How Merck is tackling Record-to-Report complexity by fixing accruals at the source

As part of its Record-to-Report transformation, Merck Group confronted a hard truth: accruals had become one of the most manual, fragmented and effort-intensive parts of the close, driving complexity, rework and operational risk at global scale.

In this session, Merck shares how it assessed its R2R landscape alongside Redwood Finance Automation and implementation partner KPMG, and why accrual-related journal entries emerged as the primary source of close inefficiency. They explain where traditional automation approaches fell short, how balance sheet reconciliation made the true cost of manual accruals visible, and why simplifying accrual execution became the logical starting point for broader R2R transformation.

This is a candid view of real decision-making, sequencing and in-flight progress.

Why attend

• Hear how Merck evaluated its Record-to-Report challenges and set priorities

• Understand why accrual journals drove disproportionate manual effort and complexity

• Learn how balance sheet reconciliation surfaced structural issues such as fragmented ownership and late adjustments

• See why fixing accrual execution came before scaling automation across the close

• Take away practical insight into reducing R2R complexity without over-promising outcomes