Adding Actuals (Spends) Curve for Cash Flow by CBS Summary or CBS
To add an Actuals (or "spends") curve for cash flow by Summary CBS or CBS
- Go to your project or shell (User mode).
This is the project or shell that contains the cash flow that you want.
- In the left Navigator, expand the Cost Manager node.
- 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.
- Select the cash flow from the Cash Flow log.
- Click the gear menu ( ) and click the Properties option to open the Cash Flow Properties window (or the Cash Flow Properties worksheet).
- In the Cash Flow Properties window General pane, ensure that either Summary CBS (for summary CBS codes) option or CBS (for cash flow by individual CBS codes) 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)
- In the Cash Flow Properties window Curves pane, click the Curves drop-down list and select Actuals to open the Actuals (Curves Type: Spends) window.
The following explains the details regarding the following selections:
- Summary CBS
- CBS
When you select the Summary CBS option in the Detail Level drop-down list (General pane) and in the Curves pane you add Actuals (or "spends") curve (from the Curves drop-down list), proceed to set up the following parameters:
Cost
You can choose the cost column when creating a curve in a project or shell but not in templates (because there is no cost sheet to reference in a template).
(Required) Lets you select a cost sheet column (for example: Approved Budget Revisions, Approved Commitment Changes, and so forth).
If you are creating a detail curve template, you will not be able to add an Actuals (or "spends") curve.
Set Effective Date for CBS
The data of the curve before this date will not be included in the cash flow.
(Optional) Indicate whether you want to set an effective date for the Cost Based Schedule (CBS) code.
For setting the date for CBS and Summary CBS type cash flow curves, see the information below.
Variance
This is set, typically, to Outflow for an Actuals (or "spends") curve.
This will be used to calculate variances against the Inflow type curves.
When you select the CBS option in the Detail Level drop-down list (General pane) and in the Curves pane you add Actuals (or "spends") curve (from the Curves drop-down list), proceed to set up the following parameters:
Bring Actuals Data From
Your options are:
- Generic
Enables you to select to bring data from a general CBS code.
- P6 Summary Sheet
The cash flow by Summary CBS - Actuals does not have this option.
The data picker lists all the P6 data sources. The P6 data sources are listed the Cashflow Datasources window (Company Workspace > Admin mode > Standards & Libraries > Cash Flow > Data Sources).
This option is not available (greyed out) when the project or shell Schedule Type = Duration Based.
If you select this option, the system draws the Actuals (or "spends") curve by using the Actual Cost spread from the selected P6 data source.
- Activity Sheet
Select an activity sheet from the Sheet Name drop-down list.
Select a project type from the Project Type drop-down list.
(Required) Select your cost source from the Cost drop down list. Your options are:
- From Activity Sheet Column
- From Cost Sheet Column
(Required) Select the schedule and distribution method from the Schedule & Distribution drop-down list.
Cost
You can choose the cost column when creating a curve in a project or shell but not in templates (because there is no cost sheet to reference in a template).
(Required) Lets you select a cost sheet column (for example: Approved Budget Revisions, Approved Commitment Changes, and so forth).
If you are creating a detail curve template, you will not be able to add an Actuals (or "spends") curve.
Set Effective Date for CBS
The data of the curve before this date will not be included in the cash flow.
(Optional) Indicate whether you want to set an effective date for the Cost Based Schedule (CBS) code.
For setting the date for CBS and Summary CBS type cash flow curves, see the information below.
Variance
This is set, typically, to Outflow for an Actuals (or "spends") curve.
This will be used to calculate variances against the Inflow type curves.
CBS and Summary CBS Type Cash Flow Curves (Actuals)
For CBS and Summary CBS type cash flow curves, where the data is coming from cost sheet, if you do not want the Actuals amounts to be used until a certain date, so that the cash flow is accurate, you can set an effective date for the cash flow curve.
Either after you have created a cash flow worksheet, or you have an existing cash flow worksheet, to determine to whether set an effective date for CBS and Summary CBS type cash flow curves:
- In the Cash Flow log, click the gear menu ( ) of your CBS, or Summary CBS, type cash flow and select Properties.
- In the Cash Flow Properties window, open the Actuals curve.
- In the Actuals window, click the Set Effective Date for CBS drop-down field and select one of the following choices:
- No (Default value)
- Yes
If you select No, then the effective date will remain as is.
If you select Yes, then the Define Effective Dates option will appear on the Actuals window. This date represents the date from which the Actuals data are included in the cash flow curve.
- Click the Define Effective Dates option to open the Define Date per CBS window.
- In the Define Date per CBS window, select the CBS items that you must set an effective date for. You can select one or more rows (CBS codes) and bulk select the date time.
- Select a date and time (in the Select Date Time field).
The effective date serves as a cut-off date and time. Any data before this effective date (time) will not be included in cash flow curve.
The Variance calculations and the Forecast curve calculations will retain the data of Actuals curve.
The Distribution profiles of the Forecast curve will also use the effective date as the start for the Actuals.
If the cash flow is used for rollup, then the cash flow data will roll up, considering the effective date.
The date reset options (Remove Effective Dates) enables you clear the effective date, from the selected CBS codes.
Shell templates that contain CBS and Summary CBS type cash flow curves (Actuals) with a set effective date can be used to update existing shell templates.
You can set effective date (date and time) for CBS and Summary CBS type cash flow curves (Actuals) in a shell template, instead of defining the dates for every new curve individually, and push the template.
When integrated with Web Services, the effective date can be included in order to help the users create the cash flow curve directly, without having to change the dates in Unifier.
Last Published Sunday, July 20, 2025