Catch margin and spend drift before close, not after it.
Example: Freight cost per order in one business line rose 14% over six weeks while price held flat. A Signal flags the margin drift three weeks before close, with the vendor invoices behind it.
750+ connectorsAbout 24 hours to first lookSOC 2 Compliant
Gross margin is 2.4 points under plan in Business line B.
Gross margin
38.6%vs Plan 41.0%2.4 pts under plan
- Freight +14%
- Discount depth +3 pts
- ERP
- CRM
The cost of finding variance at close
Most variance is visible weeks before close, in the systems finance already owns. It just isn’t in one place. Margin sits in ERP, discounting in the CRM, freight and vendor costs in operations and procurement tools. Each team reports its own version, and the numbers drift apart.
So the variance shows up at close, already in the numbers. The CFO explains it to the board instead of fixing it during the quarter, and the next forecast inherits the same blind spot.
What Signals flag for Finance
- Margin drift by business line, customer or channel.
- Spend ahead of plan, with the system and line where it started.
- Forecast gaps between the CRM forecast and the finance plan, with the deals behind the gap.
Three weeks before close
- Week 1A Signal flags freight cost per order up 14% over six weeks in one business line, while price held flat.
- Same dayThe CFO opens the vendor invoices behind it, linked from the Signal.
- Week 2The CFO asks Chat which customers and channels carry the cost, using one definition of margin.
- CloseThe variance is explained and a pricing review is on the calendar before close, not after it.
Want to see where your margin would have drifted last quarter?
Why finance can trust the numbers
- Every metric shows its definition, formula and sources, and the SQL can be viewed and edited from the metric detail view.
- A warning appears when metric data is older than the default time window.
- Figures in a Chat answer are checked against the data the assistant was shown. Metric queries with no rows are reported as empty, not filled in.
- Upload budget files, board decks and contracts (PDF, Excel, Word, CSV) and ask questions against them next to your connected data.
What each finance leader sees
- CFO: The drift that matters this month, ranked by impact, with the definition and sources attached so the conversation with the CEO starts from agreed numbers.
- FP&A and controllers: Variance by line before close, the SQL behind each metric, and a warning when data is older than the default window.
- CRO: The same bookings definition finance uses, and the deals behind any gap between the two forecasts.
- CEO: The finance Signals that should change a decision this quarter, without waiting for the close package.
How it works, step by step
- Connect finance, ERP and the systems around them. Add the CRM for bookings and discounting, and operations tools for cost drivers. Snowfire has 750+ connectors, and you get a first look at your data in about 24 hours.
- Define the numbers once. Revenue, gross margin, spend and bookings each get one definition. Every metric shows its formula and sources, and finance can see and edit the SQL behind it.
- Let Signals watch for drift. Signals fire when margin, spend or the forecast moves against plan, and show how far it moved and whether the move is good or bad for you.
- Ask why. Chat traces the move to the business line, customer, channel or vendor behind it, with figures checked against the data the assistant was shown.
- Brief before close. Schedule a recurring pre-close brief to email or a messaging channel, or run it on demand when the CEO asks early.
Two more Examples
Example · Two forecasts that don’t match The CRM forecast and the finance plan diverge in one business line this quarter. A Signal shows the size of the gap and the deals behind it. Finance and Revenue look at the same bookings definition, agree which deals to discount, and bring one number to the board.
Example · Spend ahead of plan Software spend in one department has run ahead of plan for two months. The Signal names the line where it started. The CFO asks Chat for the vendors behind the increase and decides whether to fund, hold or cut before the next budget review.
Our data isn’t ready? Start with one number.
Start with the figures behind one decision, such as margin by business line, and the systems that feed them. You don’t need a clean warehouse first. First look at your data in about 24 hours.
What IT needs
- Access to ERP, finance and the CRM, starting with the systems behind one number.
- Snowfire is SOC 2 Compliant and runs in our cloud, your private cloud (VPC) or on-prem.
Questions
Questions Finance executives ask Snowfire
- Where is margin slipping by business line this month, and why?
- Why don’t the sales forecast and our plan match this quarter?
- Which costs are running ahead of budget, and since when?
Does it replace our ERP or planning tool?
No. It reads them and connects them to the systems around them.
Can finance see how a metric is calculated?
Yes. Each metric shows its definition, formula and sources, and the SQL can be viewed and edited from the metric detail view.
Can we ask about documents, not just data?
Yes. Upload PDF, Excel, Word, CSV and text files and ask questions against them.
Is it secure?
Snowfire is SOC 2 Compliant and runs in our cloud, your private cloud (VPC) or on-prem.
What does it cost?
Pricing is Enterprise.