Variance commentary, with AI. A 30-day pilot you can measure.
Draft variance commentary from approved figures with assumptions visible, while finance or leadership owns interpretation and the final board-pack wording.
What the AI prepares
What the model drafts in a variance commentary pilot, and where a person steps in.
Period comparison
Actuals, budget and prior period figures are compared with source labels.
Likely drivers
Variance drivers are drafted as hypotheses, not final conclusions.
Open assumptions
Assumptions and missing context are listed for the finance owner.
Board wording
Board wording is separated from internal working notes.
Most firms compare periods
Comparing this period with the last is the most common way firms read their numbers. The pilot drafts that explanation for finance to check.
- Trends and comparisons across periods53%
- Summary statistics33%
- Statistical or forecasting models32%
- Dashboards29%
- Little or no analysis28%
Less time goes on explaining numbers
Financial planning and analysis (FP&A) teams still spend almost half their time collecting and checking data, and time spent explaining it fell to 31% in 2025.
- Collecting and checking data, 202445%
- Collecting and checking data, 202546%
- Explaining and acting on it, 202435%
- Explaining and acting on it, 202531%
Generative AI mostly drafts commentary
Only 18% of FP&A teams used generative AI in 2025, and two-thirds of them used it for commentary and summaries.
- 67%Commentary and summaries
- 24%Automated reporting
- 10%Advanced uses
Start with one clear decision
The two-week diagnostic ends with build, pause, clean up first or do nothing, for this workflow.
How the pilot runs
Track prep time, source gaps, rejected assumptions and review changes. The useful output is a better review conversation, not automatic explanation.
- 01
What goes in
Actuals, budget, prior period, approved KPI definitions and known events.
- 02
What comes out
Variance draft, assumptions and questions.
- 03
Who checks it
Finance lead.
- 04
Never without approval
Final board commentary or external statement.
Common questions
Can the AI act on its own?
No. It prepares drafts and checks. A person signs off before any of this happens: final board commentary or external statement.
What does it cost to start?
The AI Rollout Diagnostic is £1,500 fixed and takes two weeks. You get a clear answer for this workflow: build, pause, clean up first or do nothing.
How do we know it worked?
Track prep time, source gaps, rejected assumptions and review changes. The pilot is kept only if those numbers improve.
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