Budgeting & Forecasting | Rolling Forecasts

Re-forecast on a cadence, not once a year.

Replace elapsed months with actuals and keep a fixed horizon rolling forward. Compare the live forecast to the original plan and the prior forecast on the same view. The number always reflects where the business actually is, not where it was when the budget was set.

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What the system does

Capability, input, output.

Capability	Input	Output
Actuals replacement	Posted journals from the live ledger	Elapsed periods locked to actuals, forecast periods remain editable
Rolling horizon	Chosen window (12 or 18 months)	Horizon extends by one period as each month closes, always the same look-ahead
Forecast vs plan comparison	Approved annual budget + current rolling forecast	Variance to plan by line and period, on one grid
Forecast vs prior forecast	Saved forecast versions at each cadence	How the view has shifted each cycle, with commentary
Driver and scenario inputs	Revenue drivers, headcount changes, cost assumptions	Dependent lines recalculate; scenario overlays run alongside the base
Forecast accuracy tracking	Each prior forecast saved at submission	Actual vs forecast delta tracked over time, by line and owner

Actuals replacement

Input

Posted journals from the live ledger

Output

Elapsed periods locked to actuals, forecast periods remain editable
Rolling horizon

Input

Chosen window (12 or 18 months)

Output

Horizon extends by one period as each month closes, always the same look-ahead
Forecast vs plan comparison

Input

Approved annual budget + current rolling forecast

Output

Variance to plan by line and period, on one grid
Forecast vs prior forecast

Input

Saved forecast versions at each cadence

Output

How the view has shifted each cycle, with commentary
Driver and scenario inputs

Input

Revenue drivers, headcount changes, cost assumptions

Output

Dependent lines recalculate; scenario overlays run alongside the base
Forecast accuracy tracking

Input

Each prior forecast saved at submission

Output

Actual vs forecast delta tracked over time, by line and owner

Standards + connections

A rolling forecast wired to the ledger and the planning cycle.

The forecast replaces elapsed periods with actuals from the same ledger that runs your books. There is no separate model to reconcile and no import step between the plan and the numbers.

Regulations we work within

Rolling forecast (12 or 18 month)

The industry-standard continuous planning window, kept at a fixed look-ahead as each period closes.
Best-practice FP&A cadence

Monthly or quarterly re-forecast cycles with version history, commentary and owner sign-off at each cut.
Variance reporting standards

Forecast vs plan and forecast vs prior forecast in the structure auditors and board packs expect.

Connects to

General Ledger Actuals pulled from posted journals automatically
Accounts Receivable Open invoices feed revenue and cash timing
Accounts Payable Scheduled bills update cost and cash outflows
Workforce Planning Headcount and fully-loaded cost flow into the forecast

Rolling Forecasts FAQ

What buyers ask.

What is a rolling forecast and how is it different from an annual budget?

An annual budget is set once and held fixed for the year. A rolling forecast replaces elapsed months with actuals and extends the horizon by one period each time a month closes, so you always have the same look-ahead window. The forecast reflects where the business is now, not where it was in October when the budget was signed off.

How do actuals get into the forecast?

Actuals come directly from the operating ledger. When a period closes, posted journals replace the forecast figures for that month automatically. There is no import, no copy-paste and no reconciliation step between the books and the plan.

Can we compare the rolling forecast to the original annual plan?

Yes. The approved annual budget is kept as a locked version and sits alongside the current rolling forecast on the same grid. Variance to plan is visible by line, by period and by dimension so you can explain how the year is tracking against what was approved.

Can we see how the forecast has changed across cycles?

Yes. Each forecast submission is saved as a version. You can compare the current forecast to the one from last month or last quarter, see which lines moved and by how much, and track forecast accuracy over time. Owners can attach commentary at each cut so the history is readable, not just numeric.

Related features

Run your first rolling forecast on your own actuals.

Connect your books and the forecast starts from your posted journals. Elapsed months are replaced, the horizon rolls forward, and the plan comparison is live from day one.