Accounting maturity:
the 20 areas of your business
Financial accounting isn't one big 'have it or not'. We break it into 20 zones — areas — and grade each on a scale from 0 'Chaos' to 5 'Growth'. The result is an honest map: what already works, where the holes are, and what to fix first.
An answer with a number — level 2+. 'Roughly…' — level 1. A pause — level 0. We have twenty such questions, one per area.
The scale: six steps
One ladder for any accounting zone — from the cash desk to dividends. The level answers the question 'what the business can do', not 'what software is installed'.
The ladder rule: a level is secured, then the next one is built. 'Analysis' on unreliable data is self-deception, so we don't skip steps.
20 areas — and a test question for each
Each area is checked with one question to the owner. Try answering as you read — that is the express diagnostic.
Not everything is for everyone. The core is 12 areas for any business; the rest switch on by type (warehouse for trade, projects for agencies). Extra ones are honestly marked N/A and don't clutter the reports.
What one area looks like from inside
Every area has all six levels spelled out — in the owner's language, without accounting jargon. Here's area no. 1, 'Money':
| 0 · Chaos | Balances unknown. How much money is actually available is a question with no answer |
| 1 · Fact | Balances are checked against the bank and memory. Statements are posted partially |
| 2 · Control | All accounts and cash desks posted, balances match the bank. A cash flow statement every month |
| 3 · Analysis | You see where money comes from and where it goes: line items, periods, seasonality |
| 4 · Management | A payment calendar is maintained, gaps are visible in advance. Money by legal entity and project |
| 5 · Growth | A 3–6 month cash forecast, funds, scenarios. Liquidity decisions are made in advance |
The grade is based on data, not words: 'we have it all in Excel' becomes a level only after the file is opened and the numbers add up.
The scorecard: your maturity profile
The audit result isn't 'a 6/10 for who knows what' but a profile by area. At every month-end meeting you see the movement: was → is.
Example profile (a service company, third month of work)
The target profile is uneven — and that's correct. The project goal isn't 'straight fives': the typical task is the core at 2–3, a couple of key areas at 4, the rest later or N/A. The profile is fixed at the start and becomes an annex to the contract — you always know what you're paying for.
One language — from the audit to the plan
The area level, the implementation phase, and the subscription package share the same names. The phrase 'the Cash area is at Control' means the same thing in the audit, in the contract, and in the quarterly review.
| Area level | Who builds it | Who holds and grows it |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 · Fact and Control | Implementation — 3 months | The Control subscription: the month closes on time, the reports can be trusted |
| 3 · Analysis | Subscription modules with a fixed timeline | The Management subscription: you see not just 'what' but 'why' |
| 4–5 · Management and Growth | The Planning subscription: plan vs. actual, budgets, scenarios — the CFO function |
Mini diagnostic: 6 questions, 2 minutes
One question from each of the six groups. Answer honestly — nobody sees the numbers, the page sends nothing.
- It doesn't assign levels 'by word of mouth' — every grade is confirmed by opened data and numbers that add up.
- It doesn't grow faster than the business — a level is secured by at least one closed month, and we don't sell skipping steps.
- It doesn't demand 'everything at 5' — higher doesn't mean more necessary: the target profile is built around your tasks, not a pretty picture.
Find out your profile — free
A light diagnostic across 20 control questions takes one meeting. You get a scorecard of your current state and a clear view of what to fix first — before any contract.