Does this skill support multi-period analysis?

Yes, it can perform trend analysis across multiple months or quarters to identify if variances are isolated incidents or worsening trends over time.

Does it handle sign conventions for revenue versus expenses?

Absolutely. It correctly identifies that negative revenue variances are unfavorable (misses) while negative expense variances are favorable (savings).

How does it determine which line items to flag?

The skill uses customizable materiality thresholds, defaulting to 10% variance or a $50K absolute difference, to categorize items as Critical, Warning, or On Track.

Can I provide data in formats other than Excel?

Yes, the skill is flexible and can process data from Excel files, CSVs, or even raw tables pasted directly into the conversation.

Excel Variance Analyzer

Name: Excel Variance Analyzer
Author: BbgnsurfTech

byBbgnsurfTech

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Productivity & Workflow

Automates budget versus actual financial variance analysis in Excel with professional flagging and executive commentary.

About

The Excel Variance Analyzer is a specialized Claude Code skill designed for FP&A and financial reporting teams to streamline the process of comparing actual financial performance against budgets or forecasts. It automatically calculates absolute and percentage variances, applies materiality thresholds to flag critical issues, and generates human-like commentary to explain performance drivers. Whether you're reviewing monthly results or preparing quarterly executive summaries, this skill ensures consistent formatting, professional sign conventions, and actionable insights to help leadership understand the 'why' behind the numbers.

Key Features

Professional Excel report formatting with conditional indicators and icons
Multi-level materiality flagging (Critical, Warning, On Track) based on % or $ thresholds
Trend analysis for multi-period reporting including monthly and quarterly views
Automated Budget vs. Actual (BvA) calculation and sign convention management
Automated executive summaries and professional financial commentary generation
3 GitHub stars

Use Cases

Monthly financial reporting and variance explanations for department heads
Preparing quarterly business review (QBR) executive summaries for leadership
Drilling down into specific over-budget expense categories to identify drivers

About

Key Features

Professional Excel report formatting with conditional indicators and icons
Multi-level materiality flagging (Critical, Warning, On Track) based on % or $ thresholds
Trend analysis for multi-period reporting including monthly and quarterly views
Automated Budget vs. Actual (BvA) calculation and sign convention management
Automated executive summaries and professional financial commentary generation
3 GitHub stars

Use Cases

Monthly financial reporting and variance explanations for department heads
Preparing quarterly business review (QBR) executive summaries for leadership
Drilling down into specific over-budget expense categories to identify drivers