AI Accelerated Financial Analysis—Turning P&Ls Into Projections
From Excel Heavy-Lifting to AI-Powered Insights—How AI Made Financial Modeling Faster
Introduction
Financial analysis for a multi-location hospitality group isn’t just about reviewing numbers. It’s about understanding trends, comparing performance over time, and making strategic projections that drive future business decisions.
This finance consultant needed to:
- Analyze three years of P&Ls to calculate average cost-to-revenue ratios.
- Compare those averages to pre-COVID benchmarks (2019) to assess recovery.
- Build three-year financial projections based on historical data to support a business plan.
Traditionally, this kind of analysis lives in Excel, requiring manual calculations, data extraction, and trend evaluation. Instead, AI stepped in—handling the calculations faster, cleaner, and with less manual effort.
The Challenge
Financial modeling requires precise calculations, trend recognition, and structured forecasting. This process often comes with:
- Time-consuming data entry and formula setup in Excel.
- Manual comparisons across multiple years to detect trends.
- Building projection models that align with historical averages while accounting for future growth scenarios.
The consultant needed a way to speed up this process without sacrificing accuracy.
The Turning Point
Instead of manually structuring formulas and running calculations in Excel, AI handled the entire analytical workflow:
- Pulled cost-to-revenue ratios for each year, finding the average.
- Compared post-pandemic financials against 2019 to measure recovery.
- Created three-year forward-looking projections based on past performance.
What typically required multiple Excel sessions and iterative modeling was now streamlined through AI-driven financial analysis—producing clear, structured insights in a fraction of the time.
The AI Solution
AI provided:
- Instant calculations—eliminating the need for manual formula entry.
- Automated trend analysis—surfacing key shifts in cost and revenue performance.
- Data-driven projections—ensuring forecasts were rooted in historical reality.
The manual spreadsheet work was cut down significantly, making it easier to focus on insights rather than raw calculations.
Remarkable Progress
- 4 Hours Saved—compared to running the same analysis manually in Excel.
- Cleaner, faster projections—AI structured historical data into forward-looking insights without errors.
- More time for strategy—Instead of getting lost in formulas, the consultant focused on business plan recommendations.
“AI didn’t just help with calculations—it streamlined the entire process, making projections easier, faster, and more strategic.”
A Defining Moment
The real shift happened when AI produced the full cost/revenue trend breakdown in minutes—something that would have taken significantly longer in Excel.
“This would have been done on Excel, but it was much faster and easier with Chat.”
Impact and Inspiration
This wasn’t just about saving time—it redefined the workflow:
- AI as a financial analysis assistant—handling calculations while allowing the consultant to focus on decision-making.
- Faster turnaround for business planning—what once took hours now took minutes, making financial modeling far more efficient.
- Repeatable process for future clients—this AI-driven approach can now be applied to other hospitality businesses and financial consulting projects.
Protagonist’s Own Words
“AI didn’t just help with calculations—it streamlined the entire process, making projections easier, faster, and more strategic.”
Conclusion
Financial analysis doesn’t have to be Excel-dependent. AI is changing the game by handling calculations, detecting trends, and producing structured projections in a fraction of the time. For finance professionals, AI is a strategic asset—not just a number-crunching tool.
Call to Action
Want to speed up financial modeling and trend analysis? Learn how Simpleacademy.ai can help you use AI to automate P&L insights, forecast revenue with confidence, and build smarter business plans—without the spreadsheet headaches.
