Real-World Transformation Strategies: Customer-Led Sessions at BeyondTheBlack

One of the most valuable opportunities for finance and accounting (F&A) professionals to stay ahead is by attending BeyondTheBlack, BlackLine’s premier event dedicated to finance operations transformation. Our flagship conference serves as a hub for learning, innovation, and connection, spotlighting real-world success stories that empower attendees to implement practical change within their organizations.

Transforming finance operations is a must for maintaining competitiveness and building the foundation for sustained success. Organizations need to adapt to a modern landscape defined by complexity, technological innovations, and an increased demand for efficiency and transparency.

Every year, we have a lineup of incredible customer-led sessions, where professionals share actionable insights on leveraging technology, optimizing processes, and fostering innovation across the Office of the CFO.

Customer voices are powerful—and they’re proof that amazing transformation can happen!

Customer-led sessions are an impactful part of BeyondTheBlack because they bring authenticity, credibility, and real-world perspective to the conversation. These sessions showcase genuine experiences including what worked, what didn’t, and how your peers in the F&A world are solving challenges. Take advantage of the opportunity to gain practical insights grounded in reality.

These sessions also help build community. They validate that you may be facing similar hurdles, and maybe you’ll get inspired with new ideas through shared success. It’s a unique opportunity to learn, connect, and leave with actionable takeaways.

This year’s agenda is filled with practical and inspiring sessions that focus on significant transformation journeys. Here are just a few you’ll have the chance to attend when you register for BeyondTheBlack!

Shifting Gears at LAZ Parking: From Manual to Modern
LAZ Parking’s story is one of total operational overhaul. Transitioning from manual systems without reconciliations or compliance processes, the company embraced transparency, automation, and control.

During this session, you’ll hear how LAZ Parking:

• Deconstructed the transformation process across people, processes, technology, and culture

• Started from zero and built effective controls and compliance measures

• Used automation as a foundation for scalable and sustainable growth

This session will illustrate how F&A leaders can overcome challenges of transformation, even when starting from a baseline of zero structure.

Boosting Bandwidth: Mediacom’s Process Optimization Journey
Mediacom has redefined its operational bandwidth by leveraging automation. From implementing efficiencies within processes like prepaid expenses and journal entries to handling utility pole management, this session focuses on scaling automation to unlock team creativity.

Discover how Mediacom:

• Identified opportunities for process optimization

• Implemented automation with speed and precision

• Inspired creativity within finance teams to fuel continued innovation

Attendees will learn how Mediacom’s targeted efforts produced immediate efficiency gains and positioned them for long-term success.

Hershey’s Sweet Success with BlackLine
Hershey’s transformation story revolves around their strategic use of BlackLine within their extensive modernization efforts, including preparation for an SAP S/4 HANA upgrade. This session brings a compelling look at the strategic and technical shifts necessary for sustained evolution.

Learn how Hershey:

• Discovered why automating key processes before large system upgrades is critical

• Managed complex transformation projects from end-to-end

• Pivoted from journal approvals to journal creation

Session attendees will leave with a better understanding of how to balance large-scale system changes with ongoing operational improvements.

The Home Depot: Building a BlackLine COE and Training Strategy
Discover how The Home Depot is driving BlackLine adoption with a structured, role-based BlackLine University training program and a Center of Excellence focused on long-term transformation. Learn how their approach ensures accountability, supports daily operations, and enables continuous innovation.

In this session, you’ll learn how to:

• Build role-based training programs using BlackLine University

• Promote training compliance to strengthen platform adoption

• Structure a Center of Excellence to support scale and continuous innovation

Throughout these sessions, one theme emerges consistently: finance transformation is multi-dimensional. Success lies in addressing challenges holistically, from structuring better processes to investing in the right technology.

Here are some strategies you’ll uncover at BeyondTheBlack:

Leverage Technology Thoughtfully
Automation and unified platforms like BlackLine enable visibility, efficiency, and control. Identify core pain points in your processes and develop scalable solutions.

Adopt a People-Centric Approach
Transformation isn’t just about tools and systems. Culture and team alignment play pivotal roles in sustainable success.

Start Small, Think Big
Incremental advancements, whether streamlining reconciliations or automating journal entries, can have an outsized impact over time.

BeyondTheBlack provides exclusive insights that F&A professionals can directly apply to achieve breakthroughs.

Finance transformation requires bold thinking, innovative tools, and proven strategies. BeyondTheBlack offers all of this at one premier event, making it a great opportunity for professionals looking to drive meaningful change at their organizations.

Sessions like these, led by Home Depot, LAZ Parking, Mediacom, Hershey, and many more, provide actionable insights straight from your peers, equipping you with insights to overcome organizational challenges.

Register for BeyondTheBlack now and take a step toward elevating your organization’s finance operations. Secure your spot today (last year’s event sold out!), and prepare to connect, collaborate, and transform.