Gather and analyze financial information

Compile the monthly financial information pack for the regional manager: revenue, COGS, three margin views, and cash position. Send the workbook to Sandra in accounting and then to Omar in planning for approval, signers in that order, with a Tuesday 9 a.m. deadline so the board package is ready — verify that all source tabs use the same date filter and that pivot tables refresh correctly before sending.

Before I send the financial pack to planning, make it easier to find risk and action. Surface the month-over-month cash swing and the four largest variance drivers on the front sheet, hide raw transaction tabs behind a single link, and flag any unreconciled balances above $5,000 so Sandra can approve without digging through ledgers.

I built the regional pack and the cash summary is $12,000 higher than the bank recon. I am the analyst, Sandra will review, and Omar will base planning on these numbers. I am not sure if the discrepancy is timing, a missing clearing entry, or a duplicate posting. What quick checks in the workbook will identify the likely cause, and what should I tell Sandra so she prioritizes the bank recon first?

We lose credibility because monthly packs routinely arrive with small unreconciled balances that become board questions. I manage the reporting team. Which two habitual changes stop that — one worksheet design change and one pre-send checklist item — and how do I enforce them so the board sees cleaner packs without adding a heavy gate?