry experience, the business has grown into a team of more than 110 professionals, delivering high-value insights to clients across the UK and internationally.

From rail networks to brownfield sites, Zetica’s projects generate complex layers of field data, cost inputs, project timelines and reporting requirements. Their operations span multiple revenue-generating departments, each with its own technical demands but unified by the need for data accuracy, financial clarity and detailed project oversight.

As a growing, project-led business, Zetica needed a finance system that could match their operational complexity, scale with their ambitions and offer precise visibility into performance across departments.

The Challenge: Complex Projects, Limited Visibility

As Zetica continued to scale, its operations became increasingly complex. Each department helps deliver highly technical projects, each with unique timelines, cost structures and deliverables. But the finance system they relied on was designed for basic accounting, not the nuanced, granular demands of project-based work.

Despite the expertise of their team, Zetica’s system limitations created bottlenecks that held them back from gaining full control of their business performance.

They faced many of the challenges familiar to growing project-led businesses: inconsistent reporting across departments made it difficult to compare performance or gain a unified financial view, job-level costs were hard to track, limiting visibility into profitability and rigid data structures forced the business to work around the system rather than with it.

“We needed a system that could handle real project accounting - that was absolutely the crux for us.”

– Mandy Eriksen, Financial Director, Zetica

The Solution: Tailored Implementation with Dynamics 365 Business Central

Recognising the need for more than a one-size-fits-all software rollout, Zetica partnered with The HBP Group to implement Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. But this wasn’t just about switching systems, it was about building a finance platform that aligned with how Zetica actually worked, not how software assumed it should.

Key Implementation Features:

• Project-Centric Setup

Zetica’s projects are the heartbeat of its operations. So, Business Central was configured to mirror this reality. Each project was set up using consistent templates for task lines, budget structures and cost categories.

• Custom Chart of Accounts by Project

Instead of forcing Zetica to conform to rigid financial structures, The HBP Group helped design a chart of accounts that gave the finance team the control and clarity they needed, unlocking multidimensional insight with ease.

• Enhanced Data Visibility

Exporting directly to Excel using the integration meant the finance team could easily create their own reports, track trends, interrogate the numbers with confidence and adjust quickly.

• Accurate Reporting for Smarter Decisions

Zetica’s leadership can now report on performance, spot inflation impacts and make better-informed decisions. Reporting provides real-time visibility into project and departmental performance, enabling faster analysis, clearer trend identification and more strategic planning.

The Impact: Empowered Teams and Smarter Operations

Since going live with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, Zetica has experienced a tangible shift in how it manages, monitors and moves its business forward. The new system didn’t just replace their old one, it has empowered them, so now their teams can think, plan and make decisions.

This transformation has touched every layer of the organisation - from project managers in the field to the finance team and boardroom leadership.

• Significant Reporting Improvements

Where reporting was once inconsistent and reactive, it is now structured, automated and instantly accessible. This has freed up valuable time across the business and allowed leaders to respond quickly to emerging trends, rather than waiting for retrospective data.

• True Project Accounting

Zetica can now budget, monitor and evaluate every project with precision. Whether it's rail surveys or environmental investigations, each job is tracked against its own real costs, timelines and deliverables. This has unlocked a new level of granular cost control, helping identify margin erosion before it becomes an issue and providing a basis for profitability analysis across service lines.

• Confidence in the Numbers

For the first time, the business has complete visibility of its performance, enabling it to understand the financial story behind every department and service line. Conversations have shifted from data reconciliation to data interpretation. There’s confidence not just in the reports, but in the decisions that follow.

• Built for the Way They Work

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central wasn’t just implemented, it was shaped around Zetica’s unique operational needs, making it a valuable foundation for future growth. With scalable infrastructure and adaptable workflows, the business is now better positioned to grow and continue innovating, without outgrowing their tools again.

Conclusion: Ready for What’s Next

By implementing Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central with The HBP Group, Zetica has moved from system limitations to strategic clarity. With enhanced reporting, real-time insight and a system structured to fit their business model, they now have the tools to operate with agility, confidence and control.