Program objective:

• Implement the systems and processes to support more efficient financial forecasting and reporting.
• Projects
  • Forecasting System (Clarity, Hyperion Essbase)
  • Financial Data Warehouse and ODS (Oracle)
  • Financial Reporting (Cognos)

The program goals were achieved through:

• Securing commitment from senior executives to standardize the chart of accounts.
• Setting common definitions for key terms critical for project accounting.
• Successful management of internationally dispersed team including external developers.
• Close involvement of Finance stakeholders.

Key accomplishments:

• Provided the systems and means to produce the company’s first automated consolidated financial reports, aggregating data from 13 independent financial systems (and charts of accounts). Quarterly close was reduced by 4 days.
• Initiated the replacement of 13 different charts of accounts with a single corporate standard.
• Established the basis for effective project accounting across all studios