FINANCE CHECKLIST
THE CFO CHECKLIST
Strategic Planning &
Financial Analysis
CONTROLLER CHECKLIST
Controls and Risk
Management
Auditing and
compliance
by
Nicolas
Boucher
BUDGETING CHECKLIST
Financial reporting
and statements
Feed the
budget
Budget
Management
Establish a working relationship
with the board of directors
Develop a capital
expenditure plan
Manage relationships with external
auditors
Produce accurate financial
statements
Develop a deep understanding
of the business and industry
Set up budgeting policies and
procedures
Develop a strategic plan for
the next 3-5 years
Review current investments
and make recommendations
Communicate with internal
auditors for financial audits
Manage the financial reporting
functions
Analyse financial data to identify
trends and opportunities
Manage the budget process
and timeline
Assess the current financial
position of the company
Evaluate current tax strategies
and adjust for better results
Ensure compliance with
accounting standards
Build and maintain
forecasting models
Evaluate financial
performance against budget
Evaluate tax implications of
business decisions
Develop a risk management
strategy
Conduct sensitivity analysis
to assess potential impacts
Identify and manage
budget variances
Identify areas for cost
savings and revenue growth
Establish internal controls to
ensure compliance
Develop and implement
internal controls
Develop a comprehensive
budget for the upcoming year
Develop a financial reporting
system
Oversee the financial
systems and tools
Provide training to staff on
accounting & financial processes
Review short-term and
long-term financial goals
Collect qualitative
information from colleagues
Establish a system to track key
performance indicators
Manage the accounts payable and
receivable processes
Develop a strong team of diverse
accounting professionals
Establish financial
policies and procedures
Provide financial guidance
to business units
Evaluate current contracts
and propose changes
Manage the fixed assets and
inventory processes
Explain accounting topics to non
finance teams
Review the company's
banking relationships
Develop a strategy for debt
management
Maintain a chart of accounts
Optimize reporting processes &
tools
Develop a cash flow
management plan
Review existing compensation
plans & identify improvements
Establish procedures for
accounting and financial reporting
Leads ERP changes for finance
topics
Team management
Process improvement
CASH CHECKLIST
INVENTORY CHECKLIST
Inventory Analysis
and Monitoring
Internal controls
and processes
Supplier
Management
Provide input into financial and
strategic planning processes
Collaborate with crossfunctional teams to develop
financial plans and forecasts
Stay up-to-date with macroeconomic changes and their
impact on your business
Develop accurate and
timely financial reports
Implement a budget
reporting process
Build a budget
performance dashboard
Continuously improve
budgeting processes & tools
Adapt tools to budget
processes
Communicate and follow-up
on budget decisions
HEADCOUNT CHECKLIST
Cash
Management
Cash Flow
Planning
Headcount
Budgeting
Business Strategy
and Objectives
Get an overview of the inventory
process
Develop and maintain
relationships with key suppliers
Establish a cash management
strategy
Develop an understanding of
the cash flow process
Implement a headcount budget
Align the business strategy
with headcount planning
Monitor and analyse inventory
levels
Develop and maintain a
procurement policy
Manage your treasury
management system
Build a cash flow forecasting
model
Build a headcount forecasting
model
Stay up-to-date with labor
markets and regulations
Analyse inventory turnover
Develop a growth mindset for
innovation and improvement
Monitor and analyse
cash reserves
Conduct sensitivity analysis
on cash flow forecasts
Conduct sensitivity analysis on
headcount costs
Develop a growth mindset for
innovation and improvement
Develop and maintain relationships
with external partners and vendors
Provide input into financial and
strategic planning processes
Provide input into financial and
strategic planning processes
Continuously improve
headcount processes
Establish a cash
reserves policy
Cash
Improvement
Track product demand vs
inventory
Conduct sensitivity analysis on
inventory budgets
Monitor and analyse procurement
costs
Provide input for inventory
policies and procedures
Inventories policies
and procedures
Develop and maintain a product
life cycle management process
Build a stock keeping unit (SKU)
rationalization process
Set up a cash management
policy
Monitor and analyse foreign
exchange risks
Collaborate with cross-functional
teams on workforce plans
Employee
Management
Track your cash
conversion cycle
Develop and maintain a
safety stock policy
Develop and maintain a foreign
exchange management policy
Analyse payment terms
and timing
Create a slow-moving
inventory policy
Establish a
credit policy
Analyse impact of
working capital on cash
Develop and maintain an
inventory budget
Implement a scrap
inventory process
Implement a clear client
payment policy
Improve cash collection
process
Build a product demand
forecasting model
Update inventory policies and
procedures
Continuously improve
processes and tools
Negotiate payment terms
with vendors
Budgeting and
Forecasting
Set up a headcount approval
process
Invest in employee and
organizational development
Develop relationships with
internal stakeholders
Develop and maintain a costbenefit analysis process for
employees
Financial Analysis
and Reporting
Analyse headcount trends and
costs
Conduct financial analysis to
identify trends & opportunities
Create a headcount reporting
process
Develop workforce metrics
and dashboards
Monitor and analyse workforce
productivity
Analyse workforce data for
improvement
50
TREASURY CHECKLIST
FINANCE ANALYST CHECKLIST
40
20
10
0
Cash Flow
Management
Risk
Management
TAX CHECKLIST
30
Item 1
Item 2
Item 3
Item 4
Item 5
Financial
Analysis
Continuous
Improvement
Tax Compliance
and Reporting
Tax Planning
and Optimization
Understand cash flows and
liquidity needs
Manage foreign exchange
and hedging risks
Conduct financial analysis to
identify trends & opportunities
Learn industry jargon and
competitive dynamics
Understand international &
local tax laws and regulations
Develop tax planning
strategies to minimize liability
Forecast short-term and longterm cash needs
Manage credit and
counterparty risk
analyse financial data to provide
insights and recommendations
Conduct market research and
competitive analysis
Develop a comprehensive
understanding of the tax code
Identify tax risks based on
your business and industry
Develop and implement cash
management strategies
Analyse and monitor
interest rate risks
Evaluate investment opportunities
and provide ROI analysis
Continuously improve financial
modeling skills
Evaluate tax implications of
business decisions
Look for tax credit
opportunities
Conduct sensitivity analysis
to assess potential impacts
Keep a growth mindset and
seek out opportunities
Prepare and file tax returns
accurately and on time
Understand transfer pricing
rules and regulations
Prepare and present financial
reports to senior management
Automate repetitive tasks and
reporting
Maintain accurate records to
support tax filings
Implement tax tools for
accuracy and efficiency
Manage financial reporting
processes and dashboards
Learn skills on PowerBI,
PowerQuery, Python
Manage tax audits
effectively
Manage tax disputes
and litigation
Coordinate with legal and
finance for tax compliance
Provide tax advice to senior
management & business units
Provide tax advice to senior
management and business units
Develop tax training programs
for employees & stakeholders
Build relationships with tax
authorities and regulators
Understand tax implications
of M&A transactions
Treasury
Operations
Professional
Development
Implement and maintain
treasury management systems
Stay up-to-date with changes in
financial markets and regulations
Monitor and report on treasury
key performance indicators
Continuously improve
knowledge of treasury tools
Manage guarantees for
commercial projects
Consolidate and manage
group cash pooling
Keep a growth mindset to seek
out opportunities
Relationship
Management
Financial
Modeling
Business
Partnering
Develop and maintain
financial models
Understand your business
partner needs
Strategic
Planning
Manage relationships with banks
and financial institutions
Build scenarios to support
business decisions
Develop relationships with
your stakeholders
Provide input into financial and
strategic planning processes
Build relationships with rating
agencies and bond investors
Create forecasting models
for revenue, costs and profit
Manage demand and
prioritize tasks
Participate in M&A transactions
and provide input on financing
Develop strong relationships
with internal stakeholders
Evaluate pricing strategies & make
propositions for improvement
Collaborate with crossfunctional teams
Created by
Nicolas
Boucher
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