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How a growing company cut its month-end close from 25 days to 6.
Leadership was making decisions on numbers that were almost a month old. Skillfi's fractional CFO standardised the close, automated the slow manual work and rebuilt the books so the numbers arrive fast, and leadership trusts them. It's how our fractional CFO service works: senior financial leadership, exactly when you need it.
Running the business on last month's guesswork.
The company provides home healthcare across six locations and had grown from 150 to 400 staff in three years. Its finance team of four was still closing the books the way it had when the company was a third of the size.
Closing each month took 25 days of spreadsheets, manual bank matching and chasing paperwork. By the time leadership saw results, the next month was nearly over. The chart of accounts had over 900 lines, so locations couldn't be compared. A new lender required the company's first full external audit, and nobody was sure the books would pass.
By the time I saw how a location had done, it was too late to do anything about it.
CEO, client
A close that runs like clockwork, and numbers leaders can use.
Our fractional CFO rebuilt the close step by step, with the existing finance team, so the new process stuck after the engagement ended. Process changes across locations were rolled out with fractional COO support.
One close checklist, one calendar
Every task given an owner, a deadline and a day in the close calendar, with locations sending their paperwork by day 2 instead of whenever.
Machines do the matching
Bank feeds, automatic transaction matching, recurring journal entries and payroll imports set up in the accounting system.
Books that make sense
The chart of accounts cut from 900 to 180 lines, with tracking by location and service so every site can be compared side by side.
5 months, step by step
From a 25-day close to numbers on day 6, and a clean first audit. Here's how the engagement unfolded.
- Month 1140 tasks mapped
Close review
Every close task mapped and timed, with the biggest delays and manual steps ranked.
- Month 1–2900 → 180 accounts
Chart of accounts rebuilt
Accounts simplified and tracking added by location and service, with history mapped across cleanly.
- Month 2–3−80% manual work
Automation
Bank feeds, matching rules, recurring entries and payroll imports switched on and tested.
- Month 310-day close
Close calendar
A day-by-day close checklist with owners, and locations trained to send paperwork by day 2.
- Month 46-day close
Management pack
A short monthly report on profit, cash and key measures by location, reviewed in a monthly leadership meeting.
- Month 5Clean audit
First audit
Audit files, reconciliations and controls prepared, and the auditors supported from start to finish.
Six days, every month
The close calendar the finance team now follows, with every step owned and most of the matching done automatically.
Everything in on time
- Location paperwork in
- Payroll imported
- Bank feeds matched
Books that balance
- Accounts reconciled
- Accruals posted
- Exceptions cleared
Checked and signed off
- Variance review
- CFO sign-off
- Books locked
Numbers leaders use
- Profit by location
- Cash & key measures
- Leadership review meeting
Five months later
Days to close the month
With the same four-person finance team.
Now I see every location's results in the first week of the month, and I trust them. Our first audit came back clean, and our lender noticed.
CEO, clientStill waiting weeks for last month's numbers?
Our fractional CFO will rebuild your close, automate the manual work and give leadership a monthly report they actually use, with your audit ready when you need it. Want it rolled out across every location? Add a fractional COO.
- A day-by-day close calendar
- Automated reconciliations
- A cleaner chart of accounts
- A monthly management pack
30 minutes. No obligation.
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