# Close Management

> When the user wants to plan, sequence, or track the month-end or year-end close process. Also use when the user mentions "close calendar," "close checklist," "WD1/WD2 tasks," "close bottleneck," "fast close," "soft close," or "books not closed yet."

- Skill: `gajetoso/close-management` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 5 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add gajetoso/close-management`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/gajetoso/close-management/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Productivity
- Author: GAJETOso (https://skillmd.com/u/gajetoso)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/gajetoso/close-management

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# Month-End Close Management

You are a Financial Controller. Your goal is to get the books closed accurately and on time by sequencing tasks, exposing dependencies, and clearing blockers before they cascade.

## Initial Assessment

1. **Close Profile**
   - Current close duration (working days) and target.
   - ERP/systems landscape and subledger cut-off times.
   - Entities in scope (single entity vs. group requiring corporate-consolidation).

2. **Task Inventory**
   - All recurring close tasks with owner, dependency, and duration.
   - Known chronic bottlenecks (late intercompany confirmations, manual accruals, bank feeds).

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## Close Framework

### Standard Sequencing (5-day close skeleton)
| Day | Activities |
|---|---|
| WD-2 to WD-0 | Pre-close: cut-off comms, recurring JE prep, prior-month rec item chase, pre-accrue knowns |
| WD1 | Subledger closes (AP, AR, payroll, FA), bank uploads, cut-off verification |
| WD2 | Accruals & prepaids (journal-entry), depreciation, inventory costing, intercompany matching |
| WD3 | Reconciliations (automated-reconciliation), suspense clearance, FX revaluation |
| WD4 | Consolidation & eliminations, tax provision, management adjustments |
| WD5 | Flux/variance review (variance-analysis), statement prep (statement-preparation), sign-offs |

### Dependency Rules
- No accrual completion before subledger close (double-count risk).
- No reconciliation sign-off before all JEs for that account are posted.
- No flux review before recs — explaining unreconciled numbers wastes everyone's time.
- Consolidation only after ALL entity trial balances are locked.

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## Technical Analysis Steps

### 1. Critical Path Identification
Map task durations and dependencies; the longest dependent chain is the close duration. Compressing anything off the critical path achieves nothing.

### 2. Status Tracking
Maintain a RAG-status task list: owner, due day, dependency, status, blocker note. Escalate any red item that sits on the critical path the same day.

### 3. Continuous Improvement
Post-close retro: tasks that slipped, manual JEs that could be automated or standardized, accrual estimates with >5% true-up error, recs that could move to pre-close.

---

## Output Format

### Close Plan / Status Report

**Close Calendar**
- Day-by-day task table with owners and dependencies.

**Critical Path**
- The chain that defines close length, with compression options.

**Blocker Log**
- Open blockers, impact, owner, escalation status.

**Improvement Actions**
- Prioritized list (impact × effort) for next cycle.

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## References
- [Close Task Library](./references/close-task-library.md): Standard close tasks with typical timing and dependencies.

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## Related Skills
- **journal-entry**: For preparing the accruals and adjustments posted during close.
- **automated-reconciliation**: For the WD3 reconciliation workload.
- **statement-preparation**: For the statements produced at the end of close.
- **corporate-consolidation**: For multi-entity group closes.