Consolidate a group

Prepare mapped, translated, and eliminated financial data for multi-entity group reporting.

Consolidate a group

Use consolidation to combine financial data from multiple entities into a consistent group view. Control applies your group structure, local-to-group mappings, currency configuration, eliminations, and manual adjustments before presenting consolidated results.

Workflow overview

Create and connect entities
  → define the group structure
  → map local accounts and dimensions
  → configure currencies
  → configure eliminations and adjustments
  → review consolidated statements

Before you begin

• Create every entity that should participate in the group view.
• Connect or upload financial data for each entity.
• Wait for the initial syncs or file submissions to complete successfully.
• Confirm each entity’s functional currency.

For an explanation of the upstream and downstream stages, see How financial data flows through Control.

1. Define the group structure

The group structure creates a common reporting model across entities.

Start with the group chart of accounts. It should contain the group accounts required by your P&L, balance sheet, cash flow statement, and management reporting. You can generate an initial structure from entity accounts and then refine it.

Create group dimensions for analysis attributes that should be consistent across entities, such as department, project, region, or cost center.

Checkpoint: Every account and dimension required by the intended group reports has a destination in the group structure.

2. Map entity data to the group structure

Map each local account to the group account that represents the same financial activity. When entities use different account names or codes, the mapping provides the shared meaning used in group reporting.

Map local dimension values to the corresponding group dimension values. Prioritize values with recent activity or a high transaction count, then review the remaining unmapped values.

AI-assisted suggestions can speed up mapping, but you remain responsible for reviewing the proposed target and account type before accepting it.

Accounting behavior: An incorrect account type or target account can affect statement placement, currency treatment, and consolidated totals. Review mappings when a source chart of accounts changes.

Checkpoint: The mapping views show no unexplained unmapped accounts or material dimension values for the reporting period.

3. Configure currency translation

Select the group currency used to present consolidated results. Control translates entity values from their functional currencies using the configured consolidation-rate treatment.

Review the rate treatment for each account type. Add a consolidation rate exception when a specific entity account requires a different treatment from the applicable default.

Accounting behavior: A rate exception changes translation for its configured scope. Document why the exception exists and verify its effective account and entity before relying on the group result.

Checkpoint: Every entity currency and reporting period required by the group view has applicable rate data, and any exceptions have been reviewed.

4. Configure eliminations and adjustments

Eliminations remove qualifying intragroup activity from the consolidated view.

Use an automated elimination rule for recurring activity that can be identified consistently. Configure its entities, accounts, and effective dates, then review the proposed or resulting entries.

Use a manual elimination entry for a one-time consolidation adjustment, correction, or reclassification. Manual entries affect consolidated statements rather than changing the source entity’s accounting data.

Accounting behavior: Eliminations should remove the group-level effect of intragroup activity without removing external activity posted to the same scope. Review both sides of the activity and any resulting currency difference.

Checkpoint: The elimination result is supported by the relevant entity activity, effective for the intended period, and balanced or otherwise explained.

5. Review consolidated statements

Open the relevant statement actuals and select the group scope and reporting period. Review the consolidated total alongside entity-level values where appropriate.

Validate at least:

• material entity balances are present;
• mapped accounts appear in the intended statement rows;
• translated values use the expected currency treatment;
• eliminations and manual entries affect only the intended group scope and period;
• drill-down values support the displayed totals.

Verify the completed workflow

Do not treat a successful sync or saved rule as sufficient evidence of financial correctness. Reconcile the consolidated result in stages:

1. Compare entity-level values with their source systems.
2. Confirm the local-to-group mappings for material balances.
3. Review translation rates and exceptions for foreign-currency entities.
4. Review elimination and manual-entry effects separately.
5. Confirm the final statement structure and group total.

Common exceptions

Situation	What to review
A new local account appears	Map it before relying on the consolidated statement.
An entity changes its chart of accounts	Review existing mappings and any rules that reference affected accounts.
A rate exception is added	Confirm its entity, account, account type, and effective reporting period.
An elimination does not balance	Compare both sides of the intragroup activity and review currency translation.
A total differs from the source entities’ sum	Isolate currency, elimination, manual-entry, and statement-formula effects.

Next steps

If you want to…	Continue to…
Investigate an unexpected total	Follow the checks in How financial data flows through Control.
Share prepared financial data	Configure a data output after verifying the consolidated statement.