Cashflow Forecasting Software:
Detailed Information

Note about Cashflow Plan Home (personal, household and home business cashflow planner):
Go here for details, free download and purchasing as this page mainly relates to business-related versions of Cashflow Plan.

This a long page! It may advantageous to print it for off-line study when selecting the most suitable version of Cashflow Plan.

1. Introduction

Cashflow Plan is a range of powerful, easy-to-use software packages for preparing comprehensive monthly cashflow projections for 12 months ahead. You can use it for cashflow planning, budgets, business planning, fund raising etc. for young & established businesses of all sizes and types. It incorporates a roll-forward facility to help you to speedily update the projections every month.

Check the benefits of using Cashflow Plan as compared with spending lots of time and effort constructing your own spreadsheet planner. Why try to re-invent the wheel when you can buy and use Cashflow Plan now ?

Cashflow Plan is available in six versions (Free, Micro, Lite, Plus, Super and Ultra). Each version can handle either UK/International or US/Canadian accounting conventions. All versions have the flexibility to handle manufacturing, distribution and service businesses and are suitable for established businesses as well as new startups and strategic business units within major corporations.

The different versions of Cashflow Plan can handle business with annual sales ranging from about $/£ 50,000 up to $/£ 100 million or more. Larger businesses can create separate Cashflow Plan models for each subsidiary, division or Strategic Business Unit and then consolidate their key projections (income and cashflow statements, and balance sheets) using the consolidating tool built into the Super and Ultra versions of Cashflow Plan.

Based on your assumptions, Cashflow Plan compiles fully-integrated financial projections (income statements, cashflows, balance sheets & ratios) for the year ahead on a monthly basis, and for the initial three months on a weekly basis.

Cashflow Plan utilizes Microsoft Excel (versions 5, 7, 8, 95, 97, 2000, XP, 2003, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016 running with Windows 95/98/Me/NT/2000/XP/Vista/Win7,8,10).

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2. Six Versions

Six versions of Cashflow Plan are available as follows:

• Free is an introductory version which projects for 6 months ahead. Distributed as free software.  Download  Free Registration
  
  
• Micro projects for 12 months ahead for very small companies, sole traders or partnerships. Distributed as trial and commercial software.  Download trial copy   Buy and use
  
  
• Lite for small to medium-sized companies, sole traders or partnerships. Lite is more detailed and powerful than Micro. Distributed as trial and commercial software.  Download trial copy   Buy and use
  
  
• Plus for medium to larger companies. Plus is more detailed and powerful than Lite and contains additional planning tools and facilities. Distributed as trial and commercial software.  Download trial copy   Buy and use
  
  
• Super for substantial companies. Similar to Plus but includes a greater range of assumptions and additional planning tools. Distributed as trial and commercial software.  Download trial copy   Buy and use
  
  
• Ultra for substantial companies. Similar to Super but includes a greater range of assumptions. Distributed as trial and commercial software.  Download trial copy   Buy and use
  
  

All versions (other than Free) generate monthly projections for first year with weekly projections for initial three months. Cashflow Plan Free is virtually identical to Cashflow Plan Micro except that it generates projections for 6 instead of 12 months ahead.

Note: If you need projections extending beyond 12 months for a business plan etc., you should have a look at Exl-Plan, our range of fully-integrated financial planners which can generate projections for months and quarters extending to three, five or seven years. Details and trial-version downloads.

The following table offers you guidance on the suitability of the six versions for different size firms. The complexity of your business, sector, detail/sophistication required, planning objectives and your expertise should also be considered. Also, bear in mind that you can even use the simplest version of Cashflow Plan to compile high-level, strategic cashflow projections for a substantial business.

You can download free trial copies of all versions of Cashflow Plan.

All versions can handle either UK/International or US/Canadian accounting conventions, formats etc. The main differences between the two formats relate to spellings (labor vs. labour etc.); terminology (stocks vs. inventory etc.); structure of accounts (e.g. layouts of balance sheets differ); ratio definitions; handling of taxes on sales, valued added (VAT) and goods & services (GST); and printer page sizes (European A4 vs. US Letter). Note that the two formats are not confined to the UK, US, Canada etc. as different currencies symbols (£, $ etc.) and denominations (units, 000s, millions or billions) can be specified by a user.

Cashflow Plan is being used in over a hundred countries with the USA, Canada, UK, Australia and South Africa predominating.

Cashflow Plan contains extensive online help (130+ topics) along with a 100-page Word-based version of its manual and a series of Flash-based tutorials (running for 19 minutes) covering setting up Excel, getting started, the basics and using Quik-Plan. Manuals and tutorials are included in the download files for all versions of Cashflow Plan. A printed 130-page spiral-bound manual (7" x 9") is available as an optional extra. The Super and Ultra versions are also supplied with a Cashflow Plan Consolidator Guide which is included in the download files for Cashflow Plan Super and Ultra.

The price structure for the five versions of Cashflow Plan is set out below:

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3. Scope of Cashflow Plan Models

Each version of Cashflow Plan comprises several integrated sub-models residing within the main model as follows:

• Detailed assumptions and projections for 12 months ahead (6 months for Free)
• Annualized projections for the first year based on the 12-month projections (6 month totals for Free)
• Weekly cashflow projections for the initial 3 months.

In addition to detailed monthly cashflow projections, Cashflow Plan also generates fully-integrated profit and loss accounts (income statements), balance sheets and ratio analyses for each month and for the full year. There is also provision for entering an opening balance sheet.

Get specific information on the scope of Cashflow Plan Free here.

Primary output from Cashflow Plan (trial and commercial versions) includes the following:

• Over twenty pro-forma reports containing assumptions, cashflow projections, profit and loss accounts (income statements), balance sheets, performance reviews and summaries for months and the full year.
• Numerous graphs showing key projections, ratios etc. for months for about 50 variables.
• A 10-page Textual Summary Report containing a summary of the projections in textual form with embedded values, graphs and tables.

The basic specifications of the six versions of Cashflow Plan summarized below:

Note: If you need projections extending beyond 12 months for a business plan etc., you should have a look at Exl-Plan, our range of fully-integrated financial planners which can generate projections for months and quarters extending to three, five or seven years. Details and trial-version downloads.

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4. Facilities & Features

Once loaded, Cashflow Plan automatically extends Excel's menu system (with about 130 additional options) and adds its own toolbar and online help system.

This description concentrates on Cashflow Plan Micro, Lite, Plus, Super, and Ultra. Note that Cashflow Plan Free is virtually identical to Cashflow Plan Micro except that it generates projections for 6 instead of 12 months ahead.

Get specific information on the facilities and features of Cashflow Plan Free here.

Cashflow Plan contains dozens of pre-formatted and protected worksheets incorporating many thousands of formulae, assumption values etc. Its facilities and features include the following:

• Facility for rolling assumptions and projections forward one month at a time. This enables Cashflow Plan to produce regularly-updated cashflow projections with only minimal work needed to update assumptions.
• Twelve-week cashflow forecasts derived from monthly cashflow projections for the initial three months.
• Quik-Plan tool to enable a user produce first-cut cashflow projections quickly (i.e. within about 10 minutes).
• Cashflow Improver incorporating dynamic projections to help identify and enhance cash flows.
• Tool for monitoring projections based on criteria specified by the user. These can be used to warn whenever preset limits are exceeded for liquidity, debt/equity targets etc. (Plus, Super and Ultra versions only).
• Facilities for inserting constant and varying monthly values and for entering assumptions based on seasonal patterns etc. specified by the user.
• Selective what-if, or sensitivity analysis covering the twelve months and initial twelve weeks.
• Sensitivity-analysis tool for globally changing selling prices, volumes, direct costs and overheads for the 12 months (Lite, Plus, Super and Ultra versions only).
• Book-marking facility to allow a user mark a location within a worksheet and to return quickly to it.
• Multiple safeguards to protect formulae etc. and help prevent accidental changes being made to worksheets.
• Extensive online help and complete manual contained in a 100-page Word document and an optional printed spiral-bound manual.
• Series of Flash-based tutorials (running for 19 minutes) covering setting up Excel, getting started, the basics and using Quik-Plan.
• Comprehensive set of tailored toolbar buttons.
• Error trapping to advise when any of a dozen types of data entry or calculation errors arise.
• Full access to worksheets and formulae to facilitate customization and expansion.

Super and Ultra versions include these additional planning tools:

• Automatically generated 'what-if' tables which display the impact of incremental changes in inventories (stocks), receivables (debtors) and payables (creditors) on the monthly cashflow projections and bank balances.
• Comprehensive tool for consolidating projections (i.e. cashflow and income statements plus forecast balance sheets) for subsidiary businesses using a special Report for Consolidation. This report is linked to an additional workbook (Cashflow Plan Consolidator) which facilitates the consolidation process and includes tools for changing currencies/ denominations and eliminating inter-company transactions.

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5. Range of Assumptions Handled

Cashflow Plan handles a very wide variety of assumption variables and financial functions. Many of these can be expanded or altered by the user in order to embrace existing spreadsheet-based data or to accommodate special user requirements. In addition, Cashflow Plan can be set to suppress the printing of rows containing no/zero values to enhance the conciseness and relevance of its output reports.

Cashflow Plan is an open system which can be expanded or customized by users. The online help and manual describe almost twenty techniques or procedures for extending and tailoring Cashflow Plan. The descriptions below focus on Cashflow Plan Micro, Lite, Plus, Super, and Ultra.

Note that Cashflow Plan Free is virtually identical to Cashflow Plan Micro except that it generates projections for 6 instead of 12 months ahead. Get specific information on the range of assumptions handled by Cashflow Plan Free here.

5.1 Sales, Cost, Inventory & Overhead Assumptions

The range of sales, cost, inventory and overhead expenses assumptions handled by Cashflow Plan Micro includes:

• Monthly sales forecasts for a single sales group with five product/market subgroups which can be defined by the user.
• Facilities for specifying the cost of materials/goods in percentage terms and for setting material inventory targets.
• Direct labor head count and four other user-definable direct/variable cost categories.
• Over fifteen user-definable categories of overhead expense.
• Credit terms (up to four months) can be specified for each cost/expense variable.

The more powerful Lite version accommodates two main sales groups with separate material cost percentages, inventory targets and manpower projections as well as a more extensive range of overhead expenses.

The Plus version handles four main sales groups. It also accommodates finished goods inventory for each group and includes a more extended range of direct cost and overhead expense variables.

The Super versions handles six main sales groups and includes a more extended range of direct cost and overhead expense variables. The Ultra Plus version handles ten groups.

Note: For each main sales group, a user can enter sales projections for individual items within the group as well as material cost percentages, input/output tax rates, inventory levels, receivable/payable (debtor/creditor) terms specific to each group.

5.2 Fixed Asset, Investment & Financing Assumptions

The range of fixed asset, investment and financing assumptions handled by Cashflow Plan Micro includes:

• Fixed assets with provision for handling depreciation (calculated from original cost or using double declining balance) and additions/disposals.
• Separate interest rates for cash balances, overdraft and long-term debt with facilities for deferring interest payments and receipts.
• Facilities for increasing and decreasing long-term debt and assigning it between short- and long-term liabilities.
• Handling of revenue grants/subsidies and non-repayable capital grants.
• Share issues, dividends and corporation tax for corporations and cash injections, drawings and income taxes for sole traders, partnerships etc.

Lite also accommodates finance leases. Plus, Super, and Ultra also have facilities for making debt repayments both inclusive or exclusive of interest.

The Super and Ultra versions also handle purchases of intangible assets, new investments and accounting for minority interests. All versions of Cashflow Plan accommodate the amortization of intangible assets.

5.3 Credit Assumptions & Input/Output Taxes

The range of credit assumptions and input/output tax - Sales Taxes, Value Added Tax (VAT) and Goods & Services Tax (GST) - facilities handled by Cashflow Plan Micro includes:

• Provision for setting credit terms (up to 6 months ahead) for sales and related purchases (materials or goods for resale).
• Facilities for deferring cash payments relating to many categories of monthly overheads, capital expenditure, dividends, grants etc.
• Where applicable, sales/output tax rates can be set for sales.
• Where taxes apply to inputs, there are facilities for defining these taxes (VAT, GST etc.), setting different tax rates for inputs & capital expenditure; for specifying tax payment months; and for paying tax on an invoice or cash-received basis.

Lite allows different credit terms and VAT/GST rates to be applied to its two main sales groups and related purchases of materials or goods for resale. Plus accommodates different credit terms and rates for four main sales groups & related purchases. The Super and Ultra versions handle credit for six and ten main sales groups and their purchases respectively.

The Ultra version also has a facility to allow a user to fine tune (or override) its calculated cashflows for receivables and payables (debtors and creditors) on a monthly basis for the twelve months.

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6. Help Provided & Expertise Needed

All versions of Cashflow Plan incorporate extensive online help covering over 130 topics including the following:

Cashflow Plan is also supplied with a 100-page Word-based version of its manual and a series of Flash-based tutorials (running for 19 minutes) covering setting up Excel, getting started, the basics and using Quik-Plan. An optional printed 130-page, spiral-bound manual (7" x 9") is also available (US$20).

Manuals and tutorials are included in the download files for all versions of Cashflow Plan. In addition, the Super and Ultra versions are supplied with a Cashflow Plan Consolidator Guide which is included in the download files for Cashflow Plan Super and Ultra.

For additional guidance, you can watch several How to ... Tutorials (these are based on Exl-Plan which shares many common features with Cashflow Plan) covering the basics of setting and using Cashflow Plan.

As regards support to users, this site contains a regularly updated Frequently Answered Questions for Users and both telephone and email assistance are provided to resolve queries about using and expanding Cashflow Plan - see Support for Users.

Because Cashflow Plan is extensively menu driven, minimal Excel expertise is required to use Cashflow Plan. At the same time, experienced spreadsheet users can use Cashflow Plan's open approach to extend and modify worksheets within Cashflow Plan. Very limited Excel expertise (e.g. creating simple formulae, inserting rows and similar) is needed to make some of the most powerful and useful changes to Cashflow Plan.

For all versions of Cashflow Plan, users need only a very basic understanding of income statements, cash flow projections and balance sheets. For the powerful versions, more detailed knowledge of finance and accounting could prove useful to make full use of Cashflow Plan's tools and facilities.

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7. Purchase Prices & Upgrade Fees

The following table indicates prices for upgrading from a trial version or purchasing the commercial version of Cashflow Plan:

Prices are inclusive of priority airmail postage to any country.

If purchaser is based in Ireland, Value Added Tax (VAT) at 21% will be added. If located in another European Union country, VAT will be added unless a bona fide VAT number is specified. VAT does NOT apply to purchasers outside the European Union.

Purchase a copy of Cashflow Plan Micro, Lite, Plus, Super and Ultra here. Download a free or trial copy of Cashflow Plan here. Note that a downloaded trial copy can be remotely upgraded by email, fax etc.

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