Partner Highlight: Finit

Get to know our first partner, Finit Solutions –

Q.When did your relationship with OneStream get started?

A. Our relationship with OneStream started right when the company was forming and the team was  in the process of building what became the OneStream XF platform. We helped provide some insight and opportunities to improve the product  by outlining the problems they were trying to solve with the software and the challenges we had implementing the legacy solutions.

Q. What was your commitment with OneStream’s first customer?

A. We partnered with OneStream on implementing Federal Mogul as the first customer and leveraged our industry experience to help formulate what would become best practices for design in this new product that had unique capabilities that we did not have before.  The commitment started with both Finit and OneStream jointly working on  the initial  design at Federal Mogul.

Nobody knew how to implement OneStream for that first customer, so we made the commitment to Federal Mogul and to OneStream to not charge for our resources during that project so that we could learn, but also, we felt that was just fair to Federal Mogul. It would be wrong to charge them for skills we didn’t have at that time. We all acted in partnership to deliver a success. It was a significant investment for both companies to deliver a success

Q. What did Finit see in OneStream that gained your trust and allowed you to partner with OneStream?

A. It came down to two things:

First, the trust we had in the leaders of OneStream: Tom Shea, Craig Colby, Jeff DeGreick and Eric Davidson. We inherently trusted the way they treated their customers, how they ran their business and worked with partners, and how they generally approached their operation. So we had inherent trust in the people – and that more than anything gave us the trust to work with them we would work with them because of their values and trust that we’ve had in them for years.

Second, we really enjoyed how the OneStream team looked at solving problems and the approach they took. Their level of intellect, and how they approach creating solutions was very exciting to be part of.

Q. What were your interactions with OneStream in the early days and did you help with the development of the platform?

A. We were deeply involved in the development of the platform. The conversations spanned different topics – but they were largely centered around what are the problems we are trying to solve?  And how can we do this in the best way to make the job of a finance user easier or better? So, every conversation involved a very detailed brainstorming of ideas, kicking around suggestions for how can we do something awesome for Finance and accounting people? It was a very detailed, analytical, innovative exercise all around what was the best possible way to do something.

On the platform, we provided ideas, but Tom and Bob and the OneStream team were the ones that really made this idea a reality. We provided ideas and feedback and the thought around dimensions, workflow, reporting – but ultimately it was the work that OneStream did that made the platform what it is today.

Interaction in the early days – it was a very “all hands on deck” approach. There were no egos in the room. Everybody worked together to attack the problem that needed to be solved. Everyone did what they needed to do to ensure customers were successful. That approach still holds true obviously, there’s a little more structure now at OneStream. But the mantra that every customer is a success and a reference was taking place on day one. OneStream has always had a commitment to customer success that other vendors just don’t have.

Q. Key advantages of the OneStream platform?

A. The biggest advantage is that it’s a true platform. It’s one unified product, one application that is serving multiple needs.

It’s much easier for clients to solve problems with one platform.

A unified platform allows the customer to truly realize the value faster and at lower cost. They can improve more processes and they can actually make it happen quickly. That’s what we see as what a true platform provides versus a modular approach that other vendors take where it’s very siloed, and separately licensed. You may still get to an improved state, but it’s going to cost more in the long run to get to that level of improving and transforming your business. You don’t have to go through so many modules and procurement discussions with OneStream like you do with other vendors.

Q. How many OneStream customers have you implemented to date?

A. Finit has implemented 60+ OneStream customers and completed over 100+ projects for those customers.

Q. What are some of the more compelling or interesting use cases you’ve seen?

A. Carlyle was a great one. We were able to eliminate 3 legacy technologies with OneStream’s platform. We did it all at the same time. It wasn’t a 3-year project – within one year we replaced the legacy technologies that they spent years building and implementing.

Macy’s was one of the only Essbase clients that we’ve worked with – where we replaced 6 Essbase applications with a single instance of OneStream.

Endo International – the transformation they achieved with OneStream and how broad it was in their CFO organization was amazing. We replaced about 6 different products with OneStream. It impacted their financial consolidation, their financial planning, it impacted business units and improved their financial reporting. It impacted operational reporting as well, as master data management. The level of processes and functions they were able to transform and improve was impressive.

Q. What do you think the future holds for OneStream?

A. We are super excited about where OneStream has come from, where they are now, and where they are going.

The size of the clients is amazing – we are dealing with the big boys now. We are dealing with bigger companies with more complex problems. OneStream is getting a lot of good opportunities to solve problems in a lot of these organizations. I think there is a lot of positive momentum.

OneStream has the opportunity to not just help companies do something better but it’s truly allowing companies to achieve things that they have never been able to do before.  To innovate finance to a level that has never been done before. The OneStream XF platform and XF MarketPlace are great, doing it in one system versus 8 – that’s an improvement. But I think OneStream is going to be able to not just do things better for companies, but truly unlock transforming capabilities that companies have never been able to utilize before, using modern technology.

Q. So, you’ve been working with OneStream since the beginning…what’s changed?

A. Well for one thing, there’s a lot more people in the organization. The recognition of what OneStream is doing has changed. They’ve always had the belief, they’ve maintained their values – approaching problems the right way. Doing what’s right for the customer – that has not changed. I think what’s changed is that OneStream is now a bigger company, people are recognizing the excellence of what the company can do. The external feedback and perceptions of the quality OneStream has delivered since day one is finally catching on.

The market acceptance has changed. We no longer have to say “it’s new, but it’s better”, now we just say “it’s better”. The market has adopted and accepted the solution and it’s the new and proven standard that everyone else has to contend with. Rather than the other way around.  OneStream are no longer the new guys on the block.