Outsourced Accounting for Public Sector

We hired Plante Moran to provide consistency in our finance and accounting functions during a period of transition. They scale their services according to our needs, helping with year-end filings, bank reconciliations, chart of accounts conversion, pooled cash analysis, and budget amendments. They make sure all of our deadlines are met and that we’re ready for the audit. They provide training, time-saving tips, and valuable benchmarks, which have helped ease my transition to the finance director role. Their service is outstanding. They’re extremely knowledgeable, reliable, and always available to jump on a call to answer our questions. We view them as a trusted advisor and an extension of our team.

Plante Moran serves as our accounting and finance department, providing everything from CFO services to recording transaction activity and process improvement. We recently converted to a new system, and they helped us leverage additional functionality. We’ve found this support model to be cost-effective and efficient, and it allows us to stay on top of regulatory and compliance requirements. Their fully trained staff bring the skillset we need on a variety of technical matters, from providing guidance on how private and public funding sources can be utilized to guidelines on COVID-19 relief programs and funding.

They’re easy to work with, and the rapport they’ve developed with our team is great. Communication is proactive — we have regular calls, they monitor and report on our financial status, and they attend our board meetings regularly. I would absolutely recommend Plante Moran. We view them as trusted advisors and consider them to be a part of our executive team. We couldn’t be happier with the service that we receive.

Like many government organizations, we have a lean staffing model. Juggling filing deadlines and keeping up with ever-increasing treasury requirements can be challenging. Plante Moran helped us improve our accounting functions, redesign internal processes, and develop policy and procedure documentation to ensure we’re meeting all requirements. They provided easy-to- follow examples and education so our staff can be more self-sufficient in our accounting practices impacting overall efficiencies. This has resulted in us being able to more fully utilize our accounting software to work for us.

Additionally, the team supplements our internal team with regular, ongoing support as needed. The Plante Moran experts are well-trained, efficient, and can get done in one day what could take me several days to accomplish. They help keep us on track and catch mistakes before they become a problem. I have the confidence and peace of mind that we're correctly accounting for financial activity, and their service allows us to avoid the cost of adding a full-time accounting position. I cannot speak highly enough of how beneficial this service has been.

Due to an unexpected vacancy in our controller position, we needed immediate assistance preparing for our annual audit. Plante Moran stepped in with the right expertise and resources to help us complete our audit prep in time. Since then, they’ve become a valuable part of our team, providing ongoing accounting support and counsel throughout the year, including month-end close and financial reporting.

What distinguishes them is their level of K-12 expertise, as well as their knowledge of governmental audit and accounting standards. With their support, we’re able to stay ahead of industry changes. 

We would recommend Plante Moran to any other school or K-12 district. Their services have been essential in allowing us to focus our time and attention on our top priority: our students.

Plante Moran was instrumental in helping us get a handle on the budget by creating a consolidated report to view all of the city’s accounts. This not only helped us internally, but it created better public trust in our community. I recommended Plante Moran to the City of Wayne and continue to recommend them to others because, when you hire Plante Moran, you get the whole team and their combined knowledge. They are great at making sure everyone is available to respond to questions and I know they’re looking out for our city.

Plante Moran is the gold standard when it comes to governmental accounting. I appreciate their expertise — they know their stuff. They’re big enough to have deep expertise in a lot of areas without being cumbersome to work with. Good customer service is increasingly rare these days, and Plante Moran is the exception — they treat us as valued clients. When we have questions, they follow up with us with timely answers. I can think of three people that I can call with questions that will get back to me by the end of the day. Their expertise bundled together with exceptional customer service is what makes Plante Moran unique.