Improve Cash Flow Forecasting
Improve cash flow forecasting so you can see what's coming and deal with shortfalls before they hit.
- 20+ years connecting business systems
- Works with Xero, MYOB and the systems you already use
- Fixed quote after a free chat
See It Coming
Most cash flow forecasts are spreadsheets that fall out of date. Someone builds one, copies figures in from Xero or MYOB, and then it stops being updated because it takes too long. Meanwhile invoices, bills, payroll and loan repayments sit in different places, and a shortfall shows up only when the bank balance is already too low.
We build a cash flow view from the real invoices, bills, payroll and commitments in Xero or MYOB and your other systems. It refreshes itself, so shortfalls show up weeks ahead, while there's still time to chase debtors, move a payment or talk to the bank. Your finance team reviews the forecast instead of rebuilding it.
Why Cash Flow Forecasts Go Wrong
It's rarely the maths; usually the figures are missing or out of date
Shortfalls That Arrive Without Warning
Late payments, strained supplier relationships, last-minute borrowing
A Spreadsheet Nobody Updates
Decisions made on old numbers, or on gut feel
Figures From Too Many Places
Things get missed, so the forecast is wrong in ways nobody notices
Always Reacting
Fewer options, higher costs, more stress
A Cash Flow Forecast That Keeps Itself Up to Date
Built From Real Transactions
The forecast starts with what is already known: invoices you have sent, bills you have received and regular costs.
- Customer invoices and when they are due
- Supplier bills and when you plan to pay them
- Payroll, super, GST/BAS and loan repayments
- Committed purchase orders and contracts
- Several bank accounts or companies added together
A forecast that starts from facts
Refreshes Itself
New invoices, payments and bills flow in on a schedule, so the forecast stays current.
- Bank balances pulled in automatically
- Paid invoices drop off, new ones appear
- Updated daily or as often as you need
- An alert if a source stops updating
No one rebuilding it each week
Based on How Customers Really Pay
Due dates are a starting point. The forecast also uses each customer's actual payment history.
- Slow-paying customers shown as they really pay
- Seasonal patterns from your own past years
- Your own assumptions for new sales and big one-off costs
- "What if" views, such as a big customer paying late
A more realistic picture of the weeks ahead
Early Warning of Shortfalls
You choose a minimum bank balance. If the forecast drops below it, you hear about it in time to act.
- Your own minimum balance or overdraft limit
- Email alert when a shortfall shows up
- The invoices and bills behind the dip, listed
- Room to chase debtors, move payments or arrange finance early
Weeks of notice instead of a nasty surprise
What Changes Day to Day
No forecast is perfect, but one that is current and built from real figures gives you time to act
Fewer Surprises
Finding out about a shortfall when the bank balance is already too low
Seeing it coming weeks ahead, while you still have choices
Better Timing for Big Spending
Holding off on new staff or equipment because you are not sure about cash
Deciding with a clear view of what is coming in and going out
Stronger Conversations With Your Bank and Suppliers
Asking for finance or extra time at the last minute
Raising it early, with a forecast you can show them
Time Back for Your Finance Team
Hours each week updating a spreadsheet by hand
The forecast updates itself; the team reviews it instead of building it
Cash Flow Forecasting by Industry
Construction & Trades
- Progress claims paid on long or uncertain terms
- Retentions held for months
- Big supplier and subcontractor bills ahead of payment
- Job billing kept in a separate system from the accounts
- Cash flow mapped to progress claims and job stages
- Retentions shown with their expected release dates
- Subcontractor and supplier commitments included
- Job system and Xero or MYOB read together
Professional Services
- Clients who pay later than their terms
- Uneven project billing
- Wages paid every fortnight regardless of billing
- Work in progress not yet invoiced
- Each client's real payment habits built in
- Upcoming billing from your project or time system
- Payroll and super set out week by week
- Unbilled work shown as expected future cash
Wholesale & Online Sales
- Stock bought months before it sells
- Payment provider payouts that arrive in batches
- Supplier terms that do not line up with sales
- Busy and quiet seasons
- Purchase orders and stock buying included
- Online store and payment provider payouts read in
- Supplier payment dates set out week by week
- Last year's seasonal pattern as a starting point
Manufacturing
- Raw materials paid for well before goods are sold
- Large orders that tie up cash
- Customers on long payment terms
- Equipment purchases and loan repayments
- Material purchases tied to the production plan
- Big orders shown from purchase to customer payment
- Customer payment history built in
- Planned equipment spending and repayments included
How It Runs
Look at How You Forecast Now
- Which bank accounts and companies to include
- Where invoices, bills and payroll are kept
- Regular costs that sit outside the accounts
- How far ahead you need to see
You get: A clear plan for what the forecast will include
Connect Your Systems
- Accounting system connection
- Bank balances
- Job, payroll or online store systems where needed
- Past payment history for each customer
You get: Figures flowing in without retyping
Build and Check the Forecast
- Weekly view of cash in and out
- Your assumptions for sales and one-off costs
- Comparison with recent actual cash
- Fixes to anything that does not match
You get: A forecast you have tested before you rely on it
Hand Over and Keep Improving
- Shortfall alerts set up
- Short training for the people who use it
- Notes on how it works
- Forecast compared with actual cash over time
You get: Your team using the forecast week to week
What You See Each Week
A typical cash flow view includes:
Weekly rolling forecast
Cash in, cash out and the expected bank balance for each of the coming weeks (often 13 weeks, or whatever suits you)
"What if" views
See what happens if a big customer pays late or a large purchase goes ahead
Shortfall alerts
An email when the forecast drops below the balance you set
Bank balances
Pulled in automatically, so the starting point is always right
Debtors and creditors
Who owes you, who you owe, and when each is likely to be paid
Forecast against actual
Last week's forecast next to what really happened, so you can see how far to trust it
Want cash flow alongside your other management reports? See Xero and MYOB reporting and dashboards.
What Goes Into the Forecast
A forecast is only as good as what goes into it. Ours starts with facts from your systems, then adds what only you know
What You Already Know
Invoices sent, bills received, payroll, tax and loan repayments already in your systems
How Customers Pay
Each customer's actual payment history, not just their terms
Your Seasons
Busy and quiet periods from your own past years
Your Plans
New hires, equipment, big contracts and other things only you know about
The Technical Side
For whoever looks after your systems: how the forecast is put together.
Where the data comes from
We read invoices, bills, payments and bank balances through the official Xero or MYOB connection (their API). Job, payroll or online store systems are connected the same way, or by scheduled file exports.
Where the forecast is built
Usually in Microsoft Power BI, or in a spreadsheet that refreshes itself if your team prefers to work in Excel. The data is copied into a small reporting database, so your live systems are not changed.
Access
Read-only connections to your accounting system. Only the people you choose can see the forecast.
See Your Cash Position Weeks Ahead
Tell us how you forecast cash now and where the figures come from. We'll tell you honestly whether a better spreadsheet will do, or what an automatic forecast from your Xero or MYOB data would involve. You get a fixed quote after a free initial chat. If you want a full review of your systems first, there is our $5,000 Process & Systems Audit.
Free initial chat • No obligation • 1300 470 091