AC-GL-RT7 Cash Flow Forecast (budget-based)

Applies to

• Product version: Velixo NX
• ERP: Acumatica
• Functional area: Financials, Budgeting, Other
• Plan: Free, Essentials, Professional, Advanced
• Template type: Production Report template

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Applies to
• Description
• Coverage
• Typical audience
• Features
• Preview
• Download this template
• Documentation
  • Filters
  • Cash Flow structure
• User Guide
  • Using the report
  • Understanding the Report Formula
• Customizing the template
  • Reviewing the Options sheet
  • Managing Account Structures
• Version history

Description

The AC-GL-RT7 Cash Flow Forecast (budget-based) is a Velixo financial tool that can project or estimate the future inflows and outflows of cash for a company over a specific period. This report provides valuable insights into a company's liquidity position, enabling stakeholders to anticipate cash shortages or surpluses and make informed financial decisions.

Coverage

This workbook includes the following sample reports:

• Cash Flow Forecast: The Cash Flow Forecast Report comprises pre-defined account classes, assigned to various sections for a comprehensive financial overview.
• Options (hidden): the template’s settings sheet that is used for data validation lists and various lookups and configurations.
• Information (hidden): the information sheet of the report, used for storing useful details about the report such as code, version, and the article link to keep track of the origin of the report.

Typical audience

The typical users of this type of report are Finance professionals: Accountants, CFOs, Controllers 

Features

The following features are used by this report. To use this report, please ensure that your Velixo license includes all of them, (or contact Support or Sales):

• Financial functions
• List functions

Preview

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Documentation

Navigating and utilizing the AC-GL-RT7 Cash Flow Forecast (budget-based) is a very straightforward process, designed for simplicity, genericity and efficiency. The template comes pre-configured with generic account classes streamlining the reporting process with minimal user effort.

Filters

Located in the upper left of the sheet, the filters include:

• Branch: lists all the Branches present in Acumatica Instance including any custom group defined in the options sheet. For ease of use, Velixo shows you the Branch ID that you may be familiar with along with the Branch name. This Display name is configurable in the Options sheet.
• As of (Period): a date field. Please use the last date of a financial period/month
• Ledger: the ledger to pull the balances from 
• Include unposted transaction: an option for user to include unposted transactions

Cash Flow structure

Sections: Velixo has thoughtfully structured the Cash Flow Forecast report using multiple common sections that should be generic, by default. The following sections are used by default:

• Cash Flows Operating Activities
• Cash Flows from Investing Activities
• Cash Flows from Financing Activities
• Cash - Beginning of Period
• Cash - End of Period

Generic Account Classes: To enhance the report's usability, Velixo has incorporated a set of predefined account classes. Users have the flexibility to either utilize them as is or tailor them to align with their specific reporting needs.

Metrics: The report includes the following metrics :

• YTD (Actuals) vs Full Year (Actuals + Budget) vs Full Year Forecast
  • Col F: the turnover from the beginning of the period up to the date specified in the "As of" filter
  • Col G: the total of the Actual and Budget balance from Col K to V
  • Col H: the budget turnover balance for the full year
• Variance (YTD Actuals vs Full Year (Actuals + Budget)) 
  • Variance $: the amount difference between the YTD Actuals and the Full Year Actual + Budget totals
• Monthly Movement (Actuals or Budget)
  • Col K to V: the turnover for the period and can be the Actuals or Budget based on the date specified on the "As of" filter.

User Guide

Using the report

Now that we've covered the report overview, let's dive into a step-by-step guide on effectively utilizing the report.

• Set the Connection Name on the Options Sheet - crucial for all processes, set the Connection Name on the Options sheet by updating cell A2. Ensure it matches the name used during Velixo application login.

• Update the Options Sheet: As the foundation for filters on the Cash Flow Forecast tab, keep the Options sheet up to date. It should always and automatically capture the latest dimensions and structures from your Acumatica instance; however, you can also customize it. 

• Choose Desired Filters - After updating the Options sheet, select desired filters for the report:
  • Branch
  • As of (MM-YYYY format)
  • Ledger
  • Include unposted transactions

• Automatic Report Update - Selecting any filter will automatically update report balances. Begin analyzing the report with the latest data.

Understanding the Report Formula

Velixo created the template using a combination of Excel functions and Velixo functions for Cash Flow Forecast report. The report incorporates two primary formulas on the Cash Flow Forecast tab:

• Account Class Validation
  1. In Column A, a validation formula was used to verify if the account class in Column B exists in Acumatica
  2. Invalid values (not in Acumatica) return as blank
  3. Ensure continuous use of this formula for any class additions or name changes; a correctly populated formula ensures accurate transaction amounts.

• Transaction Amount formula
  1. Used in all the transaction columns, this formula’s primary objective is to extract balances for the account classes from Acumatica
  2. Velixo function, specifically ACCOUNTTURNOVER, power these columns
  3. To facilitate flawless execution of Velixo functions, an IF statement is strategically placed. 
  4. In the account class validation formula, any invalid class yield blanks. The IF statement distinguishes whether the class is valid; if not (blank in Column A), the transaction amount formula sets the amount to blank. On the other hand, if the class is valid, it extracts the balance using the Velixo function.

Customizing the template

Reviewing the Options sheet

The Options tab comprises of Acumatica dimensions, and other attributes and structures used in the report. This information updates in real-time with Velixo app refresh, facilitating immediate integration of newly added ERP data into the report as filters.

This includes:

• Connection Name
• Branch
• Company

The Connection Name is subject to variation depending on the user input provided through the Velixo login portal. For convenience, users may add the connection name used on cell A2. This cell has been designated as a named range (Connection), ensuring its automatic application to all formulas throughout the sheet. 

Users can also customize Branch by adding their preferred custom values, using a list and ranges as described in this article.

To do so:

1. collapse the column groups for the Branch dimension 
2. then simply input the desired values in the Group formula and Custom group name columns, highlighted in light blue for quick identification.

Managing Account Structures

As outlined earlier in this document, users have the flexibility to tailor this report to their specific needs. This is especially useful when the pre-defined account classes do not quite fit the requirements.

• Adding New Account classes

If users desire a structure beyond the pre-defined account classes, they can leverage account classes set up in their ERP instance.

Users have two options when adding new account classes:

1. Re-purposing an existing pre-defined account class:

• Rename an existing account class, replacing it with the desired custom account class.

2. Adding a Row in the Required BS Section:

• Use Excel functions to add a new row in the desired section.
• Be cautious with formulas in newly added rows; copying from existing rows in the same section ensures accurate results.

• Removing an Account Class

Removing a pre-defined account class is not really necessary as the report makes use of Velixo’s automatic hiding of rows with zero values, which has been configured on the Year-to-Date (YTD) Actual values. 

This feature eliminates the need for manual deletions of account class rows and ensures the report remains fully dynamic should usage of account classes change over years or transactions get created against new account classes.

However, if an account class should really be deleted:

• Utilize Excel's delete row function for removal, followed by thorough data validation and reconciliation on the report.
• Always validate data accuracy using the Control sheet.

• Grouping Accounts Classes

If needed, the user can group multiple account classes into one and create a summary account class. Velixo enabled this feature so that user can consolidate similar account classes into one and present them in the Cash Flow Forecast as one.

• On Column B of the Cash Flow Forecast tab, user can list all the account groups and using the semi-colon ( ; ) delimiter to grouped them.
• If needed, rename the pre-defined account class on Column E showing the consolidation of the account classes listed on Column B.

• Using of Account Code/Range

As an additional feature, Velixo added the ability to use Account Code or Account Code ranges to extract the balance for the account class.

• On Column C of the Cash Flow Forecast tab, users can list all the account code or ranges they wanted to use or consolidate. Same as account classes, the semi-colon delimiter should be us as well for the groupings.
• If needed, rename the pre-defined account class on Column E showing the consolidation of the account codes listed on Column C.

Please note that Account Class and Account Code cannot be used at the same time. Doing so will result in calculations errors for the transaction balances. If a structure is not used, make sure to leave them blank to not cause any errors.

Version history