Virtual CFO
FP&A
FP&A work tracks an Australian business against its budget every month, breaks margin down by product or customer, and explains in plain language why the numbers moved, turning closed books into a monthly pack leadership can actually act on. Delivered under senior review.
13-week cash forecast
Illustrative client · August 2026
AUD
- Cash today
- $244,220
- Lowest week ahead
- 239,800
- Largest outflow
- Payroll, 46,300
Illustrative. An example of the document, not a client's figures.
From closed books to a decision
Closed books show what happened. FP&A shows why, and what to do next. Once your monthly close is done, through our bookkeeping service or your own team, FP&A layers a budget versus actual review, margin analysis and a written narrative on top.
What sits in the monthly pack
A typical month includes budget versus actual with the larger variances explained, margin trends by product or customer segment where that split matters, and cost driver tracking tied back to the original budget assumptions, aimed at a pack leadership reads in ten minutes rather than a spreadsheet nobody opens.
Ad hoc modelling between reports
Beyond the recurring pack, FP&A covers the question that comes up between reports: what does a new hire do to cash over the next quarter, what does the Payday Super change from 1 July 2026 do to the payroll run, what happens if a large client moves to longer terms, and how a Single Touch Payroll pay run compares to the payroll line the budget assumed.
Works alongside your existing accountant
FP&A does not require us to own your books or your BAS lodgements. It sits on top of whichever close your bookkeeper or accountant runs, and pairs with KPI design for the metrics behind the numbers, and with fractional CFO time for a standing relationship.
Prepared under senior review
The monthly pack is built by our team, with every figure under senior review before it reaches your leadership team.
Questions
Frequently asked questions: FP&A
Do we need a fractional CFO to also get FP&A work?
No. FP&A can run as its own monthly deliverable, and many businesses start there before adding fractional CFO time later.
How is margin analysis broken down?
Typically by product line, service line or customer segment, built around your chart of accounts and sales data rather than a generic template.
Does FP&A cover our BAS obligations?
No. FP&A is forward looking analysis on top of the close. BAS preparation and lodgement is a separate matter and stays with a Tax Practitioners Board registered agent.
How quickly after month end is the FP&A pack ready?
That depends on how quickly your books close each month; we agree a specific delivery date during onboarding based on your close timeline.
How is FP&A support priced separately from the fractional CFO retainer?
It can run as part of a broader CFO retainer or as its own scope focused purely on the monthly pack and variance commentary, priced according to which deliverables are included.
Is FP&A only for larger companies?
No. Any business tracking a budget benefits from someone explaining the variances each month rather than just reporting the numbers.
What is included in the monthly pack?
Typically a budget-versus-actual summary, margin trends, key variances and a short written narrative, tailored to what your leadership actually reads.
Can FP&A work run alongside our own controller?
Yes. FP&A sits on top of the books your controller or bookkeeper closes each month; we do not need to own the close to deliver the analysis.
How do we get started with fP&A?
Getting started with fP&A begins with a short review of your current records and software access. Once that is done we confirm scope and timing in writing, and ongoing work begins on the schedule agreed with you.
Related services
- Virtual CFOBudgetingAn annual budget built from your real numbers, broken out by month and department, that becomes the baseline every later report is measured against.
- Virtual CFOKPI designA short list of the numbers that actually run your business, defined once and tracked consistently, instead of a dashboard nobody opens.
- Virtual CFOFractional CFOA senior finance lead who works your numbers on a part-time basis: monthly reviews, board and investor prep, and a second opinion before a big decision.
Industries
Next step
Talk to the team that would run your books
A short call covers your setup, your software and what a first month would look like. You get a written scope and price after it.