xpnAi ·
Perform flux analysis with transaction-level callouts
Explain period-on-period account movements with xpnAi, linking the largest variances to specific transactions and unresolved questions.
Use case
You are reviewing the month-end P&L and need to explain why balances moved, with transaction evidence that a reviewer can follow.
Introduction
Flux analysis compares two periods and explains the change. A useful explanation separates the measured movement from the business reason: a large bill can explain the arithmetic without proving why the spending occurred.
Choose the periods, accounts, currency and materiality threshold first. Then ask the assistant to connect each callout to specific ledger lines and source documents. xpnAi supports transaction queries and source links; source descriptions alone should not be treated as confirmed explanations.
Prompts
1. Identify material movements
Using xpnAi, compare August 2026 with July 2026 for
[organisation]'s P&L accounts in its base currency.
Confirm the Workspace, refresh time and account population first.
Show each account's July amount, August amount, absolute change
and percentage change. Flag movements above 5,000 in base currency
or 15%. If July is zero, show percentage change as not meaningful.
State your debit/credit and favourable/unfavourable conventions.
Use complete period summaries rather than one page of ledger lines.2. Explain the transactions behind each variance
For each flagged movement, inspect both periods and identify
the specific transactions contributing most to the change.
Include organisation, date, account, reference, journal or source
identifier, description, amount and an available Xero link.
Consider new charges, missing prior-month charges, reversals
and reclassifications. Do not double-count a document and its GL line.
Reconcile identified drivers plus the residual to the account movement.
Separate evidence-backed facts from possible explanations.3. Write review-ready callouts
Write a concise management callout for each material movement.
Include the total variance, the two or three largest transaction
drivers with references, and any unexplained remainder.
List questions for the account owner where the business reason
is not evidenced. Do not invent answers or claim a variance is
fully explained when material residuals remain.Output
Expect a variance table followed by callouts with transaction references. Each explanation should reconcile to the movement and distinguish confirmed facts from questions still needing an answer.
Add the finished commentary to your finance dashboard, or use it as the starting point for the monthly review.