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How Parallel Cut Month-End Close Time From 20 Days to Less Than 1 Day Using Puzzle

20 days to 1 day
month end close time
5 integrations
reliably streaming in the background
Up to 20 hours
saved monthly on accounting tasks
"I'm just not waiting to make important business decisions anymore. With Puzzle, we got our books closed in 3 hours instead of 20+ days."
Renato Villanueva, Founder and CEO at Parallel
Upgrade your accounting from manual to modern
Trusted by thousands of accountants and founders
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IN ARTICLE:
The Challenge
Example H2
The Solution
Example H2
The Result
Example H2

Learn how this AI-powered financial forecasting platform eliminated QuickBooks frustrations and automated bookkeeping workflows to focus on strategic growth decisions.

  • 20+ days to <1 day month-end close time
  • 5 integrations reliably streaming in the background
  • 10-20 hours saved monthly on accounting tasks
"I'm just not waiting to make important business decisions anymore. With Puzzle, we got our books closed in 3 hours instead of 20+ days." — Renato Villanueva, Co-Founder at Parallel
THE CHALLENGE

QuickBooks Complexity Was Blocking Strategic Decision-Making

‍

As Co-Founder of Parallel, an AI-powered financial forecasting and headcount planning platform, Renato Villanueva needed real-time access to accurate financial data to power his company's forecasting models.

‍

However, his accounting workflow had become a major operational bottleneck that was preventing timely business decisions.

‍

QuickBooks' dated UI was part of the problem. "It was like pulling teeth to find basic information," Renato said, describing a 40-click journey just to view a P&L.

‍

Even more challenging was the back-and-forth needed to categorize transactions. With traditional tools, bookkeepers often have to manually verify transactions, relying heavily on founder input to clarify details.

‍

"QuickBooks just doesn't support accountants as well as it could in helping them do their jobs quickly and accurately," Renato said. "As a founder, you're juggling so much already, so anything that streamlines that process benefits everyone."

‍

Those delays had real consequences. By the time the books were finalized—often around the 20th of the month—it was too late to act on the data. "If I find out we overspent on marketing three weeks into the next month, I’ve already lost the chance to adjust."

‍

THE SOLUTION

Streamlined Accounting With Founder-First Design

‍

Renato's decision to switch to Puzzle was driven by both product capabilities and founder alignment. Having followed Puzzle CEO Sasha Orloff on Twitter, he resonated with Sasha's understanding of startup challenges.

‍

"Don't take weight loss advice from someone who's overweight," Renato explained. "If this founder thinks this works well for startups and he's a startup founder, there's got to be some efficiency he's building for."

‍

The migration process exceeded expectations. "It felt like the first time I've ever sent a CS rep a gift card for how good the experience was," Renato said.

‍

Puzzle's automated features immediately solved Renato's pain points:
‍

  • Intelligent Categorization: Puzzle's AI automatically categorized transactions with high accuracy. "Next month, there was already a rule; the AI had categorized everything and just asked 'is this right or wrong?' It was right every time."
    ‍
  • Intuitive Interface: Unlike QuickBooks' complex navigation, Puzzle presented essential information upfront. "The integration system instantly shows me: okay, I got my HR connected, got my bank connected, got my credit card connected. The month-end checklist shows me exactly what needs to be done."
    ‍
  • Modern Stack Integration: Puzzle seamlessly connected with Parallel's tech stack including Rippling, Mercury, Rho, Ramp, and Stripe, completely eliminating the need to manually pull reports from multiple platforms.
"It was built for the most impatient people in the world. As a founder, the weirdest things stress you out. The minute you're confused about something, you're like 'I'm out, I'm done.'"

‍

THE RESULT

Dramatic Time Savings and Strategic Focus Unlocked

‍

The transformation was immediate and measurable. Parallel went from waiting 20+ days for month-end close to completing it in less than one day, saving 10-20 hours monthly on accounting tasks.
‍

  • 20+ days to <1 day month-end close time
  • 5 integrations reliably streaming in the background
  • 10-20 hours saved monthly on accounting workflows

‍

Beyond internal efficiency gains, Puzzle's streamlined workflows enabled Parallel to expand into offering bookkeeping services to their own customers. When a client was waiting for their books until the 21st each month, Renato offered to handle their accounting using Puzzle.


The results were remarkable: they completed the client's month-end close by the 3rd instead of the 21st, finishing the entire project in just 3 hours.
‍

"It cost us about $210, but we charged them $800," Renato explained. "I texted Sasha and said, 'I don't know if this is good or bad.' Sasha quickly noted that it's not just good, 'it's best-in-class.'

‍

With one test client, Parallel achieved 60% profit margins compared to the bookkeeping industry average of 20-25%. This further demonstrates how Puzzle's automation creates opportunities for new revenue streams at scale.

Read more

How Cactus (YC X25) Unlocks End-To-End Financial Visibility With Puzzle

How Parallel Doubled Their Bookkeeping Margin with Puzzle

How Central Saved ~4 Days Per Month While Improving Client Happiness Using Puzzle

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