FD4Cast is an "industrial strength forecasting and budgeting system" constructed within MS Excel. The system is designed and constructed using VBA programming that quickly creates user-friendly and robust MS Excel 2007 spreadsheet models in a very rugged fashion based on a formal definition language and methodology.
Models are constructed from a template which allows users to quickly and easily create as many different models as they wish. However, in the majority of cases, a personalised "turn-key" consultancy solution is provided (usually onsite) whereby a business user is delivered a fully-functional model, completely integrated with their existing nominal accounts ledgers via either VB.Net or SQL scripts which drag historical and budgetary data into the model from accounts databases.
Industrial Strength
FD4Cast achieves its "industrial strength" by addressing MS Excel's two key weaknesses – first, the varying quality of hand-crafted models built by untrained users; second, the difficulty of integrating spreadsheets together into a single database to produce P&L, Balance Sheet and Cash Flow reports. By way of its former ICAEW accreditation, all models are essentially "Pre-Audited" and therefore outputs from the standard reports can be relied upon with absolute confidence.
Construction and Configuration
Total construction and configuration time (either by the user or installer) is estimated to be around 30 minutes or less per model. Every FD4Cast model includes (as standard) all the required forecasting elements, from sales forecasts, debtor collections, accruals & prepayments, accrued and deferred income, operating expense budgets, working capital modelling, capital expenditure and depreciation analysis, through to loans, leases, trade debtor financing, etc., all being summarised in traditional Cash Flow analysis, Profit and Loss and Balance Sheet format.
Reporting Requirements
Unlike 'black box' modelling applications, the workbooks created can be extended by the user by using MS Excel in the normal way. Included in this main part (which is protected so that the user cannot accidentally corrupt the formulae) is a selection of Standard Summary and Detailed Reports for Profit and Loss, Balance Sheet, and Cash Flow. There is also a second part, comprising of unprotected blank sheets on which the user can, for example, create their own custom reports by linking via formulae from the standard reports.
