Case Study
Cleaver-Brooks Gives Finance Full Control of Reporting with OneStream
Cleaver-Brooks needed a more dynamic and autonomous reporting and planning process for its manufacturing business. After working through software selection, the company partnered with MindStream Analytics to implement OneStream as a single platform for consolidation, reporting, and planning.
Cleaver-Brooks needed a finance and reporting environment that could better support evolving business requirements without adding more complexity for the team. That meant improving structure, reducing manual effort, and creating a system that could be trusted for ongoing analysis and decision-making.
MindStream Analytics approached the engagement with a practical focus on long-term usability, making sure the solution improved day-to-day execution while also creating a stronger foundation for future planning and reporting needs.
The Challenge:
Legacy tools and Excel-based processes created delays, limited drill-back capability, and made it difficult for divisional controllers and corporate finance to work efficiently.
Divisional controllers struggled to enter important labor and production driver data efficiently. This made it harder for the organization to move efficiently from raw data and process inputs to timely, reliable financial insight.
Corporate consolidations were largely manual and reporting could take 45 minutes to an hour. This made it harder for the organization to move efficiently from raw data and process inputs to timely, reliable financial insight.
Existing planning tools lacked dynamic reporting and created risks around budget and forecast accuracy. This made it harder for the organization to move efficiently from raw data and process inputs to timely, reliable financial insight.
As reporting expectations increased and business needs evolved, Cleaver-Brooks needed a more dependable environment that could improve visibility, streamline workflows, and support faster decision-making.
The Solution
MindStream implemented OneStream XF as a finance-led platform that unified consolidation, reporting, and planning while reducing dependence on IT.
Selected and implemented OneStream XF as a single tool for consolidations and planning. This step helped align the platform more closely with business requirements and reduced dependence on fragmented or manual workarounds.
Enabled finance teams to maintain the solution with minimal IT support. This step helped align the platform more closely with business requirements and reduced dependence on fragmented or manual workarounds.
Used OneStream XF MarketPlace and People Planning to support labor, production, headcount, and payroll planning. This step helped align the platform more closely with business requirements and reduced dependence on fragmented or manual workarounds.
Guided the project from planning and design through build, testing, and final rollout. This step helped align the platform more closely with business requirements and reduced dependence on fragmented or manual workarounds.
Rather than stopping at a basic technical implementation, MindStream focused on creating a more stable and scalable operating model inside OneStream. That gave Cleaver-Brooks a solution that was easier to manage, easier to trust, and better suited for growth over time.
Key solution components included:
The Result
The OneStream implementation gave Cleaver-Brooks faster reporting, more finance autonomy, and a more adaptable planning environment that can evolve with business needs.
Reduced corporate reporting processes from nearly an hour to just minutes. In practical terms, that meant stronger visibility, better process efficiency, and more confidence in the information being used to support finance and leadership decisions.
Improved autonomy for both corporate finance and divisional business units. In practical terms, that meant stronger visibility, better process efficiency, and more confidence in the information being used to support finance and leadership decisions.
Enabled direct entry of labor and production drivers for more accurate capacity and cost planning. In practical terms, that meant stronger visibility, better process efficiency, and more confidence in the information being used to support finance and leadership decisions.
Created an adaptable finance platform with continuing return on EPM investment. In practical terms, that meant stronger visibility, better process efficiency, and more confidence in the information being used to support finance and leadership decisions.
Overall, the engagement helped Cleaver-Brooks move beyond short-term pain points and establish a more reliable framework for reporting, planning, and financial analysis going forward.