BI and AI Assurance Services

CMN Consulting provides BI and AI assurance services to internal and external audit teams, as well as finance teams operating in large and complex environments.

We help teams reduce reliance on Excel, improve efficiency, extend coverage, and automate processes such as reconciliations using tools such as Power BI.

Examples of reporting used for finance oversight and full-population work

Problem statement

In many organisations, a significant amount of time is spent extracting, preparing, and reconciling data. Traditional analysis in Excel often cannot cope with the volume of data in large and complex environments.

Excel remains widely used, but it is not designed for large-scale, repeatable analysis. This results in delays, file limitations, version control issues, and repeated rework when files fail or require recalculation. Audit and finance teams spend considerable time preparing and extracting data — low-hanging fruit where modern BI can have immediate impact.

Reliance on data analysts and ICT teams further adds to costs and inefficiencies. Teams are often dependent on others for data extracts, leading to delays and limited control over the process.

In many cases, data is extracted without a full understanding of the audit or finance context, resulting in incorrect outputs and additional rework.

BI and AI assurance services

Our focus is to leverage BI and AI tools to improve efficiency, reduce costs, extend coverage, and automate manual tasks across both audit and finance functions.

We achieve this through:

• Direct access to ERP data
• Automated data extraction, transformation, and reporting
• Full population analysis
• Drill-through capability from summary to transaction level
• Automated reconciliations supporting audit and finance
• Reusable analytics across reporting and audit cycles

Transitioning from Excel to a BI environment

Moving away from manual, Excel-based processes does not require a complete overhaul. We take a practical, phased approach that allows teams to transition while continuing to meet existing requirements.

Many teams are already familiar with the Microsoft ecosystem, making the transition to Power BI a natural extension.

We assist teams to:

• Replicate existing processes in a structured BI environment
• Stabilise and standardise data sources
• Automate repetitive processes such as reconciliations
• Introduce full population analysis
• Build confidence through guided use

Who this is for

This is suited to:

• Internal and external audit teams
• Finance teams responsible for reconciliations and reporting
• Organisations operating in large and complex environments
• Teams with limited or no dedicated analytics capacity

If your team is:

• Working with high volumes of data
• Relying on Excel and manual processes
• Dependent on IT or external specialists
• Looking to improve efficiency without significantly increasing cost

Then this approach is designed for you. We offer proof of concept and demonstrations at no cost and with no obligation.

How we can assist

We work with your teams through training, capacity building, and co-developing BI and AI solutions. We also design and implement analytics models in Power BI, enabling faster deployment and turnaround.

We also offer the option to perform data extraction, preparation, and analysis on behalf of your team — at a significantly lower cost.