Adding a Forecast Curve for Cash Flow by CBS Summary or CBS

To add Forecast curve for cash flow by CBS Summary or CBS:

  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 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)

    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 Forecast to open the Forecast window.

The following explains the details regarding the following selections:

When you select the Summary CBS option in the Detail Level drop-down list (General pane) and in the Curves pane you add Forecast 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

    Lets you 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

    Lets you 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

Lets you 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

    Lets you manually enter the date in the cash flow worksheet.

  • Use dates from Schedule Sheet

    Lets you 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

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

    After you select using dates from an activity sheet, you must 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 lets you select a distribution profile to use as the default distribution profile for the curve.

  • Manual

    Lets you enter values into each field manually.

  • Auto by Default profile CBS

    Click CBS Profile Distribution to open the Distribute by default profile CBS window.

    From the Set Profile drop-down field select a pre-determined method for distribution (from Company Level or Project Level).

    Select one or more WBS codes from the list, and click Update.

    This field lets you select one of 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.

 

 

Begin calculations at the end of curve

Select this option if you want to automatically start the Forecast at the end of a selected Actual (or "spends") curve for each time period.

Select Begin calculations at end of curve, click the drop-down list below, and select your desired option (for example, you can select Actuals (or "spends") curve, if this curve exists in the list).

Replace current period forecast with Actuals on cut off date

If you select this option, and the period close settings have not been specified, the system replaces the Forecast curve with the Actuals (or "spends") curve at the end of the month.

Note: The cumulative graph will not show the Forecast connected to Actuals (or "spends") until the system overwrites the Forecast with the Actuals.

Allow edit of current period forecast until replacement actuals

This option lets you reconfigure the Forecast until the date set to replace the Foretasted values with Actuals (or "spends").

Note: If the cutoff date is not specified, but the Replace current period forecast with Actuals on cut off date and Allow edit of current period forecast until replacement by Actuals options are selected, the system does not allow edits to the Forecast curve after the end of the month.

Distribute unassigned amounts from Spends

Your options for unassigned amounts are:

  • Using weighted average over all remaining periods
  • Using weighted average over ___ next periods

    You can enter the number of time periods (1 or more) not exceeding the number of periods remaining.

The options above are available only if you have chosen to:

  • Select a distribution profile to use as the default distribution profile for the curve.
  • Select Begin calculations at the end of curve option to automatically start the Forecast at the end of a selected Actual (or "spends") curve for each time period.

Select Baseline curve for comparison

Click the drop-down list and select a Baseline curve to compare with the Forecast curve.

Variance

Your choices are:

  • Inflow
  • Outflow

For CBS, typically, the Variance is set to Outflow for an Actuals (Spends) type curve.

The value 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 Baseline curve (from the Curves drop-down list), proceed to set up the following parameters:

Bring Forecast Data From

  • General

    Lets you select to bring data from a general CBS code.

  • Schedule Sheet

    The cash flow by Summary CBS - Forecast does not have this option.

    This option lets you choose a schedule sheet and view the cost distribution information by CBS.

    To use data from schedule sheet, click the select icon to open the Select schedule sheet window and select a schedule sheet name from the drop-down list.

    The selected schedule sheet appears in the Use dates from Schedule Sheet field.

  • 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, Cost and Dates information data come from P6 Summary Sheet (spread), based on the P6 Data Sources.

    A secondary drop-down list, Data Type, contains the data types available: At Completion and Planned.

    If you select At Completion, the system draws the Baseline curve using the At Completion Cost spread.

    If you select Planned, the system draws the Baseline curve using the Planned Cost spread.

  • Activity Sheet
    • Select an activity sheet from the Sheet Name drop-down list.
    • Select a project type from the Project Type drop-down list.

      Note: Cash flow worksheet data will not show accurate amounts when multiple CBS Codes are associated with a single resource. If you assign a resource to multiple activities with multiple CBS codes in the Activity Sheet and the cash flow curve has Baseline selected as the Project Type, the curve data will be incorrect.

    • (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

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

    Lets you 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

    Lets you 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

Lets you 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, the system uses the Master schedule sheet for the project or shell.

Select one of the following options for each date:

  • Manual

    Lets you manually enter the date in the cash flow worksheet.

  • Use dates from Schedule Sheet

    Lets you 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

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

    After you select using dates from an activity sheet, you must 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 lets you select a distribution profile to use as the default distribution profile for the curve.

  • Manual

    Lets you enter values into each field manually.

  • Auto by Default profile CBS

    Click CBS Profile Distribution to open the Distribute by default profile CBS window.

    From the Set Profile drop-down field select a pre-determined method for distribution (from Company Level or Project Level).

    Select one or more WBS codes from the list, and click Update.

    This field lets you select one of the distribution profiles, which are defined in the:

    • Company Workspace > Admin mode > Standards & Libraries > Cash Flow > Distribution Profiles, or
    • <Project or Shell> > 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.

 

 

Variance

Your choices are:

  • Inflow
  • Outflow

For CBS, typically, the Variance is set to Outflow for an Actuals (Spends) type curve.

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


Last Published Sunday, July 20, 2025