This particular use case is one of TBMO driving business value by introducing financial transparency to our IT leaders and product managers. In the process, we moved from a project-centric to a product-centric insights model.
​

Goals

We set ourselves a goal of enabling automated & self-service financial insights leveraging existing systems of record, for our Leaders and product teams, across IT. Considering we relied on google sheets for our performance reviews before this, it was a big step forward.

Milestones

We approached this in a two-step process:

1. Build the foundational financial model with appropriate granularity aligning with the finance department's way of viewing performance. These are Project-centric and Cost center-based insights. Step 1 is critical to getting the data accuracy right (finance would help validate this) and winning our customers' trust.
2. Once we completed step 1, we ramped up to build the product-centric model. We called this version 2 and onboarded the larger product teams as our customers.

Specifications

            I.  Foundational Project-centric Financials: Steps followed

        II.     Product-centric Financials: Steps followed

Challenges

1. Since our TBMO had no prior experience with TBM and ApptioOne, getting the project started took time and effort. Some of the questions we initially faced were:
1. Which of our internal systems would feed the raw data? For GL, for Budgets/forecasts, contracts, and workforce.
2. What departments, accounts, and expense types are we to choose?
3. How do we group the accounts for a bigger picture? While still aligned with how finance looks at it internally.
4. What is the right level of granularity for each cost pool?
5. Getting comfortable with TBM studio and all aspects of CT and ITP
2. The next big challenge was onboarding users to utilize the self-service reports.

 

Results and Current State

1. FINANCIAL TRANSPARENCY
1. We shifted from Google sheets to automated and tool-based financial performance reviews.
2. We saved several hours by moving away from manual data organization and reporting. Tool-based insights also ensured greater accuracy and dependability.
3. Insights are now available to the broader team versus restricted to a few stakeholders.

 

1. PRODUCT-CENTRIC
1. IT has moved to operate in a product-based model. We could shift our financial insights to a product-centric model by aligning with the same.
2. This model helps make investment decisions with a product lens, making it agile.
3. 10 product groups utilize the insights for decision-making along with our SBO/TBMO team.
4. TBMO is actively collaborating on savings opportunities in software applications (~2%) with the respective product teams.

 

1. REACHING BUSINESS as USUAL for FINANCIAL INSIGHTS
1. Financials have become a regular addition (screenshots and highlights are embedded) to many of our product group business reviews. So, we have more people aware of their budgets and where they spend them.
2. One continuous area for improvement is onboarding new users and having existing users regularly use the tool.

​ #ApptioOne

@Debbie Hagen @Sanchit Sabharwal​​​​​​​​

#ApptioforAll
#ACE
#TBMStudio

Great study, @Chitra V. Congrats!​

------------------------------
Regards, Guillermo
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 02-01-2023 04:01
From: Chitra V
Subject: ACE Case Study: Drove Business Value by introducing Financial Transparency and shifting towards a Product-centric model

This particular use case is one of TBMO driving business value by introducing financial transparency to our IT leaders and product managers. In the process, we moved from a project-centric to a product-centric insights model.
​

Goals

We set ourselves a goal of enabling automated & self-service financial insights leveraging existing systems of record, for our Leaders and product teams, across IT. Considering we relied on google sheets for our performance reviews before this, it was a big step forward.

Milestones

We approached this in a two-step process:

1. Build the foundational financial model with appropriate granularity aligning with the finance department's way of viewing performance. These are Project-centric and Cost center-based insights. Step 1 is critical to getting the data accuracy right (finance would help validate this) and winning our customers' trust.
2. Once we completed step 1, we ramped up to build the product-centric model. We called this version 2 and onboarded the larger product teams as our customers.

Specifications

            I.  Foundational Project-centric Financials: Steps followed

        II.     Product-centric Financials: Steps followed

Challenges

1. Since our TBMO had no prior experience with TBM and ApptioOne, getting the project started took time and effort. Some of the questions we initially faced were:
1. Which of our internal systems would feed the raw data? For GL, for Budgets/forecasts, contracts, and workforce.
2. What departments, accounts, and expense types are we to choose?
3. How do we group the accounts for a bigger picture? While still aligned with how finance looks at it internally.
4. What is the right level of granularity for each cost pool?
5. Getting comfortable with TBM studio and all aspects of CT and ITP
2. The next big challenge was onboarding users to utilize the self-service reports.

 

Results and Current State

1. FINANCIAL TRANSPARENCY
1. We shifted from Google sheets to automated and tool-based financial performance reviews.
2. We saved several hours by moving away from manual data organization and reporting. Tool-based insights also ensured greater accuracy and dependability.
3. Insights are now available to the broader team versus restricted to a few stakeholders.

 

1. PRODUCT-CENTRIC
1. IT has moved to operate in a product-based model. We could shift our financial insights to a product-centric model by aligning with the same.
2. This model helps make investment decisions with a product lens, making it agile.
3. 10 product groups utilize the insights for decision-making along with our SBO/TBMO team.
4. TBMO is actively collaborating on savings opportunities in software applications (~2%) with the respective product teams.

 

1. REACHING BUSINESS as USUAL for FINANCIAL INSIGHTS
1. Financials have become a regular addition (screenshots and highlights are embedded) to many of our product group business reviews. So, we have more people aware of their budgets and where they spend them.
2. One continuous area for improvement is onboarding new users and having existing users regularly use the tool.

​ #ApptioOne

@Debbie Hagen @Sanchit Sabharwal​​​​​​​​

#ApptioforAll
#TBMStudio
#ACE