Your month-end close drags on for weeks. Manual data pulls from multiple systems. Chasing down approvals. Fixing errors discovered too late. This template cuts your close cycle from weeks to days by automating data sync, standardizing workflows, and catching discrepancies early so your team can focus on strategic work instead of administrative chaos.
What is a Fast Close Checklist?
Fast close means shutting the books in days, not weeks. You need automation. Standardization. Discipline. Companies achieve fast close by killing manual work, running parallel tasks, and catching errors early. The payoff? Faster decisions. Better forecasts. More time for strategy.
Benefits of using this template
- Accelerated close cycle with real-time data – Coefficient automatically syncs your financial data into Google Sheets and Excel in real-time, enabling your team to start closing activities earlier without waiting for data exports and reducing the overall close timeline from days to hours.
- Cross-functional collaboration and visibility – The template provides a centralized dashboard where all stakeholders—accounting, operations, and management—can view close progress simultaneously, eliminating bottlenecks and ensuring everyone is aligned on priorities.
- Standardized and repeatable process – The Fast Close Checklist template establishes a standardized workflow that can be replicated month after month, reducing training time for new team members and ensuring critical steps are never missed.
- Early issue identification and resolution – With live data connections through Coefficient, discrepancies and errors are identified earlier in the close process rather than at period-end, allowing teams to resolve issues before they impact financial statements.
Automated task management and accountability – Built-in task tracking and assignment features ensure every team member knows their responsibilities and deadlines while automated reminders and status updates keep the close process moving forward without manual follow-ups.