Why Finance Needs a Sprint Approach
In professional service firms, finance often lags behind operations. As a result, reporting delays, unclear forecasts, and constant firefighting emerge. Over time, these issues compound. Consequently, leadership decisions rely on incomplete or delayed information.
For many CEOs and Founders, the problem isn’t capability rather, it’s momentum. In fact, without short, focused improvement cycles, finance lacks forward motion. Because of this, the function becomes reactive instead of proactive. Eventually, firefighting replaces forecasting.
This is exactly where, and more importantly why, the 30-Day Finance Improvement Sprint comes in.
Built on MYF’s Financial Health Snapshot, this model transforms finance into a measurable improvement engine. Specifically, and with intention, it is designed for leaders in small to mid-sized service firms who want to:
- Shorten month-end close cycles
- Improve collections and cash visibility
- Track utilisation and realisation consistently
- Lower operational overhead without losing quality
The 30-Day Finance Sprint Framework
At its core, the finance sprint mirrors any operational sprint focused, time-boxed, and outcome-driven. In other words, it prioritises execution over discussion.
Accordingly, each sprint improves one or more of the five key levers that define financial health. Together, these levers create momentum:
| Lever | Goal | Example Impact in 30 Days |
|---|---|---|
| AR Collections | Improve cash inflow | Reduce DSO from 60 → 45 days |
| Month-End Close | Increase reporting speed | Shorten close from 10 → 7 days |
| Utilisation | Optimise capacity | Improve from 70% → 80% |
| Realisation | Increase revenue capture | Lift realisation from 85% → 92% |
| Expense Management | Lower overhead | Cut OpEx by 5-10% of revenue |
From MYF’s Financial Snapshot:
“Each 30-day sprint should target 2-4 levers, while simultaneously ensuring clear KPIs, ownership, and measurable financial impact.”
Step-by-Step: How to Run a 30-Day Finance Improvement Sprint
Step 1. Diagnose Your Financial Health
First and foremost, start with clarity. Review your Traffic Light Dashboard (Green = healthy, Yellow = at risk, Red = critical).
By doing so, you establish a shared baseline. As a result, misalignment reduces.
Therefore, this diagnostic step guides lever selection.
For example:
- Red: DSO > 60 days
- Yellow: Utilisation 68%
- Green: Realisation 90%
Accordingly, and with intent, focus the sprint on AR Collections and Utilisation because, and quite simply, they generate the fastest ROI.
Step 2. Define Measurable Sprint Goals
Next, translate financial pain points into outcomes. More specifically, convert problems into weekly-measurable metrics.
In practice, this creates visibility. As a consequence, progress becomes undeniable.
| Lever | Goal Statement | Target Metric |
|---|---|---|
| AR Collections | Reduce DSO | < 45 days |
| Month-End Close | Complete close | ≤ 7 business days |
| Utilisation | Improve team utilisation | 75-85% |
| Realisation | Maximise billed vs billable | 90-95% |
| Expense | Control OpEx | < 25% of revenue |
However, and this is critical, limit each sprint to no more than three goals. Ultimately, simplicity sustains momentum.
Step 3. Assign Ownership and Accountability
Once goals are defined, ownership must follow. Rather than assigning responsibility to teams, assign it to individuals.
In doing so, accountability becomes visible. Consequently, execution accelerates.
- CFO or Finance Lead: Month-end and DSO improvements
- Delivery Manager: Utilisation and realisation
- Operations Head: Expense and cost efficiency
MYF’s Recommendation:
“Don’t assign improvement to teams instead, assign it to people. As a result, momentum sustains.”
Step 4. Automate Data Tracking
To sustain progress, automate sprint metrics through live dashboards.
Wherever possible, connect finance and delivery tools Xero, QuickBooks, Power BI, or your PSA platform.
By integrating systems, data becomes consistent. Therefore, trust increases.
For instance:
- Link AR Aging Reports to visual DSO tracking
- Sync project data to utilisation and realisation dashboards
- Integrate OpEx trackers with P&L
Consequently, automation removes manual friction. In turn, finance shifts from reporting history to predicting outcomes.
Insight from MYF’s Automation Checklist:
“Automation shifts finance teams from reporting history to predicting performance.”
Step 5. Hold Weekly Finance Stand-Ups
Meanwhile, and just as importantly, maintain sprint rhythm through weekly stand-ups.
Unlike long meetings, these are short, focused, and directional. As a result, blockers surface early.
Each meeting should review:
- Current KPI status (traffic light)
- Progress toward targets
- Actions required for the next week
MYF Tip:
“15-minute finance stand-ups increase accountability and therefore, shorten close time by 20-30%.”
Step 6. Conduct a 30-Day Retrospective
Finally, conclude the sprint with reflection. At this stage, analyse outcomes objectively.
Specifically, assess what worked, what stalled, and why.
- Did the metrics improve?
- What accelerated progress?
- What created delays?
Then, document insights into your Finance Playbook. Over time, and with repetition, each sprint becomes faster and smarter.
From MYF’s Financial GPS Framework:
“A sprint is only successful if it builds a system not just a result.”
KPI Targets for a 30-Day Finance Sprint
To maintain consistency, review the following KPIs weekly. Additionally, use them for quarterly calibration:
| Lever | KPI | Healthy Target | Measurement Tool | Status Zone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AR Collections | DSO | < 45 days | AR Aging Dashboard | 🟩 < 45 🟨 46-60 🟥 > 60 |
| Month-End Close | Close Time | ≤ 7 days | Finance Calendar | 🟩 ≤ 7 🟨 8-10 🟥 > 10 |
| Utilisation | Billable % | 75-85% | Project Data | 🟩 75-85 🟨 65-74 🟥 < 65 |
| Realisation | Revenue Capture | 85-95% | Billing Reports | 🟩 ≥ 90 🟨 80-89 🟥 < 80 |
| OpEx | % of Revenue | < 25% | Budget Tracker | 🟩 < 25 🟨 26-30 🟥 > 30 |
Pro Tip: Review these during weekly stand-ups and also, during quarterly Financial GPS check-ins.
Strategic Insight: Short Sprints, Long-Term Impact
At first, a 30-day sprint may seem tactical. However, its real strength lies in iteration.
With each cycle, improvements compound. As a result, structural efficiency emerges:
- Faster reporting → better decisions
- Improved collections → stronger cash flow
- Controlled OpEx → higher margins
According to MYF’s Financial Health Snapshot, firms running multiple sprints per quarter see:
- Cash conversion (DSO) ↓ by 20-25%
- Close time ↓ by 30-40%
- Profit margin ↑ by 5-10%
In essence, and without exaggeration, this is systemised finance in action.
FAQs: Finance Sprint for Scaling Firms
Because, urgency drives execution. Moreover, a 30-day window balances focus with sustainability.
Even then, a 2-3 person team can run a sprint. To begin with, focus on one KPI. Then, scale gradually.
Typically, DSO and close-time improvements appear within 1-2 sprints. Subsequently, margin impact follows.
No. Initially, existing tools suffice. Later, automation can be layered in.
Most often, improvement is treated as a project. Instead, it must be a process.
Conclusion: Turn Your Finance Team into a Growth Engine
Finance isn’t just about reporting rather, it’s about readiness.
When applied consistently, a 30-day sprint shifts finance from back-office to growth driver.
By focusing on measurable levers, assigning ownership, and reviewing progress weekly, you steadily create a rhythm of improvement.
Over time, this rhythm compounds. Ultimately, growth becomes predictable.
As MYF’s Financial GPS model reinforces, clarity, stability, and velocity drive scale.
Therefore, a finance sprint delivers all three in just 30 days.
→ Download the 30-Day Finance Sprint Planner Template
→ Book a Financial GPS Snapshot for Your Firm