Maintain a thirteen-week cash forecast
A weekly cash view shows expected inflows, committed outflows, downside cases, and the decisions that cannot wait.
The problem
The bank balance is visible, but upcoming payroll, collections, renewals, and tax obligations are not assembled into one decision view.
What you get
A working system with the steps, tools, checkpoints, and expected return made explicit.
- Setup
- 120 minutes
- Back each week
- 3 hours
- Difficulty
- assisted
Expected return
The working case
A planning estimate, not a guaranteed result. Measure the first four weeks against your own baseline.
144
hours returned per year
At 3 hours/week across 48 working weeks.
1
week to earn back setup
Compare the setup estimate with the weekly time returned.
Operating contract
Input
The source material, constraints, and examples a human would need to do this work well.
Checkpoint
A person reviews judgment calls, sensitive content, unfamiliar tools, and irreversible actions.
Success signal
Track time returned, corrections required, and exceptions. Keep it only if the measured result compounds.
Before you start
- ·Weekly bank and accounting exports
- ·A finance owner for assumptions
The steps
- 01
Create a controlled sheet with opening cash, dated receivables, committed payables, payroll, tax, and scenario assumptions.
- 02
Import accounting and billing exports; keep source values separate from assumptions.
- 03
Use AI to explain movements and missing inputs, never to calculate or alter the ledger.
Copy this prompt
Review this 13-week forecast. Identify the three largest week-over-week cash changes, missing assumptions, and downside risks. Quote cells or rows. Do not change values or provide accounting advice. Data: [table]
- 04
Finance approves every assumption and publishes the dated forecast with owner notes.
What it runs on
- Google Sheets
Controlled model and scenario surface.
- QuickBooks
Accounting export source.
- Stripe
Expected collection timing.
Where this goes wrong
- Never blend forecasts with booked actuals.
- AI commentary is not accounting advice; a finance owner signs off.
Definition of done
Run it for four weeks. Then make it earn its place.
- □ Baseline the manual time before launch.
- □ Keep a human approval step for consequential output.
- □ Record corrections and exceptions, not just successes.
- □ Expand, revise, or retire it after the first review.
Build the system around it
Related workflows
If this one stops working, tell us. Three reports in a month and it leaves the library until a person has looked at it again.