• robert morgan -schneider downs & co., inc. • sr. manager, been with firm since 2008 ......

www.solverglobal.com


Leveraging BI360 for Effective Business Forecasting (WCS1)


10:00AM – 11:00AM

8/21/2019

[email protected]@scheiderdowns.com

Neal Jennings, VP & CFO#1 Cochran Automotive Group

Robert Morgan, Sr. ManagerSchneider Downs & Co., Inc.

mailto:[email protected]



Session Objectives

• Review why #1 Cochran Automotive Group selected BI360, and how BI360 was implemented as their budgeting and forecasting solution to better manage their 33 sites, 1,200 team members, and $950 million annual revenue.

• Discuss several scenarios that were implemented, focused on forecasting, budgeting, and corporate performance analysis.

• Discuss the technical integration aspects, as well as, the dynamic breadth of reporting elements available.

• Discuss the implementation methodology leveraged by Schneider Downs during the BI360 implementation.


Session Agenda

• Introductions and Backgrounds• About #1 Cochran Automotive Group• Business Case for BI360 Forecasting• Annual Forecasting Timeline with BI360• Forecasting Steps at #1 Cochran (Demonstration)• Things to Think About (& Lessons Learned)• Leveraging a BI360 “Partner”• Implementation Methodology• Q&A


Introductions and Backgrounds

• Neal Jennings - #1 Cochran Automotive Group• Vice President & CFO since August 2008• #1 Cochran Automotive Group ranked #71 in Top 150 (‘18 Automotive News)• Primary responsibilities include business development and acquisitions;

oversee financial administration, including accounting, forecasting, and financial reporting; and oversee information technology functions.

• Robert Morgan - Schneider Downs & Co., Inc.• Sr. Manager, been with firm since 2008• Schneider Downs is ranked #60 in Top 100 U.S. accounting firms (‘19

Accounting Today)• Offices in Pittsburgh, PA, Columbus, OH and Washington, D.C.• Solver partner since 2011


#1 Cochran Automotive Group• Large Automotive Dealership Group (Ranked #71 in U.S.)• 23 Dealerships, 8 Collision Centers, Wholesale Parts Distribution• Centralized Accounting and Reporting• Privately Held (Rob Cochran, President & CEO)• 1200 Team Members• $950 Million Annual Revenue• Will Retail over 28,000 New and Preowned Vehicles in 2019


Business Case For BI360 Forecasting

• Dealerships are Four Businesses in One; Tend to Silo Themselves.• New Vehicles• Used Vehicles • Service Department• Parts Department

• Analytical Culture. Historically forecasted at the department level.• Data Driven CEO. Healthy appetite for information.


Business Case For BI360 Forecasting (Cont’d)

• Traditional Forecasting Process (100% in Excel)

Dealership Forecast Summaries = 23

23 Dealerships x 4 Departments = 92 Individual Forecasts

Collision Centers with Summaries = 8 Executive Summaries = 8

Total Forecasts Each Year = 131 (not very efficient!)


Annual Forecast Timeline with BI360August• Design Changes

Considered• Draft New Forms &

Templates

September•Finalize Templates & Test

•Define Global Assumptions for Forecast Year

Early October• Forecast Launch

Meeting• Full day “Lock In”

Work Session• Teams of Accounting

and Ops.

Early November• Department Forecasts to

be reviewed/approved by Divisional Leaders

• Operational Signoff by Mid-November with Narrative “The Why”

December 1st

•Operational Forecast Due to CEO

•“Corporate” forecast by CFO Due to CEO with write up on assumptions for year

December 15th• Adjust for CEO Inputs

and Comments• Finalize by end of year


Input Form Design (Interactive Demonstration)

• Highlighted the Areas to Enter in Yellow (Simplify)• Calculation cells are locked. No adaptations allowed.

• Global Assumptions in Blue (Accounting provides)• Forecast Drivers

• “If you know these few things, you can prepare a forecast”.

• Provide Historical/Relevant Data in the Same Template• Efficient, paperless.

• Provides Write Back Cells to Capture the Narrative• The “Why” or “Business Conditions” driving the forecast.


Helpful BI360 Forecasting Features (Interactive)

• “Scenarios” to Compare Actual Versus Budget on One Page• Easy Access to Historical Data• Spreading a Fixed Annual Forecast Amount over 12 Months

• Can spread based on links to historical or forecast data.• Can easily increase the historical amount by a percentage.

• Can Summarize Across Spreadsheets• Can Capture Narrative Across Various Forecast Levels (Department Summaries, Store

Summaries, Executive Summaries, etc.)• Assigning GL Account Attributes to Forecast Data Allows for Efficient Rollup

• Example: Not forecasting 100 different GL accounts for office supplies, only the attribute of “Office Supplies”.

• Attributes assigned to both the actual GL accounts and the forecast GL accounts allow for efficient reporting.

• Can View BI360 Reports in an iOS App


Dramatically Improved Reporting and Roll Up (Interactive Examples)

• Efficient Summaries and Reporting. No Need to Bring the “Novel”.• 2019 Plan Versus 2018 Expected Finish (Blend of Actual and Remaining

Forecast).• Multi Year Blend of Actual Plus Next Forecast Year.• Summary of Profit by…… (Anything that can be Dimensioned or Attributed)

• By Month• By Dealership• Department

• Ability to Show Multiple Forecast Scenarios and Compare/Contrast Versions.• Store Level Forecast• Corporate Forecast


Things to Think About (& Lessons Learned)

• Plan out the attributes you want to report on and forecast in advance.• Think: “Levels of Reporting Detail”.

• Plan out how you want to store the data in the warehouse.• Typical Accounting Signage

• Positive Values – Assets, Expenses• Negative Values – Liabilities, Equity, Sales

• Do you want your forecast data to match accounting (or be 100% positive values). The decision affects how you design reports later on.

• Plan for any opportunity to forecast and store “subtotals” or roll up data. (example: Forecasting “Total Expenses”).


Leveraging a BI360 “Partner”

• #1 Cochran worked with Schneider Downs (our CPA firm) in implementing BI360

• Very Effective Example of “Partnering”• SD led numerous white-boarding workshops. Excellent planning and mapping.• Worked with our I.T. folks to integrate our data warehouse.• Led training on report-building and developed several of the reporting concepts.• Our deadlines were their deadlines.

• Post-implementation Support was Innovative and Effective• Provided on-site BI360 support person.• Collaborated with us the right FTE to help us develop our B.I. capabilities.• Recruited, Hired and Trained the FTE and ultimately transitioned to #1 Cochran.


Implementation Methodology: “People, Process, and Technology”• People

• Do they possess the skills necessary to be successful? • Accounting• Industry• Technical / Analytical

• What is their availability given current responsibilities?• Delegate work• Overtime• Temporary staff

• Once completed, how will their role/responsibilities change?• New responsibilities• Eliminate other responsibilities

• Designate a “champion” to lead the effort


• Technology• What systems are being used that house the data?

• Inputs• Accounting software• Supporting operational software (internal and external)• Spreadsheets

• Outputs• Reporting/Visualization software (BI360, Power BI)• Spreadsheets, Email

• Document data elements in your current inventory of dashboards, reports, etc.

• Document new data elements needed

Implementation Methodology: “People, Process, and Technology”


• Avoid the Technology Trap!• Purpose of technology is to support the

people and processes within the organization that use your data.

• Integration of all three makes or breaks the success of your project.

• People are first and Technology is last in this methodology for a reason.

• Don’t let perfection get in the way of progress.

Implementation Methodology: “People, Process, and Technology”


• People• Improve productivity by eliminating manual

repetitive processes.• More time to focus on analysis of data and

decision making.• Involve more people within other areas of

the organization.

Benefits of “People, Process, and Technology” Methodology


• Process• Improve timeliness of access to data by

eliminating duplication of effort.• Eliminate errors in results by reducing

human interaction with data.• Reduce monthly, quarterly and annual

reporting and forecasting cycles through gains in efficiencies.



• Technology• Reduce dependencies on internal/external

resources for development by investing in user-trainable tools.

• Integrate data from multiple sources by leveraging a data warehouse.

• Modern user interfaces designed for anytime self-service access.



• People• Evaluate resource skills, availability, and impact on roles and responsibilities.• Designate a “champion”.

• Process• Identify opportunities to change current processes.• Identify processes that need to remain unchanged.• Implement controls to ensure data integrity.

• Technology• Document systems to integrate and data elements.• Avoid the “Technology Trap”

Summary of “People, Process, and Technology” Methodology

www.solverglobal.comwww.solverglobal.com

THANK YOU!• Neal Jennings, VP & CFO, #1 Cochran Automotive Group

• [email protected]

• Robert Morgan, Sr. Manager, Schneider Downs & Co., Inc.• [email protected]




Supplemental MaterialUsing Power BI with BI360 Data Warehouse to Visualize

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)


Your feedback is valuable:

• robert morgan -schneider downs & co., inc. • sr. manager, been with firm since 2008 ......

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