Rahul Bhatia

Talk Title:

DFRA: A Reference Architecture for Digital Finance

Abstract:

DFRA: A Reference Architecture for Digital Finance

Most finance transformations fail before the first line of configuration is written. They fail at the architecture stage — because there is no architecture stage. Organizations move from strategy deck to system build with nothing in between, and the ERP vendor's template quietly becomes the target operating model by default.

This talk introduces DFRA™, the Digital Finance Reference Architecture: a UK-registered framework built from two decades of delivering large-scale SAP finance transformations across public and private sectors. DFRA gives practitioners a structured reference layer between finance strategy and technology implementation — a way to assess digital finance maturity, define the target architecture, and sequence the roadmap before committing to a build.

Drawing on real programme experience, the session covers what a reference architecture for finance actually contains, how DFRA is applied on live engagements from maturity assessment through steering-level roadmaps, and where AI-enabled capabilities fit within a governed architecture rather than around it.

Profile:

Rahul Bhatia is a Solution Director and SAP S/4HANA Cloud Solutions Architect at HCLTech, with over 20 years of experience in enterprise finance transformation. He has delivered large-scale SAP programmes across the UK public sector — including Manchester City Council and the City of London Corporation — alongside global private sector clients, with deep expertise in FI/CO, S/4HANA Public Cloud, Central Finance, and PSM. He is the creator of two UK-registered trademarked frameworks, DFRA™ (Digital Finance Reference Architecture) and FAST™, an IEEE Senior Member, and a member of the Forbes Technology Council.