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Cashflow Wizard embraces 'rugged logic'

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24th Jun 2005
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The Cashflow Wizard online business planning tool available through AccountingWEB has gone through a major upgrade in response to feedback and suggestions from more than 9,000 users.

"In short, we've taken the tried and tested Cashflow Wizard engine and added a whole set of tools to enable business forecasting specialists to add further value to the models that the server builds for them," Cashflow Wizard developer Geoff Bristow told AccountingWEB.

Cashflow Wizard is an online service that allows people to construct Excel business models by entering answers into an interactive questionnaire. As Bristow explained, it can be designed as a quick way to construct business plans, forecasting models, or cashflow projections for investment appraisals - all of which are likely to be used by accountants.

Users can download a free ready made forecast model for evaluation and convert it to a working edition with a variety of payment options. For £49, you get a model limited to one or two years (depending on the time increments) and a £150 payment gives you forecast models for up to three years by month. A £250 payment gives you a model tailor-made to your requirements.

"Suppose the FD of a chain of restaurants goes to a firm of accountants and asks for an Excel model for their business," said Bristow. "They need to be able to input the number of tables in each restaurant, average value per sitting, average table utilisation, costs etc and then get out profit and cashflow."

The new edition of Cashflow Wizard includes what Bristow calls "rugged logic" tools which allow the user to add pages covering non-standard items - such as restaurant tables and incorporate them into the Cashflow Wizard workbook.

"The result is a very robust solution, with thousands of checksums built in by the server computer, but also with the personal touches and customisation produced by the accountant/spreadsheet specialist."

Adding their own logo and restraint sheets to the model, the accountant or consultant could ten sell the whole thing to the client for a high fee, Bristow added. He pointed out, however, that the rugged logic service is exclusively for approved business planning consultants, who interpret the customer's needs and deliver a fully customised solution. Individual consultants can get licences to use the rugged logic design mode for £1,250 and corporates are asked to pay £4,950 for the service.

Small business users who want sophisticated models that can cope with specific business drivers can approach the Cashflow Wizard developers to help them build a bespoke spreadsheet, or be referred on to one of the company's approved consultants.

The standard P&Ls, forecasts and business plans can continue to be available from the Cashflow Wizard website under the existing terms.

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