Glossary

Using 36 Month Profitability Trend Dashboards to Streamline the Monthly Reporting Process

Written by Nils R. | Dec 17, 2021 8:00:00 AM
How can Financial Dashboard s Drive Faster and Better Decisions? As CFOs increasingly become key advisors in the Monthly Reporting Process, they must rely on modern self-service corporate performance management (CPM) and business intelligence (BI) tools. Using interactive Financial Dashboards like the 36 Month Profitability Trend Dashboard template shown below enables them and other users from the leadership team to experience near real time profitability metrics that help drive faster and better decisions. Who uses 36 Month Profitability Trend Dashboard s and What are Some Key Analytical Features? In today’s fast-paced business environment, CFOs are under high pressure to supply end users like board members and executives with timely and concise Financial Dashboards. Companies use key features like the ones below to support their users with effective analysis that helps drive profit maximization and growth planning:
  • Two years of history, budget and current year estimate (actual + forecast)
  • Comparisons of profitability trends both in percent and amounts
  • Interactive, monthly trend charts with multiple historical years as well as current year budgets
The 36 Month Profitability Trend Dashboard template can be used as a key element of the Monthly Reporting process: [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="2560"] Example of a 36 Month Profitability Trend Dashboard to Streamline the Monthly Reporting Process[/caption] The 36 Month Profitability Trend Dashboard is a ready-to-use Financial Dashboard from the Solver Marketplace. A Brief Description of the 36 Month Profitability Trend Dashboard Template Financial Dashboards like the one seen in the image above are interactive and parameter driven and typically contain sections with KPIs that include Gross Profit, EBITDA and Net Profit. One of the important features that aid the user in the analysis process is the ability to analyze monthly profitability KPI trends in percent in the top charts while monitoring the real impact (in amounts) in the bottom charts. 36 Month Profitability Trend Dashboards are often used in conjunction with profit & loss reports, revenue and expense dashboards, and budget models. Data Integration to Transaction Systems Most organizations these days want automated and streamlined planning, reporting and analysis. However, many of the benefits described earlier rely on best of breed Corporate Performance Management (CPM) tools and/or Business Intelligence (BI) capabilities as well as data marts or data warehouses that use pre-built integrations to the organization’s ERP system. Oftentimes, they also need integrations to other key data sources like CRM, subscription systems, payroll tools, etc. Modern, cloud-based ERPs like Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance (D365 Finance), Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central (D365 BC), Sage Intacct, Acumatica, Netsuite and SAP have robust APIs which allow for dynamic integrations to CPM and BI tools that are fully automated and flexible to run on a schedule or on-demand. Additional Resources to Aid with Research of Templates, CPM and BI Tools