BlackLine automates the the processes required to finalize periodic closing of the books. Beyond close/reconciliation management the product includes capabilities to enhance the management and control of financial processes throughout the accounting cycle. In October 2020, BlackLine acquired Rimilia, an AR automation solution. Rimilia's capabilities are now part of the BlackLine platform.
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SAP S/4HANA Cloud
Score 8.5 out of 10
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SAP S/4HANA Cloud is a modular cloud ERP software designed for every business need – powered by AI and analytics. SAP S/4HANA Cloud enables users to run mission-critical operations in real time from anywhere, introduce new business models in an industry, and expand globally. It can be deployed either on premise, in the cloud, or in a hybrid combination for quicker time-to-value.
$0
per month FUE users*
Pricing
BlackLine
SAP S/4HANA Cloud
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
SAP S/4HANA Cloud
Custom Pricing
per month FUE users*
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
BlackLine
SAP S/4HANA Cloud
Free Trial
No
Yes
Free/Freemium Version
No
No
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
No
Yes
Entry-level Setup Fee
No setup fee
Required
Additional Details
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* FUE = Full user equivalent, which allows flexible customer choice among: 1 Advanced user, 3 Core-users, or 30 self-service users per FUE. Minimum purchase is 35 FUEs.
From the cost perspective, BlackLine stands out over Cadency, since the company was really focus on budget when looking for new solutions to manage month end close activities, one of the reasons we selected BlackLine was the portfolio solution and price were align to our needs, …
We were an Oracle shop before, and SAP was the clear (and only choice) that we considered. SAP was very open to our feedback and would consider making our needs part of the standard solution (where it made sense for their broader user community) for future releases. It offered …
BlackLine can be very useful in helping individuals keep track of their monthly, quarterly, and annual tasks to ensure that the team meets all deadlines and goals. Specifically, the recurring tasks and reconciliations are beneficial for teams with very routine month-end close processes and help keep everyone on track. However, if functions are often changing or irregular, BlackLine may be challenging to use as it would need to be updated and tweaked regularly.
SAP S/4HANA Cloud leverages an in-memory database, allowing for real-time data processing and analytics. This enables organizations to make informed decisions based on up-to-the-minute information S/4HANA Cloud integrates various business modules, including finance, procurement, sales, manufacturing, and supply chain. This integration facilitates seamless data flow across different functional areas
Reconciliations can be set up in many different ways, however you need, and is very easy to use.
Tasks have made it so we always know where we are at as individuals and as a team. If someone is behind, we can view that, and someone can jump in and assist when necessary. A very team-friendly addition.
The journal entries function is a great process as there is a definite separation of duties and an audit trail that cannot be edited, which can be provided upon request. When it can be set up to automatically "speak" to your accounting system, the process is even better as there is limited manual touching.
Early functionality for Oracle users - a lot of the new products are only for use by SAP users.
Access to API data to improve the reporting of data out of BlackLine.
Ability to create reports in BlackLine across data sources.
Ability to email reports out of BlackLine (either ad-hoc or scheduled reports) as opposed to the current process of having the user access BlackLine to retrieve the report.
The complex integration we have with ERPs make it difficult to move or upgrade to SAP S4 HANA. Reimplementing all integrations and not impact business is a challenge
Requires a lot of tedious testing so that no role or function is impacted
Very time consuming to implement or upgrade. For large corporations it would take years to slowly migrate to S4HANA
Because this is a great tool with many possibilities and cool perks. Plus, as an admin - because I am both user and admin - I can say that this is easy to handle, you don't even have to be able to write a single piece of code to do so
The cost of SAP as an ERP is quite high and the switching costs associated with ERP systems are even higher. That being said moving from one ERP to another only happens once in a great while for large organizations. Those switching costs include retraining, IT hardware requirements, outside consultants and more
BlackLine could use a little work in getting around the system. The interface is not without its issues including lots of scrolling up and down and a lack of using the entire screen. Importing of the initial setup data could be better defined and reimporting data to add additional fields could pose an issue of overwriting data in a negative way.
The system features a contemporary and visually appealing interface, promoting a more engaging user experience.
Role-Based Access:
Users access role-specific dashboards and functionalities, ensuring a personalized experience tailored to their responsibilities.
Intuitive Navigation:
Streamlined menus and navigation paths contribute to an intuitive user experience, reducing the learning curve for new users.
Responsive Design:
The platform is designed to be responsive across various devices, allowing users to access information and perform tasks on desktops, tablets, or mobile devices
We never experienced an outage with BlackLine. The only time the system was unavailable was during planned outages for updates and upgrades usually Friday evening after 6pm pst until Saturday morning at 6am pst.
In my experience, the support team is beyond exceptional. They are incredibly knowledgeable and dedicated to the customer. You can expect prompt, professional and succinct responses. I have been working with the support team for BlackLine for more than ten years where I have been a customer four times. If anyone does Support right, it is definitely BlackLine. Not only can you trust your financials, but you can trust the team to support you through all your objectives!
The technical support received by the ITT design teams and OS implementation team has been very useful in ensuring that the SAP ERP is well-tailored to our company's specific needs and operations. This coupled with the training materials, business process maps, and concept demos (sand-box demos) makes adoption easy on end-users.
Trainings are available for all topics on the BlackLine U portal. These were incredibly helpful when first starting with BlackLine to get the hang of it. Trainings are useful for any module. I have personally used this to teach myself how to use the tasks and variance modules, which are now fully utilized by my organization. The support team is also very helpful in training our team on anything additional we have needed.
You will have to meet up with your final users, approver, internal auditor and accounting policy holder. Everyone has to agree. When you have a well written process, workflow, policy, approval requirement, and control, your implementation process will be much easier
Implementation was as expected. We had minor issues with our Z* transactions, but nothing special. Some tables were extended and needed regeneration. Overall satisfactions is good.
I have not used any of the other products, but we did evaluate them during our discovery phase. BlackLine was the "Cadillac" of the product offerings. You could get a similar product, and maybe even at a lower cost, but we wanted the best of the best, and that's what BlackLine is. We wanted a product that we could grow into, rather than a product we would outgrow over time as our organization grows. We have only touched the surface with BlackLine so far, and we've already reaped the benefits.
In our quest for an ERP solution, we evaluated alternatives such as Oracle ERP Cloud and Microsoft Dynamics 365. However, SAP S/4HANA Cloud's reputation for advanced analytics, scalability, and seamless integration with other SAP solutions made it the natural choice for our organization's digital journey.
After implementing BlackLine our company acquired another large company with multiple operations. We were able to use the COVID shutdown to bring them on board with BlackLine with little effort in the setup and training of the users.
More insight into balance sheet account balances. Our team is more timely with getting errors fixed and monitoring important accounts.
The task management tool helps us ensure that we are completing all accruals and reviews each month. This has led to fewer errors and missing accruals.
Our use of BlackLine has greatly increased our efficiency by reducing manual work.
Cost Savings and Lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO):
While the initial implementation costs might be significant, the centralized data management and automation features can lead to cost savings over time. This might be achieved through reduced manual labor, better inventory control, optimized procurement processes, and streamlined operations, resulting in a lower TCO.
Better Visibility and Compliance:
The system's ability to offer comprehensive data visibility can enhance compliance efforts, mitigating risks and ensuring adherence to regulatory requirements. This can lead to reduced fines or penalties related to non-compliance issues.