Adding a Baseline Curve for Cash Flow by Project or Shell

To add a Baseline curve for cash flow by project or shell:

  1. Go to your project or shell (User mode).

    This is the project or shell that contains the cash flow that you want.

  2. From the left Navigator, click the Cost Manager node to expand.
  3. Click the Cash Flow sub-node to open the Cash Flow log window (the Cash Flow log).

    The Cash Flow log is the starting place for cash flow operations. The log displays all existing cash flow curves and also provides options for creating new curves, copying curves, viewing curve properties, and assigning curve usage privileges to other users.

  4. Select the cash flow from the Cash Flow log window.
  5. Click the gear menu and click the Properties option to open the Cash Flow Properties window (or the Cash Flow Properties worksheet).
  6. In the Cash Flow Properties window General pane, ensure that the Project/Shell option is selected from the Detail Level drop-down list. The options under the Detail Level drop-down list are:
    • Project/Shell
    • Summary CBS
    • CBS
    • Business Process (Commitments)

    When you select the Project/Shell option in the Detail Level drop-down list, you have the option to filter for either the CBS Codes, or filter for the Summary CBS Codes.

  7. In the Cash Flow Properties window Curves pane, click the Curves drop-down list and select Baseline to open the Baseline window.
  8. Complete the fields in this window by using the following information. When finished click Save & Close to save your work and open the cash flow worksheet that you have added.

When you select the Project/Shell option in the Detail Level drop-down list (General pane) and in the Curves pane you add Baseline curve (from the Curves drop-down list), proceed to set up the following parameters:

Cost

Note: You can choose the cost column when creating a curve in a project or shell but not in templates.

Select one of the following options:

  • Manual

    Enables you to manually enter amounts for each period. This option will be available if you have chosen Manual in the Distribution drop-down list.

    You can enter cost information in the Total field on the worksheet.

  • Distribute amount from Cost Sheet Column

    Enables you to use the default distribution profile. This option will be available if you have chosen Auto by default profile in the Distribution drop-down list

    Examples of column:

    Approved Budget Revisions, Approved Commitment Changes, Approved Contracts, and so forth.

Schedule

Enables you to define the range of dates (what dates to start the curve and end the curve) to use to plot the cash flow data.

Note: If you choose to take dates from the schedule sheet elements, then Unifier uses the Master schedule sheet for the project or shell.

Select one of the following options for each date:

  • Manual

    Enables you to manually enter the date in the cash flow worksheet.

  • Use dates from Schedule Sheet

    Enables you to select a schedule sheet (from the Select schedule sheet drop-down). You can populate the From and To dates according to the schedules available (Example: Actual Start Date and Actual Finish Date) pertinent to the schedule sheet that you have selected for the Select schedule sheet drop-down.

    If these dates are changed on the selected schedule sheet, then the changes will be reflected on cash flow after the next refresh of the curves.

  • Use dates from Activity Sheet

    Enables you to select an activity sheet (from the Select Activity Sheet window).

    Once you select using dates from an activity sheet, then you need to determine the values for the Project Type, From Date, and To Date fields.

Distribution

Distribution profiles are used to distribute data automatically in the cash flow worksheet. This option enables you to select a distribution profile to use as the default distribution profile for the curve.

Select one of the following options for how to distribute the data automatically between cash flow time periods:

  • Manual

    Enables you to enter values into each field manually.

  • Company Level

    Enables you to select a pre-determined method for distribution. Your options are:

    • Linear
    • S curve
    • Front Loaded
    • Back Loaded
  • Project Level

    Enables you to select from a list of available project levels.

The distribution profiles are defined in the:

  • Company Workspace > Admin mode > Standards & Libraries > Cash Flow > Distribution Profiles, or
  • <Project or shell> > User mode > Cost Manager > Cash Flow > Cash Flow log > Actions > Manage Distribution Profiles.

The default profile is used for the initial display and calculations in the cash flow worksheet. You can change the distribution profile from the worksheet. If you do this, the default profile will automatically update to reflect the current selection.

When you build a Baseline curve for individual line items, the Schedule of Value (SOV) type influences the distribution options.

  • If the SOV lists individual line items by CBS you can distribute cost for each line item individually.
  • If the SOV groups line items, you cannot distribute cost for each line item individually.

Variance

Your choices are:

  • Inflow
  • Outflow

For Project/Shell, typically, the Variance is set to Inflow for a Baseline type curve.

The value will be used to calculate variances against the Outflow type curves.


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Last Published Tuesday, April 1, 2025