My Spreadsheet Is Faster!... Is it??
By Geof Nightingale – Director
We understand that you have spent hours carefully designing and creating your budget spreadsheet template and you have finally managed to complete that pesky formula to link the cash inflow to your Cashflow.
But there is an easier, less time-consuming way!
A purpose-built budget and forecasting solution like Forecast 5 takes on a significant amount of processing well beyond what a spreadsheet does.
Forecast 5, purpose-built for budgeting.
With Forecast 5, every record you create allows you to enter your budget in many ways, all with corresponding calculations, e.g. calculate by units, profile, as percentage of sales/costs, etc. These record derivations then automatically calculate through to all the relevant sections such as Cashflow, GST, debtors and Balance Sheet.
For example, when we change a figure in the sales record for January, Forecast 5 does not just change the sales total for the year, it also updates the cash and the other budget figures. In addition, a range of balances are recalculated and updated. These are all reflected into the reported figures, ensuring the integrated reports (P&L, Cashflow, Balance Sheet and Funds Flow) are in balance.
Just as easily you can run What If scenarios, enter your actual figures, consolidate multiple entities, create budgets with foreign or multiple currencies, update rolling budget values for each record and extend up to 15 years. Simplifying the budgeting process is what Forecast 5 is designed to do!
How does a spreadsheet compare?
Spreadsheets are single dimension product compared to a 4D software solution. Forecast 5 has a pre-built metric template, spreadsheets are a flat, empty grid. With spreadsheets, you must table everything to get a total. You must subtotal each section with auto-sum or complicated formulas which are prone to mistakes. You must check and recheck each time a change is made that your calculations are correct. You must remember to determine how to handle the Cashflow, Profit & Loss items, Capital Expenditure and other Balance Sheet movements. You must not forget shareholders drawings or loan repayments. A bit overwhelming isn’t it?
It is clear to see that a purpose-built budgeting tool is reduces time spent working on a budget and is a quicker choice than a spreadsheet. Why not invest in a tool that takes all these strains and fears away and improve your work life?
Don’t get trapped in the never-ending cycle of panic and uncertainty. Invest your time wisely and move beyond spreadsheets to the most comprehensive budgeting software available, Forecast 5.
Forecast 5 can assist with re-focusing your business activities, enabling you to work smarter. A purpose-built budgeting and cashflow solution that is easy to use, affordable yet comprehensive and accurate.
Forecast 5 is the smarter solution.
Contact us today to book in a demo or click to download a free 21-day trial.
