Before You Start

This guide assumes you have an Asana account with project creation permissions. Familiarity with basic Asana features is helpful but not required.

Overview

30 min
Setup Time
Basic
Difficulty
Monthly
Maintenance

What You’ll Learn

  • How to create a recurring month-end close project template
  • Structuring tasks for clarity and accountability
  • Assigning roles and setting due dates
  • Leveraging custom fields for tracking progress

1. Preparation Steps

To get the most out of Asana for your close, consider these foundational elements:

Key Asana Features for Close

  • Projects (for your overall close)
  • Sections (for close phases)
  • Tasks & Subtasks (for individual items)
  • Assignees & Due Dates (for accountability)

Advanced (for enhanced tracking)

  • Custom Fields (e.g., Status, QBO Account)
  • Rules (for automation)
  • Templates (for recurring projects)

2. Choosing Your Workflow Structure

You have two main approaches, each with its benefits.

Method A: Single Recurring Project

This method involves using one project where tasks are periodically duplicated.

Pros:
  • Simple setup for smaller teams.
  • Easy to manage one central list.
  • Tasks are automatically duplicated for next month.
Cons:
  • Can get long and unwieldy over time.
  • Less structured for complex close processes.
  • Historical context might be harder to track.

Method B: Template with Monthly Projects

This approach uses a master template to create a fresh project for each close cycle.

Expert Tip: We strongly recommend using a template to create a new project each month. This provides a clean slate, better historical tracking, and robust reporting.

Pros:
  • Clean slate for each month’s close.
  • Excellent for historical tracking and auditing.
  • Better reporting capabilities per close cycle.
  • Supports dynamic team growth and role changes.
Cons:
  • Requires creating a new project monthly (can be automated with rules).
  • Slightly more initial setup for the template.

3. Step-by-Step: Building Your Asana Close Project

Here is a high-level overview of the workflow.

Here is a sample data structure for how a close project might be represented:

{
  "project_name": "Month-End Close - October 2025",
  "tasks": [
    { "name": "Reconcile Bank Accounts", "assignee": "Jane Doe", "due_date": "2025-11-03", "status": "In Progress" },
    { "name": "Review Accruals", "assignee": "John Smith", "due_date": "2025-11-05", "status": "Not Started" }
  ]
}

4. Setting Up Your Asana Close Template

  1. 1

    Create a New Project from Template

    Start by creating a new project in Asana. Use a blank project or leverage an existing template if available (e.g., “Accounting Close”). Once configured, you can save it as a custom template.

  2. 2

    Define Sections (Phases)

    Break down your month-end close into logical phases using Asana sections, such as ‘Pre-Close’, ‘Balance Sheet Reconciliations’, ‘P&L Review & Adjustments’, and ‘Reporting & Final Review’.

  3. 3

    Add Core Tasks & Subtasks

    Populate each section with all recurring month-end close tasks. Use subtasks for detailed steps within a main task (e.g., ‘Bank Rec’ as a task, with ‘Download statement’, ‘Match transactions’, ‘Clear outstanding’ as subtasks).

  4. 4

    Assign Owners & Due Dates

    Assign each task to the responsible team member. Set relative due dates (e.g., ‘Day 3 of Close’, ‘2 business days after month-end’) to ensure your template is flexible for any month.

Common Error: Overlooking Dependencies

Ensure tasks with dependencies are clearly marked or structured in a way that prevents starting a task before its prerequisite is complete. Asana’s dependency feature can help streamline the workflow.

5. Testing Your Setup

Template Validation Checklist

  • Created a test project from your template
  • All key tasks are present and correctly worded
  • Assignments are logical and accurate
  • Due dates are set relative to the close cycle
  • Custom fields are populating correctly (if used)

Need Help?

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Having trouble setting up your Asana close workflow? Our team can help optimize your task management process.

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