Doing a Monthly Financial Review With the CFO Dashboard
A step-by-step 30-minute monthly review process using the AskBiz CFO dashboard — covering all four cards, the chart, expenses, and the rolling forecast.
Key Takeaways
- A structured 30-minute monthly review covers performance, cost analysis, and forward planning in a single session.
- Comparing this month to last month and to the same month last year reveals both short-term trends and seasonal patterns.
- The monthly review should end with three concrete actions to take in the coming month based on the data.
Preparation: Before You Open the Dashboard
Set aside 30 uninterrupted minutes — ideally in the first few days of the new month while the previous month is still fresh. Before opening AskBiz, write down your expectations: what do you think the cash balance is, roughly? Was last month a strong or weak trading period? Were there any unusual expenses? Having expectations before you look at the data helps you assess whether the numbers make sense and catch any discrepancies quickly.
Minutes 1 to 10: The Four CFO Cards
Open the Cash Flow tab. For each of the four cards, record the current figure and answer two questions: how does this compare to last month, and is it moving in the right direction? Cash Balance: is it higher or lower than the start of last month? Daily Net Gain/Burn: is the rate improving (burn reducing or gain growing)? Monthly Fixed Costs: did any fixed costs change unexpectedly? Cash Runway: how many months has it extended or shrunk since last month? Use the drill-down panels on the Burn and Runway cards to check the detail behind any changes that surprise you. This section should take about 10 minutes.
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Start for free →Minutes 10 to 20: Cash Flow Chart and Expenses
Switch the cash flow chart to 30-day view. Look for the overall shape of the month: was revenue consistent, or were there peaks and troughs? Identify the three highest-revenue days and the three lowest — hover to see the detail. Now open the Expenses tab and filter by the previous month. Review the top five expense categories by total spend. Compare each to the month before. Did any category increase by more than 15 percent? Is that increase justified? Look specifically for any expenses marked as Uncategorised and reassign them before proceeding. This section ensures your cost data is clean and your P&L categorisation is accurate.
Minutes 20 to 25: Rolling Cash Forecast
Navigate to the Rolling Cash Forecast section. Look at the six-week projection. Is the running cash balance stable, growing, or declining? Are any weeks projected negative? Note the forecast for the coming month specifically — are projected inflows consistent with what you expect from seasonal patterns and known orders? Are projected outflows consistent with your cost configuration? If anything looks off, use the Ask AI button to get an explanation. Check the seasonal pattern article if you are entering a known slow or peak season — the forecast should already reflect that, but it is worth verifying.
Minutes 25 to 30: Three Actions for Next Month
The final five minutes of the monthly review are the most important. Based on everything you have seen, write down three concrete actions for the coming month. These might be: negotiate a lower rate on your insurance renewal (triggered by seeing the fixed cost figure), set up payment reminders to reduce receivables collection time (triggered by seeing projected inflows lower than expected), or cut a software subscription that you have not used in two months (triggered by reviewing the expense tab). Three specific actions — not vague intentions — ensure the monthly review produces real-world change rather than just observation. Use Ask AI on any card to help generate action ideas if you are unsure where to start.