If You’ve Implemented BlackLine’s Task Management Module for Your Accounting Period Close, Don’t Stop There!
The Task Management module can be used to automate numerous tasks across your organization and maximize the value of your investment. Some of the most popular task automations we see include payroll processing, tax compliance reporting and PBC requests for quarterly and annual audits.
Categories of Tasks
We recommend evaluating your current task list and grouping tasks into two categories, master (parent) tasks with subordinate (child) tasks as dependencies.
For example, preparation and completing of the financial statements would be a master task requiring the completion of subordinate tasks such as, drafting financial statements, preparing roll forward and disclosure schedules, reviewing footnote disclosures, reconciling accounts, recording journal entries, etc.
You can create milestones for subordinate tasks so that upon their completion the parent task can be automatically certified. By organizing tasks in this fashion you’ll be well on your way to creating sleek process flows.
- First, configure your BlackLine instance to be based on custom frequencies. This will require BlackLine to turn on the custom frequencies settings and then create the maintenance tables.
- Once configured, any frequency can be used for a process such as weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly and 4-4-5 accounting periods.
- Example: A payroll process that can be designed to sync with your payroll service processing calendar. In this scenario, a master task might be, Final Submission of Payroll for Check Issuance, and subordinate tasks would include completion of time reporting, completion of special pays and commissions, payroll system edit reviews and funding of payroll account.
- Pro Tip: Avoid missing key deadlines by using custom frequencies to create due dates for your federal, international, state tax reporting, Sales and Use Tax, VAT and GST tax reporting.
For more information or help setting up BlackLine’s task management module, don’t hesitate to contact us.
