Adding a Forecast Curve for Cash Flow by Project or Shell

To add Actuals (or "spends") 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. 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 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 Forecast to open the Forecast 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 Forecast curve (from the Curves drop-down list), proceed to set up the following parameters:

Cost

Note: The distribution method that you select determines the Cost options that are available.

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

This parameter enables you to plot the cash flow data. You can select one of the following options:

  • Manual
  • 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.

    After you select Use dates from Schedule Sheet, you must determine the values for the From Date and To Date fields.

  • Use dates from Activity Sheet

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

    After you select Use dates from 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.

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

  • Manual

    Lets you enter values into each field manually and therefore distribute the amount form the cost sheet column.

  • Company Level

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

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

    Lets you select from a list of available project levels.

    Note: If the initial Forecast uses a distribution profile, and it has a configuration start at the end of Actuals (or "spends"), then the profile does not impact the Forecast distribution when you receive Actuals (or "spends").

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 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.

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.


Last Published Sunday, July 20, 2025