Automated Finance Process with Excel VBA

Standard Operating Procedure for Financial Analysis Automation

Excel VBA Financial Analysis Automation SOP

Introduction to Automated Finance with Excel VBA

The objective of this project is to establish an automated finance process utilizing a macro-enabled Excel workbook (.xlsm) that incorporates Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) automation. This system is designed to significantly enhance the efficiency and accuracy of financial analysis by automatically processing data from multiple Comma Separated Values (CSV) files.

Key Benefits

  • Automated processing of financial data from multiple CSV files
  • Generation of MTD, YTD, and MoM financial analyses
  • Interest computations and balance summations
  • Amortization schedule generation
  • Self-contained solution that operates on local file access

Financial Analyses Produced

Month-to-Date (MTD)

Snapshot of business activity from the beginning of the current month up to the most recent date.

Year-to-Date (YTD)

Aggregates financial data from the start of the fiscal year through the current month.

Month-over-Month (MoM)

Compares key financial metrics between two consecutive months.

Understanding the Required File Structure and Data Sources

The automated finance process relies on several CSV files, each serving a specific purpose in providing the necessary data for analysis and reporting. Maintaining a consistent file structure is paramount for the proper functioning of the VBA code.

Required CSV Files

File Name Purpose Location
Sample Tb csv.csv Monthly Trial Balance data (placeholder for testing) Monthly folders (e.g., Jan-2025)
coa & account level mappings csv.csv Chart of Accounts and mapping information Main finance data folder
List of companies csv.csv Multi-company reporting details Main finance data folder
Ytd budget csv.csv Year-to-Date budget data Main finance data folder

Folder Structure Example

FinanceData/
Jan-2025/
Tb csv.csv
Feb-2025/
Tb csv.csv
coa & account level mappings csv.csv
List of companies csv.csv
Ytd budget csv.csv

Important Note

The VBA code is designed to work with a predefined and consistent file naming and folder structure. Any deviation from this established structure can lead to errors in the automated process.

Setting Up Your Macro-Enabled Excel Workbook (.xlsm)

Step-by-Step Setup

1

Create a new macro-enabled workbook

Open Microsoft Excel and create a new blank workbook. Save it as "Excel Macro-Enabled Workbook (*.xlsm)" with a descriptive name like "Automated Finance Report.xlsm".

2

Access the VBA Editor

Press ALT+F11 to open the VBA Editor where you will paste and manage the VBA code.

3

Set up required worksheets

Create at least two worksheets: "InputData" to store raw data imported from CSV files, and "Report" to display final processed results.

Click the "+" symbol next to Sheet1 to add new worksheets
Right-click sheet tabs to rename them

Visual Guide

Saving as Macro-Enabled Workbook

Save as macro-enabled workbook

VBA Editor (ALT+F11)

VBA Editor

Step-by-Step Guide to the VBA Script

This section provides a detailed breakdown of the VBA script that will automate the finance process. The complete, copy-paste ready VBA code is provided in the next section.

Initialization Section

The initialization section sets up the necessary environment for the automation by declaring variables and configuring essential elements.

Key Components:

  • Variable declarations for file paths and worksheet objects
  • Dynamic folder path construction for monthly Trial Balance files
  • Worksheet object initialization for "InputData" and "Report" sheets

Example Code Snippet:

' Declare variables
Dim currentMonth As Integer
Dim currentYear As Integer
Dim tbFolderPath As String
Dim tbFilePath As String
Dim coaFilePath As String

' Set worksheet objects
Set wsInput = ThisWorkbook.Sheets("InputData")
Set wsReport = ThisWorkbook.Sheets("Report")

' Determine current month and year
currentMonth = Month(Date)
currentYear = Year(Date)

' Construct dynamic folder path
tbFolderPath = "C:\FinanceData\" & Format(Date, "MMM-YYYY")

Data Import Section

This section reads data from each of the required CSV files with robust error handling.

Files Processed:

  1. COA & Account Level Mappings
  2. List of Companies
  3. YTD Budget
  4. Monthly Trial Balance (dynamic location)

Example Code Snippet:

' Import COA mappings
If FileExists(coaFilePath) Then
    coaData = ImportCSVToArray(coaFilePath)
    ' Write COA data to InputData sheet
    If Not IsEmpty(coaData) Then 
        wsInput.Range("A1").Resize(UBound(coaData, 1), UBound(coaData, 2)).Value = coaData
    End If
Else
    MsgBox "Error: COA mapping file not found", vbExclamation
    Exit Sub
End If

Data Processing and Calculations

Transforms raw data into meaningful financial analyses with comprehensive calculations.

Analyses Performed:

MTD Analysis

Filters and aggregates current month data

YTD Analysis

Aggregates data from fiscal year start

MoM Analysis

Compares current vs. previous month

Interest Computations

Calculates interest expenses/income

Generating Amortization Schedules

Creates detailed loan payment breakdowns showing principal and interest components.

Required Inputs:

  • Initial loan amount
  • Annual interest rate
  • Loan term (in years)

Calculation Steps:

  1. Calculate monthly interest rate
  2. Determine total number of payments
  3. Compute monthly payment amount
  4. Generate payment-by-payment breakdown

Output Generation and Formatting

Presents the analysis results in a user-friendly format on designated worksheets.

Output Components:

InputData Sheet

Contains raw imported data for verification

Report Sheet

Formatted presentation of all analyses

Formatting Tips:

  • Use FormatCurrency for monetary values
  • Apply consistent date formatting
  • Adjust column widths to fit content
  • Use color-coding for key metrics
  • Add borders and headings for clarity

Complete VBA Code

Below is the complete VBA code ready for direct copy and paste into the VBA editor. The code includes all sections described in the previous step.

Full Automation Script

' **Section: Initialization**
Sub AutomateFinanceProcess()
    ' Declare variables
    Dim currentMonth As Integer
    Dim currentYear As Integer
    Dim tbFolderPath As String
    Dim tbFilePath As String
    Dim coaFilePath As String
    Dim companiesFilePath As String
    Dim budgetFilePath As String
    Dim wsInput As Worksheet
    Dim wsReport As Worksheet
    Dim coaData As Variant
    Dim companiesData As Variant
    Dim budgetData As Variant
    Dim tbData As Variant

    ' Set worksheet objects
    Set wsInput = ThisWorkbook.Sheets("InputData")
    Set wsReport = ThisWorkbook.Sheets("Report")

    ' Clear previous data on InputData sheet
    wsInput.Cells.ClearContents

    ' Determine current month and year
    currentMonth = Month(Date)
    currentYear = Year(Date)

    ' Construct dynamic folder path for Trial Balance
    tbFolderPath = "C:\FinanceData\" & Format(Date, "MMM-YYYY") ' Modify "C:\FinanceData\" to your actual path
    tbFilePath = tbFolderPath & "\Tb csv.csv" ' Ensure the Trial Balance file name is correct

    ' Set file paths for other CSV files
    coaFilePath = "C:\FinanceData\coa & account level mappings csv.csv" ' Modify path if needed
    companiesFilePath = "C:\FinanceData\List of companies csv.csv" ' Modify path if needed
    budgetFilePath = "C:\FinanceData\Ytd budget csv.csv" ' Modify path if needed

    ' **Section: Data Import**
    ' Import COA mappings
    If FileExists(coaFilePath) Then
        coaData = ImportCSVToArray(coaFilePath)
        ' Write COA data to InputData sheet (optional)
        If Not IsEmpty(coaData) Then wsInput.Range("A1").Resize(UBound(coaData, 1), UBound(coaData, 2)).Value = coaData
    Else
        MsgBox "Error: COA mapping file not found at " & coaFilePath, vbExclamation
        Exit Sub
    End If

    ' Import list of companies
    If FileExists(companiesFilePath) Then
        companiesData = ImportCSVToArray(companiesFilePath)
        ' Write companies data to InputData sheet (optional)
        If Not IsEmpty(companiesData) Then wsInput.Range("E1").Resize(UBound(companiesData, 1), UBound(coaData, 2)).Value = companiesData
    Else
        MsgBox "Error: List of companies file not found at " & companiesFilePath, vbExclamation
        Exit Sub
    End If

    ' Import YTD budget
    If FileExists(budgetFilePath) Then
        budgetData = ImportCSVToArray(budgetFilePath)
        ' Write budget data to InputData sheet (optional)
        If Not IsEmpty(budgetData) Then wsInput.Range("I1").Resize(UBound(budgetData, 1), UBound(budgetData, 2)).Value = budgetData
    Else
        MsgBox "Error: YTD budget file not found at " & budgetFilePath, vbExclamation
        Exit Sub
    End If

    ' Import Trial Balance data
    If FileExists(tbFilePath) Then
        tbData = ImportCSVToArray(tbFilePath)
        ' Write Trial Balance data to InputData sheet
        If Not IsEmpty(tbData) Then wsInput.Range("A" & Rows.Count).End(xlUp).Offset(1, 0).Resize(UBound(tbData, 1), UBound(tbData, 2)).Value = tbData
    Else
        MsgBox "Error: Trial Balance file not found at " & tbFilePath, vbExclamation
        Exit Sub
    End If

    ' **Section: Data Processing and Calculations**
    ' Implement your data processing and calculation logic here
    ' This will involve using the imported data (coaData, companiesData, budgetData, tbData)
    ' to perform MTD, YTD, MoM analysis, interest computations, and balance summations.

    ' **Section: Generating Amortization Schedules**
    ' Implement your amortization schedule generation logic here
    ' This will require loan amount, interest rate, and loan term as input.

    ' **Section: Output Generation and Formatting**
    ' Implement your output generation and formatting logic here
    ' Write the results of the analyses and the amortization schedule to the "Report" worksheet.

    MsgBox "Finance process automation completed!", vbInformation
End Sub

' Helper function to check if a file exists
Function FileExists(filePath As String) As Boolean
    FileExists = (Dir(filePath) <> "")
End Function

' Helper function to import CSV to an array
Function ImportCSVToArray(filePath As String) As Variant
    Dim fso As Object
    Dim ts As Object
    Dim strData As String
    Dim arrData As Variant
    Dim row As Long
    Dim col As Long
    Dim lines As Variant
    Dim fields As Variant

    Set fso = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
    Set ts = fso.OpenTextFile(filePath, 1, False) ' ForReading

    strData = ts.ReadAll
    ts.Close

    lines = Split(strData, vbCrLf)
    If UBound(lines) > -1 Then
        fields = Split(lines(0), ",")
        ReDim arrData(1 To UBound(lines) + 1, 1 To UBound(fields) + 1)
        For row = 0 To UBound(lines)
            fields = Split(lines(row), ",")
            For col = 0 To UBound(fields)
                If col <= UBound(fields) Then
                    arrData(row + 1, col + 1) = fields(col)
                End If
            Next col
        Next row
        ImportCSVToArray = arrData
    Else
        ImportCSVToArray = Array()
    End If

    Set ts = Nothing
    Set fso = Nothing
End Function

Executing the Automation: A Step-by-Step Guide

Opening the Macro-Enabled Workbook

Locate the "Automated Finance Report.xlsm" file that you saved earlier and double-click it to open it in Microsoft Excel. You might see a security warning at the top of the Excel window indicating that macros have been disabled.

Running the VBA Macro

To run the automation, you need to enable the macros. If you see the security warning, click on "Enable Content". Alternatively, you can run the macro from the "Developer" tab.

Enabling the Developer Tab

If you don't see the "Developer" tab in your Excel ribbon:

  1. Go to "File" > "Options" > "Customize Ribbon"
  2. Check the "Developer" box in the right-hand pane
  3. Click "OK"

Once the "Developer" tab is visible:

  1. Click on the "Developer" tab
  2. Click on "Macros"
  3. Select "AutomateFinanceProcess" from the list
  4. Click "Run"

Understanding the Output

After running the macro, the script will import data, perform calculations, and generate output in the "Report" worksheet with several sections:

MTD Analysis

Key financial metrics for current month

YTD Analysis

Aggregated data from fiscal year start

MoM Comparison

Current vs. previous month with % change

Interest Computations

Calculated interest expenses/income

Total Balance Summary

Overview of key balance sheet accounts

Amortization Schedule

Detailed loan payment breakdown

Troubleshooting and Addressing Potential Issues

This section provides guidance on how to troubleshoot common problems that might occur while setting up or running the automation.

File Not Found Errors

If you receive an error message indicating that a file was not found:

  1. Verify File Paths:

    Open the VBA editor and check the file paths for the CSV files. Ensure they match your actual file locations.

  2. Check Folder Names:

    For monthly Trial Balance files, verify the folder naming convention matches what the code expects (e.g., "Jan-2025").

  3. Ensure Files Exist:

    Use Windows Explorer to confirm all required CSV files are in the specified locations.

Data Format Inconsistencies

If the automation runs but produces unexpected results:

  1. Inspect Data Formats:

    Open CSV files in a text editor or Excel to check date formats, number formats, and for unexpected characters.

  2. Correction Procedures:

    Reformat dates to a consistent standard, ensure numbers are stored as numbers (not text), and remove any unexpected characters.

Dynamic Folder Path Issues

If the Trial Balance data for the current month is not being processed:

  1. Update Folder Path Settings:

    Check the line of code that constructs tbFolderPath. Modify the Format function if your folder naming convention differs.

VBA Execution Problems

If you encounter errors while trying to run the macro:

  1. Enabling Macros:

    Go to "File" > "Options" > "Trust Center" > "Trust Center Settings" > "Macro Settings". Choose appropriate security level.

  2. Debugging Tips:

    When an error occurs, click "Debug" to examine variable values and step through the code to identify the issue.

Final Execution Checklist

Before running the finance process automation for your actual data, please ensure that you have completed the following checklist:

Ready to Automate!

By confirming each item on this checklist, you will significantly increase the likelihood of a successful and accurate execution of the automated finance process.

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