Isaac Brown, Finance Transformation Lead at Lion—the second-largest beverage manufacturer in Australia—embarked on a mission to modernize the accounting practices at Lion and position the company as a leader in the industry.

Upon joining Lion, Isaac had no prior experience with BlackLine and needed to rapidly enhance his skills to effectively perform his role. His challenge was to streamline and improve the reconciliation process across various stakeholders including preparers, approvers, and system administrators.

Isaac's journey began with his introduction to the BlackLine Community, a comprehensive resource hub. What impressed him most was its end-to-end approach, offering resources for every stage of the BlackLine process.

Additionally, the visibility into the reconciliation process provided by BlackLine was a game-changer. Centralizing information on legal entities and general ledger accounts allowed Isaac to gain a comprehensive overview of the business.

Focus on Quality Outputs and Governance Compliance. By implementing the right reconciliation templates and certification thresholds, Lion saw a marked improvement in certification rates and the quality of reconciliations, particularly in prepayments and accruals.

Efficiency Gains and Return on Investment. The transformation journey at Lion proved to be an organic progression. With existing investments in systems like SAP, the focus was on realizing the full potential of those investments. Efficiency gains were notable, with preparers having more time at their disposal and decision-makers receiving better data for ledger analysis.

Introducing Transaction Matching. A critical next step of Lion’s transformation is the introduction of Transaction Matching, which addresses a significant pain point for various departments within the business.

The Role of a BlackLine Champion. Isaac emphasized the importance of having a dedicated champion within the organization. This person acts as a bridge between the business and the BlackLine solution, offering valuable insights and facilitating open discussions. This approach led to more effective problem-solving and shared learning experiences.