Overcoming Bullhorn Challenges

Case study 2

Automated commission calculations and reports for mid-size staffing firm

Client profile

Staffing firm with locations across the U.S.

Fast growing company with 70 employees and $50 million in Sales has since grown to 180 employees and $150 million in Sales.

Years as a Blackland client: 14

Problem:
Highly manual process required three full work days for the CFO to compile and calculate monthly commissions for the firm’s account managers and salespeople. First, she would download sales activity from each of the company’s five offices, located around the country. Then, she would combine this data into one large master Excel spreadsheet before breaking the information into smaller files for each employee. Once the individual sheets were ready, she would review each one to figure out how to apply the firm’s various commission payout schedules correctly—a complex process based on a wide array of variables, such as employee total sales, employees involved in the deal, deal location, and specific client agreements. While the client used Bullhorn for applicant tracking it was not able to handle this process.

Solution delivered:
After working with the client to understand the firm’s complex commission calculations, rules and exceptions, Blackland (“BDM”) developed a solution to streamline the process. This involved loading the data into a new custom-made database. We designed and built the database, wrote scripts to import the data and developed a commission calculation that used an easily configurable rules table. With this new system, all the CFO had to do was click a button to import that data and calculate the commissions automatically, taking all of approximately two minutes. We also created a website where she could quickly view and adjust the data, if needed, and easily edit the commission rules and employee information. A custom script was created that generated the Commission Statements in Excel, and we helped set up the new process by loading the data and training the CFO and others on her staff.

Client benefit:
The new process was a big success, and the firm continues to use the system after ten years. The firm saved 15% of the CFO’s time every month. As an added bonus, the Client gained a new database tool that could be used for management reporting, with the ability to quickly compile information that wasn’t easily available before, such as sales volume by client, salesperson and branch, with trend views and year-over-year data comparisons.

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