Online DMV Alternative

Workflow Redesign, Reconciliation Automation & Operational Analytics

Industry: Government Services Technology — Online Vehicle Registration & Title Transfers Structure: Founder-owned, private Engagement: ~2 years

---

The Problem

An online platform that lets drivers handle vehicle registration and title transfers without going to the DMV had built real traction — but behind the scenes, the financial and operational workflows hadn't kept pace.

The team was exporting everything to Excel, doing accounting work outside the system, and manually journaling entries back in. They assumed it was a QuickBooks problem. It wasn't. The tools were fine. The problem was how they were being used — and the absence of any structured data layer connecting the CRM, the payment processors, the ad platforms, and the accounting system.

Over nearly two years, I worked with the team across five and a half distinct projects plus ongoing ad hoc support.

---

The Work

Merchant Reconciliation Automation

The core accounting pain point: reconciling the company's homegrown CRM records against credit card merchant data and bank deposits — manually, every month, in Excel. I built a reconciliation engine using Power Query, Power Automate, and custom scripts that automated the 3-way match between CRM, merchant processor, and bank. The manual export-and-paste cycle was replaced with a structured, repeatable process.

Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) Tracking

The company was running paid advertising across Google, YouTube, Instagram, Bing, and other platforms with no unified view of what was actually working. I built a Power BI dashboard combining CRM transaction records with Google Ads and Microsoft Ads data — tying ad spend directly to completed registrations and title transfers for the first time, visible by channel, campaign, and period.

Chargeback Tracking & Analysis

Chargebacks were occurring with no visibility into why or when. I built a tracking system combining CRM records and financial data to surface chargeback reasons, timing patterns, and frequency. The analysis identified actionable patterns. A policy change driven directly by the data followed.

Call Center Performance Tracking & CSAT

Built a time and metrics tracking system for the customer support team covering handle times, resolution rates, and customer satisfaction. The analysis identified performance patterns that informed two changes: a revised call center policy and a new rewards program for customer success staff. Within two months, average CSAT scores improved by over 10%.

Order-to-Cash Process Mapping

Mapped the complete transaction flow end-to-end — checkout, payment authorization, merchant processing, service timing, and bank deposits — and documented it in structured form for the first time. Finance and operations finally had a shared understanding of where money moved and where delays or errors could originate.

Credit Card Reconciliation

A standalone project using advanced Excel formulas combined with accounting methodology to reconcile credit card activity — a faster, lighter-weight version of the merchant rec work applied to a specific card reconciliation need.

CRM Development Support

Worked directly with developers and project managers to improve the homegrown CRM for operational analytics — translating finance and operations requirements into system changes that made the underlying data more structured and reportable.

---

Outcomes

A 3-way merchant reconciliation replaced with an automated process. CRM, merchant, and bank — matched programmatically on a repeatable cycle.

ROAS visibility established for the first time. Ad spend across five-plus platforms tied directly to completed transactions, visible in a single dashboard.

Chargebacks reduced through data-driven policy change. Patterns that weren't visible before surfaced in the tracking system. Policy changed as a direct result.

CSAT improved 10%+ in two months. Metrics tracking enabled a policy change and rewards program that moved the needle on customer satisfaction faster than any prior initiative.

Order-to-cash cycle documented. The first structured map of how a transaction moved from checkout to bank deposit — a foundational operational artifact.

---

Engagement Lead: Michael Cohen (solo) Stack: QuickBooks Online · Homegrown CRM · Power Query · Power Automate · Power BI · Excel · Google Ads API · Microsoft Ads API