Collaboration & Review Mode
Working with your team while maintaining model integrity
Reading time: ~6 minutes
1. Collaboration Overview
Purpose of Collaboration
Financial models are rarely built in isolation. They require input from multiple stakeholders, review from managers and executives, and approval before being used for decisions. FinanceModel provides collaboration features designed to support these workflows.
Review-First Approach
Collaboration in FinanceModel prioritizes review and oversight over simultaneous editing. This approach ensures that changes are intentional, traceable, and can be properly reviewed before affecting shared work.
Integrity-Preserving Design
The platform is designed to prevent accidental changes, conflicting edits, and loss of work. Clear separation between editing and reviewing roles helps maintain model integrity throughout the collaboration process.
Who Collaboration Is For
- Analysts building and refining models
- Managers reviewing and approving work
- Executives making decisions based on outputs
- Auditors verifying process and accuracy
2. Review Mode
What Review Mode Is
Review Mode provides a read-only view of a model. Reviewers can examine inputs, outputs, scenarios, and calculations without the ability to make changes. This ensures that review does not accidentally alter the model being evaluated.
Read-Only Behavior
In Review Mode, all editing controls are disabled. You can navigate the model, view all data, and explore outputs, but you cannot modify inputs, change assumptions, or alter any aspect of the model. This protects the integrity of the work being reviewed.
When to Use Review Mode
- Before approving a model for use in decisions
- During quality assurance checks
- When sharing with stakeholders who should see but not edit
- For audit and compliance review
- When presenting results to executives
Why Review Mode Matters
Without a clear separation between editing and reviewing, there is risk that reviewers inadvertently change the model they are evaluating. Review Mode eliminates this risk and provides confidence that the model being reviewed is the same model that will be used.
3. Comments & Discussion
Comments allow reviewers and collaborators to provide feedback, ask questions, and discuss the model without modifying it directly.
Where Comments Can Be Added
- Model level — General comments about the overall model
- Sheet or section level — Comments on specific parts of the model
- Cell or input level — Targeted feedback on specific values or assumptions
- Decision points — Comments related to specific conclusions or recommendations
Threaded Discussions
Comments support threaded replies, allowing back-and-forth discussion on specific topics. This keeps conversations organized and makes it easy to follow the history of a discussion.
Attribution and Timestamps
Every comment is attributed to the user who made it and includes a timestamp. This creates a clear record of who said what and when, supporting accountability and traceability in the review process.
4. Change Visibility
Understanding what has changed is essential for effective review. FinanceModel provides visibility into model changes to support review workflows.
How Reviewers See What Changed
Reviewers can see a summary of changes made since a previous point in time. This helps focus review attention on what is new or different, rather than requiring a complete review of the entire model every time.
Change Summaries
Change summaries provide a high-level view of modifications, including what inputs changed, which scenarios were updated, and what outputs were affected. This context helps reviewers understand the scope and significance of changes.
Using Change Visibility Effectively
- Review change summaries before diving into detail
- Focus on changes to key assumptions and drivers
- Verify that expected changes were made and unexpected changes were not
- Use timestamps to understand the sequence of changes
5. Roles & Responsibilities
Clear roles help teams collaborate effectively while maintaining accountability.
Model Owners
Model owners have full access to create, edit, and manage models. They are responsible for the accuracy and quality of the model, managing access for others, and ensuring the model is ready for review and use.
Reviewers
Reviewers have read-only access to models shared with them. They can examine the model, add comments, and participate in discussions, but cannot make changes. Their role is to provide feedback and approval.
Accountability Remains with Users
Collaboration tools support teamwork, but they do not transfer responsibility. Model owners remain accountable for the quality and accuracy of their models. Reviewers are responsible for providing thoughtful, timely feedback. The platform facilitates collaboration but does not guarantee outcomes.
Best Practices for Collaboration
- Establish clear ownership for each model
- Define review workflows before starting
- Use comments to document questions and decisions
- Review change summaries before approving
- Communicate deadlines and expectations clearly
6. Limitations
Understanding collaboration limitations helps set appropriate expectations.
Current Limitations
- No real-time co-editing — Multiple users cannot edit the same model simultaneously. One user edits at a time to prevent conflicts.
- No automatic approvals — Approvals require explicit user action. The platform does not automatically approve or advance workflows.
- No merge workflows — There is no mechanism to merge changes from different users or branches. Coordination happens through communication and process.
Why These Limitations Exist
Financial models are precision instruments where small changes can have significant consequences. The current collaboration design prioritizes data integrity and clear accountability over simultaneous editing. This approach ensures that changes are intentional and traceable.
Working Within Limitations
- Coordinate editing schedules with your team
- Use comments to communicate changes needed
- Establish clear handoff processes between editors and reviewers
- Document decisions and rationale in comments