BlackLine-Executive-Summary-with-Product-Overviews

© 2015, BlackLine, Inc.
This document contains information that is confidential and proprietary to BlackLine, Inc. and may
be used only for the purpose of evaluating the features and capabilities of BlackLine’ products and
services vis-à-vis the recipient’s business needs. All other uses or disclosures of this information are
strictly prohibited.
Overview of BlackLine
WE CHANGE THE
WAY YOU CLOSE

The world’s most trusted solution for Finance Controls and Automation.
BlackLine provides innovative account reconciliations and financial
close software tools to companies around the world.
Founded in 2001, BlackLine has built its user base from a handful of
clients to more than 1,200+ companies and 120,000+ accountants
around the world. This strong growth has been fueled by BlackLine’s
award winning product and commitment to customer service.
This document gives a detailed overview of BlackLine’s
software, service, and corporate culture. Key features of
BlackLine include the following:
BlackLine is the industry leader.
With the most clients and the most users of any account
reconciliation and financial close tool, BlackLine is the
standard by which all other tools are measured. As our
client list shows, we are a trusted and proven company
that delivers a trusted and proven product.
BlackLine’s superior software is designed to assist
throughout the financial close.
The application automates and/or provides work flow and
control around account reconciliations, journal entries,
close check lists, transaction-heavy reconciliations,
variance analysis, and system-to-system reconciliation.
BlackLine is committed to service.
We have built our entire business on keeping customers
happy. We provide free training, free 24/7 support, and a
complimentary White-Glove service to help you get the
most out of our software.
BlackLine implementations are easy, fast,
and thorough.
Clients can typically go live 6-12 weeks after purchasing
the software, though many accomplish deployment in as
few as two weeks.
BlackLine uses industry-leading technology to de-
liver and secure our application.
We ensure that the application is scalable, client data
is fully protected, and users can access the system at
anytime from anywhere.

About Us
BlackLine was founded in 2001 to provide cutting-edge
wealth management software. The first product in
BlackLine’s Finance Controls and Automation Suite was
developed in 2004 when a client, First National Bank
of Nebraska, asked BlackLine for help managing their
account reconciliation process. Like many companies, First
National was using spreadsheets to manage thousands
of reconciliations every month. In response, BlackLine
developed and marketed the first commercially available
software designed specifically for tracking and completing
balance sheet account reconciliations.
The BlackLine tool is unique because it was designed by
the accountants who needed it most. We take great pride
in our close association with clients, and their expertise
has helped guide the design of our product. Based
on the real needs of BlackLine clients, we developed
five additional products in the Finance Controls and
Automation Suite, each of which targets a specific
accounting process. Clients have continued to act as
advisors, beta testers, and advocates and we still count on
their honest input to improve our software.
BlackLine’s current position as the industry leader in
account reconciliations and financial close space is
because of our early clients. For this reason, we have
built a company focused on client service above all else.
We provide free support, free training, a vibrant client
community, and an efficient, inexpensive implementation.
Our superior technology also supports our commitment
to client service, incorporating industry leading security,
scalability, and availability into a SaaS platform.
Currently, more than 1,200 clients in more than 100
countries use the BlackLine tool and we have offices
in Australia, the United Kingdom, and throughout the
United States. BlackLine has formal partnerships with the
world’s largest accounting firms—many of whom are also
clients—as well as a number of ERP providers. BlackLine
has grown more than 50% each year and we continue to
rapidly increase our user base.
Even with our growth, we remain committed to the traits
that have brought us here: developing innovative solutions
to accounting problems, providing the best possible value
for our tool, and serving our customers.
Company Overview
BlackLine is the first and most experienced provider of
enterprise-class software designed to automate and
control the entire financial close process.

Therese Tucker
BlackLine Founder, Chief Executive Officer and
Chairman of the Board
CEO and Chairman Therese Tucker founded BlackLine
in 2001. She designed the first offerings of BlackLine’s
products, engineered its transition to the cloud in 2007,
and led the organisation in automating the financial close
process—BlackLine’s Finance Controls and Automation
Platform. Under her direction, BlackLine has experienced
double digit growth since 2004.
Previously, Tucker served as Chief Technology Officer
for SunGard Treasury Systems. She holds a Bachelor of
Science degree in Computer Science and Mathematics
from the University of Illinois.
Mark Partin
BlackLine Chief Financial Officer
CFO Mark Partin ensures BlackLine’s finance organisation
continues to drive growth, capitalising on the rising
demand worldwide for software solutions that generate
greater efficiency, financial governance and risk
management across all financial operations.
Previously, Partin served as CFO at global SaaS company
Fiberlink Communications, and at Headhunter.net (now
Careerbuilder.com), helping lead its IPO. He holds an MBA
from the Harvard Business School.
Charles Best
BlackLine Chief Accounting Officer
BlackLine Chief Accounting Officer Charles Best is
responsible for managing day-to-day accounting
operations and setting up the company’s global
subsidiaries, as BlackLine maintains its rapid
international expansion.
Prior to joining the company, Best served as the CFO at
Interlink Electronics and at BioSource International. A
CPA, he holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business
Administration from San Diego State University.
Alain Avakian
BlackLine Chief Technology Officer
Chief Technology Officer Alain Avakian is responsible
for the technology direction of BlackLine’s Finance
Controls and Automation Platform, as the company
capitalises on the growing demand worldwide for
software solutions generating greater efficiency,
financial governance and risk management across the
spectrum of financial operations.
Prior to joining BlackLine, he was Chief Technology
Officer at Rent.com and held senior software engineering
positions at Stamps.com, CitySearch/Ticketmaster, TCI/
AND Interactive and Packard Bell
Chris Murphy
BlackLine Chief Revenue Officer
Chief Revenue Officer Chris Murphy is responsible for
integrating, aligning, guiding and growing the revenue-
generating areas of the company.
Prior to joining BlackLine, he served as Senior Vice
President of Global Financial Solutions at Infor, playing
an instrumental role in growing the company’s sales from
$130 million to nearly $3 billion during his 10-year tenure.
Within five years, Infor became the third largest application
software company in the world. Murphy holds a Master of
Business Administration from DePaul University.
David Downing
BlackLine Chief Marketing Officer
Chief Marketing Officer David Downing is responsible
for guiding BlackLine’s global marketing strategy.
He has more than 30 years of enterprise technology
marketing experience, with a deep focus on ERP, platform
infrastructure and cloud applications.
Prior to joining BlackLine, Downing was senior vice
president and Chief Marketing Officer at NetSuite.
Previously, he held senior marketing positions at SAP,
Informatica, Oracle, Adobe, Seagate, and Hill and
Knowlton. Downing holds a Bachelor’s degree from
Boston University.
Management Team

Greg Pond
BlackLine Executive Vice President
Greg Pond leads BlackLine’s strategic planning
and integration efforts in support of the company’s
growth initiatives.
He brings nearly 40 years of operational and management
experience to BlackLine and its customers, as founder
and CEO of software companies focused on corporate
treasury and financial services functions. Prior to coming
to BlackLine, Pond was a senior executive and Group CEO
at SunGard Data Systems. Earlier in his career, he served
in several capacities at Computer Sciences Corporation.
Mario Spanicciati
BlackLine Executive Vice President,
Executive Director EMEA
Executive Vice President Mario Spanicciati oversees
BlackLine’s operations, including information technology,
support services, information security, strategic
partnering, and business development. He also
directly manages the EMEA (Europe, Middle East and
Africa) division, leading the expansion of BlackLine’s
international operations.
Prior to joining BlackLine in early-2004, Spanicciati
was a manager with Merrill Lynch Private Banking and
Investment Group. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree
from Cornell University.
Dominick DiPaolo
BlackLine Vice President of Global Sales
Vice President of Global Sales Dominick DiPaolo is
responsible for leading BlackLine’s global sales, customer
success and partner channel teams.
Prior to joining BlackLine in 2008, he served as Product
Marketing Director in Oracle’s Enterprise Performance
Management Global Business Unit. Previously, he
was Senior Solutions Consultant and Senior Product
Marketing Manager at both Hyperion Solutions and
Paisley Consulting.
DiPaolo holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from
Pace University and an MBA from the University of Miami.
He is a Certified Public Accountant.
Trish Burr
BlackLine Vice President of Operations
Vice President for Operations Trish Burrs provides
overall direction and guidance to BlackLine in
multiple functional areas, including HR and employee
satisfaction, facilities and systems, business planning and
organisational policy implementation. She previously
served as BlackLine’s HR Director.
Prior to joining BlackLine in 2011, Burr helped launch
Internet service provider NetZero. She began her
career in financial management with software security
pioneer Vault Corporation, and has since held various
management roles at Bankers Trust, Brokers Investment
Corporation, and Locke & Lambert. In 2000, she joined
Westlake Venture Partners, a provider of funding for
technology startups
Max Solonski
BlackLine Vice President of Information Security
Vice President of Information Security Max Solonski
manages information security programs at BlackLine,
ensuring the confidentiality, integrity and availability
of clients’ data, and strict adherence to security best
practices and regulatory requirements.
Prior to joining BlackLine, Solonski managed information
security and regulatory compliance at Mattel, as well as
the security operations and incident response teams.
Previously, he held information security positions at
Westfield Properties, Warner Bros. and Disney. Solonski
is a Certified Information Security Professional and a
Certified Information Security Manager.

Value Proposition
Efficiency & Automation
The close process is encumbered with manual, repetitive
tasks. In addition to being a waste of time for your highly
qualified accountants, these manual tasks increase the
likelihood of errors. The BlackLine application is designed
to automate any manual, repeatable process. This
includes auto-reconciliation, which system certifies low
risk accounts when certain criteria are met; automatically
populating reconciliation templates; automatically
amortising items; and matching millions of records per
minute. BlackLine’s focus on automation extends to the
other products, allowing you to automatically post journal
entries or create variance analyses. For most clients,
BlackLine saves a considerable amount of time and frees
up accountants to handle more difficult tasks that had
previously gone undone.
Control
The BlackLine Finance Controls and Automation Suite
provides a reliable compliance framework for financial
close activities, including journal entries, balance sheet
account recs, variance analysis, and transaction level
reviews. Significantly, BlackLine is designed around
its controls, which ensure that key processes are
secure, standardised, repeatable, and, where possible,
automated. This dramatically reduces misstatement/
control failure risk. From an audit perspective, these
controls are documented and testable. Managers also
have access to a series of different features that allow
them to grade reconciliation quality and completeness
and store that information. Finally, the application’s
configurability means that clients can typically structure
BlackLine around their ideal close, rather than remaking
their close to suit BlackLine. This ensures that best
practices and company policy are always respected.
Visibility
When it comes to financial close processes, visibility
is imperative. Paper, binders, storage rooms, shared
drives and spreadsheets strewn across many locations
are inefficient and make the close process anything but
transparent. BlackLine provides a single, centralised
platform and transforms the close into a transparent,
manageable process.
The information stored in BlackLine is disseminated
through powerful dashboards and reports that are
designed to precisely highlight reconciliation progress,
risk associated with required adjustments, delinquencies,
and incomplete processes. Managers can quickly
identify potential issues and address them before
they affect the business.

Scalability
The vast majority of our clients use BlackLine in
multiple locations and many use the tool across countries
and continents. As a result, BlackLine’s application and
our implementations team are prepared to support
extensive deployments. There are four key components
to our scalability:
• Application- BlackLine’s tool can be quickly deployed
to new bases of users and new charts of accounts
without needing additional implementation time.
The tool also seamlessly handles multiple currencies,
entities, and languages. Finally, BlackLine has a series
of built-in features designed to ease the burden on
any administrator. Companies can deploy BlackLine
to hundreds or thousands of users without requiring
a full-time resource specialist to administer the
application.
• Architecture- Our SaaS delivery platform means
that the application is available anywhere that a user
can find an internet connection. We also attentively
monitor our environment to ensure that there are
adequate hardware resources on our end and that our
load balancing is effective. Clients can dramatically
expand their use of the tool without experiencing any
performance degradation.
• Implementation & Support- BlackLine’s
implementation and support teams are available
whenever needed to support operations around the
world. Clients seeking to deploy the tool to EMEA or
APAC can draw on local resources. In addition, our
support team is available 24/7/365 and provides
assistance in a wide variety of languages.
• Partners- Our Partners have operations in every
country where BlackLine is used, meaning that our
network of experts is always available.
Proving our Value
With our unparalleled emphasis on client service and
satisfaction, our client retention rate is one of the
strongest indicators of our value. BlackLine enjoys client
retention above 97%, while retention for most companies
in our space is roughly 90%.Additionally, many of the
clients that cease using BlackLine do so for reasons other
than our software (bankruptcy, acquisition, etc.). Put
simply: our clients are likely to remain BlackLine users
and, in any given year, the vast majority will renew their
relationship with us.
Return on investment (ROI) is another crucial indicator
of value. Any time software such as BlackLine replaces
a manual process, there will be substantial time savings,
but the key question is whether those time savings
outweigh the headache that comes from acquiring
and implementing software. To answer that question,
BlackLine has had Nucleus Research and AMR perform
a series of ROI studies with our clients. The results
resoundingly attest to BlackLine’s value.

Product Features
• Rules-based auto-reconciliation typically
system-certifies 40-65% of your accounts each month
• Role-based workflow approval process
with built-in segregation of duties
• Configurable, real-time dashboards
and more than 80 standard reports
• Automatically import data from any ERP
or subledger system
• Full multi-currency and multi-language support
• SaaS tool with industry leading security,
availability and accessibility
BlackLine Products
Account Reconciliations
120,000+ accountants and 1,200+ companies perform
their balance sheet account reconciliations in BlackLine.
EFFICIENCY
Create a faster, more efficient
close. Rules-based automation
lets you stress less and say
goodbye to late nights and
past-due reconciliations.
CONTROL
Designed by accountants with
a focus on compliance and
control, BlackLine ensures
that recs are done right and
audits run smoothly.
VISIBILITY
Real-time dashboards and
reporting give you unprecedented
visibility into reconciliation
status, timeliness, content
and quality.

1. Schedule Supporting Items
Build, import, or bulk-import any schedules, prepaids, or
accruals. Address unidentified differences with reconciling
items. BlackLine automatically ages all items.
2. Previous Period
Compare current and prior account reconciliations with a
click of the mouse.
3. Unidentified Difference
Automatically calculates (in real-time) your unidentified
difference for all reconciliations. Configurable certification
thresholds ensure adherence to company policy.
4. GL Balance
Automatically import your GL Balances from any ERP or
subledger system. If your rec has been completed and the
balance changes, BlackLine decertifies the rec and alerts
users via email.
5. Comments
Attach comments to a reconciliation and choose whether
to keep them for one period, carry them forward, or mark
them as temporary review notes.
6. Supporting Documents
Eliminate binders and boxes by uploading supporting
documents. Files can be uploaded once and carried forward
if necessary. BlackLine can accept any file format.
BLACKLINE ACCOUNT RECONCILIATIONS
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Configurable reconciliation templates help companies standardise
the reconciliation process across all business units, improving the quality
of reconciliations and easing both reviews and audits.

Product Features
• Automatically schedule recurring close tasks
each period
• Dependencies ensure that tasks are completed in
the correct order
• Configurable time tracking allows you to compare
expected versus actual completion times
• Role-based workflow approval process with built
in audit-trail
• Multiple, distinct holiday calendars and support
for multiple time zones
• Logically schedule your close using business
days, calendar days, or weekdays as well as
configurable periods
BlackLine Products
Task Management
Companies of all sizes manage their close from end-to-end
with BlackLine’s Task Management product.
CHECKLISTS
Manage your month-end tasks,
recurring journal entries, compliance
controls, operational checklists,
and auditor PBC lists from one
centralised platform.
CONTROL THE CLOSE
Peace of mind matters.
Real-time dashboards and
reports can transform your close
with unmatched transparency
and business intelligence.
COMPLIANCE
BlackLine lets you structure
and schedule your close in keeping
with best practises and company
policy so that audits run smoothly and
you will always close on time.

Tasks Grid
1. Task Calendar
Outlook-style task calendar colour codes by task
and timeliness.
2. Configurable Task Segments
Apply Task Management to any type of recurring, project,
or ad-hoc task.
3. Due Dates
Automatically schedule recurring tasks in relation to your
period-end date. You can also set up custom frequencies
or calendars.
Tasks
4. Comments
Attach comments to all tasks. These can be temporary
review notes, one-time comments, or recurring text that
carries forward to future tasks.
5. Documents
Do away with paper. Upload supporting documentation to
BlackLine’s secure, centralised document repository.
6. Actual Completion Time
Management can compare the actual completion time to
the expected completion time to determine where resources
can be best allocated. Also assists with outsourcing.
7. Certification Details
Full audit trails track and timestamp all certification events
for end users.
8. Task Dependencies
Task dependencies allow the creation of hierarchical parent
sub-task relationships and give you the ability to carefully
structure your entire close in BlackLine.
BLACKLINE TASK MANAGEMENT
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Product Features
• Configurable, rules driven process in which all logic
is owned by the business users
• Create one-to-one, many-to-one, and
many-to-many matches
• Email alerts and a role based workflow process assist
with exception handling
• Create automatic or suggested match types.
Assign configurable reason codes for journal creation
• Perform look-ups, concatenation, parsing or custom
data manipulation automatically with BlackLine’s
import utility
• Automatically import information from any editable
file format or data source
• Create reconciling items and adjusting journal
entries in bulk based on user-defined logic
BlackLine Products
Transaction Matching
BlackLine clients automatically reconcile hundreds of millions of
transactions each month with the Transaction Matching product.
SPEED
BlackLine matches millions of transac-
tions each minute, so you can shorten
your close, eliminate tedious manual
labour, and get more out of
your accountants.
EXCEPTIONS
Quickly identify and
address exceptions in any
matching scenario, regardless
of file format, data quality,
or volume.
FLEXIBILITY
BlackLine’s user-defined,
logic-driven process lets you
automate any cash, credit
card, intercompany, or other
high volume reconciliation.

1. Match
Users can manually match transactions. Manual matches
can be made subject to a workflow approval process.
2. Create Item
Required adjustments or timing items can be quickly
created and moved to a reconciliation.
3. MyViews
Create and save custom views of your data for
ease of research.
4. Reason Codes
User-defined reason codes allow you to quickly
organise and report on millions of matched
transactions or exceptions.
5. Filter Search
All data can be quickly filtered and/or searched by users in
order to identify exceptions or potential manual matches.
6. Role Assignments
Standard workflow approval process ensures you maintain
control over your high-volume reconciliations.
7. Data Sources
Automatically import and match on any data types.
Matching scenarios can include any combination of
data sources (as few as one with no upper limit). You
can also filter a data source down to ensure you’re
targeting the right data.
BLACKLINE TRANSACTION MATCHING
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“That transaction matching [product] reduced a key account reconciliation,
a bank recon, from 30-person days down to 3-person days.”
– Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee - Michael Woodard, Manager of Financial System Support
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Product Features
• Configurable journal entry templates designed
to precisely capture information based on
journal type
• Validation rules eliminate failed journal posts
and can be automatically retrieved from the GL
• Attach and store supporting documents in
any file format
• Automatically post journals and retrieve
Document IDs or Journal Numbers from the GL
• Dynamic workflow automatically routes JEs to
the appropriate individuals for approval
• Flexible workflow approval process can be
based off of amount thresholds
• Post journals to multiple systems automatically
BlackLine Products
Journal Entry
Create, validate, support, and approve all of your manual journal
entries before posting from one central, web-based platform.
WORKFLOW
VISIBILITY
Track and review every single
journal entry with BlackLine’s
electronic workﬂow and real-time
reporting capability.
SUPPORT
Attach supporting documentation and
automatically retrieve document IDs for
every journal entry. If necessary, tie
each JE to the appropriate reconciling
item or matching transaction.
EASY AUDITS
Go paperless and cruise
through your audits with a full
audit trail on each JE and
dedicated internal/external
auditor roles.

Journals Grid
1. Journal Entry Status
Monitor and report on the status
of all JEs, from creation to
automatic posting.
2. Workflow Status
Electronically route JEs for approval.
3. Import from Excel
Quickly import completed or
partially completed journals
from excel. This is useful when
report writers or 3rd party
systems write thousands or tens
of thousands of lines to
a spreadsheet.
Journal Entry Template
4. Header Items
Header items are configured to
match your journal templates and
general ledger. All fields are backed
by validation rules, which prevent
users from entering bad data.
5. Line Items
Like header items, line items are
configured to meet client needs.
Items can be keyed in by a preparer
or imported in bulk. Users can
define logic and validation for this
section as well.
6. Items
Each Journal entry can be linked to
the account reconciliations product
and associated with the reconciling
items it addresses.
7. Supporting Documentation
Upload supporting documents in
any file format.
8. Certification Details
BlackLine automatically identifies
and displays different steps in the
process, including the dates on which
workflow or posting events occur.
This data is available to management
and auditors.
BLACKLINE JOURNAL ENTRY
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Product Features
• Manage PL and balance sheet accounts
• Automatically identify accounts in flux with
precise variance rules
• Eliminate spreadsheets and perform all analysis
in a central, web-based platform
• Upload and store documents and attachments
in support of analysis
• Standard variance codes let you gauge the impact
of a trend across your entire organisation
• Robust, real-time dashboards and reports
• Full multi-currency and multi-entity support
BlackLine Products
Variance Analysis
BlackLine’s automated flux analysis streamlines efforts to track and
analyse account variation and budgets/forecasts against actuals for
both PL and balance sheet accounts.
EARLY WARNING
Variance analysis is a crucial part of the
risk management process. BlackLine
proactively monitors and flags accounts
that vary outside an expected range,
giving you advance notice so you’re
never caught off guard.
AUTOMATION
Replace a manual, spreadsheet-
dependent process with business
logic. Client-defined rules precisely
identify unexpected fluctuations
across target entities and account
groups, types, or ranges.
WORKFLOW
Once flux is identified, BlackLine
intelligently assigns responsibility for
explaining the variance, routes those
explanations to management and
rolls the results up into powerful,
real-time dashboards and reports.

Variance Analysis Templates
Standardise, prepopulate, and automatically assign your
variance analysis to the appropriate user.
1. Variance Items
Users can create variance items, which represent a certain
identified fluctuation. Each variance item also has a
configurable item type, allowing management to gauge the
impact of an event or trend on your books.
2. Automatic Balance Imports
Load data to the BlackLine application as frequently as
necessary. BlackLine integrates with virtually every ERP/GL
on the market.
3. Unexplained Amount
BlackLine automatically examines balances and calculates
the observed variation on an account, giving your user a
starting point for their analysis.
4. Supporting Documents
Attach supporting documentation for every variance
analysis or variance item.
5. Workflow Approval
Once certified by a user, a completed variance analysis
template can be electronically routed to other users or
management for review/approval.
Variance Rules
BlackLine’s variance rules rely on user-defined logic and can be
run ad-hoc or every time a scheduled balance import occurs.
6. Period
More than 15 different types of period comparisons:
• Budgeted over actual
• Current period to 2nd prior quarter
• Current period to 3rd prior quarter
• Current period to prior period
• Current period to prior quarter
• Current period to prior year
• Current period to year end
• Current quarter to 2nd prior quarter
• Current quarter to prior quarter
• Current quarter to year end
• Month over month
• Quarter over Quarter
• Year over Year
• Year to date
7. Amount Percentage Deltas
Variance rules can calculate and monitor for fluctuations in
value, percent change, or a combination of the two.
8. Variance Groups
Target groups of accounts and monitor their fluctuation in
combination or in relation to each other.
9. Targeting
Target a rule at all accounts, globally, or apply it based on
specific entity/account string filter.
BLACKLINE VARIANCE ANALYSIS
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“We use the Variance Analysis Product
extensively to help us do what
used to be done in tons and tons
of spreadsheets. We now are able
to select ranges and do our
variances. Overall, BlackLine has
been a great help to us.”
–Georgia Roe, System Administrator, AIG

Product Features
• Auto-reconciliation where accounts are in balance
• Easy-to-manage account grouping
facilitates roll-up reconciliations
• Real-time dashboards and reports
• Electronic workflow approval process
• Full audit trail records all certification events
• Attach and store supporting documentation
• Email notification and automatic decertification
should a balance change
• Easy access to related data in BlackLine for research
BlackLine Products
Consolidation Integrity Manager
Automate the tedious system-to-system, excel-driven reconciliation
process of comparing multiple ledgers to a consolidation system and
replace it with an efficient, seamless workflow.
SYSTEM
CERTIFICATION
Save significant time by
automatically reconciling accounts
where the balances tie out. Only worry
about a fraction of your consolidation
reconciliations each month.
ACCOUNT
ROLL-UP
With the ability to group accounts
together, you can easily map
your general ledger accounts to
your consolidation system and
reconcile at any level.
TOPSIDE
ADJUSTMENT
TRACKING
Real-time dashboards/reports
and embedded controls allow you to
monitor every topside journal entry.
Never miss a late adjustment.

1. Auto-Reconciliation
Using a rules-based process, BlackLine can system-certify
accounts where the unidentified difference falls beneath
a certain threshold. Most companies auto-reconcile the
vast majority of their consolidated recs.
2. Consolidation Balance
Data from virtually any third party system, including all
major consolidation tools, can be imported into BlackLine
on a scheduled basis. If this balance or the GL Total below
are changed by an automatic import, the application will
automatically decertify the reconciliation and notify a user.
3. Account Roll-up
Easily defines relationships between different systems
and reconcile at any level by grouping accounts together.
BlackLine will also automatically subtotal all grouped
accounts and associated items.
4. Balance Sheet Reconciliation Link
Quickly access the corresponding account reconciliation
(as well as any reconciling items and documentation)
for research purposes.
5. Supporting Items
User-created supporting items serve as placeholders should
an exception or late journal entry be identified. These items
are tracked and aged automatically, offering management
full visibility into the consolidation reconciliation process.
6. Unidentified Difference
Each template automatically calculates the unidentified
difference between the Consolidation Balance and the
GL Total. Once this number is sufficiently reduced, a user
can certify the reconciliation.
BLACKLINE CONSOLIDATION INTEGRITY MANAGER
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As with all reconciliations in BlackLine, CIM reconciliations are automatically
populated, allow users to attach comments supporting documents, and are
routed through an electronic, role-based workflow approval process.

Technology Overview
Software-as-a-Service
The BlackLine Finance Controls and Automation Suite
is provided as an On-Demand solution, meaning that
the application is not installed on a client server, but is
instead accessed via web browser. The benefits of this
SaaS model cover all aspects of the tool. With SaaS, we
believe that we can deliver a better end product and far
better value.
• No software or hardware to purchase, install or
maintain. The SaaS model means less strain on often
overburdened IT departments.
• No capital outlay. Subscription fees eliminate the
need to purchase the software licenses outright, so
it is easier to budget for a SaaS solution and pass the
monthly costs through an operating budget.
• Eliminate infrastructure investment. With new
software, companies are typically required to
purchase additional hardware, middleware and
bandwidth to enable the application. The SaaS model
eliminates this requirement.
• Rapid deployment. Since there is no hardware to
order or software to install, you can start using the
system almost immediately.
• Seamless integration. BlackLine offers a quick and
easy implementation, so you can easily import your
financial data in a secure manner.
• Easy availability. All that is required is an Internet
connection. Multi-site locations don’t need Terminal
Server or Citrix architectures to use BlackLine.
• Painless upgrades. Users always have access to the
latest version of the application because updates,
upgrades and enhancements are automatically made
available by the BlackLine team.
• Full configurability. The software you use is the same
software with the same powerful configurability as an
in-house system. All of BlackLine’s flexible options are
available in the SaaS model.
• Lower total cost of ownership. The historical
complaint about enterprise software has been the
unknown cost to deploy, operate, archive, etc. With
SaaS, the total cost to operate the application is fixed
and transparent from the start, so there aren’t any
surprises or unexpected costs.
Hosting Centre Details
BlackLine partners with Terremark to provide industry
leading data centres for our clients. Our primary and
backup U.S. facilities are located in Virginia and Florida,
respectively. We also have a primary data centre in
Amsterdam with a backup in London. All data centres
incorporate extensive physical security arrangements,
environmental controls, and redundant systems.
Security
BlackLine has undergone a series of stringent audits
designed to test our systems and internal controls. We
have a SSAE16 SOC1 Type II/ISAE 3402 audit report,
SOC2 and SOC3 certifications and the highly regarded
ISO/IEC 27001 certification. These audits attest to
BlackLine’s exceptional security, well-crafted policies,
effective redundancy/ back-up procedures, and carefully
controlled development process. In many ways, hosting
data with BlackLine can be more secure than hosting
it internally, as we have dedicated extensive resources
to data protection, maintain a carefully controlled
environment where very few individuals can access
information, and ensure that we stay abreast of any
relevant security trends.
• Encryption - All data in the BlackLine tool is heavily
encrypted in transit and at rest. For data at rest,
BlackLine uses Vormetric, which renders data
unusable unless the accessing person is properly
authorised. Even BlackLine personnel cannot access
the production environment unless clients request
assistance and explicitly authorise support to view
their instance.

• Penetration Vulnerability Prevention - BlackLine
uses a series of tools to monitor network and
application security. We frequently scan the
production environment and the code base for
potential vulnerabilities. We also contract with
an outside firm to perform penetration testing at
intervals.
• Secure Development - As part of the development
process, BlackLine embeds QA and Security resources
in the development teams. We actively monitor for
potential security issues and intervene before the
code is promoted to production. In addition to our
secure coding practices, the promotion of code to the
production environment can only be done by a select
few individuals and requires management approval.
• Access Control - Client-side system administrators
control all access to their instances. The application
is designed to allow companies to embed their
own security best practices in the access and
authentication process. BlackLine supports single
sign-on technology and configurable authentication
requirements.
• Best Practices - As indicated by our successful
security audits, we also employ best practices in other
phases of the company. These include such staples
as anti-virus software, extensive background checks
on all employees, careful segregation of duties, and a
controlled, segregated production environment.
Disaster Recovery
All data in the BlackLine application is backed up in
real-time to an alternate, mirrored data centre. We
also take periodic, full backups of the application. This
ensures that in the event of a disaster affecting the
availability of our primary data centre, we can quickly
cut over to the alternate data centre and ensure that the
application remains available. Our disaster recover policy
also ensures a 1 hour RPO (recovery point objective: the
maximum amount of data that can be lost) and a 2 hour
RTO (recovery time objective: the maximum amount of
time the application will be unavailable). In our frequent
tests, we have managed significantly better than both
those targets.
Application Architecture
BlackLine OnDemand is a .NET web application. The
web site is based on ASP.NET 3.5 and the backend is
SQL Server 2012. The application is designed around
single tenancy, meaning that each client has their own
dedicated database, instance, and access controls.
Client Requirements
As BlackLine is a SaaS tool, there are no client hardware
requirements. In order to access BlackLine and retain
full functionality, clients should at least have Microsoft
Windows XP SP3, 32-bit operating system and either
Internet Explorer (7 or higher) or Mozilla Firefox (3 or
higher) as a browser.
Clients will not need to contribute resources for
monitoring, support, or maintenance, as this is provided
by BlackLine.

Implementing BlackLine
BlackLine’s Finance Controls and Automation Suite can be
implemented quickly and easily. On average, implementations
take between 6-12 weeks, though BlackLine has successfully
implemented a major client in one week.
The timeframe for implementation is dictated almost
entirely by our clients. We make resources available to
accommodate either aggressive timetables or extensive,
widespread deployments.
The implementation process will be managed by a
dedicated implementations specialist. Having completed
more than 1,200 successful implementations, BlackLine’s
team has extensive experience working with clients.
In addition, many of our specialists are experienced
accountants and former users.
Our implementation process, while fluid and designed
to meet client needs, typically follows several steps.
Our implementation team will schedule a kickoff call to
completely detail the specific project plan that client
wants to accomplish and establish the desired timeframe.
Subsequent phases include data collection/extraction,
application configuration, system testing, data validation,
user training and acceptance/go-live.
System Integration
BlackLine is system and data agnostic. The application
is designed to integrate with virtually every available
ERP, ledger, or subsystem. Many clients load account
balances, transaction level detail, journal validation
rules, currency information, consolidation balances, bank
transactions, or other useful information. A key portion
of the implementations process involves configuring and
testing these automatic feeds. Even with our widespread
experience implementing clients with hundreds of
different systems feeding into the tool, BlackLine is
prepared to handle any scenario.

Training
Successfully trained users are absolutely crucial to a complete
BlackLine deployment. To that end, BlackLine provides a
series of different training options designed to help you get
the most out of the application.
BlackLine U
BlackLine U is our proprietary, internally developed
e-learning system. Accessed from within the application,
BlackLine U contains a variety of recorded training
sessions. The courses also contain end-of-training
assessments and offer managers the ability to track
attendance and performance. All users gain access to
BlackLine U as part of the standard license fee.
Training courses cover basic principles of accounting,
BlackLine functionality, and best practices. Training is
provided for each combination of BlackLine’s six products,
user type (Accountant, Manager, Administrator, Auditor),
and degree of complexity (Basic, Intermediate, Advanced).
As a result, clients can ensure that their users learn exactly
the skills needed to discharge their responsibilities.
Finally, BlackLine provides continuing education from
an accountant’s perspective through ongoing online
webinars. These webinars cover a wide variety of
accounting topics ranging from “Preparing Account
Reconciliations” to “Account Reconciliations: Techniques
and Requirements for a Strong Control.
Tutorial
The BlackLine tool also offers a 500+ page tutorial that
covers everything from accounting best practices to tips
and tricks on using the BlackLine tool. This searchable
guide is an excellent resource for both new and
experienced users.
Train-the-Trainer
During the implementation, BlackLine’s staff typically
provides hands-on training for your key employees
so that you always have an expert on-site. Much of
this knowledge transfer occurs organically during the
implementation process, but additional training is
available should clients require it.
New Feature Workshops
BlackLine delivers new feature workshops with every
new release to ensure that your users and organisation
utilise the latest, most effective features. The new feature
workshops are based on BlackLine’s software release
schedule and typically occur every quarter through an
online webinar. These webinars are essential for learning
about the latest features and taking advantage of all that
BlackLine’s solutions offer. New feature workshops will
also be available through the BlackLine U.
Custom Training Services
Should clients require additional assistance, BlackLine can
perform custom, on-site training. The BlackLine staff has
worked with over fifty multi-national corporations and
offers valuable insight into properly educating the end
users. This is the only one of BlackLine’s training offerings
that is not provided free of charge.

Support Services
Support
BlackLine provides free 24/7/365 support for all clients.
Our support staff is primarily located in Los Angeles,
though we also have resources available in Australia
and the United Kingdom. Support cases are logged in
the support portal, which will produce a support ticket.
BlackLine will immediately triage the issue. Support
cases affecting the availability of the application will
be addressed as soon as possible. Other cases will
be handled according to their severity. Regardless of
severity, BlackLine will coordinate closely with client so
long as the case is open.
Once a support case is closed, BlackLine automatically
surveys clients on their satisfaction with our support
team. Our standard metric is the NetPromoter score,
which gauges both satisfaction and the likelihood that
a responder would recommend BlackLine. NetPromoter
scores above 70 are considered excellent. BlackLine
consistently scores above 80.
Maintenance Upgrades
BlackLine provides all system patches, application
maintenance, and upgrades free of charge. Maintenance
periods are scheduled well in advance, never occur during
the close, and should not impact clients in any way.
Account Management
Once implementation is complete, a client is assigned
a dedicated Account Manager, who will be the client’s
primary point of contact at BlackLine. The Account
Manager supports and facilitates communication between
BlackLine and the client. Clients can expect their account
managers to draw on internal resources as needed to make
sure all clients’ needs are addressed.
The Account Management group also includes
the WhiteGlove team. These Customer Success
Managers are former BlackLine clients and product
experts. The CSMs work with current clients to optimise
their use of the application. WhiteGlove audits are
provided free of charge.

Clients Community
Online Community
With a user base of more than 120,000 accountants
around the world, BlackLine’s users tend to be passionate
about the BlackLine tool. As a result, our online community
has become an active, vibrant forum for clients to trade
best practices, help each other, and assist the BlackLine
product team in describing and designing new functionality.
The online community is accessible through the application
and is available to all users.
Annual User Conference
Once per year, BlackLine’s annual User Conference offers
clients an excellent opportunity to meet the BlackLine team,
network, and learn more about the tool. Classes follow
two tracks— beginner and advanced—and users can also
schedule a 1:1 meeting with a solution expert at the Customer
Success Lab. Most of all, each year this is our best chance to
show our clients how much we appreciate them, so plan on
lots of fun evening events.
Client Round-Tables
BlackLine’s roundtable program was developed to
help clients across the globe get the most out of their
BlackLine application. These forums give an intimate
group of like-minded professionals the opportunity to
network with other users, learn from BlackLine partners
and industry professionals, and get tips and tricks from
BlackLine experts.
BlackLine User Groups (BUGs)
BlackLine User Groups (BUGs) are independently run by
BlackLine users. They meet on a regular basis to discuss
the application and share information. BUGs are a great
opportunity to connect with BlackLine peers; share best
practices and relevant resources; collaborate on solutions
and ideas; and grow BlackLine expertise.

Partner Overview
BlackLine has formed strategic alliances with various business advisory firms to
bring industry-leading software and professional services to organisations of all
sizes and types throughout the world. These firms offer experienced accounting
and finance consultants to help implement BlackLine’s financial close software so
that companies streamline and optimise their financial close processes.
To deliver our application, BlackLine partners with nearly
50 different organisations, many of whom are also clients.
Alliance Partner Functions
Drawing on a wealth of expertise in process improvement
and finance transformation, many BlackLine partners
embed BlackLine in their larger strategic projects.
From BlackLine’s perspective, this represents an ideal
arrangement. While from a software perspective we
consider ourselves the foremost experts in managing
account reconciliations and the financial close, we are,
above all else, a software company. Our partnerships
allow us to deliver a much broader range of services
than we otherwise might, including technical
assistance, transformative consulting, and deeper
implementation services.
ERP Partnerships
BlackLine can integrate with virtually any ERP or
subsystem on the market. As a result, many ERP systems
have engaged in formal partnerships with BlackLine in
recognition of our deep integration and crucial role in a
complete financial close.
SAP — BlackLine’s Finance Controls and Automation Suite
is an SAP-endorsed business solution. Fewer than 40
solutions across all industries and categories of software
have achieved this status worldwide. Solutions endorsed
by SAP are complementary to SAP software offerings,
have been specifically integrated with SAP solutions
and tested by SAP, and provide additional choices and
flexibility for businesses running SAP applications.
In 2011, the SAP Pinnacle awards named BlackLine as a
finalist in the category of Software Solution Newcomer
of the Year. Pinnacle awards are presented by SAP each
year to the “best and brightest” of the SAP ecosystem.
The awards acknowledge SAP partners that excel in their
partnership with SAP and in helping customers to succeed.
BlackLine integrates directly with SAP ERP using our
purpose-built connector. The connector provides
the interface to extract data from an SAP ERP and
automatically format and import it for use in the
BlackLine application. It provides a simple and secure
way to connect to your SAP instance.

NetSuite — NetSuite and BlackLine have partnered in
order to form the first and most powerful end-to-end
close solution built entirely on SaaS. BlackLine’s NetSuite
connector sits inside a separate tab in both NetSuite and
NetSuite OneWorld, automatically retrieving balances
and other data and populating the data into BlackLine.
The connector is also listed as a SuiteApp, meaning that
it has been approved by NetSuite and can be resold by
NetSuite reps.
Oracle —More than 150 BlackLine clients have recognised
BlackLine’s role in filling gaps in the Oracle product suite.
BlackLine is an Oracle Gold Partner and has integrated
with almost all currently used versions of Oracle.
Outsourcing Partnerships
BlackLine’s scalability, global support, and focus on
efficiency naturally led to partnerships with a series of
outsourcing and business transformation leaders. Our
formal partnerships with Cognizant, IBM, and Xerox
(ACS) allow our clients to pair BlackLine’s award winning
software with our partners’ expertise, manpower, and
best practices.

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