Multi-Location Consolidation Review
The prompt
Prepare consolidated financials across locations. Location data: {{paste_p_l_by_location_for_period}}. Output: Consolidated P&L. Intercompany eliminations (if any). Variance analysis: which locations drove results? Which need attention? Overall margin and trends. Why this works
Requiring intercompany eliminations as an explicit step prevents the most common multi-location consolidation error: double-counting inter-company revenue when one location does work for another. Producing both consolidated and per-location views serves different audiences — ownership needs the consolidated picture, operations needs the per-location variance. Asking for 'which locations drove results' connects the financial summary to the operational accountability conversation.
Risks & review
Multi-location consolidations require consistent chart of accounts across all locations — if different locations have different account structures (some capitalise vehicle costs, others expense them), the consolidation will mix accounting policies. Standardise accounting policies across locations before automating consolidation, and flag any known policy differences in the consolidation output.