Financial modeling in the age of AI: a 2027 budget from four sentences

This is what AI financial modeling looks like when the model is a conversation. Four plain sentences to Claude, a budget built on last year’s actuals, and a reason on every value. You approve each write before it saves.

Book a modeling walkthrough Start for free

Claude · connected to ControlExample Group · a 2027 budget in four sentencesIllustrative data

Sentence 1
You
What did we spend on software in July, by entity and vendor?
- Read July 2026 on Software licences in every entityget_group_transactions_browse
- Ranked the vendorsget_top_counterparties
Claude
July 2026, EUR thousands, 31.9 across the group:
Vendor Finland Oy Services Oy US Inc UK Ltd
Brightline CRM Inc 4.2 1.6 3.1 1.1
Kestrel Design Tools 2.8 0 1.4 0.6
Dunmore Backup Services 1.2 0.4 0 0
11 more vendors 6.3 2.5 4.8 1.9
Total 14.5 4.5 9.3 3.6
Sentence 2
You
Create a 2027 budget from the last twelve months of actuals.
- Read the group P&L, October 2025 to September 2026get_group_statement_actuals
- Read the budget import formatdescribe_bulk_file_import_format
Claude
I’ll create Budget 2027 by group account and fill every month from the same month of October 2025 to September 2026, each value with that reason. Go ahead?
You
Yes.
- Created Budget 2027control_api_request
- Imported twelve months for every accountsubmit_bulk_file_import
Claude
Done. Budget 2027 holds twelve months for every account: revenue €16.6m and EBITDA €3.5m, as in the last twelve months. Every value says where it came from.
Sentence 3
You
Grow subscription revenue 10% a month, but only 3% in July.
- Read subscription revenue for September 2026get_group_statement_actuals
Claude
I’ll start from September’s €60,000, grow it 10% a month and 3% in July: €87,846 in January to €234,684 in December, each value with its reason. Go ahead?
You
Yes.
- Wrote 12 values, each with its reasonset_budget_group_account_monthly_values
Claude
Done. Subscription revenue is €1.80m for 2027 instead of €0.48m. July’s value carries its reason: “June plus 3%. July is quiet, as you said.”
Sentence 4
You
We hire three people into sales in November and two into marketing in December.
- Read the cost centreslist_group_dimension_items
- Read salaries in Sales and Marketing, July to Septemberget_group_transactions_browse
Claude
Which cost centre should the three sales hires go to, Sales Nordics or Sales US? I’ll use the team’s average salary for July to September, with 25% side costs, the rate in this year’s payroll.
You
Sales Nordics. Go ahead.
- Wrote the hire costs, each with its reasonset_budget_group_account_monthly_values
Claude
Done. Three sales hires in Sales Nordics from November at €6,000 a month, and two in Marketing from December at €4,800, each with 25% side costs: €57,000 in 2027. Each value carries its reason.

Vendor	Finland Oy	Services Oy	US Inc	UK Ltd
Brightline CRM Inc	4.2	1.6	3.1	1.1
Kestrel Design Tools	2.8	0	1.4	0.6
Dunmore Backup Services	1.2	0.4	0	0
11 more vendors	6.3	2.5	4.8	1.9
Total	14.5	4.5	9.3	3.6

Claude asked one question, which cost centre, and wrote nothing before each yes.

Where it landed

A reason on every cell

Every value carries the reason it was written with. Open a cell and Control shows the reason with who wrote it, through which channel and when. The change history keeps the value it replaced.

Budget 2027Example Group · Draft · EURIllustrative data

Line	Jun 27	Jul 27	Dec 27	FY 2027
Subscription revenueAll entitiesJanuary: September 2026 actual of €60,000, grown 10% a month. Then the month before plus 10%, July plus 3%.	€141,477	€145,721	€234,684	€1,802,109
PersonnelExisting teamSame month in the last twelve months of actuals.	€330,000	€330,000	€330,000	€3,960,000
Personnel3 hires · Sales Nordics3 × €6,000 a month, plus 25% side costs, from November.	€0	€0	€22,500	€45,000
Personnel2 hires · Marketing2 × €4,800 a month, plus 25% side costs, from December.	€0	€0	€12,000	€12,000

What it adds up to

The budget as three statements

The four sentences wrote Budget 2027. The P&L, the balance sheet and the cash flow follow from it.

Versions, the lock and every line

Budget 2027Example Group · EUR thousandsIllustrative data

P&LFY 2027

Revenue: 17,882
EBITDA: 4,805
Net income: 3,556

Balance sheet31 Dec 2027Balanced

Cash: 6,187
Receivables: 2,362
Equity: 8,556

Cash flowFY 2027

Operating cash flow: 3,787
Ending cash: 6,187

Ending cash in the cash flow is the cash on the balance sheet.

To test one decision against it, such as hiring later, see Scenario planning. For the whole budget round, from this year’s variance to budget rows by entity, cost centre and vendor, see Budget season, step by step.

What changes for the modeler

Less formula work, more checking

The model is still yours. What moves is where the logic is written and where the review starts.

You state the assumption, not the formula
“10% a month, 3% in July” is the model. Claude does the arithmetic on the ledger’s own accounts.
The reason sits on the cell
A review starts from why a number is what it is, not from tracing formulas back to a tab.
Actuals arrive on every sync
Nobody pastes them in after the close, and a wrong actual is fixed once, in the books.

The logic in plain words

The model lives in a paragraph

The rules Claude followed above fit in a skill file saved in your own AI client. Anyone on the team can read it, and changing the logic means editing a sentence. A skill grants no access of its own: the client still works with your Control permissions.

Reusable instructions in the product docs

Skill · Budget from actualsSaved in your AI clientExample

# Budget from actuals
Use this when someone asks for next year’s budget.

Base: each month from the same month of the last twelve months of actuals, by group account.
Growth: when the user names a growth rate, start from the last closed month and say so in the reason.
Hires: salary at the team’s average for the last three months, side costs at this year’s payroll rate. If more than one cost centre fits, ask which.
Every value gets its reason. Write to a draft, a forecast or a scenario, never to a locked version.

Questions

What modelers ask about planning with an AI client

Ask us about your model

Does Claude do the arithmetic, or Control?

Claude does the arithmetic on figures it reads from Control. Control stores each value with its reason and checks every write: a value without a reason, or a write to a locked version, is refused.

What if an assumption was wrong?

Read the reason on the cell: it says what was assumed. Correct the sentence and Claude rewrites those values, again only after you approve.

Do we have to give up our spreadsheet models?

No. With the Excel financial model skill, your AI client builds or refreshes a workbook from Control’s actuals and budget values, with the source sheets kept apart from your assumptions. Scheduled Excel and Google Sheets outputs are part of the Enterprise plan.

Does it work with ChatGPT or Codex too?

Yes. Claude, ChatGPT and Codex connect over MCP, and other MCP clients can connect the same way.

Bring last year’s actuals and three assumptions

In 30 minutes we run the four sentences on a sample group, then show how the same session would read your ledgers.

Book a modeling walkthrough Start for free

The app works best on a desktop browser.

Budgets, forecasts and MCP access are in every plan, from €249 a month. See pricing.