Financial Planning and Analysis: Monthly Cash Flow Forecast Modelling

This DIXONTECH course provides a comprehensive understanding of Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A) with a special focus on monthly cash flow forecasting. Participants will learn how to build accurate, dynamic cash flow models that drive informed decision-making, liquidity planning, and financial performance tracking. The course emphasizes forecasting methodologies, scenario analysis, and Excel-based modeling techniques applied to real business situations.

TRAINING TOPICS

• Foundations of FP&A and Forecasting Principles
• Monthly Cash Flow Modeling Structure and Techniques
• Revenue, Expense, and Working Capital Forecasting
• Scenario and Sensitivity Analysis for Decision Support
• Reporting, Visualization, and Financial Insights

By the end of this training course, delegates will be able to:

• Build accurate monthly cash flow forecast models
• Integrate FP&A techniques into financial planning
• Analyze liquidity and funding requirements effectively
• Perform scenario and sensitivity analysis in Excel
• Enhance financial decision-making with data-driven insights
• Present dynamic cash flow dashboards for management
• Improve organizational cash management efficiency

TRAINING IS TAILORED TO:

• Financial planning and analysis professionals
• Corporate finance managers and controllers
• Treasury and cash management specialists
• Accountants and financial analysts
• Budgeting and forecasting officers
• Business owners and entrepreneurs
• Project finance and investment analysts

TRAINING METHODOLOGY

This hands-on course combines lectures, real-life case studies, and Excel-based workshops. Participants will construct complete monthly cash flow forecast models, perform stress testing, and develop scenario-driven analyses to improve liquidity planning and financial stability in their organizations.

DAY 1

INTRODUCTION TO FINANCIAL PLANNING AND ANALYSIS (FP&A)

• Overview of FP&A roles and objectives
• Financial planning cycle and forecasting process
• Linking strategic goals to financial forecasts
• Data sources and financial model inputs
• Forecasting accuracy and reliability metrics
• FP&A in corporate performance management
• Case study: designing a forecasting framework

DAY 2

CASH FLOW FORECASTING PRINCIPLES AND STRUCTURE

• Importance of cash flow forecasting in organizations
• Understanding direct vs. indirect cash flow methods
• Mapping inflows and outflows categories
• Cash conversion cycle and working capital drivers
• Linking P&L and balance sheet to cash flow
• Forecast timeframes: monthly, quarterly, annual
• Setting up the structure for forecast models

DAY 3

BUILDING MONTHLY CASH FLOW FORECAST MODELS IN EXCEL

• Model design and worksheet setup techniques
• Using Excel formulas and dynamic ranges
• Projecting cash inflows and outflows
• Managing short-term liquidity and funding needs
• Rolling forecast and cumulative cash tracking
• Linking actuals with forecast updates
• Practical exercise: developing a forecast model

DAY 4

SCENARIO AND SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS

• Building multiple forecast scenarios (base, best, worst)
• Using Excel Data Tables for sensitivity testing
• Stress-testing cash flow assumptions
• Scenario-driven decision-making and contingency plans
• Key financial ratios for cash performance evaluation
• Case study: analyzing business cash flow resilience
• Visualizing results through Excel dashboards

DAY 5

REPORTING, VISUALIZATION, AND DECISION SUPPORT

• Designing management dashboards for cash flow
• Creating visual analytics with charts and KPIs
• Presenting monthly forecasts to senior management
• Linking cash flow to budgeting and long-term plans
• Interpreting model results for strategic decisions
• Improving accuracy through automation and controls
• Capstone project: complete monthly cash flow model presentation