Scope sheet
finbryn.com
Close & reporting
Variance analysis
Finbryn's variance analysis, built in Google Sheets, Excel or Causal, breaks down why a number moved, splitting the change into price, volume, mix and timing effects where the data supports it, with a root-cause note on the largest swings each month. It picks up where budget vs. actual stops, turning a reported gap into an explanation you can act on.
What is included
- Variance decomposed into price, volume, mix and timing where the data allows
- Prior-period and budget comparisons shown side by side
- Root-cause notes for the largest variances each month
- A short list of items worth a follow-up conversation
- A clear flag on any variance where a clean decomposition is not supportable
- A working file that reconciles back to the closed general ledger
- A senior review on every delivered analysis
The process
- 1.
Identify candidate variances
The budget-versus-actual comparison flags which lines moved enough to warrant a closer look this month.
- 2.
Pull transaction detail
Underlying purchase, production, sales or labor records for the flagged lines are gathered to support a decomposition.
- 3.
Decompose the variance
The swing is split into price, volume, mix and timing components wherever the data allows a defensible calculation.
- 4.
Write the root-cause note
The largest components get a short written explanation naming the likely driver in plain, specific language.
- 5.
Flag follow-up items
Variances that need a direct conversation, rather than just an explanation on paper, are listed separately at the end.
- 6.
Review and deliver
A senior reviewer reviews the analysis before it reaches you, on the same schedule as your other month-end reporting.
Software
Google Sheets, Excel, Causal, QuickBooks Online, NetSuite, Sage Intacct
Quality control
A senior reviewer reviews every variance analysis before it reaches you, and you keep access to the underlying working file throughout the engagement.
Pricing
Variance analysis is typically scoped alongside budget vs. actual reporting as part of an ongoing monthly engagement; the tiers and inclusions are published at /us/pricing. A one-time deep-dive analysis on a specific cost line, outside the regular monthly cycle, is quoted separately once we see the underlying data.
Finbryn is a brand of Northlane Solutions Inc., a Delaware corporation.
Reviewed September 2026