CASE STUDY

Reducing Risk and Rework Through Accounting Platform Implementation

CLIENT’s Challenge

Our client, a global designer, marketer, and distributor of home appliances and restaurant equipment, was troubled by a legacy accounting software that resulted in:

• Long, manual, and inconsistent month-end close processes including month-end checklists, account reconciliations, and SOX controls
• Limited enterprise-wide view of status of month-end close processes; no centralized way to validate when all procedures were completed;

To overcome these challenges with legacy software, the accounting and finance department decided to implement BlackLine’s Modern Accounting Package (MAP) Solutions Package, and required an experienced resource to assist with the implementation

OUR APPROACH

• Serve as a dedicated project manager to support implementation of tool
• Conduct bi-weekly status meetings to align expectations, discuss challenges / roadblocks, and maintain momentum
• Develop prioritized project plan to streamline tool implementation in phases to minimize operations disruption
• Coordinate between accounting/finance, IT, internal audit, and other stakeholders to identify business use cases and configure the tool appropriately
• Identify and document key SOX controls including tool administration, data controls and governance, roles and responsibilities
• Conduct training with 20+ stakeholders from finance, accounting, IT, internal audit, compliance, etc. to ensure adoption of the tool

skills & tech leveraged

BackLine Accounting Automation Software, Epicor (ERP), AS/400 (ERP)

THE RESULTS

• Successfully configured a tool to standardize and centralize month-end close processes
• Enhanced visibility around status of account reconciliations, month-end close procedures, and SOX controls
• Reduced period-end close time by streamlining existing processes within the tool