A Better Month-End Close

Written byAyman Esam

Group Financial Controller · FP&A · Finance Transformation

Define a close calendar

Tasks, owners, deadlines and dependencies should be visible before the period ends.

Reconcile before reporting

Bank, receivables, payables, inventory and key balance-sheet accounts should be reconciled before management reporting is finalized.

Separate preparation from review

Clear preparer and reviewer responsibilities improve control and reduce the risk of unresolved issues passing into reports.

Measure close quality

Track reporting time, late reconciliations, recurring adjustments and unresolved exceptions. A faster close is valuable only when accuracy remains strong.