Skip to content
Enjoy complimentary data migration when switching from your existing bookkeeper or CPA to Institution.
Institution
Controller Support

Senior review layered onto the recurring close.

Bookkeeping produces the ledger. The controller reviews it, balance-sheet reconciliation, exception ownership, policy consistency, and a written sign-off before the reporting pack goes out.

Get started Request demo
Illustrative workflow
Controller review layers
  1. 1
    Balance-sheet reviewController
    Every account reviewed for correct classification, reconciliation, and support.
  2. 2
    Exception reviewController
    Open items assessed for materiality, aging, and resolution path.
  3. 3
    Policy reviewController
    Accounting policies applied consistently across periods and entities.
  4. 4
    Sign-offController
    Written sign-off attached to the close package before release.
Scope

Where the controller is involved.

Month-end
Trial balance walk, reconciliation review, adjusting entries.
Quarter-end
Deeper cut on estimates, reserves, revenue-recognition inputs.
Year-end
Preparation package for tax coordination and any external review.
Ad-hoc
Policy questions, unusual transactions, one-off events.
Escalation path

What triggers senior involvement outside close.

  • Material transactions outside routine activity
  • New revenue-recognition scenarios
  • Ownership or entity structure changes
  • New jurisdictions or filings
  • Vendor or customer disputes with accounting impact
  • Policy questions raised by the operating team
Boundaries

What controller support is not.

  • Not an audit or attest engagement.
  • Not tax preparation or filing.
  • Not investment or securities advice.
  • Not a substitute for legal counsel on entity structure.

Where controller review sits.

Bookkeeping
The reviewed close is the raw material.
Explore
Financial Reporting
Statements released with sign-off.
Explore
CFO Advisory
Strategic review layered above operating review.
Explore

Frequently asked

  • Is a controller assigned to my account?
    Yes. A named controller reviews your close package and is available for policy questions during the cycle.
  • Do you issue audit opinions?
    No. Institution is not a public accounting firm. External audit or review engagements are handled by a licensed firm.
  • Can the controller work with an existing CFO or advisor?
    Yes. That is common. The controller coordinates with the client's finance leadership on cadence and scope.
  • How does controller support differ from bookkeeping or CFO advice?
    Bookkeeping records and reconciles activity. Controller support reviews the close, balance-sheet schedules, accounting policies and unresolved items. CFO advisory focuses on forecasts, runway and business decisions. Confirm the work and named reviewer you need rather than treating the titles as interchangeable.Review CFO advisory responsibilities
  • When should we add a controller?
    Consider it when unresolved balances repeat, the founder is the only reviewer, several people post entries, or investors need explanations that the current close cannot support. Revenue and employee count alone do not determine the need; the quality and complexity of the records matter.
  • Is controller support included in every plan?
    Managed Accounting lists senior oversight on every close. A named controller, technical accounting memo, extra review meeting or project may require a separate scope. The proposal should identify reviewer responsibilities, deliverables, cadence and fees.Compare the published service scope
  • Can you review multiple entities or inherited books?
    Share entity-level trial balances, reconciliations, intercompany schedules and open issues. Historical corrections and consolidation work must be agreed separately. Review does not turn incomplete records into an audit opinion.
  • What do we need for a useful first review?
    Provide the latest trial balance, bank and card reconciliations, receivables and payables aging, payroll liabilities, debt and asset schedules, and the questions management needs answered. Agree who resolves each exception before the next close.