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Cube AI makes financial data decision-ready across every FP&A tool and workflow.
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Cash flow forecasting that knows your position before anyone asks.
Finance-grade cash flow forecasting on live actuals. Your business data and bank feeds flow into one governed model, with weekly, monthly, and rolling views wherever you work, and every figure traces to the source.
Cash forecastThe cash position lives in one fragile spreadsheet.
The CEO asks about runway, and the honest answer depends on a file that was already stale when it circulated.
Collections are a guess
The forecast assumes invoices pay on terms. Customers pay on their own schedule, and the timing gap lands on you.
Outflows collide
AP runs, payroll, taxes, and renewals cluster in the same few days, and the spreadsheet only shows it after the fact.
Reforecasting lags reality
By the time AR aging, bank balances, and entity tabs are pasted together, the position has already moved.
A cash forecast that updates itself.
Cube connects bank feeds, AR, AP, and payroll, so the 13-week view reflects what actually happened this morning.
Collections from real data
Receipts forecast from AR aging and billing, not a flat assumption.
Every outflow in one view
AP runs, payroll, and debt service line up week by week.
Reforecast in minutes
Actuals sync daily, so the forecast moves when the business does.
One cash number everyone trusts.
One cash position
Entities, banks, and currencies consolidate into a single figure that matches the GL and the bank statements.
Direct and indirect, together
The weekly view and the monthly forecast come from the same governed model, so they always tie.
Trace to the transaction
Any figure opens to the invoices, payments, and payroll runs behind it, with an audit trail on every change.
Every cash number opens.
Every finance leader knows the feeling of presenting a number they can’t fully explain. In Cube, every number traces to the source: each figure maps back to the specific GL transaction behind it.
Where teams put the cash model to work.
13-week direct forecast
Weekly cash in and out, built from open AR, AP, and payroll calendars.
Rolling indirect forecast
A monthly view derived from the P&L and balance sheet forecast, for horizon planning.
Runway & board reporting
Runway, liquidity, and lowest-week cash in the deck, traced to the source.
Scenario stress tests
A collections slip or a hiring pause, recalculated across the full horizon.
Multi-entity consolidation
Entities, banks, and currencies rolled into one governed position.
Collections visibility
AR aging and payment behavior feed the forecast instead of flat invoice terms.
Cash flow forecasting on live actuals.
Cube pulls your GL, AR and AP subledgers, billing, and banking feeds into one governed cash model, then delivers short-term and long-range views to your spreadsheet and your board deck.
One governed cash model that turns cash signals into operating intelligence. Every inflow and outflow is mapped once, kept current, and traced to the source.
The cash forecast that updates itself.
Cash actuals land from your bank, ERP, billing, and payroll systems. Cube runs the governed formulas behind every cell, and the forecast publishes back to the model.
One cash model, on every surface.
Cube connects the systems where your data lives to the tools where decisions happen. When a number changes in Cube, it updates in the spreadsheet, the board deck, the dashboard, and the answer in Slack or Claude. Everyone keeps their own view and permissions, and every figure traces back to the transaction.
Cube Web
Full planning, reporting, Boards, workflows, and the AI Analyst in the browser, with drilldown on every number.
Explore
Excel & Google Sheets
Fetch live actuals into your own templates and publish plans back in one click, permissions intact.
Explore
AI assistants
+Any MCP-compatible assistant queries governed data, with answers traced to the source.
Explore
Slack & Teams
Ask the AI Analyst plain-English questions in chat and get answers from the same governed source, in a thread.
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PowerPoint & Google Slides
Cube Decks puts live visuals in PowerPoint that refresh in place.
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BI tools
+Governed exports and Cube’s APIs sync Tableau, Looker, and Power BI.
ExploreYour digital finance team works while you sleep.
Four FP&Agents handle the always-on work across your data, reports, plans and business partners. Agents scale finance's capacity, while the people remain in control.
Collects, maps and reconciles data from every source so every figure is right before anyone opens a file.
Meet The Data Managers →Explains variances to the transaction, flags anomalies and answers ad hoc questions in plain language.
Meet The Analysts →Reruns forecasts as new actuals land, builds scenarios and keeps budgets current between cycles.
Meet The Planners →Brings answers to department heads in Slack, Teams and email, so finance is in every decision.
Meet The Business Partners →One assumption changed. The full forecast recalculates, and then you decide.
Board-ready means audit-ready.
Delivering numbers everywhere only works if access travels with them. In Cube it does, enforced in the layer rather than in each tool.
Every AI feature respects your permissions, and every edit, sync, and publish lands in one audit trail.
See a cash flow projection using your own numbers.
Turn cash signals into action. Watch a forecast assemble from live actuals, trace a figure to the source, and stress a scenario in the sandbox.
Cash flow forecasting questions, answered.
What is a 13-week cash flow forecast?
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A 13-week cash flow forecast is a weekly projection of cash receipts and payments over the next quarter. Finance teams use it to manage liquidity, plan for payroll and vendor runs, and stay inside debt covenants. In Cube, the 13-week view is built from open AR, AP, payroll, and bank data and updates as actuals land.
How is a cash flow forecast different from a budget?
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A cash flow forecast shows when cash actually moves in and out of the business, while a budget sets the plan for revenue and spend over a period. The forecast captures timing, such as payment terms, collection lag, and payroll dates, that a budget does not. Cube runs both from the same model, so they tie.
How do you automate cash flow forecasting?
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You automate cash flow forecasting by connecting the forecast directly to the systems that hold cash data, so actuals load on a schedule instead of through exports. Cube connects to your ERP, AR and AP subledgers, billing, payroll, and bank feeds, applies the same governed formulas every period, and rolls the forecast forward as each week closes.
What is the best cash flow forecasting software?
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The best cash flow forecasting software connects directly to your bank, ERP, AR, and AP data, runs both a 13-week direct view and a monthly indirect view from one model, and lets finance trace every figure to the transaction behind it. Cube does this as the Agentic FP&A Platform, and keeps the forecast current in the spreadsheets, decks, and chat tools your team already uses.
What should you look for in cash flow forecasting software?
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Look for live connections to bank, ERP, billing, and payroll data; direct and indirect methods that tie; multi-entity and multi-currency consolidation; scenario stress tests; drilldown to source transactions; and audited security such as SOC 1 and SOC 2. Also check whether the team can keep working in Excel or Google Sheets, since that decides adoption.
How accurate is an automated cash flow forecast?
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An automated cash flow forecast is as accurate as its source data, which is why building it from actual transactions matters. Cube projects collections from your real AR aging and customer payment history, pulls outflows from AP and payroll calendars, and reconciles against bank activity, so every figure traces to the transactions behind it.
What data do you need for a cash flow forecast?
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A cash flow forecast needs opening bank balances, open receivables, open payables, payroll schedules, and planned spend such as debt service, taxes, and capital purchases. Cube connects to the general ledger, AR and AP subledgers, billing, and banking feeds, and supports hundreds of source systems with pre-built connectors for platforms such as NetSuite, Sage Intacct, and QuickBooks.
Can you run a direct and an indirect cash flow forecast together?
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Yes. The direct method gives a weekly view built from receipts and payments, and the indirect method gives a monthly view derived from the P&L and balance sheet. In Cube, both come from the same governed model, so they share the same actuals and assumptions, and a change in one is reflected in the other.
How often should a cash flow forecast be updated?
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Most finance teams update a 13-week cash flow forecast weekly and a long-range forecast monthly. With Cube, actuals sync from your bank, ERP, and billing systems on the schedule you set, the forecast recalculates as soon as they land, and FP&Agents flag material changes overnight.
How do you forecast cash across multiple entities and currencies?
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Forecast each entity from its own bank and ledger data, then consolidate into one cash position with intercompany eliminations and FX conversion applied consistently. Cube does this automatically with the same governed rules every period, so the consolidated figure matches the GL and the bank statements.
Does cash flow forecasting software replace Excel or the ERP?
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No. Your ERP remains the system of record, and Cube works alongside it. Teams keep working in Excel or Google Sheets, with live, governed numbers from Cube flowing into their spreadsheets and edits publishing back to the model.
Is cash flow forecasting software secure enough for bank data?
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It should be audited and access-controlled. Cube is SOC 1 and SOC 2 Type 2 audited, with SSO and SAML support, role-based permissions, encryption in transit and at rest, and a full audit trail. Source connections are read-only by default.
How long does it take to implement cash flow forecasting software?
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Timing depends on the number of source systems and entities. Cube implementation is finance-led, needs no code, and is guided by Cube’s onboarding team: you connect the sources, map accounts into the cash model once with finance approving every mapping, validate against bank actuals, and run the forecast from there.
What is cash flow forecasting?
Cash flow forecasting projects the cash a business expects to collect and pay out over a defined horizon, so finance knows its runway, its liquidity, and the timing of every inflow and outflow before commitments come due.
A direct forecast builds week by week from scheduled receipts and payments. An indirect forecast derives cash from the forecasted P&L and balance sheet. Cube runs both from the same governed model, so they tie.
Direct cash flow forecasting method
Weekly receipts and payments from open AR, AP, and payroll calendars.
Indirect cash flow forecasting method
Cash derived from the forecasted P&L and balance sheet.
Automated cash forecast updates
Re-projected on a set cadence so the horizon never expires.
Cash flow scenario stress tests
The same forecast under different assumptions.
Why cash flow forecasting matters
Profit and cash rarely move together. A company can grow revenue and still run short when collections lag, payroll lands early in the month, or a large vendor payment comes due. A reliable cash flow forecast shows those gaps weeks ahead, so finance can time hiring and spend, stay inside debt covenants, decide when to draw on a credit line, and answer lenders, investors, and the board with a number they can defend.
How to build a cash flow forecast
The same five steps apply whether the forecast lives in a spreadsheet or in Cube.
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1.
Set the horizon and cadence. Pick a 13-week weekly view for liquidity, a 12 to 24 month monthly view for runway, or both.
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2.
Start from opening cash. Use reconciled bank balances across every entity and account as the starting point.
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3.
Project cash receipts. Forecast collections from open AR, billing schedules, and payment terms, adjusted for how quickly customers actually pay.
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4.
Project cash payments. Schedule AP, payroll, rent, taxes, debt service, and planned capital spend on the dates they leave the bank.
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5.
Compare to actuals and roll forward. Each period, replace forecast with actuals, explain the variance, and extend the horizon so it never runs out.
Key cash flow forecasting metrics
- Days sales outstanding (DSO)
- The average number of days it takes to collect payment after a sale. Higher DSO delays cash receipts.
- Days payable outstanding (DPO)
- The average number of days a company takes to pay its suppliers. Higher DPO holds cash longer.
- Burn rate
- The net cash a business spends per month when outflows exceed inflows.
- Cash runway
- How many months the business can operate before cash runs out at the current burn rate.
- Minimum cash balance
- The lowest cash level finance will allow, set to cover payroll, covenants, and a safety buffer.
- Liquidity
- Cash plus what can be turned into cash quickly, such as an undrawn credit line, to meet near-term obligations.
Direct vs. indirect cash flow forecasting
| Direct method | Indirect method | |
|---|---|---|
| Built from | Scheduled receipts and payments from AR, AP, payroll, and bank data. | The forecasted P&L and balance sheet, adjusted for non-cash items and working capital. |
| Typical horizon | 13 weeks, by week. | 12 to 24 months, by month. |
| Best for | Liquidity, covenants, and near-term cash decisions. | Runway, capital planning, and long-range strategy. |
| Accuracy depends on | The timing of collections and payments. | The quality of P&L and working-capital assumptions. |
| In Cube | A weekly view on live AR, AP, and bank data. | A monthly view from the same governed model, so both tie. |
Manual spreadsheet vs. Cube
| Step | Manual spreadsheet | With Cube |
|---|---|---|
| Gather the data | Export AR aging, AP runs, payroll, and bank balances from each system, then paste and reconcile. | Sources stay connected; actuals land in the model mapped and consolidated. |
| Project collections | Flat assumptions on invoice terms, adjusted from memory. | Collection curves from real payment behavior, adjustable by scenario. |
| Consolidate entities | One tab per entity, FX by hand, totals that drift. | Entities and currencies roll up into one governed position. |
| Reforecast | Rebuild the file, re-check the links, recirculate. | Refresh the view; assumptions carry forward and actuals replace forecast. |
| Defend a number | Trace it through pasted tabs and hope the trail holds. | Drill from the figure to the source transactions. |