OpenAccounts : Cash Flow Forecasting
The Cash Flow Forecasting module provides effective management of cash through flexible modelling facilities and integration with finance system data.
The monitoring and estimation of cash flow is essential "best practice" in any type of organisation. Even Companies that are projecting profitable business can run into liquidity problems if cash inflows and outflows are not effectively managed.
The Cash Flow Forecasting module aims to support the business in effective cash management, providing early detection of potential excess or shortfall and providing the time to manage the situation.
Highly configurable
The Cash Flow Forecasting module is highly configurable, adapting to customer business needs and providing added value through integration to the core OpenAccounts finance system. Users define their own cash inflow and outflow rows that combine with user defined timelines to create a flexible forecasting framework.
Multi currency
The system provides a multi currency framework enabling effective handling of cash in multiple bank accounts. Cash forecasts can be generated in any currency, and exposure analysed by forecasting only source data with a given transaction currency.
Multiple data sources
Cash Flow Forecasting enables the user to define multiple data sources that can either be integrated, or manual. Pre built integration is provided to OpenAccounts. In addition, data can be sourced from other systems including Microsoft Excel. Data sources can be mixed and matched within any forecast and there can be multiple bank accounts and multiple forecasts.
Flexible business rules
Depending on the data source being used in the model, business rules can be applied on a pre-defined, or "on the fly" basis to manipulate the cash impact, date and value. This flexibility can include splitting an incoming value if required, for example to adjust for a difference in cash impact due to tax.
Business decisions
When analysing and manipulating cash forecasts, business decisions can be made, for example, deferring a proportion of a forecast cash outflow to a later date. These decisions can be recorded and communicated via e-mail, for example to the designated "owner" of a data source.
Data manipulation
The user can view the data in any forecast exactly as they want it, interactively changing the time dimension and summarising row detail as required. The net cash position and total inflow and outflow are always readily apparent in any scenario. In addition, integrated graphics allow the user to view data in graph form, including an ability to export that graph where required
Business benefits
- Anticipate short term financing needs
- Detect and plan to finance seasonal business fluctuations
- Planned debt reduction
- Plan and optimise the occurrence of capital expenditure
- Model the impact of cash discount
- Evaluate and design credit policies
- Plan long term financing
- Optimise and increase investment income