Operations and finance plan separately
Production, capacity, staffing or service delivery assumptions are disconnected from financial results.
SERVICE / INTEGRATED BUSINESS PLANNING & FORECASTING
Connect the Drivers. See the Consequences.
Planning should reflect how the business actually runs.
We link operational, commercial and financial assumptions into integrated models, dynamic forecasts and scenarios so leaders can test decisions before acting.
PLANNING CHALLENGES01 02 03
When Plans Are Disconnected, Decisions Are Harder.
A finance forecast is only as useful as the operating assumptions behind it.
Forecasts go stale
Changing costs, demand or delivery capacity are not reflected until the next reporting cycle.
Scenario analysis takes too long
Leaders lack a clear way to compare alternative decisions and their tradeoffs.
ILLUSTRATIVE SCENARIO EXPLORER
One Connected Model. Several Ways to Look Ahead.
Explore how a model could connect operational drivers to financial implications. This illustrates relationships, not projected client outcomes.
OPERATIONAL INPUTSCapacity and utilisation
COMMERCIAL INPUTSVolume, price and mix
FINANCIAL EFFECTSMargins, cash and funding
Current plan
Align operating drivers, commercial assumptions and the financial forecast in one consistent view.
PRACTICAL CAPABILITIES01 02 03 04
What We Can Build.
Integrated modelling combines business understanding, data relationships and planning decisions.
Driver-based financial models
Connect volume, capacity, headcount, pricing and cost assumptions to financial outcomes.
Rolling forecasts
Refresh plans on an agreed cadence when reliable current data is available.
Scenario and sensitivity models
Evaluate alternative demand, cost, productivity, capacity and investment assumptions.
Planning and executive views
Bring forecast movements, variances, profitability and cash implications into useful decision views.
EXAMPLE DECISIONS01 02 03
Built Around Business Questions.
Models should answer decisions the leadership team actually faces.
Manufacturing
How would changes in throughput, product mix, energy costs or inventory affect margins and cash requirements?
Professional services
How would staffing, utilisation, delivery mix and pricing change profit and working capital?
Growing SMEs
What capacity or investment is required under different demand and cost scenarios?
WHAT WE DELIVER01 02 03
What Your Business Receives.
A working capability supported by clear decisions, documented controls and practical handover. Deliverables are agreed to match the engagement.
Connected planning model
Documented drivers, formulas, assumptions, integrations and version logic.
Forecast and scenario views
Agreed forecasts, comparisons and management outputs appropriate to the business.
Ownership and operating guidance
Refresh process, validation steps, user instructions and team handover.
A CONNECTED APPROACH
Related Capabilities.
Planning gains value when it connects to operational activity and management visibility.
FREQUENTLY ASKED
Questions Worth Asking.
Practical considerations before deciding what to implement.
Does live forecasting mean continuous real time data?+
Not automatically. Data update frequency depends on source systems, integrations, permissions and quality. We establish a realistic refresh approach in scope.
Can this connect to an ERP system?+
Potentially, subject to the platform, available interfaces and data access. The requirements and integration options are assessed before committing to a design.
Does Vantage provide financial advice or outsourced forecasting?+
Vantage designs and implements the systems and models enabling clients to perform planning and analysis. We are not offering regulated financial advice or an outsourced finance function.
Illustrative decision model
Growth can improve profit and use cash.
Change a monthly operating assumption to see how margin and working capital move together. These fictional figures are illustrative, not a client forecast.
Revenue / month
Operating profit / month
Cash generated after working-capital change
Working capital required
Change from current-plan working capital
Assumptions: all produced units are sold; capacity 14,000 units/month; fixed operating costs $250,000/month; inventory and supplier payment terms both 30 days; 30-day months. Working capital = receivables + inventory − payables. Cash generated = operating profit − change in working capital from the current plan (10,000 units, $120 price, $70 variable cost, 45-day collections). The current plan’s working capital is assumed funded. This simplified view excludes tax, depreciation, capital expenditure, financing and opening cash. It is not an ending cash balance.
START A CONVERSATION
Which Decisions Would Benefit from a Connected Forecast?
Tell us where operational assumptions and financial planning currently drift apart. We can discuss the model and data that would make decisions clearer.
Discuss Your Business Challenge