104: OneStream Splash 2026 with Lesley Adams

Welcome to the CPM Customer Success Podcast, where we help office of finance leaders enable an exact solution to enhance their corporate performance. Without spending countless nights and weekends in the office. Hi, I'm your host, Andy Smetana from Nova Advisory. Nova Advisory is a 100% OneStream professional services diamond implementation partner.

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You can check that out now at Nova Advisory's website, Nova advisory.com/podcast and subscribe to the CPM Customer Success podcast newsletter today. Andy: today Leslie Adams, sales Director for the Central Region. Welcome to the show.

It's great to have you on the CPM Customer Success Podcast, Leslie. Lesley Adams: Hey Andy. Thanks for having me. I'm happy to be here.

Andy: Awesome. Well, I would love for you to introduce yourself to start, um, talk about your role at OneStream, um, and, you know, maybe something fun, like what does a great week look like for you? Lesley Adams: Yes. So, um, as Andy said, my name is Leslie Adams.

I am a sales director for the central region based out of the Wisconsin area. Um, I've been at OneStream for more than seven years, starting in more of an account manager role, um, here in my state of Wisconsin and helped to grow this area and build out. Um, but I've been in this space for more than 20 years, so, um, a great day in this. In this job and in these roles is getting to spend time with customers.

Our favorite thing is to be out of the offices that we sit in every day and out in the field learning and, and seeing great new things that people are doing with OneStream. Andy: Wonderful. And I can tell you you're truly from Wisconsin, by the way. You say Wisconsin.

My father's from Wisconsin as well, and he, he speaks exactly the same dialect, so it's, it's awesome to have you. Thanks. Well. Uh, so well, we're gonna talk about Splash.

So Splash Conference one, uh, one Stream's annual Splash Conference is coming up. Uh, it'll be, we, we will, we're pre-recording this, but it'll be, uh, next week when we go live with this episode. And, uh, we've done this the last few years just to prepare our listeners for Splash that are attending, get them excited, uh, help them learn and, um. You know, really get ready for the week.

So why don't we start with this, Leslie, could you give us a quick version maybe of your journey into the CPM space? What drew you in? What keeps you excited? And then we'll kind of transition and start talking about Splash in more detail.

I. Lesley Adams: Sure. So I, I was a finance girl first, so. coming outta school, I interned with the Johnson Family AC company, so everybody knows Glade, Windex off.

Um, and I started in the, using the CPM solutions way back then in the Asia finance region. Learned all about currency and. had a role on their CFO Track, which essentially just got me a new project in finance every year for 10 years and all of that I serve, I help solve all those challenges with EPM technologies, and so I actually practice what I preach. I've been there, I've done that, and so I know that this.

Software like this can be life changing for people in their roles in finance. It can make their jobs easier, it can set career paths, it can do all of those things. And so what gets me excited is that every day we learn something new every day. This the world that we live in when finance and, and technology changes.

And so even after 25 years, there's never a boring day in this space or with our customers. So it's, you know, it's, it's never repetitive. It's never the same day. I never know what's gonna happen when I.

wake up in the morning, and that's the best part of it. Andy: I love it. And, and you know, that, uh, the energy just comes through in your voice and your, your, uh, uh, persona, Leslie. So I love, love speaking with you and, and that's kind of a nice tie in to really, that's part of the OneStream.

Community and in the sense that I think people feel when they engage within the OneStream community, especially people who are maybe not familiar with OneStream and uh, and that kind of vibe. So as a OneStream leader, could you maybe help describe, you know, what, what you think people feel when they start encountering that OneStream community for the first time? Lesley Adams: Yeah, OneStream being in this space for so long, OneStream is a completely different vibe than other vendors that I've worked with in the past and that I've worked for in the past.

That you are very much a part of the family. You know, I work with my customers. We, we text back and forth. We know what's happening with families and kids and all of the things that are outside of that, that traditional world and that all that comes through is that we really care about the success of our customers.

We, we feel very, we take it very personally that everyone knows everything. Perfect. No, of course not. We're, we're still techno cell technology.

We're still working with people, but. Um, we really take pride in that and I think, you know, leading into Splash and what we're mentioning, what we're talking about here, that comes through in the Splash Conference and the way that it does that, it doesn't come through in any of the other conferences that I've ever attended. So that is the real differentiator, is we really, that customer success is super important to us. Andy: That's exactly why we titled this, uh, CPM Customer Success.

And, uh, and really to talk about that, that journey of a, of a customer achieving it. So let's start, uh, and, and jump into the splat. And, and start talking about the conference and why it exists. And maybe just a very simple, you know, for someone who's never been, you know, what, at Splash, what's it all about?

Why is it unique? Who's it really for? Lesley Adams: Yeah, so slash is our annual conference. I always tell people who are thinking about coming in those three days, three very quick days.

You can learn more about OneStream than I can teach you. Coming in and, and having demos and doing the normal process in three or four months because people have day jobs and people have time set. You know, to set time aside. days of focus of amazing sessions.

Um, there is interact opportunities to interact with leaders. There's opportunities to do what I call, always call the built-in reference check, right? So there's tons of customers and prospective customers, and just the natural networking that happens at an event like this, um, is really what Splash is all about. It really is three days of focus on exactly what.

are asking you to go back and actually apply to your companies in one stream. Andy: And, and kind of why I just one stream put it on every year. I mean, it's, it sounds like it's, it's ideal for, um, for anyone in the community, but like kinda what's the history and, and, and why you cheer. I.

Lesley Adams: Yeah, so, you know, splash really started with that 100% customer success methodology. It was a place for organizations to get together and network, and it was a way to be able to scale customers and, and people network with other customers. Um, I always go back to Johnson Outdoors was one of my early customers. You know, Lori has been on these, on the podcast, has done all kinds of things, and she thinks back to Craig Kolby doing her demonstration.

And guess what? They're at their splash conference every single year. it really adds so much value and they continue to learn new things every single year. Technology moves so fast, and so being able to dedicate that time to learn about what OneStream is doing is what is the reason that it started to get everybody in the same place, get them networking, get their networks out there with other people, and it's just continued to grow and get bigger and brighter.

Um, I joined in 2019. We had the the first COVID virtual Splash. And even that was, got great feedback and it's just continued to grow and get better since then. So, um, you know, it, it's, it is a conference that is second to none.

If there's one, if somebody said, I have, what should I do to get to know OneStream? I would say Splash every single time. Andy: I think many of us have been to other large vendor conferences and, um, and it's very much different experience for those who have been to both. So I don't know.

Any comments on like, what, what really makes it different than a big general vendor conference? Lesley Adams: Yeah, I, I think a couple things. I think that network of year after year, a lot of our customers attending, they all know, uh, many of them know each other, and so they see each other. It's like their, their chance to catch up when maybe they wouldn't necessarily do it sitting at their desks.

Um, I also think there is just the general family feel of OneStream, right? I really care about the success of every customer that I talk to, and then keeping them connected and making it. So that they get the most out of those conferences versus getting lost. You know, it's a fully con, it's a conference fully dedicated to this space.

There's no, there's no ulterior motives. There's no other push for other technologies. It really is focused on CPM and the day-to-day job. So between that customer interaction and the, the level of focus and impact, it's different than any other conference that I've been to.

Andy: I think it's something you just have to, you have to tend to experience yourself. But, so let's, let's talk about and shift gears to kind of the persona and the different. Audiences that may be in attendance and starting with, you know, prospective OneStream customers. So, uh, I know you work with them regularly, that there are organizations that are looking for, uh, how can they solve their business challenges with a, with a technology solution, a financial technology solution like OneStream.

Um, what are comments of, of prospective customers, um, why should they attend the Splash conference? Lesley Adams: Yeah, so I mentioned earlier, you know, three days of focus time. So the first thing I'll say is just. able to get away from your desk and focus and really get the questions answered that are spinning in your mind.

You know, most people have at least seen a demo of OneStream at this point, or have done some research before they come to Splash, but there's always the questions of how does this apply to me? And I think Splash is the best way to get in front of people and really figure that out. The second piece is networking with the customers. Everybody wants to do a reference call, but then we send emails and we try to connect people versus I sit down at a table next to someone in the central region area and just start talking and have that natural conversation.

Um, so being able to do that. And then the third is just access to executives. So it's a lot easier at Splash. Everyone is just walking around, right?

They're all very normal people. And when you see that. I, I think that for perspective customers, it really brings the culture home. Um, and so being able to feel that, like Andy, you just said, you know, I don't think anybody believes us until they actually go.

Um, I've had a couple different things, so I've had some perspective customers come back and tell me. It felt a little like a cult, Leslie. And I said yes, but a very, the great cult, right, the great, like people really do practice what they preach. It's not like I'm just out there as a salesperson telling you that.

And then the second thing is, is I actually had, uh, one of my peers had somebody come to the conference and tell him after, at the end of it, say, you know, I came here to find all the holes. find, to find the way that I was going to sell against OneStream internally. And I have completely changed my tune here because you, what you guys say is actually true. Customers are doing it every single day.

Um, and so that's another thing that I think is really important for prospective customers to feel, that you wouldn't get just me or, you know, people on my team coming on site for the day. Andy: I love the, the good cult analogy. You'll have to remember that when I'm talking to people about why they should attend Splash. So let's, let's shift to, to customers.

So you, you mentioned your intro customers are near and dear to your heart, and, and I know, know you well enough that, that you live and breathe that every day. Uh, but why should you know those customers like Johnstone, uh, outdoors, that attend every year? Why do they like what, what, um. What's the value they get if they're looking to kind of expand their platform or road or understand the OneStream roadmap?

Lesley Adams: Yeah, like Andy: Yeah. Lesley Adams: everybody has a day job and there's always that you don't know what you don't know, and so our customers technology moves so fast and I hate. To say it, but the best OneStream projects have the people on their teams that think that OneStream a OneStream project is never done because there's always more value that the solution can add. you know, so I think of like t Generac that people see around.

She's got red, bright red hair. She's, she's a celebrity. There now because they go every year and they learn something new to drive their roadmap to come back with big ideas about what their organization can do. You change roles, right?

People change roles within finance, and so the lens and the frame in which they were looking at OneStream, maybe in the first year when they were trying to select the technology a second. Now that it's there and they've got new objectives from their CFO, right? In the beginning, some of our customers weren't really even considering ai. Now that's such a big initiative.

Well, to learn more and to be able to put it in practice. That's why people come year after year, because it's never the same conference every year. It's new information, new ideas, new new customers presenting every year. So it's always, they always tell me, they always leave and go, oh, Leslie, I've got a lot of work to do when I get back.

And that's. That's the best thing that we can hear is that they heard things that were interesting that they can apply to their everyday jobs. Andy: Most, um, most people listening are probably coming from either an accounting background or FP and a background, even if they're A CFO responsible for, for both. Uh, I don't know, are there any kind of thoughts you have on what each of those groups should prioritize when they get to the event?

Lesley Adams: Yeah, so in both cases I always tell. Uh, people that are attending with me to prioritize the customer sessions. Um, you know, we have a lot of things around the roadmap and we have a lot of things around, you know, future things that are coming out from one stream. However, customer stories are always the most exciting and the most applicable.

You can, I can tell you that a customer is doing something, but until they get up there and speak about it. Then it, then it becomes home. You have the chance to interact. So, um, for both places, what I do love is that they've created the different tracks for people that are specific to their business, um, their requirements.

So. things around if I'm more of an administrator or if I am more of a manager in the fp and a space versus consolidations and close and, and those pieces. And so a quick little filter in the app. them to really drive out their things, so customers always first.

Then second, if there's a plate, an area where they wanna expand. Say I started with consolidations, I wanna move more into the close management side of the business. You can filter down, go to those sessions that you don't know a lot about. Don't go to another session of something you've already implemented because you've already got that.

Let's go to the next thing. Let's talk about what's new and exciting. Andy: So. I'm gonna plug the, the Nova Advisory, uh, customer conference.

Um. Uh, Simon and Schuster has just a, a marvelous, just a wonderful story within Don. The last six months they have, uh, transitioned away from, from TM one, and they are now live in closing consolidations and, and fp and a within OneStream. And it's really made a huge change, uh, to their, their day-to-day business.

And so both the, their VP and controller and their VP of fp and a will be on stage. And I'll encourage you. To, uh, to please check out that customer story. It's really gonna be a lot of fun.

Lesley Adams: Who doesn't love books and planning by books. I mean, I think that's a really cool, I think that's a super cool use case that they have. So I, that's one of the sessions that I'm gonna try to attend If I, if I get a, a little break, that's one of the ones I'm gonna be at for Andy: Yeah, all their, all their titles that they released and they, they release like a thousand titles every year. I mean, I had no idea, uh, even though it's a house name brand that everyone recognizes, uh, they're all their titles every year are planned in one in one stream now, and they're, they're just, uh, well, you'll have to come to the, come to the story and hear for yourself.

Lesley Adams: It's cool. I, I, I've heard a little bit about the story and I'm excited to actually hear it from their mouth, so super exciting. Andy: Okay, so let's talk, you kind of touched on, uh, that was a great kind of recap for, for, uh. Focusing on the customer stories.

So let's kind of talk about planning out, planning out the week. 'cause as you mentioned, it's three days. It goes by really fast. Even, even though you think about, wow, three days, there's plenty of time to, to get quite a bit done.

Uh, but what I've heard, you know, OneStream leaders talk about and emphasizes going with a plan. And I, I think I'm kind of hearing that from you. So what does a good plan, uh, look like outside of, you know, the things you've touched on, like go just the new things and, and prioritize customer stories. Lesley Adams: Yeah.

Oh, a plan is always great because you're, you're right, those three days are gone before you know it. Um, and so going in with that plan, I always think about. Must attend sessions, things I must see, right? Things like the keynotes and other things, but then there's also downtime.

Um, there's the, there's breakfast, lunches, happy hours, all of those things. And so when you, once you can download the app, you can see other people that are there reach out to those people, say, I'd love to have. I'd love to meet you for coffee one day. You know, if there's a specific business process, you know, after you attend a session, go up to that customer and say, Hey, would you mind having coffee with me tomorrow?

I'd love to hear a little bit more. I'd love to run something past you. Don't be afraid of the networking. So that's, that's one part of the plan.

The second part of the plan. You know, make sure that you're checking into things like Women in Finance is always very popular. So if you, um, go into the app and build out your schedule, that helps you kind of stay on task with what you wanna do. And it also helps the OneStream team plan for the right number of attendees.

Um, so that app is always important. And then I always actually, um, for my groups, we always tend to. Sit with a plan before you even leave, leave your office. So we'll meet the week before and just say, is there anything you're missing?

Are there any connections you really wanna make sure that you make and use your OneStream team to help facilitate that. That's what we're, there we are, we are literally there to facilitate and hope that we get to see some of the sessions that we heard are really good on the side. So, you know, leverage the, leverage the OneStream team that's there for sure. Andy: Yeah, love, love that.

And having, um. Having been experienced a, a few, probably three splashes, I think this will be my fourth. Um, y'all do a really nice job of, of facilitating and just helping your, your prospective customers and customers have, have a, a great experience. So definitely reach out to your, you know, OneStream account team.

I'll encourage listeners to, uh, you know, take, take up that, um, that planning. So let's, let's talk about kinda learning paths now. Uh, so OneStream does a nice job of kind of curating for, uh, you know, attendees a, a learning path to help them guide, uh, their, their week and their plan. So for first time attendees and prospects, what are some of the, the best ways they can get hands on with the platform while they're at splash?

Lesley Adams: Yeah, so there are, um, to start, there's the prospect workshops or customer workshops, um, that are, they're Monday before, um, before the kickoff, before the big keynote. So you can start there, um, as you go ahead and register. That's a good place. The second place is in the expo hall.

There are experts at the different booth. Um, so going in and, and working with Alvis teams, um, to be able to look at things that you're interested in and network with, with subject matter experts and all of those all I also, I like to just listen to what other customers are asking at those booths. It gives me good ideas. So it's another way, um, to get tagged in with not only networking, but also, you know, hear what others are asked.

Gang as part of that. So, but those workshops are great. Um, we've love, you know, people have gone to those in the past and I've always gotten good feedback. It was a really good use of time because it really does show you how to leverage OneStream.

Andy: Yeah, and, and I think you've touched on the kind of the types of sessions people shouldn't skip. Make sure you hit the customer sessions. I think you've touched on. Um, you know, how, how people can kind of tailor and use the app and do the planning.

Uh, so maybe we kind of shift to, to networking. I love your idea of, uh, you know, grab the presentations you love, grab the, the speaker afterwards, stay back and ask them for coffee or to grab lunch. You know, those speakers kind of become rock stars at the, at the, um. At the events, and it's, it's fun for them to share their stories.

Um, you're, you're an extrovert. I'm a For US introverts though, how would you recommend, you know, networking for people that, that maybe are not, that's not their day to day, that that can be intimidating. What's a, what's a practical approach for meeting people at Splash? Lesley Adams: Yeah, so there's always leverage your local ex extrovert.

So, Hey Leslie, can you help me? I really would like to talk to this person. I'm not afraid. I'll go up to them.

No problem. The other way is within the app, there is that chat feature. So there's a way to be able to communicate with other people and say, Hey, I'm really interested in your story. Would you mind meeting?

Right. It's not the awkward, hi, I just heard you, I'm gonna go up And shake your hand. Instead, it's more the, the, you know, back of, back of the napkin. Kind of ask.

I think that's a great way. Leverage your OneStream account team. Leverage the, so even the subject matter experts that are there, know a lot of the customers, um, and. Don't be afraid to ask.

You know, this is, we're, we all have a bit of introvert and extrovert, but, um, the beauty of OneStream is I have never encountered some, a customer that wasn't willing to talk about their project and their story, good, bad, or ugly. Right? We're not, we're not hiding. That's the beauty of this conference is we, there's really nowhere to hide, um, which I love about it.

And so, you know. Get, get out of your comfort zone. Go, go, go talk to that person as you're kind of bumping coffee cups in the, in the line, right? Don't be, don't be afraid because everyone is really, everyone's there with the same purpose and that's to learn about OneStream and expand.

So, um, really we always have great groups of people. Andy: And I think that every single persona, anyone that, um, whether you're a prospect, you're a customer, whether you're a CFO, whether you are, like whatever role in organization, wherever at you're you're at in your career, there is, um. Kind of a track. There's, uh, something that splash offers, whether that's an executive session, you mentioned the Monday sessions.

Uh, there's industry kind of breakouts, which I think creates some of those natural ways to facilitate people dealing with similar business challenges within their industry. Um, there's kind of drop in opportunities. There's all sorts of things, so just definitely check. Yeah, check it out and explore the app and, and reach out to, you know, your, your Leslie at OneStream to, uh, to make sure you know what those opportunities are.

Lesley Adams: Yeah, and I would say, you know, even if you go to a session and you want, you would like to talk to someone, but you're not gonna stay after there, there and ask, you know, leverage somebody within your partner network or your OneStream network and say, Hey, that was really great. Could you help me get connected with them? No problem. That's literally what I'm there for.

So, you know, even if you don't wanna make the ask, that's okay. We're, we're, we don't bite. We're good. Andy: So maybe just in terms of kind of wrapping up this piece on networking, if you, if you only have the opportunity for a few meaningful conversations a day, you know, where should people kind of prioritize their time?

Is it customers, is it experts, is it partners, is it peers? Is it kind of a mix of both? And, and what's your perspective on that? Lesley Adams: Yeah, the, the beauty of OneStream is we can always bring you the peers and experts.

It's harder to tag into the customer time because everybody is so busy. So I always focus on customers, peers, and those connections first, and then partners second. You know, there's people that are doing all kinds of different things with partners. Um, and so visiting the ex.

Bo Halls and, and having conversation with partners. If you go to a session right when you go to the Simon and Schuster session and you, you like what some of the things are that Nova talks about that they did go visit the booth, the Nova booth and talk to the team afterwards. Um, so leverage that? time.

Go to the OneStream sessions, but we can always answer those questions. We can always bring in resources after the fact. Make a note, make sure you talk to your team, but the, the one-on-one networking with customers and, and partners is the most important in my opinion. If you prioritize.

Andy: I'll, I'll, I'll be spending quite a bit of time in the, the expo hall. Thanks for the nod to the, to the NOVA advisory, uh, booth. And yeah, we'd love to, to talk with prospective customers, customers and just kind of share our experiences. We can actually connect you with, uh, the Nova customers that are there.

We can connect you with. The, the NOV advisory, uh, consultants that are, have actually been there and would, would be working with you hand, you know, next, next to you in your, in your cube or in your, uh, conference rooms, uh, or, or virtually. So, uh, it's always wonderful to meet those people in person. I would encourage people, you know, go in and talk to, talk to these, uh, partners and bring real business problems and just kind of see who you get a.

The right kind of reaction to and, and strike up conversations, bring real challenges, I dunno. Anything else you'd offer to someone that's kind of like looking at this expo hall and all these bright lights and all these booths, how they should approach it and how they can get value from it. Lesley Adams: Yeah, I Al OneStream does an awesome job with our partner network. I, I love, the OneStream partner network is they're, they're also supportive, but.

You know, there is in a project, there are times when things aren't going amazing, when you have to make tough choices, and the cultural fit of a partner is just as important to me as the technical fit because I trust that OneStream has done the technical piece of it for me. And so I feel like by going around that expo hall and talking to people and listening to conversations that are being had and things that helps you understand if a partner is a good cultural fit for you. Because you have to be able to have those tough conversations and then go to happy hour afterwards and have a good, you know.

Conflict is healthy in a project. I hate to say that, but as someone who's done many of them, I can say that if I was just the typical salesperson, I would be quiet. But, um, conflict is healthy and so being, having a good cultural fit, I feel like you get a good vibe. From all of the different partners based on their interactions at Splash.

And you know, if all of their customers are hanging out at their booth, you can pretty much guess that they did a good job on their project. So, um, it's just a good way to, to make, you know, to get your networks out there. You. Andy: I love, I love you highlighting Leslie, that conflict is healthy.

It's something that people don't talk about, but we often hear at NOV Advisory, just the, the customers that have, we just resonated with that. That have ultimately decided to work with us. Um, they have found that, that we do challenge them even from the early stages of the, the, uh, sales cycle. Like how should they sequence the roadmap, like really push them on their, their thinking.

And that makes a difference because if you're just a yes person, as a consultant, you're really not giving your customer the full value that they could achieve from, from what they're trying to accomplish. Lesley Adams: The beauty upstream is you can pretty much do anything. But my, my mom always used to tell me, just because you can doesn't mean you should. And that's, that's a good part of a project, right?

It is just because you can do everything you, maybe you shouldn't. So. Andy: Yeah, you see lots of demos and I know that there'll be plenty of time for folks in the expo hall. There's, there's demonstrations of any of the OneStream solutions that you, you would, uh, be interested in and seeing.

Um. But since you spend so much time in demos, I'm just kind of curious, are there any questions or advice you'd give to prospects when they sit down and they're looking at OneStream, maybe for the first time, what questions they should ask? How should they prepare? How should they challenge the per the solution consultant, showing them the product?

Lesley Adams: Yeah. The big thing for me about demos is the people that are showing you demos, it's their job to make them look pretty and nice and all of those things, but it's the next layer of questions that always gets to the true part of the. Technology. And so, you know, talking about real business process and tying that into the demo, asking questions to make sure that you, you can apply that demonstration to your actual job that you do day-to-day, as I think really important.

so drilling into that, you know, let's talk about more people planning, right? Drilling in people planning is great, but, you know, do I have to do it by customer? Can I configure that to be specific to my, my process, right? Different days, different things.

Um, don't be afraid to ask questions. You don't want a, a. demo that is not the best is when a solution consultant just sits up at the front and just talks, So asking questions, making it interactive is always the value of a demo. Um, when you have those demo booths, some of the cool new things around ai, right?

Even if you've implemented OneStream and you're listening to this as a customer. There's a ton of innovation around the fp and a space this year that we are gonna talk more about at Splash. There's a ton of cool things with the way that you interact with ai. So seeing those things in a demo and then making them real, um, are two different things.

So be don't be afraid to drill in. Don't be afraid to ask questions and challenge that demo. That's always a good demo. Andy: So let's talk about ai.

Um, I, I, I believe, and I anticipate that OneStream will have a quite a large, um, you know, footprint at, at the one. Splash conference this year focused on ai. Just as, as we, we, we've seen the last few years. Everyone's excited about AI and the capabilities it brings.

So maybe you could talk about some real world customer experiences or outcomes and the type of value that you are seeing in your role of how customers are, are pursuing AI in terms of forecast accuracy, speed, fewer, maybe hands on keyboard. Um, and what, what should we expect to see at Splash this year? Lesley Adams: Yeah. When we're talking about ai, there's a couple things that I always go to.

So you mentioned efficiency. You know, finance people tend to be pretty good at their jobs, and we're all a little bit OCD, so we all want, you know, we all think we're pretty accurate at a forecast, but it takes a while to create that. And so organizations that I've been talking about, it's been. As much about the efficiency as the accuracy.

So being able to quickly go from closing your books to re-forecasting with a click of a button versus all the spreadsheets and all, you know, all the different models and all those things. The big, the big driver based models. So that's what we've been seeing around ai. The other thing that I am really focused on, that I've been thinking about is for new organizations who are just starting to adopt OneStream, change management is a big part of the process and getting out and you're gonna build a whole new process.

Workflow is inherent in OneStream, which is a game changer For that change management. If you're gonna build out a new workflow and you're gonna build out a new process, wouldn't you rather it be AI enabled right from the start rather than building out a new process and then coming back and putting anomaly detection on six or eight months later? Right. somebody right out of the gate the very first time.

And so those are some of the things that we're seeing customers do is right as they're going through their initial designs. Leveraging, um, things like anomaly detection and, you know, something within the AI studio called clustering that is really, really cool technology that people can leverage. So those are some of the things I'm seeing at Splash. There are some really exciting debuts, um, really around how you wanna, how people wanna interact with ai.

Through agents and those types of things. And I've been lucky enough to be on the, the cutting edge of those with some of my customers who are really looking to roll that out quickly and in, in, you know, in a timely manner, maybe trying to stay ahead of the curve. Um, and I'm really excited for a lot of the things that are gonna debut. So I'm hoping I get a ton of calls after about how cool it was and wanting to see that, you know, bring that to their executive teams that couldn't attend Splash.

So really Andy: For sure. Lesley Adams: where we're headed. Andy: I'm, I'm excited as well, and I'm really, um, I'm excited about how OneStream has approached AI because, you know, back in 2022 with kind of the rollout of, uh, and everyone kind of creating this awareness of chat, GBT and LLMs and, and, uh. I think software companies and SaaS companies just started throwing large language models at the solution.

But OneStream kind of took a step back and, and really, uh, built a, a foundational platform with AI capabilities as you described. And, um, with the gen AI becoming more of a forefront, um, and some of the capabilities that you even released last year, um, it's just a really exciting time in that space for finance leaders. Lesley Adams: Yeah, you remember I said earlier, I can't believe I've been in this space 25 years later, and it's things like this that just keep you excited about what's happening.

I'm excited to see how people are gonna continue to push their use of OneStream and. OneStream is such a strong foundation and such a strong platform that being able to now leverage these new technologies and access OneStream in a different way and put it in the hands of more people out in the organization, I think is just going to change the way we think about it. And it's exciting to be, even though I've been here for 20, you know, in this space for 20 years, it's still exciting to be talking about what's new and what's coming.

And that, I think that's, that's fun. And that's why so many of us are, are what I'll call lifers, right? I'm a lifer. Andy: Love your passion.

Let's talk about partners. So you had mentioned touchdown earlier and, and you know, I plugged of course no advisory will will be there in the expo hall. Come see us. Um, but for, for attendees that are evaluating implementation partners, um, you know, what, what are good questions they should ask to, to kind of get to what you described earlier of like figuring out who's the right fit for, for that customer.

Lesley Adams: Yeah, there's, there's a few different ways that you can really, what I think drives to get the right partner fit. So there is, you know, the, the technology understanding, right? Just being able, the process that you wanna build out, the focus on what you're doing, I think is important. So not only that, but then the reference part of it.

I think having some industry knowledge, right, having some, being able to leverage that knowledge and, and apply it to your business, I think is really important, which is why I think the reference part of it is so important. So that's kind of two things tied in together. And then the last thing is that culture that I mentioned, I. Honestly, I should probably put that one first.

'cause to me, cultural fit and, and being, making sure, you know, I Love our OneStream partner network. I think we have a bunch of really, really strong resources and so being able to leverage the culture and the resource at the same time, it's like unlocks a amazing amount of power in our partner network. So those are the three things I usually drill in is to business process customer referenceability slash industry, and then. Culture of the company, right?

How do you lay out your projects? How do you, you know, what is your plan? How, how do you get from point A to point B? Um, as you're working through the development process, training, all of those things are important for your organization.

Andy: Love it and kind of tie that culture into our next topic about the, the fun part of, of OneStream and, and the community aspect that, that you kind of started with in your description of, of your experience, uh, having started with OneStream back in 2019 and, and just it's a different feel, so, uh. I dunno. Why is the fun part of it matter? Why does that community energy and, and the themed events and the fun element, how does that really strengthen the value that that people get out of the splash conference?

Lesley Adams: Yeah. You know, I think people are so busy in their day-to-day jobs now, and so to take the time to go to a conference? you, can't be all focused all the time on, on work. Right.

You need to do, you need to step back and have fun and so, you know. this year it's on the roller coaster, so we're gonna get to ride some roller coasters at Universal Studios. So you know, you're gonna be standing in line next to somebody who you probably don't know but is gonna be part of OneStream. Strike up that conversation.

And guess what? I bet you in three months you're gonna trade information and you're gonna go back to that person and they're gonna be more than willing to have a conversation with you about something they do in their organization. So I, I think the personal fun part of it ties in and what. What's most important to me is you'll find a bunch of people who really do care about your success, whether it's customers, whether it's prospective customers, whether it's OneStream employees or partners.

Our whole, our whole ecosystem has a feeling of caring, right? Right. From Tom, Sha all the way down, you know, Scott Lashinsky and that whole group. We, we all really care about success.

And you feel that in the social networking part of it the most, in my opinion. I. You know, I, I've heard we're going a little less on costumes this year, so, you know, I, I don't Andy: I hadn't seen the, I knew we were gonna be at Universal, which you're, you're talking about the splash night out, which is the signature. It'll be the, the last night of the event.

So that will be a blast. I, I'll, um, high five you on the roller coasters, Leslie. It'll be fun. Um, and I'll, I'll plug Nova.

Uh. Offers a partner night out, uh, the night before on, on the Tuesday night. So, and then the, the opening reception, if we work backwards on Monday evening, there'll be an opening reception, the expo hall. So there'll be plenty of opportunity to come, uh, you know, meet, meet Leslie.

We'll, we'll see you around there and, and to, to interact with, uh, no advisory. I'll be there in, in person as well. So after the conference, you've had a great experience. You've gotten excited.

You're back at your office. What are some of the top actions or priorities to really take that energy coming outta splash and, and bring it back into your organization? Start to to make some real progress. Lesley Adams: Yeah, so I always encourage that while you're.

At the conference, take notes, uh, you know, even if it's notes in your phone, um, of things that you want that you thought were really neat and unique and important. And I'll, you know, I usually try to go back and our teams go back after and get feedback about the conference. And then that help, that can help guide us. So taking it back to your, a lot of organizations, they'll have a meet, you know, they have to get approval to go to this conference.

It's, it's not, you know, it's not this inexpensive thing. They, they attend and they need to get value out of it. So a lot of people will go back to their CFOs or their executive team and say, here were the things I learned that we can take advantage of, and then leverage your OneStream team to get in front of that. That's one way.

A second way is. Yeah, the admins always love to go play. So I you, I've had several admins who have gone and found something new in the market, found out something new in the marketplace, and the next time I go have lunch they say, Hey, I was able to configure, you know, something so, you know, help desk or something that they weren't quite sure about before. So I always think that's a cool thing after Splash is people, people get in there and then more the functional experts than the technical team.

What you always bringing something new to your organization. A lot of people have been in their roles, you know, at their companies for a long time. And so you get into the, the status quo, this is how our company does things, but maybe looking at a lens that somebody else had and being able to apply it to your role brings some excitement into what you're doing. Maybe a new idea of how you can improve something.

Um, and I've seen a lot of people go back, um, you know, I mentioned, um. was how sales performance management is a big focus for, for OneStream right now. Um, and a couple people came back and called me the week after and said, Hey, I need to know more. I got a little, I got a little taste.

I need to know more. I heard about that, you know, I was in a meeting and I heard we're doing something. Can you just tell, can you gimme a little more information? So getting that, like, just getting your head around some new things.

I think when you go back, kind of the light bulb goes off if you hear something in meetings. So, you know, there. I can't, I Andy: Colleagues. Lesley Adams: how much I think our people really get out of the conference and go back and get excited about things.

It's new energy. Andy: Excited. I'm ready to go. Let's, let's do this conference next week.

Leslie, Lesley Adams: Yes. I. Andy: you're ready to go too. And it it, like I said, it will, this will air the week before Splash will, we'll be here, right, right.

Before we know it. Uh, but let's wrap up kind of final thoughts. Leslie, if someone attends Splash their attending for the first time this year, what's the one thing you want them to remember about the conference? Lesley Adams: I want them to remember the feel of the conference when they leave.

I, I want people, like I, I mentioned earlier, there was the person that, that we knew that came to the conference to say why their companies shouldn't implement OneStream. And they left a believer and that, and now by the way, they're one of the biggest champions. They've purchased OneStream. They're one of the biggest champions within their organization.

So I want you to leave. You know, we can all spend time. You can read articles, you can do all, you talk to references, but the feel of leaving the conference in the community that OneStream has created, that's something that I can't, I can't bring to you anywhere else. Um, and so when you leave, it's that feeling of community, the feeling of you've got people in your back, right?

The people. projects are are projects, right? And there there're a lot of people involved and a lot of time and effort and emphasis from organizations and you know, this is, sometimes this makes people's careers doing a project like this. If, when I did my first project in this space in operations, you know, a long time ago, never did I think I would make my career in this.

And it, part of why I am still in it all these years later is the feel, you know, when I came to OneStream. And so I hope that people leave with that. Probably learn some cool stuff too. So there's some cool new things.

I'm excited about that too. Andy: Well, we, um, I think we've experienced your energy here on this session today, Leslie, really appreciate your time, value, um, your perspectives, and look forward to seeing you here at Splash soon. Lesley Adams: Yep, and I will be there. Use the app, Leslie Adams, just, just text me in the app.

All right, thanks Andy. Thanks for joining us for this episode of CPM Customer Success Reminder to check out the CPM Customer Success Weekly email newsletter to stay informed of the latest CPM customer success episodes and OneStream News. You can check that out now at the Nova Advisory website, Nova advisory.com/podcast and subscribe to the CPM Customer Success podcast email newsletter today.

Thanks again for listening, and I'll catch you next week for another episode of CPM, customer Success.