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Department Profile – Accounting

“Building an exceptional company is the result of building exceptional teams with exceptional people.”

Team 1 Plastics, a plastic injection molding company for the transportation industry, has been and continues to be a successful company because of our exceptional teams. Today, we will introduce one of these exceptional teams, the Accounting Department, as we continue a series of articles profiling our departments.

Department Name: Accounting

Department Manager: Suzanne Nelson

Accounting Team Members:
(Left to right in photo)
Customer Service Representative Sandy Bunker
Customer Service Representative Tasha Pritchard
Controller Suzanne Nelson

How does the Accounting Department support Team 1 Plastics as a whole?
The Accounting Department processes invoices to customers and ensures that vendors are paid on time.  This department also provides monthly financials (“income statements”) to Team 1’s Management Team for any decisions or changes that need to be made from a financial standpoint.

How does the Accounting Department support Team 1’s customers and vendors?
Customer Service Representative Sandy Bunker helps to support Team 1’s customers by processing the accounts receivable invoices.  By invoicing customers in a timely manner, Sandy ensures that Team 1 is paid on time. “When we need to have contact with our customers, it is usually because we need to provide them things like confirmation of prices or proof of delivery for their invoices,” explained Accounting Manager and Controller Suzanne Nelson.  Sandy adds, “We work well together as a team to resolve these issues when we have them.”

In addition to supporting customers, the Accounting Department also supports Team 1’s vendors.  Customer Service Representative Tasha Pritchard supports the company’s vendors by processing the accounts payable invoices for bills the company must pay out.  “Sometimes we have to make contact with vendors and sometimes they reach out to us,” explains Suzanne.  “They may reach out to us for anything from status on an invoice to questions on pricing.  We respond to them so that we can resolve those issues and they can be paid.”

Briefly describe a typical workday in the Accounting Department.

Accounting Manager Suzanne Nelson

At the start of each day, there is a predictable list of priorities for the Accounting Department, but Suzanne ensures that “it can quickly change if we receive any correspondence from customers, vendors, or Team Members that reach out for help.  There is never a dull moment!”  Every week can be different, but Fridays have scheduled payment runs for Team 1 vendors.  Closing the books and income statements are reserved for the first couple weeks of the month, while the second half of each month is focused on updating reports and completion of projects.

Describe how the Accounting Department has solved a specific problem at Team 1.
The Accounting Department routinely works on resolving problems with customers or vendors.  There was a particular customer that had an issue which took a considerable amount of time to resolve.  This customer problem was during the COVID-19 pandemic, so it made things much more difficult.  Additionally, with this being an international customer, effective communication became challenging.  After a few phone calls, some time, and a lot of team effort, the issue was resolved.

What is a recent noteworthy accomplishment of the Accounting Department?
“We have added front-end software for the accounts payables process,” describes Suzanne.  “We have also set up a new email process for vendors to submit their invoices.  Between the two new processes, we are trying to streamline the accounts payables and automate it more.”  The screenshots below are from the Team1AP Inbox and AutoEntry.  Invoices are sent to Team1AP, and this information is then forwarded to AutoEntry.

What is something the Accounting Department is particularly proud of?
Team 1 Plastics Accounting Department’s responsibilities are vast, and a team effort is necessary to make it all happen.  “Meeting those important timelines for monthly and annual income statements can be challenging.  I definitely could not do it alone,” explains Suzanne, thankfully.

What are the Accounting Department’s current goals?
The Accounting Department’s goals include effectively streamlining the accounts payable process, as mentioned above.  The department is always looking to streamline or automate processes to make things run more efficiently.

Department Random Poll:
During time off, do you prefer to travel or relax at home?
This was an easy answer for Suzanne.  “For me, we prefer to travel.  My husband and I enjoy joining our kids, or we ask them to join us.”  Tasha and Sandy both also prefer to travel, but Tasha adds that she enjoys “spending time with family and friends, and relaxing!”