CherryMoney University Training: accounting, invoices, VAT, expenses and AI finance workflows
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Module 14

Forecasting, Scenarios And Group FP&A

Build deterministic forecasts from assumptions and dated events, then review scenario, multi-entity, elimination and FX effects at group level where enabled.

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Learning Goals

By the end of this module, learners should be able to complete the workflow in CherryMoney and explain the accounting reason behind each important step.

  • Build a forecast using revenue, cost, working-capital and dated-event assumptions.
  • Model hires, purchases, capex, seasonality, debt, tax/VAT timing and interest events.
  • Compare subsidiary and group forecast outputs in one reporting currency.
  • Explain eliminations, translation reserve and reviewed FX assumptions including Stellar evidence anchors.

Lesson Plan

Use these lesson blocks for lecture delivery, live demo and class discussion.

Forecast Event Engine

Dated planning events make cash timing and financial-statement effects explicit instead of hiding everything inside a growth percentage.

Group consolidation

Subsidiary forecasts can be translated into one reporting currency and combined with explicit balanced elimination journals.

FX evidence boundary

A Stellar observation can anchor a planning assumption, but Cherry Analytics does not extrapolate it into a forward curve, hedge, settlement instruction or guaranteed future rate.

Step-By-Step Lab

This is the student-facing sequence for the practical class. Complete the steps in order, then capture the evidence listed below.

  1. Confirm each entity has a planning-capable source and compatible opening month.
  2. Set the forecast horizon and record assumptions separately for each entity.
  3. Add dated events and verify each subsidiary projected balance sheet remains balanced.
  4. Review reporting currency, average rate, closing rate and historical equity rate assumptions.
  5. Apply only explicit balanced eliminations in the group reporting currency.
  6. Compare final group P&L, balance sheet, cash movement and translation reserve.
  7. Freeze the scenario version and record the source and plan hashes for evidence.

Classroom Run Sheet

Use this structure to teach the module in a repeatable classroom or lab session.

Explain
Explain this module Introduce the accounting concept first: customer, invoice, VAT, expense, fund, role or audit trail.
Demonstrate
Demonstrate this module Trainer performs the workflow once in CherryMoney using a projected simulator account.
Practise
Practise this module Students complete the same workflow in their own VM tenant using seeded records.
Review
Review this module Students compare system outputs with expected accounting treatment and discuss errors.
Evidence
Evidence this module Students submit screenshots, exports, PDFs or short explanations for assessment.

Simulator Practice

These are the VM practice tasks for this module. They are written as student-facing tasks and can later be wired into a guided simulator checklist.

Practice Brief

  1. Create a 12-month base forecast with one hire, one capex purchase and one tax payment event.
  2. Create an upside or downside assumption and compare cash runway and profit impact.
  3. Combine two fictional subsidiaries into a group plan.
  4. Apply one balanced intercompany elimination for a forecast month.
  5. Review a fictional FX assumption and identify the evidence supporting it.

Knowledge Check

Use these questions for in-class review, a short quiz or a reflective workbook entry. Answers are hidden by default — open each one to check your work.

  1. Q1 How does a dated forecast event differ from a general growth assumption? Answer

    A dated event — a hire, a capex purchase, a tax payment — makes the timing and financial-statement effect explicit, instead of burying everything inside a single growth percentage.

  2. Q2 Why must eliminations be balanced? Answer

    Because an elimination journal is a group-only adjustment that removes intercompany activity from consolidated reporting without writing back to the source ledgers — if it doesn't balance, it distorts the group numbers rather than just correcting them.

  3. Q3 Why is a Stellar FX observation evidence rather than a guaranteed future rate? Answer

    It's an observed quote used to support a reviewed planning assumption, not a forward curve, hedge or executable rate that guarantees what will actually happen.

Assessment And Evidence

Students should submit proof that the workflow was completed and a short explanation of the decisions made.

Student Evidence

  • Submit a scenario comparison and explain the three largest cash drivers.
  • Explain why Group FP&A output is management forecasting rather than statutory consolidation or treasury execution.

Trainer Notes

  • Use constant reviewed scenario FX assumptions in training unless a dedicated scenario exercise says otherwise.

Continue The Course

Move through the modules in order for a complete accounting, invoicing, compliance and AI finance workflow.

Module 12 3 hours

Banking, Open Banking And Reconciliation

Review connected-bank data, matching and reconciliation while keeping consent, provider and payment-execution boundaries explicit.
Module 13 4 hours

Cherry Analytics, KPIs And Management Reporting

Use the Cherry Analytics companion workspace for deterministic reporting, KPI review, commentary and evidence where the organisation has Analytics access.
Module 15 4 hours

Cherry Pay: Rewards, Subscriptions And Payment Automation

Review Cherry Pay payment requests, rewards, cashback, subscriptions, recurring billing and AutoPay controls in sandbox or provider-enabled environments.
Module 16 6 hours

Capstone: Month-End And Quarter-End Simulation

Students complete a full finance cycle from setup to reporting using seeded simulator data.