Planning for the future
As you learned this week, planning for the future is an important role of the financial manager. Developing a financial forecast helps ensure that the financial goals of an organization are met. In particular, cash forecasts are the most important tool for monitoring and controlling corporate cash. Without them, good cash management is simply impossible.
Explain why it would be beneficial to prepare a cash forecast, or a cash budget, for an organization.
Share the best practices you would implement when budgeting for an organization.
Sample Answer
A cash forecast, or cash budget, is a financial plan that estimates future cash inflows and outflows. It is an essential tool for organizations of all sizes, as it helps to ensure that they have enough cash on hand to meet their obligations.
There are many benefits to preparing a cash forecast. For example, it can help organizations to:
- Identify potential cash flow problems: By forecasting cash flows, organizations can identify potential problems before they occur. This can give them time to take corrective action, such as borrowing money or cutting expenses.
- Make better financial decisions: By understanding their future cash flows, organizations can make better financial decisions. For example, they can use the forecast to decide when to invest in new projects or when to take on new debt.
- Improve cash management: A cash forecast can help organizations to improve their cash management. By tracking their cash inflows and outflows, organizations can ensure that they are using their cash efficiently.