Built from Real Budget Challenges
Back in 2018, we started because departmental budget planning was genuinely broken. Teams couldn't talk to each other. Finance departments spent weeks compiling spreadsheets that were outdated before they were finished.
We're a small consulting group based in Taichung that focuses specifically on departmental budgeting. Not flashy enterprise software. Not complicated financial products. Just practical systems that help department heads and finance teams work together better.
How We Got Here
These aren't carefully planned milestones. They're moments when we figured something out that actually helped our clients.
Started with Manufacturing
Our founder spent three years in manufacturing finance and kept seeing the same problem. Department managers would request budgets. Finance would reject them. Nobody talked. Projects stalled.
So we built a simple framework for department-level budget conversations. That first client saved about four weeks per budget cycle just by getting people in the same room with better data.
Pandemic Forced Real Change
When everything went remote, traditional budget meetings collapsed completely. We had to adapt fast. Video calls with shared spreadsheets weren't cutting it.
We developed what we now call our collaborative budget workshops. They're structured but flexible enough for remote teams. By mid-2021, we were running these for seven different organizations across Taiwan.
Expanded Beyond Manufacturing
A healthcare administrator reached out after hearing about our work. Hospitals have incredibly complex departmental budgets. Different funding sources. Regulatory requirements. Equipment depreciation schedules.
We learned that our methods worked across industries because budget communication problems are pretty universal. Department heads need to justify requests. Finance teams need transparency. Everyone benefits from clearer processes.
Current Focus
Right now we're working with about fifteen organizations. Some are long-term clients we've supported for years. Others are new partnerships where we're still figuring out what works best for their specific situation.
We're particularly interested in helping mid-sized companies that have grown past simple budgeting but aren't ready for massive enterprise systems. That's where we seem to add the most value.
Meet the Team
Roland Chen
Lead Budget Consultant
Roland started in corporate finance at a manufacturing company in Taichung back in 2015. He spent most of his time translating between department managers who needed equipment and executives who needed profitability.
After five years of that, he decided there had to be a better approach. So he left and started consulting independently, eventually building what became SmartConnect IntelliEnergy.
Current Focus
These days, Roland spends most of his time designing budget processes for specific organizations. He also runs our departmental budget workshops, which happen quarterly for several recurring clients. Outside work, he's usually hiking or trying new coffee shops around Taichung.
What Guides Our Work
We don't have fancy mission statements printed on office walls. But there are a few things we consistently care about when working with clients.
Realistic About Limits
Budget consulting can't fix everything. If your organization has fundamental structural issues or conflicting strategic priorities, better budget processes will only help so much. We're honest about what we can and can't address.
Department-Level Focus
We work specifically at the department level because that's where most budget conflicts actually happen. Strategic planning is important, but if department heads can't effectively request and justify their budgets, strategy doesn't matter much.
Long-Term Relationships
Budget processes improve gradually over multiple cycles. We prefer working with clients over several years rather than one-off projects. That way we can adjust our approach based on what actually works for their specific situation.
Want to Talk About Your Budget Process?
We typically start with a conversation about your current situation. No sales pitch. Just an honest discussion about whether our approach might help.
Get in Touch