Close Management
AnthropicOfficialPublished by Anthropic
- Skill
- Guidelines
- Business and productivity
- Apache-2.0
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AutoGineer summary
Written by AutoGineer from the skill’s own files, not by the author
This skill provides a comprehensive guide to orchestrating the month-end financial close. It outlines a standard 5-day close calendar, defines task dependencies, and offers a methodology for tracking progress and identifying bottlenecks. It also includes strategies for accelerating the close process and conducting post-close retrospectives to drive continuous improvement.
What it does
- Provides a day-by-day checklist for month-end close activities.
- Maps task dependencies to ensure logical sequencing of financial operations.
- Defines a status tracking framework for monitoring task progress and blockers.
- Outlines a critical path to help teams identify and shorten close duration.
- Offers strategies for process improvement and common bottleneck resolution.
- Includes a template for conducting post-close retrospectives.
When to use it
- When planning or refining the month-end close calendar.
- When identifying bottlenecks or blockers in the current close process.
- When attempting to accelerate the close timeline from 5 days to 3 days.
- When establishing a standardized tracking system for accounting team tasks.
- When conducting a retrospective to improve future financial reporting cycles.
Advantages
- Reduces manual errors by providing a clear, sequenced checklist.
- Improves team accountability through defined ownership and status tracking.
- Helps identify and mitigate risks to the close timeline early.
- Provides actionable strategies to reduce the time required for financial reporting.
- Facilitates better communication during the close period via daily standups.
Usage examples
- “Create a 5-day close schedule for our accounting team based on the standard checklist.”
- The agent generates a day-by-day breakdown of tasks from T+1 to T+5, assigning specific accounting activities to each day to ensure a smooth close.
- “Identify potential bottlenecks in our current 5-day close process.”
- The agent analyzes the provided common bottlenecks and suggests specific solutions like automating recurring entries or implementing continuous reconciliation.
- “What are the dependencies for starting the balance sheet reconciliations?”
- The agent identifies that balance sheet reconciliations belong to Level 3 and require the completion of Level 2 tasks, such as subledger reconciliations and FX revaluation.
- “Help me prepare for a post-close retrospective meeting.”
- The agent provides a list of key questions to ask the team, focusing on what went well, what caused delays, and what can be automated for the next cycle.
Install
Download the skill as a ZIP:
https://mp-staging.autogineer.com/agent-skills/anthropics/close-management/downloadUnzip it into the cross-client skills folder of your project:
mkdir -p .agents/skills && unzip close-management.zip -d .agents/skills
Documentation by Anthropic
Close Management
Important: This skill assists with close management workflows but does not provide financial advice. All close activities should be reviewed by qualified financial professionals.
Month-end close checklist, task sequencing and dependencies, status tracking, and common close activities organized by day.
Month-End Close Checklist
Pre-Close (Last 2-3 Business Days of the Month)
[ ] Send close calendar and deadline reminders to all contributors
[ ] Confirm cut-off procedures with AP, AR, payroll, and treasury
[ ] Verify all sub-systems are processing normally (ERP, payroll, banking)
[ ] Complete preliminary bank reconciliation (all but last-day activity)
[ ] Review open purchase orders for potential accrual needs
[ ] Confirm payroll processing schedule aligns with close timeline
[ ] Collect information for any known unusual transactions
Close Day 1 (T+1: First Business Day After Month-End)
[ ] Confirm all sub-ledger modules have completed period-end processing
[ ] Run AP accruals for goods/services received but not invoiced
[ ] Post payroll entries and payroll accrual (if pay period straddles month-end)
[ ] Record cash receipts and disbursements through month-end
[ ] Post intercompany transactions and confirm with counterparties
[ ] Complete bank reconciliation with final bank statement
[ ] Run fixed asset depreciation
[ ] Post prepaid expense amortization
Close Day 2 (T+2)
[ ] Complete revenue recognition entries and deferred revenue adjustments
[ ] Post all remaining accrual journal entries
[ ] Complete AR subledger reconciliation
[ ] Complete AP subledger reconciliation
[ ] Record inventory adjustments (if applicable)
[ ] Post FX revaluation entries for foreign currency balances
[ ] Begin balance sheet account reconciliations
Close Day 3 (T+3)
[ ] Complete all balance sheet reconciliations
[ ] Post any adjusting journal entries identified during reconciliation
[ ] Complete intercompany reconciliation and elimination entries
[ ] Run preliminary trial balance and income statement
[ ] Perform preliminary flux analysis on income statement
[ ] Investigate and resolve material variances
Close Day 4 (T+4)
[ ] Post tax provision entries (income tax, sales tax, property tax)
[ ] Complete equity roll-forward (stock compensation, treasury stock)
[ ] Finalize all journal entries — soft close
[ ] Generate draft financial statements (P&L, BS, CF)
[ ] Perform detailed flux analysis and prepare variance explanations
[ ] Management review of financial statements and key metrics
Close Day 5 (T+5)
[ ] Post any final adjustments from management review
[ ] Finalize financial statements — hard close
[ ] Lock the period in the ERP/GL system
[ ] Distribute financial reporting package to stakeholders
[ ] Update forecasts/projections based on actual results
[ ] Conduct close retrospective — identify process improvements
Task Sequencing and Dependencies
Dependency Map
Tasks are organized by what must complete before the next task can begin:
LEVEL 1 (No dependencies — can start immediately at T+1):
├── Cash receipts/disbursements recording
├── Bank statement retrieval
├── Payroll processing/accrual
├── Fixed asset depreciation run
├── Prepaid amortization
├── AP accrual preparation
└── Intercompany transaction posting
LEVEL 2 (Depends on Level 1 completion):
├── Bank reconciliation (needs: cash entries + bank statement)
├── Revenue recognition (needs: billing/delivery data finalized)
├── AR subledger reconciliation (needs: all revenue/cash entries)
├── AP subledger reconciliation (needs: all AP entries/accruals)
├── FX revaluation (needs: all foreign currency entries posted)
└── Remaining accrual JEs (needs: review of all source data)
LEVEL 3 (Depends on Level 2 completion):
├── All balance sheet reconciliations (needs: all JEs posted)
├── Intercompany reconciliation (needs: both sides posted)
├── Adjusting entries from reconciliations
└── Preliminary trial balance
LEVEL 4 (Depends on Level 3 completion):
├── Tax provision (needs: pre-tax income finalized)
├── Equity roll-forward
├── Consolidation and eliminations
├── Draft financial statements
└── Preliminary flux analysis
LEVEL 5 (Depends on Level 4 completion):
├── Management review
├── Final adjustments
├── Hard close / period lock
├── Financial reporting package
└── Forecast updatesCritical Path
The critical path determines the minimum close duration. Typical critical path:
Cash/AP/AR entries → Subledger reconciliations → Balance sheet recs →
Tax provision → Draft financials → Management review → Hard closeTo shorten the close:
Automate Level 1 entries (depreciation, prepaid amortization, standard accruals)
Pre-reconcile accounts during the month (continuous reconciliation)
Parallel-process independent reconciliations
Set clear deadlines with consequences for late submissions
Use standardized templates to reduce reconciliation prep time
Status Tracking and Reporting
Close Status Dashboard
Track each close task with the following attributes:
| Task | Owner | Deadline | Status | Blocker | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Task name] | [Person/role] | [Day T+N] | Not Started / In Progress / Complete / Blocked | [If blocked, what's blocking] | [Any notes] |
Status Definitions
Not Started: Task has not yet begun (may be waiting on dependencies)
In Progress: Task is actively being worked on
Complete: Task is finished and has been reviewed/approved
Blocked: Task cannot proceed due to a dependency, missing data, or issue
At Risk: Task is in progress but may not meet its deadline
Daily Close Status Meeting (Recommended)
During the close period, hold a brief (15-minute) daily standup:
Review status board: Walk through open tasks, flag any that are behind
Identify blockers: Surface any issues preventing task completion
Reassign or escalate: Adjust ownership or escalate blockers to resolve quickly
Update timeline: If any tasks are at risk, assess impact on overall close timeline
Close Metrics to Track Over Time
| Metric | Definition | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Close duration | Business days from period end to hard close | Reduce over time |
| # of adjusting entries after soft close | Entries posted during management review | Minimize |
| # of late tasks | Tasks completed after their deadline | Zero |
| # of reconciliation exceptions | Reconciling items requiring investigation | Reduce over time |
| # of restatements / corrections | Errors found after close | Zero |
Common Close Activities by Day
Typical 5-Day Close Calendar
| Day | Key Activities | Responsible |
|---|---|---|
| T+1 | Cash entries, payroll, AP accruals, depreciation, prepaid amortization, intercompany posting | Staff accountants, payroll |
| T+2 | Revenue recognition, remaining accruals, subledger reconciliations (AR, AP, FA), FX revaluation | Revenue accountant, AP/AR, treasury |
| T+3 | Balance sheet reconciliations, intercompany reconciliation, eliminations, preliminary trial balance, preliminary flux | Accounting team, consolidation |
| T+4 | Tax provision, equity roll-forward, draft financial statements, detailed flux analysis, management review | Tax, controller, FP&A |
| T+5 | Final adjustments, hard close, period lock, reporting package distribution, forecast update, retrospective | Controller, FP&A, finance leadership |
Accelerated Close (3-Day Target)
For organizations targeting a faster close:
| Day | Key Activities |
|---|---|
| T+1 | All JEs posted (automated + manual), all subledger reconciliations, bank reconciliation, intercompany reconciliation, preliminary trial balance |
| T+2 | All balance sheet reconciliations, tax provision, consolidation, draft financial statements, flux analysis, management review |
| T+3 | Final adjustments, hard close, reporting package, forecast update |
Prerequisites for a 3-day close:
Automated recurring journal entries (depreciation, amortization, standard accruals)
Continuous reconciliation during the month (not all at month-end)
Automated intercompany elimination
Pre-close activities completed before month-end (cut-off, accrual estimates)
Empowered team with clear ownership and minimal handoffs
Real-time or near-real-time sub-system integration
Close Process Improvement
Common Bottlenecks and Solutions
| Bottleneck | Root Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Late AP accruals | Waiting for department spend confirmation | Implement continuous accrual estimation; set cut-off deadlines |
| Manual journal entries | Recurring entries prepared manually each month | Automate standard recurring entries in the ERP |
| Slow reconciliations | Starting from scratch each month | Implement continuous/rolling reconciliation |
| Intercompany delays | Waiting for counterparty confirmation | Automate intercompany matching; set stricter deadlines |
| Management review changes | Large adjustments found during review | Improve preliminary review process; empower team to catch issues earlier |
| Missing supporting documents | Scrambling for documentation at close | Maintain documentation throughout the month |
Close Retrospective Questions
After each close, ask:
What went well this close that we should continue?
What took longer than expected and why?
What blockers did we encounter and how can we prevent them?
Were there any surprises in the financial results we should have caught earlier?
What can we automate or streamline for next month?
Files
- ATTRIBUTION.mdAdded by AutoGineer924 B
- LICENSELicence file added by AutoGineer11.1 KiB
- SKILL.md10.0 KiB
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Requirements and compatibility
Written for: Claude Code, Claude apps
Works with: Claude Code, Claude apps, OpenAI Codex, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Gemini CLI, Kiro, OpenCode, Goose, Amp, Roo Code, JetBrains Junie, Factory Droid, Devin (ex-Windsurf), Mistral Vibe, OpenHands, Letta
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Needs: Claude Code frontmatter
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Attribution and licence
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- anthropics/knowledge-work-plugins · finance/skills/close-management · commit e050c2e
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- LICENSE (added by AutoGineer from finance/LICENSE)
- ATTRIBUTION.md (written by AutoGineer)
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