Forecasting data is pulled from across Coins ERP+ (filtered by the Land Management system) when new forecasts are created on the Forecast Workbench. The workbench uses screen layouts devised in user-definable forecast models. Data on the Forecast Workbench can be filtered according to its model type, using the Forecast Model selector at the bottom of the screen.
Forecasts can be created either at company or company group level.
To create a new forecast:
Go to Forecast Models to set up the forecast models you want to use. This determines the type of forecast, the views it consists of, and which are key views.
Forecasting Details
Details - This area is used to set the parameters for the forecast. Within the Details menu, the currently selected option is surrounded with an orange outline.
Forecast Detail - The Forecast Detail view displays the header details entered when the forecast was created. To amend the screen, use
on the bottom-left.
companies - When updating a group forecast, there will be an extra option on the Details menu: companies.
The companies included in the forecast are determined by the forecast model and cannot be changed from here. However, this screen provides a summary of the current forecast information for each of the companies included.
Current Sites
The Current Sites screen shows details of the developments within Land Management that are available to be incorporated into the forecast.
Against each site the number of the Cashflow Appraisal is displayed (if applicable).
You can include or exclude sites from the forecast by using the action at the bottom of the screen.
To add one or more sites:
Highlight the ones you require and select Add Site to Forecast :
The Appraisal Used and Included? columns will have been updated :
You can remove a site again by selecting Remove Site from Forecast.
If the appraisal to be used in Forecasting changes, you can update the forecast using the Update Site Appraisal Used option.
Only sites with a Cashflow Appraisal can be included in a forecast.
Model Sites
Model Sites allows developments to be added to the forecast that represent future developments, even though the sites themselves may not have been identified yet.
Unlike current sites, Land Management model sites are appraisals that are not based on real development opportunities, but model the kind of sites that are expected to be completed in the future. Over a longer term forecast, future sites may not have been identified but these can still be cash flowed and included in Forecasting.
To add Model Sites
Select the site to be used from the drop-down list. The cashflow appraisal attached to that site will be used in the forecast.
Select the month and year in which the model site is scheduled to start (this is independent of any start date used in Land Management).
Add model sites to a forecast using
.
The following fields become available for update:
Setting up Model Sites
Adding sites in this way, by choosing them from Land Management, allows the same model to be used more than once in a forecast so that it is not necessary to create more than one model of the same size and scope.
Current Contracts
Current contracts allows data from other Coins ERP+ contracts that are not developments to be incorporated into a forecast.
To include current contracts:
Select the sites you want to include.
Select sites for inclusion using the action at the bottom of the screen.
You can remove sites again by choosing Remove Contract from Forecast.
Additional Items Update
The user-defined list of additional items can be maintained using this option.
Additional items represent general and overhead costs that are not included in individual site appraisals. The list is unlimited and can be used to model any significant cost.
The screen allows up to six periods to be updated in one go. Use the Goto? option or arrow keys at the top to move to later or earlier periods.
To update individual cells:
Click
at the bottom of the screen to open the matrix.Update the values in individual cells as appropriate.
Click
to store all of the new values in the grid.
To update multiple cells with the same value:
Click
at the bottom of the screen to open the matrix.tick the cells to be updated.
Select Set Element Value from Choose Element Action?.
A box will appear to allow the required value to be entered:
Update the screen by clicking
:
Click
to store all of the new values in the grid.
To update one or more items over a time period:
Click
at the bottom of the screen to open the matrix.Select Set Element Value from the Choose Matrix Action? option.
A box will appear to allow the required values and time periods to be entered:
Update the screen by clicking
. 
Click
to store all of the new values in the grid.
Cells that have changed are flagged with a red marker.
Contract Items Updates
Contract items represent individual segments of cost or revenue data that are to be included in forecasts from contracts that are not in Land Management. contract Items Update allows you to update these values.
To update individual cells:
Click
at the bottom of the screen to open the matrix.Update the values in individual cells as appropriate.
Click
to store all of the new values in the grid.
To update multiple cells with the same value:
Click
at the bottom of the screen to open the matrix.tick the cells to be updated.
Select Set Element Value from Choose Element Action?.
A box will appear to allow the required value to be entered:
Update the screen by clicking
:Click
to store all of the new values in the grid.
To update entire lines between specified dates:
Click
at the bottom of the screen to open the matrix.Select Set Element Value from the Choose Matrix Action? option.
A box will appear to allow you to enter the required values and time periods:
In the Contract field, enter a can-do list of contracts for which the selected items will be updated.
Update the screen by clicking
.Click
to store all of the new values in the grid.
Cells that have changed are flagged with a red marker.
What If Scenarios
What If scenarios are an optional list of potential happenings that can have an impact upon the data in a forecast. The types of scenario that can be applied are fixed, but for each it is possible to specify the timing and rate of the impact they model. Each can be applied to be forecast more than once.
The available types are:
What If | Description |
Actual Site Delay | Enables the user to apply a specified delay (in months) to a particular Land Management site within the forecast. |
Additional Item Inflation | Allows inflation to be applied to one or more additional items within the forecast. |
Contract Delay | Enables the user to apply a specified delay (in months) to a particular contract within the forecast. |
Contract Item Inflation | Allows inflation to be applied to one or more contract items for a can-do list of contracts within the forecast. |
Interest Rate Change | Allows the rate of interest used for finance calculations within the forecast to be changed. |
Model Site Delay | Enables the user to apply a specified delay (in months) to a particular Land Management model site within the forecast. |
Site Cost Inflation | Allows inflation to be applied to the income from Land Management sites within the forecast. |
Site Income Inflation | Allows inflation to be applied to the costs for Land Management sites within the forecast. |
Against each What If there is a flag, Include in Calculation, that determines whether or not that particular scenario will be applied to the forecast when the values are recalculated to take into account What Ifs. This can also be set for more than one scenario at once using an action (at the bottom of the screen).
The rates for changes to inflation and interest are set using the What If Rates screen once that particular What If scenario has been selected for inclusion in the forecast. For each item requiring a rate there is an option against the scenario that determines whether or not the rate is annualised.
What If Rates
The What If Rates option is used to set the altered inflation and interest rates for selected What If scenarios. Once the rates are set, they can be applied to a forecast using the Options menu.
To update individual cells:
Click
at the bottom of the screen to open the matrix.Update the values in individual cells as appropriate.
Click
to store all of the new values in the grid.
To update multiple cells with the same value:
Click
at the bottom of the screen to open the matrix.tick the cells to be updated.
Either:
To replace values in the selected cells, choose Set Element Value from Choose Element Action?.
To increase the values in the selected cells by a fixed amount, choose Uplift Current Rates from Choose Element Action...
A box will appear to allow you to enter the required value.
Update the screen by clicking
:Click
to store all of the new values in the grid.
To update entire lines between specified dates:
Click
at the bottom of the screen to open the matrix.Do one of the following:
To replace the values for selected scenarios, choose Set Element Value from the Choose Matrix Action? option.
To increase the values in selected interest rate scenarios, choose Uplift Interest Rates from the Choose Matrix Action? option.
To increase the values in selected scenarios by a fixed amount, choose Uplift Current Rates from the Choose Matrix Action? option.
A box will appear to allow you to enter the required values and time periods:
Update the screen by clicking
.Click
to store all of the new values in the grid.
Cells that have changed are flagged with a red marker.
More Details
The More tab allows you to select the minor forecast views you wish to look at. The number and scope of the options within this menu is, therefore, entirely dependent on the forecast model configuration underlying the forecast being viewed.
In the example below, six non-key views have been configured:
More Details
Set up additional views using the Views tab in Forecast Models. Do not tick the Key View field.