Finance
Multi-entity P&L and cash with close controls
One close pack for every entity — P&L, cash, and variance that match the books controllers already trust.
- Operating since 2012
- Microsoft Power BI specialists
- NDA-ready data handling
- Fixed-scope first releases
- Independent — not affiliated with Microsoft
Table of contents
01 · Context
The situation
Multi-entity services group · Finance
A multi-entity services group closed the books in accounting, then rebuilt the management pack in Excel. Each entity mapped accounts a little differently.
Variance commentary arrived late. Executives often saw the pack after the decision window had moved on.
Finance needed one model: entity P&L, working capital, cash, and budget variance — with checks that prove the dashboard matches the trial balance.
02 · Solution
What we built
A finance reporting layer with three parts: mapping control, leadership pages, and controller checks.
Chart-of-accounts control
One mapping table turns entity-local accounts into group reporting lines — no more silent “fix” in a personal workbook.
Leadership P&L and cash
Entity drill-down, budget variance, and cash views built for the real board/EXCO cadence.
Close reconciliation panel
Controllers see where the model matches the trial balance and where it does not — before anyone presents numbers upstairs.
Group finance scorecard
- P&L by entity
- Cash and working capital
- Budget vs actual with drivers
Controller workspace
- Reconciliation status by entity
- Mapping exceptions
- Refresh health before the pack goes out
Data sources
- Accounting GL extracts
- Budget/forecast workbooks
- Entity and COA mapping tables
Connectors
- SQL Server / file share via gateway
- Excel/Power Query
- Scheduled Import refresh
Model design
Entity and account dimensions; measures for P&L, working capital, cash, and variance. Import so close packs are not blocked by live ERP locks. Reconciliation compares model totals to trial balance.
03 · Process
How we delivered
From the real meeting to a live report — with checkpoints, not a big reveal at the end.
- 01
Lock definitions with finance
Documented P&L lines, FX/elimination rules, and what “official” means after close.
- 02
Map entities once
Built the COA bridge and proved a sample entity end-to-end before scaling.
- 03
Dual-run a close
Ran Excel and Power BI side by side until controllers signed the totals.
- 04
Train and backlog
Handoff for controllers; monthly list of the next entity or measure.
04 · Technologies
Stack and why we chose it
Tools that serve the report — not a shopping list of buzzwords.
Power BI
Group and entity finance pages with controller checks.
Why: One place for leadership and finance without another consolidation macro.
Power Query / Excel staging
Budget files and mapping tables where the GL does not hold them yet.
Why: Meets finance where the process already lives — then retires the fragile joins.
SQL Server
Stable extracts for GL history and entity facts.
Why: Keeps close reporting off the live posting system during peak.
05 · Challenges
What got hard — and how we fixed it
Real delivery friction, not a polished success-only story.
Challenge
Two entities used the same account code for different meanings.
Resolution
Entity + account composite keys in the model. Mapping is explicit; no “hope the code means the same thing.”
Challenge
Leadership wanted live ERP while controllers needed a frozen close cut.
Resolution
Import snapshot after agreed cut-off. Leadership sees the close pack; ops can still query ERP elsewhere.
06 · Results
What changed
- One model for entity P&L and cash instead of a workbook per entity.
- Controllers see reconciliation status before the pack is shared.
- Executives review numbers that already match finance’s close.
Continue exploring this topic
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Years building software & automation
What to expect in an engagement
- Named business sponsor and delivery ownership
- KPI definitions validated against source totals
- Security-aware workspace and refresh design
- Documented handover, not a black-box model
- First release scoped to prove value quickly
- Response within one business day on qualified enquiries
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