Close, Consolidate, Disclose — The Finance Leader’s Series
Stop the fire drill; keep the rigour (cape not included).
If month-end feels like assembling a jet mid-flight, this series is for you. The old way relies on heroic spreadsheets, email chains, and guess-work reconciliations that shift problems to Day 0. The new way designs a predictable close, standardises intercompany routines, governs master data, and connects numbers to narrative without last-minute chaos. You’ll learn how to shorten the close, improve group consolidation quality, and build disclosures that stand up to audit — calmly.
Why read on (impact)
This series is built for leaders who want calm, auditable outcomes without sacrificing speed. Adopt the playbooks and you can expect meaningful shifts within a quarter.
| Area | Baseline → Target | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Close cycle | Day +8 → Day +4 | More time for analysis |
| IC differences resolved pre-Day 0 | 80% → >95% | Fewer late journals |
| Mapping/load error rate | 1.5% → <0.5% | Cleaner consolidation |
| Late disclosure changes | High → −40–60% | Less rework, smoother audit |
| On-time task completion | 85% → ≥95% | Predictable delivery |
So what? Faster, cleaner, calmer reporting — and fewer 2 a.m. surprises.
What we’ll cover
Ten posts take you from cadence to go-live, with practical moves you can deploy immediately.
| # | Topic | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Close acceleration | Defined cadence |
| 2 | Intercompany eliminations | Fewer disputes |
| 3 | Currency translation | CTA clarity |
| 4 | Ownership & methods | Timely updates |
| 5 | Data governance | Stable mappings |
| 6 | Consolidation cockpit | Visible progress |
| 7 | Disclosure management | Linked narrative |
| 8 | Auditor-ready adjustments | Shorter fieldwork |
| 9 | Pre-close & continuous close | Less end-loading |
| 10 | 30–60–90 implementation | Pragmatic go-live |
So what? You’ll have a clear path from quick wins to durable change.
How the series works
Expect action-first posts with reusable blocks: Day-in-the-life, Pitfalls → Fixes, Objections & Responses, Real-world moments, a Metric that matters, plus either a 30–60–90 plan or a Before vs After snapshot. Evidence is pattern-based; no invented case studies. One light aside per section — finance can smile too.
So what? You get clarity, pace, and formats your team will actually use.
Who it’s for
- CFOs, Group Controllers, Consolidation Managers, Finance Ops leads.
- IT/data partners who support master data, integrations, and controls.
- Skip if you want accounting policy debates — we focus on operating the machine.
So what? If you influence the close, you’ll find moves to adopt this month.
How to use the series
- Start with Close Acceleration; lock cadence and SLAs.
- Pick your biggest bottleneck (IC, FX, mapping, or disclosures) next.
- Run a 3-week pilot: one entity, two KPIs, clear exit criteria.
- Adopt a weekly cockpit: 30 minutes, exceptions-only, owners + due dates.
- Scale in 90 days: add entities, harden governance, automate the last mile.
So what? Small, visible wins create momentum and executive air cover.
A quick note on platforms
We’ll mention tools like CCH Tagetik where they materially help — centralised data, automated intercompany, audit trails — but the guidance stays practical and tool-agnostic. Use what fits your estate (vintage is great for wine, not ledgers).
So what? You can apply the practices regardless of your stack.
Ready to swap midnight heroics for measured progress?
Begin with the Close Acceleration Playbook. Timebox a pilot, choose two “metrics that matter,” and make your next month-end the baseline you look back on — fondly. If you’d like, we can map internal links to each post so readers can jump straight to what they need most.
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