Contingency or “What-If” Planning

I have to focus on the day-to-day finances and monthly close, so how can I possibly find time to be ready for the unexpected twists and turns that come our way?

Well-written business plans and their underlying financial plans define clear goals and the criteria by which success will be measured. But life and business rarely go according to plan. Will you be ready to shift gears before internal or external factors leave your business plan lying in the dust, or will you be caught short after-the-fact, madly trying to adjust? Planning for the unforeseen is critical to being nimble and successful.

With adequate contingency planning, you’ll have answers in advance to questions like: What if raw material or healthcare costs escalate by 10%? What if the soft economy impacts demand for our product? What if we can’t access the capital we were relying on when the plan was created?

“What if” planning is not complicated. It just requires the right tools.

Budget Maestro / Planning Maestro's wizard-based interface makes it easy for you to create different “what if” scenarios reflecting an increase in expenses, decrease in sales, construction of a new plant, launch of a new product line, or any other assumption you want to test. The software helps you determine the financial impacts of those scenarios, including any associated personnel expenses.

So whether real life ends up like your best case or worst case scenario, or somewhere in between, you’ll know the impact on your cash flow and your overall strategy, and can adjust the business plan to stay on track.