Change Planning Eases Consolidation of Accounting Functions & Offices for National Cable TV Co.

CABLE COMPANY LOCATED IN TWO CITIES AND SERVING A COMBINED CUSTOMER BASE OF OVER 2 MILLION is merging two large accounting operations as first step toward bringing in accounting functions for all its US markets.  The company will maintain multiple systems, but wishes to accelerate the consolidation and standardization of its accounting functions.   Leadership wishes to leverage the consolidation to improve service and quality performance and make the transition without loss of performance levels or critical staff as management determines how to migrate to one location and standardized practices while working in two distinct billing systems.

Alliant provided organizational design guidance and change management support, communication tactics and coordination of all the elements related to the first phase of the Accounting organization merger.

Key Elements of this Engagement

• Guided staff to document and evaluate “current state” process flows, organization and workload
• Identified critical variances in process and practice and facilitated common expectations
• Facilitated the leadership team to establish standardized performance expectations and processes – Developed a “future state” operating model that would bring all national locations into the chosen consolidation location and a near-term model to consolidate ~80% of the business accounting
• Identified nearly 100 specific improvement opportunities- 45 of them being “quick hits”
• Identified change requirements and built a transition plan and schedule that included technical and tactical elements, timing and responsibilities

Operating & Financial Benefits

• A reorganized, realigned Operations Accounting department with defined goals, standards of performance, consistent processes and procedures internally and cross-departmentally is designed to improve service, quality and productivity
• Identified opportunity to reduced in-house staff 13% through schedule redesign and FTE savings as high as 40% with implementation of process design recommendations
• Expanded visibility of accounting functions / activities still performed within operating units to enable further standardization of accounting practices / processes and indirectly facilitated completion of operating unit realignment
• Established a scalable framework and a detailed plan has been developed for a smooth transition of outer market accounting functions into a Shared Services operations accounting model
• Strengthened management skills through tailored coaching and training related to performance management, coaching and communication practices

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