A soft close is an underrated tactic that can seriously improve your month-end process. Here’s why finance teams should consider it:

  1. Speeds Up the Hard Close
    Performing a soft close mid-month helps identify and fix discrepancies before crunch time.

  2. Improves Accuracy
    Early reviews of accounts catch errors when they’re smaller, preventing them from snowballing later.

  3. Boosts Team Confidence
    Knowing you’re on track reduces stress and builds trust in the numbers before the full close.

  4. Supports Rolling Forecasts
    With partial data ready early, forecasting becomes more real-time and responsive.

  5. Makes Continuous Improvement Possible
    The soft close creates a regular feedback loop to refine and optimize processes month by month.

A soft close isn’t extra work—it’s a smart checkpoint that helps your team stay ahead of the chaos.