Monthly CFO work, finally run from one system.
Run the monthly CFO cycle in one place. Six connected surfaces produce the Pack from the same operating workflow each month.
BEFORE
Excel + Word + Slack + email
PHASE 03 OS
Phase 03 is the recurring operating loop: close, analysis, Working Brief, forecast version, actions, decisions, Pack, archive, and roll-forward. The CFO does the judgment. The platform keeps the work connected.
A month in the platform.
Phase 03 is the recurring operating loop: close, analysis, Working Brief, forecast version, actions, decisions, Pack, archive, and roll-forward. The CFO does the judgment. The platform keeps the work connected.
Close data reviewed
The month starts with the close. Actuals, KPIs, and source data are reviewed before the narrative gets written.
KPI observations updated
Per-client KPI configuration with monthly observations.
Working Brief drafted
Author the Working Brief in the platform. Markdown editor with KPI-substitution syntax.
Forecast revised
Forecasts are versioned and locked. Each version preserves the assumptions from when it was sent.
Actions and decisions reviewed
Decisions captured time-stamped in the Decision Log, linked to actions and forecast versions.
Pack generated
The Pack is generated from the Working Brief, KPIs, Action Register, and Forecast Version.
Client meeting held, next period rolled
Roll forward to next month with one click. Edits made via UI carry into the next period's deliverable.
Close data reviewed
The month starts with the close. Actuals, KPIs, and source data are reviewed before the narrative gets written.
KPI observations updated
Per-client KPI configuration with monthly observations.
Working Brief drafted
Author the Working Brief in the platform. Markdown editor with KPI-substitution syntax.
Forecast revised
Forecasts are versioned and locked. Each version preserves the assumptions from when it was sent.
Actions and decisions reviewed
Decisions captured time-stamped in the Decision Log, linked to actions and forecast versions.
Pack generated
The Pack is generated from the Working Brief, KPIs, Action Register, and Forecast Version.
Client meeting held, next period rolled
Roll forward to next month with one click. Edits made via UI carry into the next period's deliverable.
Six surfaces, one operating loop.
The Phase 03 operating system is six connected surfaces. Each one is a piece of the monthly CFO cycle. Together they replace the file chaos.
KPI Dashboard
Per-client KPI configuration with monthly observations. Standing KPI set with the observation history that explains the number.
Deep diveWorking Brief
Author the Working Brief in the platform. Markdown editor with KPI-substitution syntax. The analytical narrative that drives the Pack.
Deep diveAction Register
Action Register captures owner, due date, source meeting, and status for every commitment.
Deep diveDecision Log
Decisions captured time-stamped in the Decision Log, linked to actions and forecast versions.
Deep diveForecast Versions
Forecasts are versioned and locked. Each version preserves the assumptions from when it was sent.
Deep diveMonthly CFO Pack
The Pack is generated from the Working Brief, KPIs, Action Register, and Forecast Version. Every deliverable moves through draft, ready for review, and final states.
Deep diveThe few numbers that explain the month.
Per-client KPI configuration with monthly observations.
Each client has a standing KPI set built during onboarding. Every month, the team observes the numbers, captures what changed, and writes the observation that becomes part of the Pack. The point is not a metric library. The point is a small set of numbers that drive the conversation.
Revenue (LTM)
$24.8M
+8.4%
Gross margin
32.1%
-110 bps
Working capital days
47
-3 days
Cash on hand
$3.2M
+$420K
Observation history
The Working Brief is the source of truth.
The Working Brief consolidates analytical notes into one place that drives the Pack.
Author the Working Brief in the platform. Markdown editor with KPI-substitution syntax. The Brief is where the analytical narrative lives between months. When the Pack is generated, the Brief is the reasoning behind every section.
WHAT THIS REPLACES
- Analytical notes scattered across Word, Excel, Slack, and meeting prep files.
- Rewriting the same explanation in the Pack, meeting notes, email follow-up, and lender package.
- Losing the finance narrative because it lived in someone's head.
# April 2026 Working Brief
## Health snapshot
Revenue came in at {{revenue_ltm}}, up {{revenue_growth}} from prior period.
## Cash position
Cash on hand {{cash_balance}}, a {{cash_delta}} improvement period over period.
## What we are watching
Gross margin softened on the new contract. See decision DEC-042.
Every commitment, owned, dated, and live.
Every commitment captured with an owner, due date, and source meeting. Editable by the FourX team today; client read access is on the roadmap.
Each action shows the owner, due date, source meeting, and status. The point is simple: if a decision creates work, the work needs a home. Open, due soon, overdue, and complete states keep the register honest. Stakeholder read access for owners is on the roadmap.
Refinance equipment line
JS · Due May 15 · From Apr CFO meeting
Update Q2 forecast assumptions
MM · Due May 5 · From Apr Pack review
Get covenant calc to bank
JS · Due Apr 30 · From Mar lender call
Reconcile FY26 tax provision
TF · Due Apr 22 · From Mar close
Decisions, time-stamped and linked.
Decisions captured time-stamped in the Decision Log, linked to actions and forecast versions.
The Decision Log captures what was decided, when it was decided, who was involved, and what it affected. The goal is not to create more administration. The goal is to stop material decisions from disappearing into meeting notes.
Hold pricing on Tier 2 contracts despite margin pressure
Who: Owner + CFO Affects: Forecast v4, ACT-019
Refinance equipment line by May 15
Who: Owner + Banker Affects: Forecast v4, ACT-018
Defer Q2 capex on south yard expansion
Who: Owner Affects: Forecast v3
Forecasts that hold up under scrutiny.
Forecasts are versioned and locked. Each version preserves the assumptions from when it was sent.
When a forecast is sent to a lender, board, or ownership group, that version stays intact. Later updates do not rewrite the history of what was relied on at the time. Direct bank connections are on the roadmap.
Q2 update
Apr 18, 2026
Bank submission
Mar 22, 2026
FY26 plan
Jan 31, 2026
Initial
Dec 5, 2025
The Pack is the output. The system is the product.
The Pack is generated from the Working Brief, KPIs, Action Register, and Forecast Version.
The Monthly CFO Pack is the reviewed output of the monthly operating loop. It is not assembled as a one-off document from disconnected files. It comes from the same place as the analysis, KPI observations, actions, and forecast version. AI is used for drafting (Working Brief skeleton, Pack section drafts). Every output is human-reviewed before publish.
PACK SECTIONS
- Executive Snapshot
- Health Snapshot
- P&L Summary
- Cash Position
- Forecast Bridge
- Risks
- Decisions Required
- Action Status
Executive Snapshot
✓Health Snapshot
✓P&L Summary
✓Cash Position
✓Forecast Bridge
✓Risks
✓Decisions Required
✓Action Status
✓What goes away when the platform is in.
The friction is not the work. The friction is everything around the work. Phase 03 collapses the workflow into one connected loop, so the monthly cycle stops being a scramble.
Excel control workbooks used as the unofficial system of record.
Static HTML or Word templates copied forward each month.
Manual PDF assembly.
Slack notes that never make it into the Pack.
Email follow-ups with no owner, date, or source meeting.
One-off lender packages rebuilt from scratch.
Memory-based decision recall.
Dashboards that show metrics but do not drive a monthly cadence.
The cadence the platform enforces.
Opinionated cadence: monthly close, quarterly business review, annual forecast lock.
The monthly CFO cycle needs timing discipline. Close data gets reviewed, KPIs get observed, the Working Brief gets drafted, the Pack gets reviewed, decisions get captured, and the next period rolls forward.
Close data review
Actuals locked in. Source data and KPIs reviewed.
KPI observations + Working Brief draft
Per-client KPIs observed. Brief drafted in markdown.
Pack review
Pack reviewed. Decisions and actions captured. Forecast version locked if sent.
Owner meeting + roll-forward
Owner meeting held. Next period rolled forward with one click. Cycle restarts.
Business-day timings are FourX methodology guidance. Actual cycle timing is configured per client during onboarding.
Built so the work stands up later.
Audit trail
Every edit captured in audit_log with actor, timestamp, before/after.
Review workflow
Every deliverable moves through draft, ready for review, and final states. Final is immutable.
AI assists, humans approve
AI is used for drafting (Working Brief skeleton, Pack section drafts). Every output is human-reviewed before publish.
See your next monthly CFO cycle, in the platform.
A 30-minute walkthrough using your business as the example.