For all of the CBS shells, the following Cash Flow curves can get data from an Activity Sheet:
- Baseline
- Forecast
- Spends
When you are defining a Baseline, Forecast, and Spends Cash Flow curves (when the detail level is selected as CBS, based on the schedule type of the source project), the Activity Sheet is available as a source for:
- Distribution
- Schedule
- Cost
The option is not available for Cash Flow curves when the detail level is selected as:
- By Project
- By Summary
- By Contract
The Cash Flow curve properties window enables you to select to get data from:
- Baseline
- General
- Schedule sheets
- P6 Source
- Activity Sheet
If you select Activity Sheet, then additional options (Cost, Schedule, and Distribution) will be made available, based on the type of activity sheet that you select. In the case Resource-loaded Activity Sheet and Cost-loaded Activity Sheet, the schedule is derived from the source.
The other fields in the Cash Flow curve properties window enable you to select the distribution method and schedule for the Cash Flow curve based on the source of the Activity Sheet.
An Activity Sheet can be linked to more than one source project.
If an Activity Sheet is linked to two or more source projects, then if at least one source project is duration-based and the other source projects are resource-based, or Cost-loaded, then the other fields in the Cash Flow curve properties window will be based on resource-loaded or cost-loaded projects.
When the source project and the Activity Sheet (Activity level) are selected as source, the properties window for the Baseline Cash Flow Curve type enables you to select:
- Where to get the original data
- Activity sheet name
- Data type
- Cost
- Schedule and distribution method
- Variance
For Resource-loaded and Cost-loaded schedules, the properties window for the Baseline Cash Flow Curve type enables you to select cost, schedule, and distribution. When you select Activity Sheet, as a source, the Sheet Name drop-down field allows you to select one of the following system activity sheets, from the project activity sheets:
- System Activity Sheet (Activity)
- System Activity Sheet (Resource)
By default, the System Activity Sheet (Activity) option will be selected.
Note: The Baseline Cash Flow curve type will display the data from the system activity sheet, if the source is a single project.
In the properties window, the Project Type drop-down field enables you to select the following project schedules:
- Current Project
- Baseline Project
These options are available based on the schedules that have been received.
Note: If you do not receive a Baseline project spread, then the options above will not be displayed.
By default, the Current Project option will be selected.
When you select Activity Sheet as the source and Sheet Name as System Activity Sheet (Activity), the Cost drop-down field allows you to select the following options:
- Manual
- Cost Sheet Columns
- Activity Sheet Columns
The Cost Sheet Columns option enables you to display all of the columns of the Cost Sheet. The Activity Sheet Data Sources will display the Planned, At Completion, and Remaining Costs, based on the Sheet Name that you have selected.
In the scenarios above, the Cost options are:
Use the Cost option to select one of the cost sources for the Baseline Cash Flow curve type.
By default, the Manual option is selected.
The Schedule & Distribution drop-down field displays all of the units based on the Sheet Name and the project type that you have selected. If you select the Cost as Activity Sheet Columns, then the Schedule & Distribution field drop-down will be disabled while displaying From Activity Sheet.
The Schedule & Distribution drop-down field displays the following options when you select Sheet Name as System Activity Sheet (Activity), and the Cost is selected as Cost Sheet Columns or Manual:
- Planned Total Units
- At Completion Total Units
- Remaining Total Units
By default, the value in the drop-down field will be Planned Total Units.
The following table lists the various selections and results:
When Sheet Name is selected as: | Project type is selected as: | Cost options are: | Schedule & Distribution options are: |
|---|---|---|---|
System Activity Sheet (Activity) | Current Project or Baseline Project | Activity Sheet Columns:
| From Activity Sheet option selected and disabled. |
System Activity Sheet (Activity) | Current Project/Baseline Project | Cost Sheet Columns | Will show following options:
|
System Activity Sheet (Resource) | Current Project/Baseline Project |
| From Activity Sheet option selected and disabled. |
System Activity Sheet (Resource) | Current Project/Baseline Project | Cost Sheet Column | Will show following options:
|
The following explains Forecast Cash Flow curve properties for when the Activity Sheet is selected as a source:
- Start at the end of the actuals. Use the drop-down field and select the actuals curve. The drop-down field displays all of the actual curves that have been defined with the Cash Flow curve family.
Note: The Forecast options will be disabled if the Activity Sheet is the source of data.
- Replace the current period Forecast with the actuals on the cut off date.
- For the unassigned amount, the auto-distribution options will be enabled. You can select the redistribution of unassigned amount based on the weighted average calculations.
- The period close settings option is not applicable to Spend, if the period close settings are received from the Activity Sheet.
The following explains Spends Cash Flow curve properties for when the Activity Sheet is selected as a source:
In the Spends Cash Flow curve properties, you can select the source of cost as Activity Sheet. The Spends Cash Flow curve properties has the following Cost and Distribution options, based on the source that you select:
- Where to bring the approved Spends data from.
The Bring <Spends Curve name> data from drop-down field displays a list of sources that you can use to bring the actuals cost and distribution. If you select Activity Sheet from the list, then the Sheet Name field value will be activated and provides the list of sheet names, both at the Activity level and Resource level.
- Sheet name
The Sheet Name drop-down field displays the Activity Sheets in the project, which is a single activity sheet or the System Activity Sheet. The following are the options available for the Sheet Name drop-down field:
- System Activity Sheet (Activity)
- System Activity Sheet (Resource)
- Cost
The Cost drop-down field displays:
- The business process columns that are available in the Cost Sheet.
- The formula columns which are based on the business process.
- The Activity Sheet column, Actual Total Cost, if the Sheet Name is selected as System Activity Sheet (Activity).
- The Activity Sheet column, Actual Cost, if the Sheet Name is selected as System Activity Sheet (Resource).
- Schedule & Distribution
- This option displays Actual Total Units when you select Cost as the Cost Sheet column, and the Sheet Name is selected as System Activity Sheet (Activity).
- This option displays Actual Units when you select Cost as the Cost Sheet column, and the Sheet Name is selected as System Activity Sheet (Resource).
- Variance
The following table shows the various selections:
Sheet Name | Cost | Schedule & Distribution |
|---|---|---|
System Activity Sheet (Activity) | Cost Sheet Column | Actual Total Units |
System Activity Sheet (Resource) | Cost Sheet Column | Actual Units |
System Activity Sheet (Activity) | Actual Total Cost | From Activity Sheet text selected and disabled. |
System Activity Sheet (Resource) | Actual Cost | From Activity Sheet text selected and disabled. |
If you select the Cost option, then Unifier draws the Spends Cash Flow curve by using the Actual Cost spread, Actual Start Date, and Actual Finish Date for each CBS Code, from the selected Activity Sheet.
The following topics explain the various Baseline and Forecast Budget (Cost Distribution) Cash Flow curve properties for when the Activity Sheet is selected as a source:
- Baseline curve or Forecast curve when Schedule & distribution are derived from the Activity Sheet and Cost is derived from the Cost Sheet
- Baseline curve or Forecast curve when Schedule & distribution and cost are derived from the Activity Sheet
- Baseline curve or Forecast worksheet when Schedule, distribution, and cost are derived from the Activity Sheet
- Baseline curve or Forecast worksheet when Schedule, distribution, and cost are derived from the Activity Sheet
When you select the original source as Activity Sheet for the Baseline Cash Flow curve, the From and To dates and the spread for each CBS Code will be derived from the selected Activity Sheet and Project Type. Unifier uses the spread data from the selected Activity Sheet to draw Baseline Cash Flow curve (the period units are coming from the activity spread, and the cost will be derived either from the Cost Sheet column, or from the activity spread.
Baseline curve or Forecast curve when Schedule & distribution are derived from the Activity Sheet and Cost is derived from the Cost Sheet:
You can select the following distribution and cost sources when the data is originating from the Activity Sheet:
Distribution | Cost | Cost per CBS Code |
|---|---|---|
Sheet Name: System Activity Sheet (Activity) Project Type: Current Project Data Source: Planned Total Units | Cost Sheet Column: Assigned Budget | Cost for each unit per CBS Code = Total cost from the Cost Sheet column/ The number of total units. Cost for each period per CBS Code = The number of units * Cost per unit. |
Example
Monthly time scale: Sample monthly unit spread for CBS Code1 which is coming from Planned Total Units in the above scenario:
| January | February | March | April | May | June | July |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CBS Code 1 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
If Total cost per CBS Code1 = $70000, then the cost per unit = $70000/700 = $100 and cost per period will be = 100 * $100 = $10000
Monthly time scale: Sample cost spread for CBS Code1 for each period will be calculated as follows:
| January | February | March | April | May | June | July |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CBS Code 1 | $10000 | $10000 | $10000 | $10000 | $10000 | $10000 | $10000 |
The above Cost spread sample will be distributed in the Baseline Cash Flow curve. If the user selects Sheet Name: Activity Sheet (Resource level), with resource units selected as distribution source, and the cost source is coming from the Cost Sheet column, then sum all of the Planned units for each CBS Code by day which it will be used to distribute the costs. The Cost per unit will be calculated as shown above. The user should be able to select the units spread from either the current project or the Baseline. The cost distribution will be done in the similar way (as shown above) for the other time periods such as yearly scale or financial periods.
Baseline curve or Forecast curve when Schedule & distribution and cost are derived from the Activity Sheet:
You can select the following distribution and cost sources for the data that is originating from the Activity Sheet:
Distribution | Cost | Cost for each unit per CBS Code |
|---|---|---|
Sheet Name: System Activity Sheet (Activity) Project Type: Current Project Data Source: Planned Total Cost | Cost in this case is coming from Planned Total Cost spread data at Activity level for each CBS Code. | The cost will be calculated in the source Activity Sheet itself using the units and assigned role or resource rate at Activity level. Cost for each period per CBS Code: Sum of all planned costs for each CBS Code at activity level. |
The sample cost spread for the CBS Code 1, when the selected Planned Total Cost in the above scenario is as follows:
Note: In this case, the cost spread data will be received from the selected Activity Sheet (either from current project or Baseline).
| January | February | March | April | May | June | July |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CBS Code 1 | $100 | $100 | $100 | $100 | $100 | $100 | $100 |
If you select the new distribution and cost options from the Activity Sheet, then:
- Both the cost and dates will be received from the Activity Sheet spread data.
- The forecast curve, which is set to begin at the end of actuals curve, shows data from the data date instead of the current period.
- You can select distribution from the Activity Sheet and cost from the Cost Sheet column, or manual, so that the cost spread will be calculated using the total spread units from the Activity Sheet, and the total cost received from the Cost Sheet, or entered manually.
- The Project Type drop-down field and the Data Source field enables you to get the units or cost spread from the Activity Sheet current project or baseline. The values for the fields are Planned, At Completion, and Remaining. By default, the Planned options is selected.
- For the Forecast Cash Flow curve, the spread data (units or costs) comes from Planned, At Completion, and Remaining costs or units. In the Forecast Cash Flow curve the default data source is At Completion. The Forecast Cash Flow curve that is set to begin at the end of actuals shows the actuals received as of current date, from the Activity Sheet or from the Cost Sheet column, and the remaining periods show the spread data received from the Activity Sheet (including the redistributed unassigned amount). The unassigned amount is redistributed in the remaining periods, based on the selected weighted average option.
Baseline curve or Forecast worksheet when Schedule, distribution, and cost are derived from the Activity Sheet:
For each CBS Code in the Baseline or Forecast worksheet, when the source is selected as Activity Sheet:
- From Date will be the earliest date (beginning period from the selected Project spread data). This can be either at Activity level or Resource level based on the sheet name that you have selected. Similarly, the dates come from the current project or baseline.
- To Date will be the latest date (from the selected Project spread data). This can be either at Activity level or Resource level based on the sheet name that you have selected. Similarly, the dates come from the current project or baseline.
- From Date and To Date are read-only.
- The Profile column remains empty and will be read-only.
- The Period data shows the costs distributed from the spread.
- The distributed costs can be calculated when units are coming from the Activity Sheet, only (you can bring the costs from the Activity Sheet). The data will be read-only, similar to the data received from the P6 Summary Sheets.
Note: The project picker will not be available in the worksheet. You can see the project picker when you are allowed to pick a project as source. In this case, the data is filtered (in the graph and worksheet) based on the project.
- The worksheet tab enables you to export.
- The Cumulative and Incremental graphs are available.
- The unassigned amount in the Forecast curve, or Baseline curve, is redistributed in the remaining periods, based on weighted average option that you have selected.
Spends Curve and Data Distribution
The following explains:
- When both cost and distribution is coming from Activity Sheet
- When the total actual cost is derived from cost sheet and schedule/distribution is derived from Activity Sheet
When both cost and distribution is coming from Activity Sheet
You can define the Spends curve to get the actuals spread data from the Activity Sheet for the Resource loaded or Cost loaded projects. When you select the Activity Sheet as a source for the Spends curve, Unifier will derive the distribution and actual costs from the Activity Sheet. The actual spread data will be coming from the current project.
The From Date and To Date fields are displayed according to the values of the earlier Actual Start Date and Date which is across the activities, per CBS Code for In progress activities. The From Date and To Date fields are read-only.
Note: The Data Date field value can be in the past, current, or in the future. The Actuals are always shown, until the date of the Data.
The Actuals in periods show the spread data coming from the Activity Sheet that you have selected.
The distribution data is read-only.
The Actual spread data as of the data date is displayed in the Forecast curve worksheet if in the Forecast curve properties, the curve is set to begin at the end of the actuals.
The graph shows both the actuals (cumulative and incremental values).
The Actual spread data per CBS Code will be until the data date. For example, if the Actual Start is 02/10/2020 and Data Date is 08/15/2020, then the Actuals cost spread will be shown until the data date (08/15/2020), in the worksheet.
| From Date | To Date | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CBS Code 1 | 02/10/2020 | 08/15/2020 | $100 | $100 | $100 | $100 | $100 | $100 | $100 |
Forecast with Actuals
When you select the source as Remaining Total Cost, or Remaining Total Units, the remaining spread data will be used as source for the Forecast curve. The Actuals will be seen as of data date, and the remaining spread will start from the data date. For example, in the table above, the month of August will show the Actuals as of date + remaining Forecast data ($700 + $100).
| From Date | To Date | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CBS Code 1 | 08/15/2020 | 04/15/2021 | $800 | $100 | $100 | $100 | $100 | $100 | $100 | $100 | $100 |
When the total actual cost is derived from cost sheet and schedule/distribution is derived from Activity Sheet
You can receive the Actual spread units from the Activity Sheet, and the total payment amount from the Cost Sheet column. In this case, the Actual cost can be calculated as the number of actual units * actual cost per unit. See the following example for the monthly time scale:
| January | February |
|---|---|---|
CBS Code 1 | 50 | 10 |
CBS Code 2 | 0 | 20 |
In this example, if the total actual cost (received from the Cost Sheet column) for CBS Code 1 is $6000, and the CBS Code 2 is $1000, then the actual cost per unit will be as follows:
| January | February |
|---|---|---|
CBS Code 1 | $50000 | $1000 |
CBS Code 2 |
| $1000 |
Additional Information:
- If an Activity Sheet has more than one mapped source projects, then Unifier displays the following message: You cannot view the data because the system activity sheet is mapped to more than one source project with different data dates.
Note: Cash Flow curves will receive data from the System Activity Sheet mapped with multiple source projects, if they all have the same data date.
- If you select an Activity Sheet as a source to one or more Cash Flow curves in the Cash Flow detail curves, then you cannot open the Cash Flow curve in Classic View, and Unifier displays the following message when you try to open a Cash Flow worksheet, or properties, in Standard View: The source for one or more curves is Activity Sheet. You cannot view the curves in Classic View.
- If an Activity Sheet has not been created in the project, then the drop-down field will not display Activity Sheets as an option for the Baseline, Forecast, and Actuals Cash Flow curves.
- The Baseline, Forecast, and Actuals Cash Flow curves show the properties irrespective of the schedule type for the System Activity Sheet. Furthermore, the Sheet Name drop-down field displays manual activity sheets that are created in the project.
- The Cash Flow worksheet does not show the data for the Cash Flow curves that are based on the Activity Sheet, if there is no cost spread or unit spread associated with the activities in the selected Activity Sheet.