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Building close task templates

The 10 task types

Every template is assigned one of 10 types. The type determines how Arvexi schedules the task, tracks completion, and handles dependencies.

  • BASIC: a single one-off task. Mark it complete manually. Suitable for ad-hoc items like sending an email to the auditor or confirming a bank statement balance.
  • PARENT: a container that groups child tasks underneath it. A parent task completes automatically when every child is done. It cannot be completed manually.
  • RECURRING: repeats on a configurable frequency (monthly, quarterly, annually). Arvexi generates a new instance for each applicable period.
  • APPROVAL: requires a designated approver to sign off. The assignee submits work, then the approver either accepts or rejects with comments.
  • RECONCILIATION: linked to a specific reconciliation format. Completing the reconciliation in the reconciliation module automatically marks this task complete.
  • JOURNAL_ENTRY: linked to journal entry posting. The task completes when the associated journal entry is posted and approved in the GL.
  • REVIEW: a review checkpoint assigned to a reviewer (typically a manager or controller). The reviewer signs off on a set of completed tasks or reconciliations.
  • DATA_IMPORT: linked to a scheduled or manual data import. Completes when the import finishes without critical errors.
  • CERTIFICATION: triggers the entity certification workflow. The task completes only when the entity reaches a CERTIFIED status.
  • CORTEX_SWEEP: triggers an Arvexi Cortex investigation sweep across assigned accounts. The task completes when Cortex finishes its analysis and all flagged items are resolved.

Creating a template

Navigate to Close > Templates and click New Template. Every template requires a name, type, and at least one assignable role. Optional fields control scheduling, dependencies, and auto-completion behavior.

Required fields

  • Name: a concise label that appears in the close checklist (e.g., “Reconcile Cash: Operating Account”).
  • Type: one of the 10 types listed above.
  • Assignable Role: the role or roles eligible to own this task (Staff Accountant, Senior Accountant, Controller, etc.). The specific user is assigned when the template is deployed to a period.

Optional fields

  • Description: instructions, links, or context for the assignee. Supports Markdown formatting.
  • Entity scope: which entities this template applies to. Leave blank for all entities, or restrict to specific legal entities or entity groups.
  • Priority: LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH, or CRITICAL. Controls sort order in the close checklist and triggers escalation alerts for CRITICAL items.
  • Tags: free-form labels for filtering and reporting (e.g., “balance-sheet”, “intercompany”, “tax”).

Frequency settings

Frequency determines which period types generate an instance of this task. Five options are available:

  1. EVERY_PERIOD: generates the task for every close period (monthly, quarterly, and year-end).
  2. MONTHLY: generates the task only for monthly close periods. Skipped during quarter-end and year-end periods that already have their own dedicated tasks.
  3. QUARTERLY: generates the task for Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4 periods only.
  4. SEMI_ANNUAL: generates for the mid-year and year-end periods only.
  5. ANNUAL: generates only during the year-end close.

The most common pattern: monthly reconciliation tasks use EVERY_PERIOD, disclosure preparation tasks use QUARTERLY, and audit deliverable tasks use ANNUAL.

Day offsets

Day offsets control the due date and start date of each task relative to the period end date. Offsets are expressed as business days after period end.

  • Start offset: the business day (after period end) when the task becomes actionable. An offset of 1 means the task opens on the first business day after the period closes.
  • Due offset: the business day by which the task must be completed. An offset of 3 means three business days after period end.

Example: a bank reconciliation task with start offset 1 and due offset 3 becomes available on business day 1 and is due by end of business day 3. Arvexi automatically skips weekends and company-defined holidays when calculating dates.

Offsets cascade through dependencies. If Task B depends on Task A (due on day 2), Task B's start offset is calculated from the later of its own start offset or Task A's due date. This prevents tasks from opening before their predecessors are expected to finish.

Dependencies

Dependencies enforce sequencing. A task cannot start until its predecessors are complete. Two dependency types are supported:

  • Finish-to-Start (F2S): the default. Task B cannot begin until Task A is marked complete. Use for sequential workflows: import data, then reconcile, then review.
  • Finish-to-Finish (F2F): Task B cannot be completed until Task A is complete, but both can be worked on in parallel. Use when two tasks are independent but must finish together before a downstream review.

Circular dependencies are blocked at creation time. If you attempt to create a dependency chain that loops (A depends on B depends on C depends on A), the template editor surfaces an error and highlights the cycle.

Building a dependency chain

In the template editor, click the Dependencies tab and use the dropdown to select predecessor templates. Each dependency shows the type (F2S or F2F) and the predecessor's day offset for quick reference.

A typical month-end chain looks like this:

  1. Data Import (DATA_IMPORT, day 1)
  2. Bank Reconciliation (RECONCILIATION, day 1-3, F2S on #1)
  3. Intercompany Reconciliation (RECONCILIATION, day 2-4, F2S on #1)
  4. Journal Entries (JOURNAL_ENTRY, day 3-4, F2S on #2 and #3)
  5. Manager Review (REVIEW, day 4-5, F2S on #4)
  6. Controller Certification (CERTIFICATION, day 5, F2S on #5)

Parent-child hierarchy

PARENT tasks group related child tasks into collapsible sections in the close checklist. A parent task has no assignee and no work of its own. It exists purely for organization and progress tracking.

  • Progress roll-up: the parent shows a completion percentage based on how many children are done. 5 of 8 children complete displays as 62%.
  • Auto-completion: when the last child task is marked complete, the parent task completes automatically. No manual action required.
  • Nesting depth: parents can be nested up to three levels deep. A common pattern: a top-level “Balance Sheet Close” parent contains sub-parents for “Cash”, “Receivables”, and “Payables”, each with their own child tasks.

To assign a template as a child, open the child template and set the Parent Template field. Child templates inherit the parent's entity scope unless overridden.

Auto-completion rules

Certain task types complete automatically based on external events rather than manual check-off:

  • RECONCILIATION: completes when the linked reconciliation reaches a “Reconciled” status with zero unexplained variance.
  • JOURNAL_ENTRY: completes when the journal entry is posted and all required approvals are captured.
  • DATA_IMPORT: completes when the import job finishes with a status of SUCCESS. A PARTIAL_SUCCESS status requires manual review.
  • CORTEX_SWEEP: completes when the Cortex sweep finishes and no findings have a RED confidence score. Amber findings allow completion with a warning.
  • PARENT: completes when all children are complete, as described above.

All other task types (BASIC, APPROVAL, REVIEW, CERTIFICATION) require explicit human action to complete.

Deploying templates to a period

Templates are blueprints. They become live tasks when you open a new close period. During period opening, Arvexi evaluates every active template:

  1. Frequency filter: does this template apply to this period type? A QUARTERLY template is skipped for a monthly period.
  2. Entity filter: does this template apply to the entities included in this period? Entity-scoped templates generate one task per matching entity.
  3. Task generation: for each matching template-entity pair, a task instance is created with the correct due date (period end date + day offset), assignee (from the role mapping), and dependency links.
  4. Dependency wiring: dependency relationships from templates are translated to the generated task instances. If Template B depends on Template A, the generated Task B depends on the generated Task A within the same entity and period.

After deployment, tasks are independent of their templates. Editing a template does not retroactively change tasks already generated for open periods. Template changes take effect the next time a period is opened.

Best practices

  • Name tasks by outcome, not action. “Cash reconciled and reviewed” is clearer than “Do cash rec”.
  • Keep day offsets tight: a 10-day close should not have tasks due on day 15. Use dependencies to enforce sequencing rather than padding offsets.
  • Use PARENT tasks for reporting: group tasks by balance sheet section or process area so leadership can see progress at a glance without expanding every item.
  • Test with a dry run: before your first live close, open a test period and verify that every template generates correctly. Check assignees, due dates, and dependency chains.
  • Version control: when making significant changes to templates mid-year, document the reason. Arvexi logs all template edits with timestamps and the user who made the change.

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