Fast Close: A Guide to Closing the Books Quickly

by Steven M. Bragg

Praise for Fast Close: A Guide to Closing the Books Quickly "Steve captures the essence of the problems affecting the financial close process within corporations of all sizes; from the period close of subledgers and general ledger through financial reporting, and the relationship and interdependencies of governance, people and technology. A must-read for the corporate controller."
--David Taylor, ACMA, MBA, VP Strategy, Trintech Inc.

"Fast Close: A Guide to Closing the Books Quickly, Second Edition is a must-read for today's busy controllers. Steven Bragg points out everything that can be done outside the close that you just never realized didn't actually have to be part of the month-end close process! Very commonsensical approach!"
--Kathleen Schneibel, mba, cpa, Controller/CFO for Hire, KMAS Consulting LLC

"A well-executed 'fast close' can bring many valuable benefits to any company, from improving organizational performance to transforming accounting executives from financial historians to trusted advisors. In Fast Close, Second Edition, Steve systematically breaks down the steps required to achieve a fast close in both public and private companies, providing financial executives with tips, checklists, and a cost-effective road map to implement fast close procedures in virtually any company."
--Matthew Posta, Esq., CPA, Vice President of Finance, Key Air, LLC

FROM THE FIRST EDITION

"This is an outstanding book in which Steve reveals his secrets to a fast close. Having personally experienced his (one-day) fast close for years and enjoyed the beneficial impact on my company, I highly recommend this book for all financial officers who desire to have a large, favorable impact on their company."
--Richard V. Souders, President and CEO, Kaba Workforce Solutions

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Steven Bragg is a former chief financial officer and controller, and author of 300+ business courses and 50 business books. To get away from the business world, he is also the trail running author of Run the Rockies, a PADI-certified Master Diver, an avid skier and mountain biker, and two-time president of the Colorado Mountain Club. He is also the author of the science fiction novels Under an Autumn Sun and Early Winter, the first two novels in The Auditors trilogy.

Reviews

[Joseph · Rating 1 out of 5]

This 2nd edition (uodated in 2009) is now so outdated that I actually burst out loud laughing at its recommendations. For example, did you know you can speed up your cash close by not waiting for paper bank statements but accessing your data something called "a Web site?"

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book offered many good suggestions for streamlining the close. Some of the tips/best practices have been made obsolescent by the falling price and widespread adoption of technology (automated payroll, EDI/ACH, etc.). Otherwise, there are a lot of good ideas to look into.

[Alan · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you've read one Bragg book, it seems like you've read them all. Not enough depth for someone who really has to slog through this stuff.