How Stackline Reduced Its Revenue Close from Two Weeks to Two Days with Maxio & NetSuite

The Challenge: Managing Growth Without Operational Complexity

When Derek Vertrees joined Stackline as Senior Finance Manager in 2021 (now Director of Accounting), the company was facing typical growing pains around financial operations and reporting. The finance team needed to establish efficient processes that could scale with the business while maintaining speed and accuracy.

 Before Maxio, Stackline was experiencing:

1. Slow Month-End Close Process – Revenue close was taking up to 2 weeks, limiting the finance team’s ability to provide timely insights to leadership.
2. Manual ARR Reporting – Without dedicated subscription management tools, generating accurate ARR reports required extensive manual work in Excel.
3. Limited Scalability – The existing QuickBooks setup couldn’t support the growing complexity of subscription billing and multi-entity operations.

Derek understood that solving these operational challenges would be critical to his success at Stackline. As he explained, “Part of the reason why I came to Stackline was to get our monthly close down and I had to get it down fast.” The company needed someone who could not only identify the pain points but architect and implement the systems necessary to transform their financial operations.

Stackline was also focused on building a foundation that could support rapid growth while delivering speed and accuracy. Derek knew that achieving these goals would require more than incremental improvements; it would demand a complete rethinking of their tech stack and operational approach.

The Process: Strategic Tech Stack Implementation

Stackline took a methodical approach to building their financial operations infrastructure. Rather than attempting a complete overhaul at once, they carefully orchestrated their tech stack evolution to ensure each system could seamlessly connect with the others.

The finance team prioritized establishing Maxio as their subscription billing and revenue management foundation first, ensuring all contract data and revenue recognition processes were properly configured and reconciled. This gave them a solid base before layering on NetSuite for comprehensive ERP functionality and Salesforce for enhanced CRM capabilities.

Results: Operational Excellence at Scale

The strategic implementation of Maxio and NetSuite has delivered transformational results for Stackline’s finance operations. Derek’s systematic approach to building their financial infrastructure has paid off dramatically – what once required weeks of manual effort can now be accomplished in days with existing headcount.

“We close revenue in two days in large part because of Maxio. Maxio has allowed us to keep generalists as opposed to specialists, which I like because we can flex our team to solve the greatest business need.” – Derek Vertrees, Director of Accounting

The Maxio + NetSuite integration has transformed Stackline’s operational metrics:

1. 2-Day Revenue Close – Revenue reporting was reduced from 1-2 weeks to two days, with the full financial package now completed in seven days.
2. Scalable Team Structure – The finance team maintained a flat headcount despite significant company growth, with team members cross-trained across functions instead of being siloed into specialized roles.
3. Automated Data Flow – A seamless integration from Salesforce → Maxio → NetSuite eliminates manual entry and reduces errors.

Strategic Impact: From Manual Processes to Business Intelligence

For Kan-Fu Lee, Stackline’s Finance Manager, Maxio and NetSuite have completely transformed his role. Instead of spending his days compiling data in Excel, he now delivers the analysis and strategic insights that drive executive decision-making.

“If I didn’t have Maxio, I’d spend 90 percent of my time manually creating these ARR reports from Excel … I’d need additional hands to do my other day-to-day responsibilities.” – Kan-Fu, Finance Manager

With time freed from manual reporting, the finance team has unlocked breakthrough business insights:

• Data-Driven Decisions: Product performance analysis helped executives identify underperforming products and realign strategy.
• Advanced Analytics: Automated Power Query dashboards and reporting workflows replaced hours of manual spreadsheet work.
• Real-Time Insights: ARR reporting, cohort analysis, and product-line performance are now available instantly, enabling faster pivots.

“I just like the Maxio UI. It’s so much cleaner and agile by adding so many interesting custom fields that are pertinent to our business.” Derek explains. 

With Maxio simplifying subscription data and NetSuite handling multi-entity consolidations, Stackline now has a single source of truth flowing seamlessly from Salesforce to NetSuite. This integration eliminates reconciliation headaches, supports multi-currency reporting, and frees the finance team to focus on analytics that drive the business forward.

Conclusion: Scaling Operations Without Scaling Complexity

Stackline’s transformation from a 1-2 week revenue close to a 2-day process isn’t just about speed—it’s about building a finance function that scales with the business while maintaining accuracy and control. By taking a strategic approach to their tech stack implementation and focusing on integration from the start, Derek and Kan-Fu have created a foundation that supports both operational excellence and strategic decision-making.

Their success demonstrates that the right combination of tools, implemented thoughtfully, can transform finance from a back-office function into a strategic business partner. For growing SaaS companies facing similar challenges, Stackline’s journey offers a proven roadmap for achieving operational excellence without sacrificing the agility needed to compete in today’s market.