Cincinnati Bell

Location:    Cincinnati, Ohio

Industry:    Telecommunications

About:  Telecom leader connecting residential & business customers in OH, KY, & IN with integrated communication solutions & cloud services. 4,500 employees.

Challenge: Struggled with manual, time-consuming processes using numerous Excel spreadsheets for budgeting, forecasting, and reporting. This led to inefficiencies, lack of real-time visibility, and hindered strategic decision-making.

Solution: Limelight

Key Results:  

• 93% Reduction in spreadsheet management
• Reporting 75% faster
• 20% increase in productivity 
• Improved Collaboration 

The Challenge

Cincinnati Bell, a leading telecommunications company, needed a financial management platform that could keep pace with their fast-paced operations. Tedious, manual processes in Excel were hindering their ability to analyze data and collaborate effectively. With Limelight, they found the solution.

From 40 Spreadsheets to a Single Source of Truth

Prior to Limelight, Director of FP&A, Noel Bernens, juggled 30 to 40 spreadsheets, each with numerous worksheets, for monthly reporting, forecasting, and budgeting. This fragmented approach consumed valuable time and energy. Limelight's centralized platform eliminated the need for these disparate spreadsheets, providing a single, integrated view of financial data.

Limelight accelerated Cincinnati Bell's reporting and month-end close processes. The familiar Excel-like interface fostered quick user adoption, ensuring a smooth transition for the finance team. Real-time access to budget information empowered management to make informed decisions without delays. Ad-hoc reporting capabilities further streamlined processes, saving hours previously spent on manual data extraction and report creation.

Noel and his team are now building a foundation in Limelight to empower VPs with self-serve reporting. This shift away from daily spreadsheet management allows finance professionals to focus on more strategic and analytical tasks, maximizing their value to the organization.

The Impact

With over 100 users on Limelight, Cincinnati Bell has experienced firsthand the platform's productivity and collaborative impact. By streamlining information flow and freeing up time for analysis, Limelight has empowered the finance team to make smarter, data-driven decisions that drive the company's success.