close-management

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.

Lark-native execution — read the depth core first: LARK-PATTERNS, LARK-RECIPES, LARK-FUSION, and this plugin's CONNECTORS.md. GL/sub-ledger numbers still come from your ERP / data warehouse (external MCP) — only the coordination layer is Lark:

• The close checklist is a Lark Base (system-of-record, P5): one table = one close cycle, one row per task with Owner / Deadline (T+N) / Status / Blocker / Dependency. Read with lark_base_search — it requires search_fields (the field(s) to match on, e.g. Status) and does not support jq; narrow with select_fields/limit instead. If you don't know the field names, discover them first via lark_api GET /open-apis/bitable/v1/apps/{base}/tables/{table}/fields. Write status with lark_base_record_upsert (dry_run first, P2). To stand up the Base/table/views the first time, delegate to base-deploy — don't hand-roll schema.
• Assign close tasks to the right people: resolve each owner with lark_contact_search (P1) → lark_task_create (assignee = open_id, due = date: the T+N day; dry_run first). Mirror task status back into the Base row. Complete with lark_task_complete.
• Daily close standup: schedule the recurring 15-min sync via lark_calendar_create; pull the day's agenda with lark_calendar_agenda. Pull action items from the standup with lark_minutes_search (P6) instead of re-typing them.
• Status dashboard / blocker alert = an interactive card (P4), not a wall of text: post via lark_im_card_send (print_json → dry_run → send) to the close channel — colored header (green on-track / orange at-risk / red blocked), one item row per behind/blocked task with a side button to nudge the owner, actions footer. For card grammar delegate to the lark-im skill.
• Reporting package (P8): land the final close memo + statements in Wiki via lark_wiki_node_create; upload supporting workbooks with lark_drive_upload. Distribute the link as a card — never leave the package as a chat attachment.

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 updates

Critical 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 close

To 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 — these are the fields of the close Base table (P5). Read live status with lark_base_search, update a row with lark_base_record_upsert:

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]

To surface the board, don't paste the table — post a status card via lark_im_card_send (P4): header colored by overall state, one item row per task that's Blocked or At Risk with a side button (Nudge owner / Escalate), and a note footer with the count complete / total.

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 (schedule the recurring slot with lark_calendar_create; check who's free via lark_calendar_freebusy):

1. Review status board: Walk through open tasks, flag any that are behind (lark_base_search on the close table with search_fields=["Status"] — base_search needs the field(s) to match and has no jq; match the open statuses and narrow returned columns with select_fields)
2. Identify blockers: Surface any issues preventing task completion
3. Reassign or escalate: Adjust ownership (re-assign the lark_task_create / update the Base row) or escalate blockers; for a hard human gate use a real Lark approval (P7, delegate to lark-approval)
4. Update timeline: If any tasks are at risk, assess impact on overall close timeline; post the revised board as a card (P4). Capture standup action items from lark_minutes_search (P6).

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:

1. What went well this close that we should continue?
2. What took longer than expected and why?
3. What blockers did we encounter and how can we prevent them?
4. Were there any surprises in the financial results we should have caught earlier?
5. What can we automate or streamline for next month?