Controls for the group month-end close
Finconsol controls the group close with locked months and a change log of every change. Adjustments and eliminations are kept in Finconsol, apart from the companies' books. A close screen shows what stops a month from being finished, and the statements check themselves against the worksheet. It only reads the companies' books, so nothing in them changes.
Close the month
Every company ticks off the same three checks. Then you lock the month.
All five companies have their trial balance in, their accounts mapped and their intercompany cleared for September 2026. Pressing the button locks the month and its board pack.
| Company | Trial balance in | Mapped | Intercompany cleared |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technologies | Done | Done | Done |
| Inc. | Done | Done | Done |
| UK | Done | Done | Done |
| FZ-LLC | Done | Done | Done |
| Pte. | Done | Done | Done |
The month is closed, until someone changes it
A group close runs across several finance teams and a handful of files. The board pack goes out on a Thursday. On Monday a number in it has moved, and nobody can say what changed or why.
The problem is rarely the arithmetic. It is that nothing says when a month is final, and nothing records what changed after it.
- Adjustments sit in the workbook. Group adjustments are typed into the same file as the company figures, with nothing to tell the two apart.
- The checklist does not check. It records what was done. It does not tell you whether the statements balance.
- Months are not final. A late entry changes figures the board has already read.
- There is no trail. When a number moves, no record shows what moved it.
How groups do it today and where it breaks
Most groups run the close by email and a checklist spreadsheet. The checklist records what was done. It does not stop anything from happening.
| Spreadsheets and email | Finconsol | |
|---|---|---|
| Adjustments | Typed into the workbook with the company figures | Journals in Finconsol, apart from the companies' books |
| Do the statements balance? | Someone has to remember to check | Each statement checks itself and ties to the worksheet |
| After the close | The file can still be edited | The month is locked |
| What changed | Memory, or a version name | A change log of every change, with when it was made |
| Is the month done? | Ask around | A close screen shows what stops it |
How Finconsol controls the close
Adjustments kept apart
Group adjustments, opening adjustments and eliminations are journals in Finconsol. They sit apart from the companies' own books, so each one can be seen and traced.
Locked months
When the group accounts are final, the month is locked. A locked month cannot be changed, and a board pack built on it keeps the numbers the board read.
A change log
Closes, locks, mappings and settings are recorded with when they happened, so a moved figure can be traced to its cause.
A close screen that says what stops a month
The close screen shows each company's status and what stops the month from being finished. A company whose trial balance is not in, an account that is not mapped, or intercompany that is not cleared each keeps the month open. When nothing is left, the screen shows the button that locks it.
Statements that check themselves
Every statement carries its own balance check, and the consolidation worksheet ties to the published statements. The check is part of the statement, so it does not depend on someone remembering to run it.
Read-only on the books
Finconsol reads each company's books and writes nothing back to Zoho Books or any other system. The group's adjustments, eliminations and locks are kept in Finconsol, apart from the companies' own records.
What you get
- Adjustments kept apart: group journals in Finconsol, separate from the companies' books.
- Months that stay final: a lock on the month once the group accounts are agreed.
- A record of the close: a change log of closes, locks, mappings and settings.
- A clear answer to "are we done?": a close screen listing what is left.
- Statements you can rely on: each with its own balance check, tied to the worksheet.
Good to know
- Finconsol controls the group close. It is not a task manager for each company's local close, so keep your close calendar where it is.
- A locked month cannot be changed, so lock it once the group accounts are agreed, not before.
- Finconsol does not replace the companies' own controls in their own books.
- For a checklist to copy, see the multi-entity month-end close checklist.
Questions
What is a group month-end close?
What does locking a period do?
What does the change log record?
What stops a month from being closed?
Does Finconsol change the books of the companies?
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