Next year's CMA

Working capital limits are reviewed annually, so most CMA reports are the second or fifth rather than the first.

OptiVida finds last year's

Start a new report for a client who has one and OptiVida says so, offering to carry your projections forward.

Carry forward, or start fresh

Copy projectionsUsually

Last year's projected figures become this year's starting point. Adjust where the year turned out differently.

Start freshWhere the business changed

A new line of business, a major facility, a restructuring. Last year's plan is not a useful base.

Copying is a starting point, not an answer. The figures still need working through.

What comes forward, and what does not

ProjectionsIf you choose to copy

Your forward figures.

The client's particularsAlways

From the client record.

Historical yearsFetched fresh

Including the year that was projected and is now actual.

Form I and the annexuresYours again

Facility details change on renewal, so these are re-entered.

Last year's projection against this year's actual

The most useful thing about a second report. The year you projected is now a historical column, and the two sit side by side.

A quicker second year

Ledger mappings you settled last year mean fewer unmapped ledgers this year — mostly accounts opened during the year.

The work shifts from classification to judgement, which is the right way round.

A sensible order

1. 1

   Start the new report and accept the carry-forward

2. 2

   Fetch the year that has closed

   It becomes a historical column.

3. 3

   Compare it against what you projected

   Before touching the new projections.

4. 4

   Work through the unmapped ledgers

   A short list this time.

5. 5

   Update Form I from the new sanction letter

6. 6

   Revise the projections

   Informed by how last year actually went.