Virtual CFO
MIS
Dashboards
KPIs
Decision-ready finance
Monthly MIS Dashboard for SMEs: 12 KPIs a CFO Tracks (with Action Triggers)
Most businesses don’t suffer from a lack of data — they suffer from too much noise. A CFO MIS dashboard is a curated set of KPIs that answer: “Are we profitable, liquid, and in control?”
Tip: A “good MIS” is not a report — it’s a monthly leadership conversation with owners and actions.
CFO reality
Profit is opinion until cash and controls confirm it.
Best MIS cadence
7 days after month-end
Beyond that, decisions are already outdated.
Most ignored KPI
Cash conversion
Margin is useless if receivables don’t come in.
CFO focus
Predictability
Forecasts + exception alerts beat long PDFs.
What makes an MIS “useful” (not just pretty)
- Small: 8–15 KPIs max
- Action triggers: each KPI has a “what to do if it goes wrong”
- Variance notes: why this month changed vs last month / budget
- Owners: each action has a responsible person and due date
- Evidence: numbers trace back to books/bank/invoices
CFO checklist before sharing MIS
- Bank reconciliation done (all accounts)
- GST reconciliation status known (2B / ITC)
- Cut-off discipline (unbilled revenue, missing vendor bills) handled
- Top 20 debtors and payables reviewed
The 12 CFO KPIs (with triggers)
Use this table as your MIS blueprint. Customize thresholds by industry.
| KPI | Why it matters | Typical trigger | Action (CFO play) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue vs Budget | Shows demand reality; sets cash expectations. | Below plan for 2 months | Re-forecast cash, cut discretionary costs, tighten collections. |
| Gross Margin % | Detects price/COGS issues early. | Drop > 2–3% vs avg | Identify leakage: discounts, rejects, freight, procurement rates. |
| Net Cash Flow | Truth: can you survive and invest? | Negative 2+ months | 13-week cash plan, payment prioritization, working capital push. |
| Receivables (DSO) | Controls cash conversion. | DSO rising / top debtors overdue | Owner-wise follow-ups, credit policy, dispute closure, stop supplies. |
| Payables (DPO) | Cash cushion; vendor relationship risk. | DPO spikes / vendors blocked | Negotiate terms, schedule payments, protect critical vendors. |
| Inventory Days | Cash locked in stock; slow movers kill margin. | Stock ageing worsens | Slow mover liquidation plan, reorder discipline, purchase controls. |
| Operating Expenses % | Expense creep is silent. | Over budget by > 5–10% | Expense policy + approvals + vendor renegotiations. |
| Customer Concentration | Risk if 1–2 customers dominate. | Top 1 > 25–30% | Diversify pipeline, tighten credit, contract safeguards. |
| Cash Buffer (Days) | How many days you can operate without collections. | < 15–30 days | Reduce burn, accelerate collections, control payments, arrange limits. |
| Compliance Status | Avoid penalties and operational stress. | Overdue filings | Compliance calendar + owners + evidence vault. |
| Exception Payments | Duplicate/unapproved payments are direct leakage. | No maker-checker / missing proofs | Approval matrix + payment checklist + vendor master controls. |
| Forecast Accuracy | Predictability improves planning & negotiations. | Forecast misses repeatedly | Improve pipeline inputs, payment commitments, and update cadence weekly. |
These are common CFO KPIs. Your business may need industry-specific metrics (yield, rejection %, project margins, etc.).
Interactive MIS Dashboard Builder
Choose your business type and priorities. We’ll generate a KPI set + show sample charts.
Business Type
Top Priority
Report cadence
Most SMEs benefit from monthly MIS + weekly cash review.
Want this implemented?
We set up MIS, controls, and cashflow reviews as part of Virtual CFO + automation engagements.
Dashboard type
—
KPIs selected
—
Focus area
—
Recommended KPI set (editable)
Sample Trend: Revenue vs Margin
Illustrative demo to show how charts should look.
Sample Working Capital Pressure
Receivables + payables pressure index (demo).
A dashboard is only useful if it changes behavior.
If you want, we can convert your finance data into a repeatable MIS system: 7-day close, clean KPIs, action notes, and a monthly leadership rhythm.