Resources for Adapting to a Virtual Close Process

Build Confidence with a Virtual Close in Uncertain Times

Recent global events have challenged companies in unprecedented ways, forcing them to reconsider how they work. A reliance on spreadsheets, tribal knowledge, and in-person communication is not sustainable, and accounting teams must quickly adapt to closing the books with a distributed workforce. BlackLine can help you adopt virtual close processes during this crisis, and beyond.

"As we began to do this important work from home, we leaned on resources including BlackLine’s Smart Close automation tool to ensure enhanced confidence and controls throughout the closing process.”

- Jonna Denton, Global Process Owner, Accounting to Reporting, Kimberly-Clark

Featured Insights

White Paper

Building a Resilient Accounting Organization in a Time of Uncertainty

To minimize the impact on business operations and productivity, it’s essential to apply a multi-pronged approach focused on preparation, prevention, mitigation, and innovation.

White paper

How to Manage Your Close Process Virtually

Whether your current processes are manual or more technically advanced, these tips from EY can help.

BLACKLINE QUARTERLY

Coping Strategies: Leadership in a Time of Uncertainty

Our latest issue of BlackLine Quarterly explores how to overcome the greatest strategic and tactical issues that finance and accounting organizations are facing in this new business environment.

Webinars

Webinar

Virtualizing Finance and Accounting — Ground Rules for Closing the Books from Anywhere

The ramifications of the current crisis will long outlast it, including how companies will close the books and where accounting staff who perform these tasks will be located. BlackLine experts will explore how to redesign your accounting operating model so that it can securely function from anywhere, from period-end to audit.

View On-Demand

On-Demand Webinar

Panel Webinar: How Finance & Accounting Can Rise in Uncertain Times

While the future is dominated by unknowns, accounting and finance leaders are in a unique position to help their organizations. Join finance specialists from Deloitte, EY, SAP, and BlackLine for perspectives on the new normal and the opportunities F&A teams have to adapt.

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On-Demand Webinar

Panel Webinar: Navigating a Virtual Close: Best Practices for Now — and Into the Future

Month-end came quickly after most companies abruptly shifted from an office setting to a fully distributed working environment. Join finance experts from RSM, RGP, Armanino, and BlackLine for perspectives on how F&A is impacted and best practices for successfully emerging from this crisis.

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What is a Virtual Close?

A virtual close is the successful monitoring and execution of period-end financial close processes in a distributed environment. A virtual close means accounting and finance teams can collaborate from anywhere to unify data and processes across disparate systems, with visibility and reporting on all activities, to be able to close with confidence in uncertain times. BlackLine provides a foundation for accounting teams to adapt quickly while delivering a timely, complete, and accurate virtual close.

Articles

BlackLine Magazine

How CFOs Are Successfully Navigating the New Reality of Uncertainty & Change

Today’s leaders are proactively leveraging what seems like chaos into a strategic advantage.

BlackLine Magazine

4 Ways to Navigate Your Quarter-End Close with a Distributed Workforce

The days of manual, time-consuming processes are over. Here are four practical ways to enable a virtual close that is collaborative and continuous.

BlackLine Magazine

How to Achieve a Virtual Financial Close with a Distributed Workforce

An accurate virtual close is possible. But achieving this begins with shifting your close processes to become more continuous.

BlackLine Magazine

3 Ways CFOs Can Leverage Change & Uncertainty in Finance

The best practices leading CFOs are using to effectively manage organizational change.

BLACKLINE MAGAZINE

How to Make Integrated Audit Even More Unified

The ins and outs of a well-executed integrated audit.

BLACKLINE MAGAZINE

Managing Financial Close Tasks: An Ideal Combination of SAP Solutions

Improve governance, maintain compliance, and drive efficiency into your closing cycles.

BLACKLINE MAGAZINE

Adapting Your Finance Transformation in These Uncertain Times

Financial experts at Deloitte and BlackLine discuss the impact of a remote, distributed workforce and the importance of resiliency.

BLACKLINE MAGAZINE

3 Challenges You Never Expected to Face as an Accountant

The future is uncertain, and work has become a little more complicated. We explore three challenges facing Accountants, and how to overcome them.

BLACKLINE MAGAZINE

Coping with COVID: How to Make Automation Work for You

Make the most of your purpose-built accounting solutions to score some quick wins—and help clear the path for future improvements.

BLACKLINE MAGAZINE

3 Ways Technology Enables Efficient Virtual Audits

The importance of implementing technology to speed up audits is becoming painfully evident for auditors and their clients.

BlackLine Magazine

Expert Q&A: How Accounting Can Rise in a Time of Uncertainty

A finance transformation expert talks about how to navigate this time of tremendous change and uncertainty.

BLACKLINE MAGAZINE

4 Ways Manual Processes Multiply Costs in Our Current Environment

Manual processes tend to be chaotic and time-consuming, and with so many finance and accounting organizations now working remotely, the challenges are even greater.

BLACKLINE MAGAZINE

How to Transition to a Seamless & Automated Virtual Close

Adaption is essential to survival during a crisis, which is why accounting teams should be moving to cloud-based systems to finalize reports.

Additional Resources

White Paper

Best Practices for a More Effective Close

Ventana Research helps identify common gaps in the process so you can achieve a fast, clean, and error-free close.

Brochure

BlackLine Reporting: Take Accounting Visibility & Productivity to the Next Level

Easily access and run individual and shared reports, all based on real-time data.

White Paper

Can Agile Finance Provide the Fuel to Drive Your Business Forward?

EY sheds light on how finance departments can survive—and thrive—in a volatile economic landscape.

White Paper

Closing the Books at a Distance: Financial Resilience During a Crisis

Considerations from Deloitte on fulfilling financial reporting requirements in today’s business environment.

White Paper

Transforming the Audit with Technology

How to reduce time, cost, and risk with accounting automation.

SAP Hub

5 Ways BlackLine Solutions Help SAP Customers Close Virtually

Specific resources for SAP customers to navigate through the close during these uncertain times.

TIPS & TRICKS

Close Virtually with Confidence

Four ways to help your team stay productive and engaged during a virtual close.

WHITE PAPER

Empowering the Virtual Accounting Function

With insights from BlackLine’s community of over 270,000 finance and accounting professionals, this guide provides practical advice for how to adjust operations to work smarter in our current environment and beyond.

VIDEO

Zurich North America Pivots Quickly to Achieve a Virtual Close

BlackLine CEO Therese Tucker and Zurich discuss closing virtually with BlackLine and SAP.

BlackLine acquires

Build Confidence with a Virtual Close in Uncertain Times

"As we began to do this important work from home, we leaned on resources including BlackLine’s Smart Close automation tool to ensure enhanced confidence and controls throughout the closing process.”

Featured Insights

Webinars

Virtualizing Finance and Accounting — Ground Rules for Closing the Books from Anywhere

Panel Webinar: How Finance & Accounting Can Rise in Uncertain Times

Panel Webinar: Navigating a Virtual Close: Best Practices for Now — and Into the Future

What is a Virtual Close?

Articles

Additional Resources

The Future of Accounting Is Here