About Forecasts

Forecasts predict future revenue by estimating how much will be billed in a given period (e.g. week, month, or year). They help you plan by showing how current jobs are expected to perform.

Forecasts are created automatically when an estimate is accepted. You set the initial forecast then, but it may change—like if a job is delayed or progresses slower than expected.

Keeping Forecasts Accurate

Review your forecasts weekly and at the end of each month after invoicing. Compare what you forecasted with what you actually billed:

• Underperforming in the current period: You billed less than forecasted. Either bill more this month, or move the forecast to a future period.
• Overperforming in the current month: You billed more than forecasted. This isn’t always bad—but if it means pulling work forward from future months, it can throw off next month’s forecast and cause confusion later.

Client Forecast Jobs

Some job types are used for broader client forecasts, such as annual budgets without specific jobs. As actual work is identified, new jobs and estimates are created, which then feed into the Sales Pipeline.

Sales Pipeline

The Sales Pipeline shows all unaccepted estimates. It lets you forecast when they'll be accepted and billed. Only estimates with a rating below 100% appear here.

Billings Forecast

Once an estimate is accepted (rated at 100%), a billing forecast is automatically created for that job. Even without an estimate, you can manually enter billing forecasts.

Forecasts are based on:

• The job’s estimate/quote
• The job type’s template

Revenue Forecast Reports

These reports combine data from:

• Client Forecast Jobs
• Sales Pipeline
• Billings Forecast

You can report on:

• Billings: Gross invoiced amount (ex-GST)
• Direct Costs: External costs tied to billings
• Revenue: Billings minus direct costs
• In-house Costs: Internal time and materials
• Income: Revenue minus in-house costs

Overhead Budgets

Each division has one overhead job where expenses are tracked. You can set a budget for these jobs.

These budgets roll up into your financial reports.