excel-variance-analyzer
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'.
SKILL.md
Full skill instructions
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