Increasing Financial Transparency in the Public Sector
Challenge
A public sector healthcare agency faced increasing demands for financial transparency and efficient financial management from senior stakeholders and external partners, but was constrained on analytics team capacity. Disparate data sources and manual workflows limited the client’s ability to collect, store, and report financial data efficiently and accurately, leading to delays, inconsistencies, and limited visibility into real-time financial performance.
Approach
HRG followed an iterative, user-centered design process to create automated data pipelines and executive-level financial reports. During a brief discovery phase, we collaborated with stakeholders from across the organization—ranging from finance staff in the field who provide report inputs to senior leaders who rely on them for decision-making—to assess the current state of financial data and reporting. We then focused on four areas to enhance efficiency and transparency for the organization’s finance team:
Established a single source of truth: We consolidated relevant financial data sources into a single repository and established links between the disparate sources. This enabled users to easily filter and cross-reference information from multiple systems, providing a more complete financial picture while reducing reconciliation efforts.
Streamlined the data intake and review processes: We replaced manual processes with user-friendly applications that validate data in real-time, reducing errors and speeding up reporting. This improved accuracy and freed analysts to focus on uncovering financial insights rather than correcting and reconciling data. To drive adoption, we developed requirements with the users and ran extensive pilot testing before rollout.
Built interactive and automated reports: We developed dynamic dashboards that let users filter, cross-reference, and explore data to quickly uncover key insights. We also automated static reports used in frequent communications with leadership and external stakeholders, ensuring timely, data-driven financial reporting without manual effort.
Laid the groundwork for sustainable adoption: We developed change management and training efforts to help users understand the benefits, adopt new processes, and maintain long-term efficiency improvements across the organization.
Impact
HRG’s partnership with this organization delivered substantial benefits, directly enhancing the client’s capabilities:
Consolidated Financial Visibility: Established a central repository integrating multiple key financial data sources, simplifying data reconciliation and providing the client with a comprehensive, accurate financial picture.
Increased Operational Efficiency: Automated data validation and review tools reduced reporting errors and eliminated back-and-forth communication for monthly reporting, improving efficiency and accuracy.
Enhanced Decision-Making: Automation of previously manual tasks significantly reduced errors and workload, enabling the client's finance team to redirect efforts toward strategic analysis and insights rather than routine data processing.
Greater Confidence: By establishing a central source of truth for financial data, we enabled more granular financial reporting and strengthened confidence in analytics through ongoing reconciliation.
As a direct result of this collaboration, our client team is empowered through improved transparency, accuracy, and efficiency in financial reporting, positioning the organization for sustained strategic success.