CashFlowGantt

CASH FLOW and GANTT CHARTS

Generally

EstimatorVJ now contains the facilities to manage automatic generation of Cash Flow and Gantt Charts. An example of each is shown below.

Company Cash Flow

Client Cash Flow

Gantt Chart

The Project worksheets must contain the following three columns for generating a Cash Flow Chart:

Start
Duration
End

plus a column headed 'Activity' for generating a Gantt Chart.

These columns are used to hold respectively

The construction start date of the Cost item in the format ‘dd/mm/yyyy’
e.g. 2/10/2009
The construction duration in days to carry out the work of the Cost item
OR
The construction date in which the work will end
The name of the Activity to be listed in the Gantt Chart

NOTE: Only one of the Duration and End column entries is required. The other entry will be calculated.

The Project Template ‘StandardCashFlowGantt’ can be downloaded from our website using the option ‘System->Templates’. This Template already has the appropriate columns added for your convenience.

If you already have created and worked on a Project without these columns, you can ADD these columns in - see the Topic Adding a New Column.

Procedure

1. Create the Project

Create the project using the 'StandardCashFlowGantt' Project Template. If you don't see it in the list of Templates, then you can add it by clicking the 'System->Templates' button and choosing it from the list of Templates we maintain on our Web Server.

2. Measure and Price the project in the normal way, but noting that:

any cost item which involves more than one construction DATE or more than one ACTIVITY code, should be broken down into separate items within a Rate or Cost workup sheet and each of those items coded accordingly
examples of DATE/ACTIVITY coding is illustrated later

3. Code the estimate

Code the estimate with the 'Start' and 'Duration' /'End' dates if a Cash Flow Chart is required, plus enter the associated 'Activity' if a Gantt Chart is required.

Every cost item must be coded
If a Cost item has a Cost/Rate build up, and the cost items within the buildup have different coding requirements, then the coding should be done in the Workup Sheet, and the parent item not coded
If a Cost item has a Cost/Rate build up, and the item is coded at the top level, then the cost items within the Workup Sheet will not be used for developing the charts.
The end date must be later than the start date
If a Duration AND End dates are entered, the Duration will be calculated from the End date

Here is an example of the coding of two items in an Estimate. One is coded at the parent level, the other at the Workup Sheet level.

4. Display the Chart

Choose the 'Project->Print' option
Choose the 'Special' report TAB
Choose the Cash Flow or Gantt report
If you have chosen the Cash Flow Chart, then the Cash Flow Options will be displayed

Company Cash Flow shows the Contractor's Cash Flow
Client Cash Flow as seen by the Client
Show Chart displays a graphical representation of the Cash Flow
Create XLS Report will generate a 'Cash Flow Spreadsheet' and place this in the Project's Documents folder
You can open this by simply clicking on the 'Documents' button in the project Window.
Here is an example of the Company Cash Flow.
Exclude OH Distributions
When the Cash Flow data is collected from the Estimate, EstimatorVJ will by default collect all overhead distributions, money re-assignments, markups, etc.
Ticking this option overrides the Overhead and only Overhead distributions, thus giving you the ability to nominate the time periods you want the General Overheads to be assigned to
At Summary Level
If this is ticked, then the Cash Flow will be generated based on and only on the dates applied in the Project Window
Profit Options

'As % of CashFlow'

Calculates profit as a percentage of the CashFlow using the value in 'Using' as the percentage
'Incl in Cost'

Tick this option if the Project Costs include the Profit

'Calculated from 'CC' code

The total Profit allowance is included in the Project Costs and is labelled using the 'Cost Category Code' entered in the 'Using' field

'As Lump Sum'

Tick this option if the Project Costs include the Lump Sum value entered into the 'Using' field

'Show Separately'

If this is ticked then the Graph shows the Profit represented separately

Edit Cash Flow Preferences displays this dialog

The only entries that are used by the program AT THE MOMENT are:

Retention %
This is the amount the client will deduct from the Contractor's monthly progress claim
Report Title
Label X-Axis
Label Y-Axis
Advanced Payment Amount
An initial Cash Advance to the Project to reduce the front end Cash Flow Deficit
Return Starting at Term
The Month at which the Advanced Payment Amount is retrieved back from the Project

5. Print the Chart

When the Chart is displayed, there is a 'Print' button available to send the chart to the printer if desired