Ascension was using a decentralized finance model with various divisions using many different enterprise resource planning systems. The accounting team for headquarters faced the task of 20,000 to 25,000 reconciliations that were typically tracked and shared on spreadsheets. As part of its larger strategy to improve its financial controls and automate processes, Ascension undertook the challenge of centralizing and standardizing its finance and accounting department in a shared service center.

After putting out a request for proposal, Ascension considered a few different accounting and reconciliation solutions before selecting BlackLine in October 2012. Ascension chose BlackLine for a number of reasons, including:

• BlackLine’s ability to provide integrated products.

• BlackLine's software-as-a-service delivery model and its web-based interface, which eliminate many IT barriers to implementation and user adoption. Ascension went live on BlackLine in only 90 days.

• BlackLine’s focus on delivering its software and its client-centric approach meant Ascension didn’t need to hire any outside consultants to implement the solution and could quickly get support for any issues that arose.

Ascension deployed BlackLine’s financials controls and automation platform to centralize and simplify its financial reconciliations. Nucleus Research found that Ascension was able to stand up BlackLine quickly and create an improved controls environment while realizing cost savings and increasing productivity. By leveraging BlackLine's automation capabilities, Ascension is positioned to expand its operations without corresponding workforce expansions.