Adding a Baseline Curve for Cash Flow by Business Process (Commitments)

A Commitment BP (such as a Base Commit or a Change Commit) is a sub-type of a Cost type BP.

You can build one Baseline curve per Business Process (Commitments) record.

To add a Baseline curve for cash flow by Business Process (Commitments)

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

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

  2. In the left Navigator, expand the Cost Manager node.
  3. Click the Cash Flow sub-node to open 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.
  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 a record under the Business Process (Commitments) label 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)
  7. In the Cash Flow Properties window Curves pane, click the Curves drop-down list, and select Baseline to open the Baseline window.

When you select the Business Process (Commitments) option in the Detail Level drop-down list, and a Base Commit record (from Select Base Commit Record) in the General pane, and in the Curves pane you add Baseline curve (from the Curves drop-down list), proceed to set up the following parameters:

Granularity

The cash flow Granularity option that you select determines the:

  • Distribution Method options that are available.
  • Level of record detail available in the cash flow curve.

You can roll up Base Commit and Change Commit and see individual records separately, or you can drill to individual line items in a Business Process (Commitments) record.

The options that you can select from are:

  • Single distribution of sum of base commit and all changes: Selecting this option limits the Distribution Method to Manual entry of values per cash flow period.

    In User mode, you must open the cash flow details window to complete time scale fields and distribute the rolled up values of the Base Commit record and any Change Commit records.

  • By individual record (base commit and all changes separately): Selecting this option lets you choose from the following options for the Distribution Method:
    • Manual entry of values per cash flow period: Use this option to enter the time scale manually and to distribute costs.
    • Manual Dates and manual profile selection: Use this option to enter the time scale manually and select a distribution curve.
    • Business process dates and default profile selection: Use this option to select the time scale from fields on the business process.

      Click Details to open the selection window. Use this option to enter dates manually and select a distribution profile. In User mode, the curve data is read-only, but you can change the distribution profile. This selection requires a sub-selection.

      There are four columns in the Auto Distribution window:

      • Business Process: The list comes from the Cost-type business processes available in your company.
      • From Data Element: Select the date on which you want the distribution to start. You can only select a Date element from the Upper Forms and not from the Business Process Detail forms.
      • To Data Element: Select the date on which you want the distribution to end.
      • Default Profile: If desired, select a pre-defined profile.
  • By line items within each individual record: Selecting this option lets you select from the following Distribution Method options:
    • Manual entry of values per cash flow period: Use this option to select record line items. In User mode you can:
      • See each selected line item in the cash flow details window; the columns come from the business process.
      • Select a profile on the detail window for each line.
      • Select the distribution profile manually.
    • Manual Dates and manual profile selection: Use this option to enter the time scale manually and select a distribution curve.

Distribution Method

The Cash Flow Granularity option that you select determines the Distribution Method options that are available, as described earlier, and the level of record detail available in the cash flow curve.

By default, the system displays Business Process (Commitments) curve cost data in the record transaction currency, which is stored in project currency (using the active currency exchange rate table).

If the transaction currency is different from the project currency, you can change the currency view between transaction and project currencies, but you can only edit data in the transaction currency.

If there is a more recent value in the exchange rate table, refreshing the curve will refresh the cost data.

For more information, see Transaction Currency in Baseline Curve for Cash Flow by Business Process (Commitments).

Select change orders you want to include

Add or remove business process from the list.

Add Change Commit BPs, according to the status.

These line items are also seen in the cash flow curve details window.

Variance

Your choices are:

  • Inflow
  • Outflow

For Business Process (Commitments), 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.


Last Published Sunday, July 20, 2025