Client Snapshot
Industry:
CPA / Accountancy Firm
Location:
Dallas, Texas, USA
Client Base:
Small-to-medium businesses (mixed industries)
Service Scope:
Monthly bookkeeping, year-end close/write-up services, and payroll
Key Highlights
Scale-Up:
Expanded from 5 to 80 end-clients in 5 months
Cost Impact:
-40% overhead reduction in the first four months
Deadline Performance:
95–96% accounting deadlines met; 99.5% payroll deadlines met
Speed:
Write-up turnaround reduced from 3 days to 2 days
Client Background
The client is a mid-sized accountancy firm in Dallas providing accounting, payroll, and individual/corporate tax return preparation services to a diverse base of small-to-medium businesses. As demand increased, the firm needed a scalable outsourcing model that could deliver consistent turnaround and accuracy across bookkeeping, write-up work, and payroll—without compromising service level expectations.
The engagement began with five end-clients and expanded to eighty end-clients within five months, requiring a delivery model with strong production governance, review rigor, and predictable workflow management.
Business Challenge
Rapid client growth required scalable delivery with strict SLAs, consistent quality, and predictable turnaround—despite irregular data flow from end-clients.
SLA-Driven Delivery With Penalty Risk
Turnaround time and error-rate expectations were formalized, with penalties for non-adherence.
Irregular Data Flow and Skewed Workloads
Uneven information flow from clients created bottlenecks and unpredictable workloads.
Quality Consistency Across Rapid Scale-Up
Scaling from 5 to 80 end-clients required standardized practices and review discipline.
Onshore–Offshore Coordination and Query Resolution
Timely completion depended on fast clarifications and clean communication to prevent rework.
As volumes expanded quickly, delivery consistency depended on structured workflows, standardized query handling, and strong review coverage. The operating model needed better visibility into missing inputs and work-in-progress status to protect deadlines while maintaining accuracy.
OHI's Approach & Solution
Production and Quality Governance
- Defined key deliverables for accounting and payroll, with agreed turnaround and error-rate parameters.
- Implemented quality compliance systems and a three-tier review structure to protect timeliness and accuracy.
- Set up a progress-tracking database to monitor deliverables and production status.
Turnaround Time Management
- Established turnaround times for AP, AR, and reconciliations as part of the accounting workflow.
- Adjusted service timings to create a two-hour overlap with U.S. counterparts for faster query resolution.
- Reduced turnaround through a tracker system with document identification numbers to flag missing data quickly.
Responsive Administration
- Updated Client Regional Account Managers daily on production status.
- Issued missing-information lists and proactively followed up with account/operations managers to meet minimum production commitments.
- Maintained an online database for status reporting of ongoing work.
Process Innovations
- Built customized checklists to map client accounting practices and reduce startup time for new files.
- Implemented procedures to reduce processing and error correction time (QuickBooks ↔ Excel import/export).
- Improved client reporting formats (KPI reports, Excel schedules, Word reports) to reduce processing time and improve output quality.
Results & Impact
| KPI | Before OHI | After OHI | Improvement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost Structure | Higher overhead for accounting + payroll delivery | Offshore delivery model with SLA-driven controls | ~40% reduction (first 4 months) |
| Accounting Deadline Performance | Delivery pressure due to volume and data gaps | Standard workflows + review structure + tracking | 95–96% deadlines met |
| Payroll Deadline Performance | Peak-period capacity constraints | SLA-led payroll production + reporting discipline | 99.5% deadlines met |
| Write-Up Turnaround | Average 3 days | Average 2 days | Faster turnaround |
OHI enabled the firm to scale bookkeeping and payroll delivery while maintaining SLA discipline through structured tracking, standardized workflows, and layered reviews. This reduced overhead costs, improved write-up turnaround time, and delivered consistent deadline performance across accounting and payroll.
“OHI helped us scale from a small pilot to a high-volume delivery model with strong SLA discipline. The structured workflows and review system improved turnaround and reduced overhead.”
Managing Partner
Dallas-Based CPA Firm
Scale bookkeeping and payroll delivery without adding overhead
Use SLA-driven workflows, layered reviews, and structured tracking to improve turnaround and maintain accuracy as client volumes grow.
