Cost sheet forecasting is designed to leverage the YTB and AFC data sources. If your company’s forecast process uses the YTB and AFC data sources then you may configure Unifier to automatically reduce the YTB as you accept commits into the forecast.
In the following example Total Commits is at $4,000, Yet To Buy is at $2,000, Pending Forecasts (i.e. Forecasts (Unaccepted)) is at $2,000, and Forecasts is at $2,000.
When the $2,000 in the Pending Forecasts column is accepted into the Forecasts column, then the Yet To Buy decreases by that amount.
Here we see the amounts in Yet To Buy and Pending Forecasts are reduced and the amount in Forecasts is increased. The Yet To Buy value may never go below zero.
If designed to do so, the line item commitment may increase the YTB instead of reducing it. For example, if you have a change commit that adds scope to a project, when that change commit is approved you may want to add scope to the YTB.
If your company’s forecast process does not use YTB or AFC, you may still use cost sheet forecasting. When the Yet To Buy column is added to the cost sheet, column details will show any actions previously taken with the YTB.
To manually adjust YTB and AFC
- Click the link in the cost sheet cell to open the Cell Detail window.
In any column built with the Forecast(Unaccepted) data source, the Cell Detail window will have an Include in Forecast button.
- Select the line item in the Transactions log and then click Include in Forecast.
The Select Adjustment Option window is now available.
- Select Manually adjust YTB and AFC. The Forecast Adjustment window opens.
- To include items in Transactions in the forecast:
- Select a line item.
- In the Action field select Mark. Unifier refreshes the sheet.
- Repeat the last step and select Include marked in Forecast.
The option Include marked in Forecast changes the status of any marked transactions to Accepted and becomes a data source for use in the forecast, if included in the Forecast formula.
Manual actions taken are not validated; you can include a value in the forecast without touching the YTB or AFC.