Business Performance Management - How Important Are Multiple Dimensions?

A few years ago a young AIM-listed client asked whether we could build a cash flow forecast model for their business. Their business plan had been to take two years to develop a major product, and in the meantime use two interim products to provide initial cashflow. These products hadn’t sold as well as expected, and further funding was needed.

The audit was imminent, and there needed to be a clear 12 month forecast to allow the auditors to provide a clean audit report. A major issue that was focusing my client directors’ minds somewhat!

We did indeed build a forecasting model. But in the absence of an affordable multi-user system, it was built in Excel. All sorts of issues, but the one to highlight here is trying to cope with multiple dimensions. [...read more...]