Financial Projection Software:
Detailed Information

This a long page! You may wish to print it for off-line study when selecting the most suitable version of Exl-Plan.

1. Introduction

Exl-Plan is a range of business planning software for preparing comprehensive financial projections including cash flow forecasts for up to seven years ahead. You can use Exl-Plan for a business plan, strategic and corporate planning, raising finance, budgeting, restructuring and financial appraisals within almost any size and type of business. Exl-Plan can save time and money and contribute substantial business, financial and spreadsheet know-how to your plan - check these benefits, get free trial downloads or see full details below. Click thumb opposite to see a typical chart automatically created by Exl-Plan.

Based on your assumptions, the more powerful versions of Exl-Plan (Micro, Lite, Pro, Super, Super Plus, Ultra and Ultra Plus) compile fully-integrated financial projections (income statements, cashflows, balance sheets & ratios) for one/three years ahead on a monthly basis and, in less detail, for a further two/four years. In the case of Exl-Plan Free and Exl-Plan Basic, projections are for two and five years respectively on an annual basis.

Exl-Plan requires Excel (versions 5, 7, 8, 95, 97, 2000, XP, 2003, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 365) with Windows (95/98/Me/NT/2000/XP/Vista/Win7,8,10).

Important Note: Exl-Plan requires a Windows-based, desktop version of Excel. It will not run, on account of its extensive use of macros, with any cloud-based versions of Excel (or other similar spreadsheet types). If using Office 365 or Office 16, Excel must be installed on a Windows PC.

The Exl-Plan range (Free, Basic, Micro, Lite, Pro, Super, Super Plus, Ultra and Ultra Plus) is available using either UK/ International or US/ Canadian accounting conventions - eighteen variants in all. They have the flexibility to handle manufacturing, distribution and service businesses and are suitable for established firms as well as for new ventures and strategic business units within major corporations.

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

The different versions of Exl-Plan can handle business with annual sales ranging from about $/£ 50,000 up to $/£ 100 million or more. If you are a larger business, you should probably opt to create separate Exl-Plan models for each subsidiary, division or Strategic Business Unit and then consolidate the key projections for the parent. For more information on this, see the reply to the question "How can I consolidate Exl-Plan projections for several subsidiary companies?" in the FAQ for Users.

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2. Nine Versions & Two Editions

Nine versions of Exl-Plan are available as follows:

• Basic for companies, sole traders or partnerships of all sizes seeking 5-year projections based on annual assumptions. Distributed as trial and commercial software.  Download trial copy   Buy and use
  
  
• Free is identical to Basic except that it projects for two years instead of for five. Distributed as free software. Download free copy  Free Registration
  
  
• Micro for new & very small companies, sole traders or partnerships. Monthly projections for first year. Projections for the second and third years on a quarterly basis. Distributed as trial and commercial software.  Download trial copy   Buy and use
  
  
• Lite for new & small to medium-sized companies, sole traders or partnerships. Monthly projections for first year. Projects for the second and third years on a quarterly basis (click thumb above to see some quarterly assumptions used by Exl-Plan). More detailed and powerful than Micro. Distributed as trial and commercial software.  Download trial copy   Buy and use
  
  
• Pro for new & medium to larger companies. Monthly projections for first year. Projects for the second and third years on a quarterly basis and, optionally, for fourth/fifth years on an annual basis (click thumb opposite to see typical high-level assumptions used by Exl-Plan for these final years). More detailed/powerful than Lite. Distributed as trial and commercial software.  Download trial copy   Buy and use
  
  
• Super for new & substantial companies. Monthly projections for first year. Projects for the second and third years on a quarterly basis and, optionally, for fourth/fifth years on an annual basis. Similar to Pro but includes a greater range of assumptions and additional planning tools. Distributed as trial and commercial software.  Download trial copy   Buy and use
  
  
• Super Plus for new & substantial companies. Monthly projections for first year. Projects for the second and third years on a quarterly basis and, optionally, for fourth/fifth years on an annual basis. Similar to Super but includes a greater range of revenue and cost assumptions. Distributed as trial and commercial software.  Download trial copy   Buy and use
  
  
• Ultra for new & substantial companies. Monthly projections for initial three years. Projects for the fourth and fifth years on a quarterly basis and, optionally, for sixth/seventh years on an annual basis. Otherwise similar to Super. Distributed as trial and commercial software.  Download trial copy   Buy and use
  
  
• Ultra Plus for new & substantial companies. Monthly projections for initial three years. Projects for the fourth and fifth years on a quarterly basis and, optionally, for sixth/seventh years on an annual basis. Similar to Ultra but includes a greater range of revenue and cost assumptions. Distributed as trial and commercial software.  Download trial copy   Buy and use

For your business plan, all versions/editions of Exl-Plan include a free Business Plan Template for Word (48 pages - click thumb opposite to enlarge view) and a complementary Guide (supplied as a 90+ topic Help file and as a 100+ page PDF file for printing).

Note: If you need cashflow projections covering just 12 months, have a look at Cashflow Plan, our range of fully-integrated cashflow planners which generate projections for 12 months ahead and incorporate a roll-forward facility to simplify regular updating of projections. Details and trial-version downloads.

The following table offers you guidance on the suitability of the nine versions for different size firms. The complexity of your business, sector, detail/sophistication required, planning objectives and your expertise should also be considered.

You can download free trial copies of all versions/editions of Exl-Plan.

All main versions are available as separate UK/International or US/Canadian editions. Note that as different currencies symbols (£, $ etc.) and denominations (units, 000s, millions or billions) can be used by both editions, their use is not confined to the UK, US, Canada etc. The main differences between the two editions relate to spellings (labor vs. labour etc.); terminology (stocks vs. inventory etc.); structure of accounts (e.g. layouts of balance sheets differ); ratio definitions; accommodation of taxes on sales, valued added (VAT) and goods & services (GST); and printer page sizes (European A4 vs. US Letter). Exl-Plan is being used in over a hundred countries with the USA, Canada, UK, Australia and South Africa predominating. In the case of Exl-Plan Basis and Free, UK/International or US/Canadian editions are combined into a single software package.

Each edition of Micro, Lite, Pro, Super, Super Plus, Ultra and Ultra Plus has its own online help (click thumb opposite to see sample help) and, optional, 115-125 page printed manual.

All versions also include a 90-page manual (Word or PDF format) 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 Exl-Plan.

Prices for the nine versions of Exl-Plan are set out below:

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3. Scope of Exl-Plan Models

IMPORTANT: Exl-Plan Free and Basic are the most "junior" versions in the Exl-Plan range as they generate fully-integrated projections for two (Free) or five (Basic) years ahead on an annual basis - all other versions generate multi-year projections based on monthly and quarterly assumptions. The descriptions below concentrate on these more powerful versions.

The Micro, Lite, Pro, Super and Super Plus versions of Exl-Plan cover three- or five-year forecasting periods as follows:

• Detailed assumptions and projections for the initial 12 months (click thumb opposite to see part of a typical assumptions report) with annualized projections for the first year based on the 12-month projections
• Less detailed assumptions and projections for 12 quarters incorporating projections for the first four quarters derived automatically from the 12-month projections resulting in annual projections for three years based on the 12-quarter projections
• Projections for a further two years based on simplified annual assumptions (Pro, Super and Super Plus).

Exl-Plan Ultra shares many of these characteristic but generates detailed monthly projections for an initial three years (36 months) with less detailed projections for the following eight quarters and, optional, full-year projections for sixth and seventh years (click thumb opposite to see typical high-level assumptions for these final years). Finally, Ultra Plus is similar to Ultra but accommodates a greater range of assumption variables.

Projected profit and loss accounts (income statements), cash flows, balance sheets and ratio analyses are generated for each month, quarter and year. There is an opening balance sheet along with a summary profit & loss account (income statement) for the year preceding the start of the projections. For example, if projections start in April 2006, a P&L (estimated or actual) for the year ending March 2005 could be entered for reference or comparison purposes.

Primary output from Exl-Plan includes the following:

• Over thirty pro-forma reports containing assumptions, profit and loss accounts (income statements), cashflow projections & statements, balance sheets, performance reviews and summaries for months, quarters and years.
• Numerous graphs showing key projections, ratios etc. for months, quarters and years for over 100 variables. Click thumb opposite to see a typical chart automatically generated by Exl-Plan.
• A 12-page Textual Summary Report containing a summary of the projections in textual form with embedded values, graphs and tables. Ideal as the basis for the financial section of a business plan.

The basic specifications of the nine versions of Exl-Plan summarized below:

Note: If you need cashflow projections covering just 12 months, have a look at Cashflow Plan, our range of fully-integrated cashflow planners which generate projections for 12 months ahead and incorporate a roll-forward facility to simplify regular updating of projections. Details and trial-version downloads.

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4. Facilities & Features

Once loaded, Exl-Plan automatically extends Excel's menu system (over 200 additional options) and adds its own toolbar and online help system.

This description concentrates on Exl-Plan Micro, Lite, Pro, Super, Super Plus, Ultra and Ultra Plus. Note that Exl-Plan Free and Basic are the most "junior" versions in the Exl-Plan range. They use the same general approach but are designed to generate comprehensive 2- and 5-year projections respectively based on annual assumptions rather than on the detailed monthly/quarterly assumptions used by all other versions.

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

The Super, Super Plus, Ultra and Ultra Plus versions include the following additional planning tools:

• Automatically generated 'what-if' tables which display the impact of incremental changes in sales volumes, selling prices, cost of sales and overhead expenses on projected profitability for the first year.
• DuPont-type profitability chart based on the first-year projections which also allows a user to explore the impact of specific changes in key variables and assumptions on overall profitability.
• Facility to produce updated first-year projections of sales and profitability by combining year-to-date actuals with projections for remaining months of the year.
• Tables to analyze longer term trends (five years historical plus five-years projected) for key ratios and performance measures.
• Initial twelve-week cashflow forecasts derived from monthly cashflow projections for the first year.

Automatically generated "what-if" table (Super, Super Plus, Ultra & Ultra Plus versions)	Profitability Planner to explore high-level "what-ifs" (Super, Super Plus, Ultra & Ultra Plus versions)	Short-term weekly cash flow projections (Super, Super Plus, Ultra & Ultra Plus versions)

The main features of the nine versions of Exl-Plan summarized below:

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5. Range of Assumptions Handled

Exl-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, Exl-Plan can be set to suppress the printing of rows containing no/zero values to enhance the conciseness and relevance of its output reports.

The following table summarizes the range of variables handled by Exl-Plan:

Exl-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 Exl-Plan. The descriptions below focus on Exl-Plan Micro, Lite, Pro, Super, Super Plus, Ultra and Ultra Plus.

Note that Exl-Plan Free and Basic are the most "junior" versions in the Exl-Plan range. They are most comparable to Exl-Plan Micro but generate comprehensive 2- and 5-year projections respectively based on annual assumptions rather than the monthly/quarterly assumptions used by the Micro version.

5.1 Sales, Cost, Inventory & Overhead Assumptions

The range of sales, cost, inventory and overhead expenses assumptions handled by Exl-Plan Micro include:

• 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.

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. Click thumb opposite to see portion of the monthly sales assumptions report showing data entry areas for two main sales groups.

The Pro version handles four main sales groups and offers facilitates for forecasting either sales volumes & prices or sales values for each group. It also accommodates finished goods inventory for each group and includes a more extended range of direct cost and overhead expense variables. Credit terms (up to four months) can be specified for each variable.

The Super and Ultra versions handle six main sales groups (click thumb opposite to see part of report showing direct labor headcount assumptions for six groups) and the Super Plus and Ultra Plus versions handle 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 Exl-Plan Micro include:

• Fixed assets with provision for handling depreciation and additions/disposals.
• Separate interest rates for cash balances, overdraft and long-term debt.
• Facilities for increasing and decreasing long-term debt and assigning it between short- and long-term liabilities.
• Share issues, dividends and corporation tax.

Lite accommodates two categories of fixed assets as well as finance leases and allows depreciation to be calculated from original cost or using double declining balance. Pro accommodates three categories of fixed assets and has facilities for making debt repayments both inclusive or exclusive of interest. Super, Super Plus, Ultra and Ultra Plus versions each handle four categories of fixed assets.

The Super, Super Plus, Ultra and Ultra Plus versions also handle purchases of intangible assets. All versions of Exl-Plan can handle the amortization of intangible assets.

The UK/International editions of Micro, Lite, Pro, Super, Super Plus, Ultra and Ultra Plus also handle revenue grants/subsidies as well as non-repayable capital grants.

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 Exl-Plan Micro include:

• Provision for setting credit terms (up to 6 months ahead) for sales and related purchases (materials or goods for resale).
• Sales/output tax rates can be set for sales.
• Where taxes apply to inputs, there are facilities for 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 rates to be applied to its two main sales groups and related purchases. Pro accommodates different terms and rates for four main sales groups & purchases and has facilities for deferring cash payments relating to many categories of monthly overheads, capital expenditure, dividends, grants etc. The Super and Ultra versions handle credit for six main sales groups and their purchases (click thumb opposite to see how Exl-Plan handles projected credit terms for receivables and payables). Super Plus and Ultra Plus handle credit for ten main sales groups.

The Ultra and Ultra Plus versions have a facility to allow a user to fine tune (or over ride) its calculated cashflows for receivables and payables (debtors and creditors) on a monthly basis for the initial three years.

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6. Help Provided & Expertise Needed

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

The content of the optional 120+ page (9" x 7") spiro-bound printed manual is similar to the online help. Note that online help and printed manuals are specific to each particular version/edition of Exl-Plan Micro, Lite, Pro, Super, Super Plus, Ultra and Ultra Plus.

All versions/editions of Exl-Plan include a 90-page manual (Word or PDF format) 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.

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

Because Exl-Plan is extensively menu driven, minimal Excel expertise is required to use Exl-Plan (click thumb opposite to see listing of assumption reports). At the same time, experienced spreadsheet users can use Exl-Plan's open approach to extend and modify worksheets within Exl-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 Exl-Plan.

For all versions of Exl-Plan, users should have a general understanding of income statements, cash flow and balance sheets. For the powerful versions of Exl-Plan, a basic knowledge of finance and accounting could prove useful to make full use of Exl-Plan's tools and facilities.

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7. Purchase Prices & Upgrade Fees

The following table indicates prices for upgrading from the trial version, or acquiring the commercial version, of Exl-Plan:

Prices relate to the US/Canadian & UK/International editions and are inclusive of 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 Exl-Plan Basic, Micro, Lite, Pro, Super, Super Plus, Ultra and Ultra Plus here. Download a trial copy here. Note that a downloaded copy can be remotely upgraded by email, fax etc.

Note: If you need cashflow projections covering just 12 months, have a look at Cashflow Plan, our range of fully-integrated cashflow planners which generate projections for 12 months ahead and incorporate a roll-forward facility to simplify regular updating of projections. Details and trial-version downloads.

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