Excel Variance Analyzer
by jeremylongshore
|
Skill Details
Repository Files
5 files in this skill directory
name: excel-variance-analyzer description: | Analyze budget vs actual variances in Excel with drill-down and root cause analysis. Use when performing variance analysis or explaining budget differences. Trigger with phrases like 'excel variance', 'analyze budget variance', 'actual vs budget'. allowed-tools: Read, Write, Edit, Grep, Glob, Bash(cmd:*) version: 1.0.0 author: Jeremy Longshore jeremy@intentsolutions.io license: MIT
Excel Variance Analyzer
Overview
Performs comprehensive budget vs actual variance analysis with automated drill-down, root cause identification, and executive reporting.
Prerequisites
- Excel or compatible spreadsheet software
- Budget data by period and category
- Actual results for comparison
- Cost center or department structure
Instructions
- Import budget and actual data into comparison template
- Calculate absolute and percentage variances
- Apply materiality thresholds for flagging
- Create drill-down by category, period, or cost center
- Generate variance waterfall chart for executive reporting
Output
- Variance summary with favorable/unfavorable indicators
- Materiality-filtered exception report
- Waterfall chart showing budget-to-actual bridge
- Drill-down by category or cost center
Error Handling
| Error | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Missing periods | Data gaps | Fill with zeros or interpolate |
| Percentage calc error | Zero budget | Use IF to handle div/0 |
| Misaligned categories | Changed chart of accounts | Create mapping table |
Examples
Example: Monthly P&L Variance Request: "Analyze why we missed budget by $500K this month" Result: Variance waterfall showing revenue shortfall offset by OPEX savings
Example: Department Budget Review Request: "Which departments are over budget YTD?" Result: Ranked list by variance magnitude with drill-down to line items
Resources
- FP&A Best Practices
{baseDir}/references/variance-formulas.mdfor calculation templates
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