Item: BlackLine
Rating: 10
Author: Verified User

Overall Satisfaction with BlackLine

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

Blackline's Reconciliations and Tasks modules allow visibility across our organization into the status of our close process. Additionally, the system decertification functionality prevents version control issues and ensures that our team is all on the same page as far as month-end.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Blackline allows for visibility into changes in balances from period to period.
Blackline reconciliation templates ensure journal entries are consistently recorded.
Blackline tasks help our whole team see the status of close and reporting.

Cons

In an attempt to limit user's visibility into only their assignments, they have limited the visibility of management to easily see all accounts at once and to dig into details from that high level.
In the tasks module- there was a lot of initial set up that wasn't really required (e.g. type, subtype, etc). These were extraneous details that made implementation take longer and didn't add any value to our team.
The interface between Blackline and GP needs to be easier to set up.
Automated Journal entries need to be easier to create.

Return on Investment

It's allowed for visibility into our balance sheet that we did not have before on a timely basis.
It's allowed us to review the aging of reconciling items and determine their appropriateness.
It's allowed us to speed up our close from 15 to 5 days.

Alternatives Considered

FloQast

FloQast is cheaper, but Blackline is more automated and facilitates comparability between periods because it stores historical information side by side with current periods, whereas FloQast really only provided tie-out functionality within Excel documents. Those Excel documents do not provide side by side comparisons.

Key Insights

Do you think BlackLine delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with BlackLine's feature set?

Yes

Did BlackLine live up to sales and marketing promises?

Yes

Did implementation of BlackLine go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy BlackLine again?

Yes

Other Software Used

COSTAR

Usability

Blackline is leaps and bounds better than a manual close process; however, it tries to be very tailored to each user, and in that attempt, it loses big-picture functionality. Additionally, on the homepage dashboard, the attempts to use graphics in lieu of information just takes away from the ability to use the tool effectively.

Support Rating

I had a problem where I was rejecting reconciliations and Blackline was supposed to send an email to the preparer after I rejected a rec, but the email was not showing up. I went back and forth with support a few times, but they weren't able to solve my issue, and they kept having me try the same solution over and over again. Finally I gave up and I am still unable to send an email after rejecting a rec.

Likelihood to Recommend

Blackline is the industry leader in any type of month-end close process automation tool. Any organization can use it, although the costs might be prohibitive for smaller companies with simple operations that are easy to reconcile. It is the best for larger companies with operations led by different teams in different departments, or by an organization made up of acquired companies, as it allows multiple teams to be working simultaneously to achieve month-end close.

Comments

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The best tool on the market, but not perfect