Global BlackLine implementation blueprint
Project overview and objectives
When an oil and gas company engaged our team to blueprint a global BlackLine implementation, they were facing a few challenges:
- Lacking standard global processes for journal entry submissions, account reconciliations, and month end close procedures
- Disparate, heavily customized ERP landscape with in-house solutions built for close activities
- Using Excel VBA scripting tools that they created to mitigate poor processes, but weren’t entirely effective
What we did
We started by identifying the main drivers of inefficiency, which meant interviewing over 500 employees, aligning on key policies and controls, and evaluating current state and end-to-end close processes across leading practice. From there, we:
- Developed a future state process design for journal entries, accounts requiring transactional analysis, and period end reconciliations enabled by BlackLine based on the 300+ business requirements gathered during initial analysis
- Created a roadmap and recommendations for global transformation and implementation of BlackLine’s core modules—Account Reconciliation, Task Management, Transaction Matching, and Journal Entry
- Obtained executive sponsorship to implement strategic initiatives to standardize processes, redefine policies, modernize system landscape, and automate month end close activities
Impact
We created a roadmap that included:
- A documented timeline and strategy for a global BlackLine implementation across 15+ workstreams
- An aligned approach of Global BlackLine ICH implementation to identify key dependencies and synergies
- A united, cross-functional project team dedicated to uncovering quick wins and transformational initiatives
When you’re ready to align on a transformation roadmap for BlackLine, we’re here. Learn more.