The cash flow Properties window contains six tabs:
- General
Specify timescale, detail level, and period close settings that will apply to all curves you create on the Curves tab.
- Curves
Create the family of curves (Baseline, Forecast, Actual (or Spends), Portfolio Budget, Derived, and Custom curves) to be added to the Detail Curve Cash Flow WorkSheet. You can add multiple curves to the worksheet. Each curve must be associated with a data source, which is defined by an administrator. Curves are color-coded based on data source.
- Filter
Specify CBS codes or Summary CBS codes (for hierarchical CBS structures only) that are included in the cash flow data. If no codes are specified, cash flow curves will reflect all CBS codes present on the project cost sheet.
- Options
Specify format for numbers displayed on the Cash Flow WorkSheet.
- Schedule
Enable automatic refresh of the cash flow curve or specify a refresh schedule.
- Summary
Displays the default summary tab within the tab.
The Properties descriptions below apply to Baseline, Forecast, Actual (or Spends), Portfolio Budget, Derived, and Custom curves. The descriptions were written to familiarize you with available cash flow capabilities.
For Cash Flow by Project/Shell Detail Level
- Curves tab
Distribute amount from cost sheet column field and From/To Dates. This is where you add the curves based on available data sources.
- Baseline, Forecast, Portfolio Budget, Derived, and Custom curves
If you want to automatically distribute a Cost amount from a cost column, the column must be selected in the Project/Shell. You can choose a curve for a Project/Shell template as long as you are creating a new Project/Shell from the template and are copying both the curve and the cost sheet.
- Actuals (or Spends) curve
Because you must select a cost sheet column associated with Spends data in the Project/Shell, a Spends curve can only be created in a Project/Shell (or similar to the above, in a project/shell template). You will not be able to add a Spends curve in a company-level template.
- Forecast curve
If you define Forecast to start a the end of the Spends curve, the Forecast options use data from the Spends curve. Forecast options can only be set if a Spends curve is present.
- Portfolio Budget curve
The Portfolio Budget curve shows current project-row plan data from a Portfolio Sheet. When plan data changes, it becomes visible in the cash flow graph as a parallel curve so project managers can clearly see the variance between their projections and portfolio planner-initiated changes.
- From Date and To Date
These fields can be set up to pull start and finish dates from the master schedule sheet in the project or shell. These can be selected in a project or shell template. At runtime, be sure the master schedule sheet is set up and has dates in the date element fields chosen for the curves.
Note: In manual mode, Unifier pegs cost data distribution to the From Date. If there are date changes, Unifier shifts the curve on the timeline based on From Date modifications. Each time period (month or year) on the curve retains the value of the original distribution as long as the duration remains the same. If date changes make the cash flow curve duration longer or shorter, Unifier will not re-balance or redistribute cost data to match the modified curve length (the data will change.)
For Cash Flow by CBS Detail Level
Curves tab
Use dates from Schedule Sheet field - Effective for the baseline curve only, you can view cost distribution information by CBS code in a schedule sheet.
The properties window for each curve type displays these settings:
- Distribute amount from cost sheet column field and From/To Date fields. This is similar to Cash Flow by Project/Shell Detail Level above.
- Auto by default profile by CBS field.
For Baseline, Forecast and Custom curves, you cannot select "Auto by default profile by CBS" in a company template, but you can in the project/shell, since this setting relies on the CBS codes used in the project or shell. You can choose it for a project/shell template as long as you are creating a new project or shell from the template and are copying both the curve and the cost sheet.
Note: You won't be able to double-click the CBS Summary to view the CBS details.
For Cash Flow by Summary CBS Detail Level
Curves tab
Distribute amount from cost sheet column field and From/To Date fields. This is similar to Cash Flow by CBS Detail Level above.
Curves tab
Auto by default profile by Summary CBS field. Similar to CBS detail level, for Baseline, Forecast and Custom curves, you cannot select "Auto by default profile by Summary CBS" in a company template, but you can in the Project/Shell, and a Project/Shell template as long as you are creating a new project or shell from the template and are copying both the curve and the cost sheet.
For Cash Flow by Commitment Detail Level
General tab
- Business Process and Base Commit Record fields.
- For a Commitment detail level, you must select the base commit type business process to use. Be sure that you selected business processes that are being used in the Project/Shell.
- In the Base Commit Record field, you must select the record at runtime. This is not selectable in the template, since records do not exist in templates. The list displays all records you have permission to view. If a detail curve already exists for that record, you will not be able to choose the same record again.
- Curves tab, Include Change Commits and Spends Business Process.
If you chose these options, ensure that you have selected Change Commits that are being used in the Project/Shell, and are associated with the selected Base Commit.
Note: If the cash flow is attached to a Portfolio Manager scenario, the planner-modified baseline curve appears adjacent to the original baseline in the Cash Flow WorkSheet. This lets the project Manager easily spot the difference between the initial projection and the planned suggestion.