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How to Compare Actual vs. Forecast Effectively?

Quickly assess your cashflow performance against planned forecasts for smarter decision-making.

Updated over a month ago

Overview

The Actual vs. Forecast tab displays for each category:

  • Actuals: Sum of paid transactions

  • Forecasts: Planned cashflow values

  • Completion Percentage: Visual progress indicator via color coding

Only current and past offsets are presented, ensuring relevance to your planning.

How to Use the Actual vs. Forecast Page

  1. Access the Tab:
    Log in to Agicap and navigate to the Actual vs. Forecast page.

  2. Interpret the Data:

    • Actuals Column: Shows the sum of your paid transactions.

    • Forecast Column: Displays planned values.

    • Gap to Forecast: Computed as Forecast - Actuals (expected transactions are not included in this view).

    • Completion Percentage:

      • For inflows:

        • Green: Forecast exceeded

        • Red: Forecast not yet reached

        • Grey: Still evolving within current offset

      • For outflows:

        • Red: Forecast exceeded

        • Grey: Otherwise

  3. Review Category Levels:

    • For parent categories with forecasts set at the child level, no percentage is displayed.

    • Negative offsets (past periods) have a gap value of 0.

  4. Export Considerations:
    When exporting the view, note that totals for mother categories are intentionally left empty in the Forecast column due to calculation complexity.

Percentage & Gap Computation Details

  • Basic Computation:
    Gap to Forecast = Forecast − Sum of Paid Transactions

  • For Parent Categories:

    • Individual Mode: Sum the gaps of child categories.

    • Global Mode: Subtract the sum of transactions from the sum of forecast values of child categories.

  • Percentage Formula:

    • If Forecast > 0:

      • If Gap > 0 → Percentage = (1 − Gap/Forecast) × 100

      • If Gap = 0 → Percentage = (Actual Value/Forecast) × 100

    • If Forecast = 0 or not entered, no percentage is displayed.

💡 Tips

  • Quick Check: Use visual color cues to instantly know which categories are performing above or below forecast.

  • Stay Updated: Regularly review the tab to ensure your actuals align with your cashflow planning.

  • Detail Dive: Click on specific categories for more insights if needed.

FAQ ❓

How are percentages calculated?

The percentage is computed based on your forecast and actual values. If a gap exists (Gap > 0), the formula used is (1 − Gap/Forecast) × 100. When the gap is 0, it becomes (Actual Value/Forecast) × 100. For example, if the forecast is 1000 and actuals are 1100, the percentage is 110%.

Why are totals for mother categories left empty in exports?

The export excludes totals for mother categories because the calculation involves combining multiple child category values, resulting in complex computations. This approach keeps the exported data clear and precise.

What do the color codes indicate in the Actual vs. Forecast tab?

For inflows, green shows the forecast has been exceeded, red indicates the forecast is not reached, and grey means the value might still evolve. For outflows, red means the forecast is exceeded while all other percentages appear in grey.

How is the gap to forecast computed for parent categories?

If forecasts are set at the child level, the gap for a parent category is calculated differently depending on the mode:

  • In Individual Mode, it’s the sum of child gaps.

  • In Global Mode, it’s the sum of child forecasts minus the sum of child transactions.
    Negative offsets always result in a gap of 0.

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