Our leadership team is split on where our client onboarding and billing roles should live. Sales wants onboarding to sit in Operations, while Operations says it belongs in Sales. Finance says billing is their domain. How do we resolve this debate on our Accountability Chart?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

This debate is common in scaling companies, and it is usually driven by departments trying to protect their own capacity or avoid administrative headaches. To resolve this, you must put personal preferences aside and look at the structure through the lens of the customer experience and organizational efficiency.

First, separate the roles. Onboarding and billing are two completely different functions and do not need to sit in the same department.

Onboarding is about delivery and customer success. On your Accountability Chart, onboarding must sit in the department that is ultimately accountable for client satisfaction and retention. This is almost always Operations or Client Success. If Sales retains onboarding, they will spend their time managing operational details instead of selling, which hurts your top-line growth.

Billing, on the other hand, is a transactional financial function. While the sales team or account managers may help gather the initial billing details, the actual invoicing, collections, and financial reporting must sit under the Finance seat. This ensures proper internal controls and clear financial reporting.

To make the final call, use your weekly Level 10 Meeting™ to IDS® this issue. Define the exact handoffs between Sales, Operations, and Finance. Once you agree on where these seats sit, document the workflow in your company processes. This eliminates confusion, ensures accountability, and creates a seamless experience for your clients.