See how ARDEM created a managed fare-ticket reconciliation workflow for a commuter rail company converting thousands of weekly paper fare tickets into reconciled accounting data for invoice cross-referencing, discrepancy review, and month-to-month control.
MANAGED TEST REQUISITION PROCESSING CASE STUDY
Maintaining 100% On-Time Fare Ticket Reconciliation Through a Managed Accounting Workflow
100%
On-time delivery
Thousands/week
Fare-ticket volume
Formula-based
Reconciliation checks
Manual review
Exception resolution
Overview
A well-known commuter rail company depended on fare-ticket data to support accounting reconciliation and cross-reference invoices. Thousands of commuter trips generated recurring paper records each week, making timely, dependable processing important to month-to-month accounting control and visibility into fare activity.
The Challenge
The reconciliation process started with large volumes of imperfect paper documents. Folded corners, printing problems, improperly punched tickets, and tickets stuck together could slow preparation and make individual records harder to interpret consistently.
After data capture, the ticket totals had to be compared with the amount recorded on the header card. Spreadsheet formulas could identify a mismatch, but each discrepancy still required manual intervention to determine the cause and support correction or approval of the related error or exception.
The ARDEM Solution
ARDEM created a managed reconciliation lane that covered ticket receipt, document preparation, data extraction, spreadsheet entry, formula-based comparison, discrepancy identification, and exception review. The workflow combined defined quality metrics and data-security controls with repeatable execution, and the engagement delivered 100% on-time output.
ARDEM structured the work as a controlled accounting-support workflow from physical ticket receipt through reconciled spreadsheet output. The model combined batch preparation, data capture, formula-based comparison, manual exception handling, defined quality controls, and secure, on-time delivery.
Download the Full
Fare Ticket Reconciliation
Case Study
Fare Ticket Reconciliation
Case Study
For CFOs, Controllers, revenue accounting leaders, transportation finance teams, and operations finance leaders, this case study shows why fare-ticket reconciliation should be managed as a finance operations workflow, not only as a data-entry task.
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Why ARDEM
Received conductor-punched fare tickets and organized the source records for processing.
Addressed folded corners, printing issues, improper punches, and tickets stuck together.
Extracted required commuter-trip and dollar-value information from the prepared tickets. Entered captured values into the reconciliation spreadsheet.
Compared the sum of ticket values with the amount compiled on the related header card.
Used spreadsheet formulas to identify differences between ticket and header-card totals.
Investigated discrepancies, supported correction or approval, and delivered the completed output on time.Managed Workflow Diagram
The Results
ARDEM helped the client convert a fragmented fare-ticket reconciliation workflow into a governed operating model with clearer ownership, stronger follow-through, better documentation, and improved visibility into fare-related accounting discrepancies. ARDEM achieved 100% on-time delivery for the engagement. The workflow supported thousands of commuter fare tickets generated each week. The value was not simply processing ticket volume. ARDEM created a controlled operating cadence that helped the accounting team maintain reconciliation timing, gain visibility into mismatches, and reduce the internal burden of managing a recurring paper-based workflow.
The Ticket Volume Was Only the Visible Problem
The Larger Risk Was Slowing Reconciliation and Invoice Cross-Referencing
The reconciliation process started with large volumes of imperfect paper documents. Folded corners, printing problems, improperly punched tickets, and tickets stuck together could slow preparation and make individual records harder to interpret consistently.
After data capture, the ticket totals had to be compared with the amount recorded on the header card. Spreadsheet formulas could identify a mismatch, but each discrepancy still required manual intervention to determine the cause and support correction or approval of the related error or exception.
A basic processor could move ticket values into a spreadsheet while leaving the client responsible for quality review, reconciliation logic, discrepancy handling, data security, and delivery control. The better approach was a managed fare-ticket reconciliation operating model.
ARDEM structured the work as a controlled accounting-support workflow from physical ticket receipt through reconciled spreadsheet output. The model combined batch preparation, data capture, formula-based comparison, manual exception handling, defined quality controls, and secure, on-time delivery. ARDEM helped the client convert a fragmented fare-ticket reconciliation workflow into a governed operating model with clearer ownership, stronger follow-through, better documentation, and improved visibility into fare-related accounting discrepancies.
1
Ticket intake and batch control
Received conductor-punched fare tickets and organized the source records for processing.
2
Physical document preparation
Addressed folded corners, printing issues, improper punches, and tickets stuck together.
3
Ticket capture and spreadsheet entry
Extracted required commuter-trip and dollar-value information from the prepared tickets.
4
Header-card comparison
Compared the sum of ticket values with the amount compiled on the related header card.
5
Formula-based discrepancy checks
Used spreadsheet formulas to identify differences between ticket and header-card totals.
6
Exception review and delivery
Investigated discrepancies, supported correction or approval, and delivered the completed output on time.
What You’ll See in the Full PDF
The full case study explains:
- How ARDEM managed ticket intake and batch control: Received conductor-punched fare tickets and organized the source records for processing.
- How ARDEM managed physical document preparation: Addressed folded corners, printing issues, improper punches, and tickets stuck together.
- How ARDEM managed ticket capture and spreadsheet entry: Extracted required commuter-trip and dollar-value information from the prepared tickets. Entered captured values into the reconciliation spreadsheet.
- How ARDEM managed header-card comparison: Compared the sum of ticket values with the amount compiled on the related header card.
- How ARDEM managed formula-based discrepancy checks: Used spreadsheet formulas to identify differences between ticket and header-card totals.
- How ARDEM managed exception review and delivery: Investigated discrepancies, supported correction or approval, and delivered the completed output on time.
Managing High-Volume Paper Reconciliation?
Download the case study to see how a managed accounting workflow can bring control to source preparation, data capture, reconciliation checks, exception handling, and delivery timing.