Cash flow uncertainty remains one of the biggest barriers to confident decision making for growing businesses. Even well run finance teams often lack a clear, reliable view of future cash positions. Forecasts are built in spreadsheets that quickly fall out of date, rely on disconnected systems, or depend on assumptions that no longer reflect how the business actually operates.
Without accurate visibility into what cash is expected to come in and when, planning becomes reactive. Decisions around hiring, investment, and spend are delayed or made with incomplete information. Finance teams spend hours maintaining forecasts that still fail to inspire confidence across the wider business.
Chaser’s new cash flow forecast is designed to change that. The feature is currently available for businesses using Xero, with broader availability planned in the future. It provides finance teams with a clear, forward looking view of cash flow that reflects real business activity, adapts as data changes, and gives users full control over how forecasts are built. The result is greater clarity, stronger planning, and the confidence to make informed financial decisions.
Learn more about the tool or explore setup guidance in the help center.
Why cash flow forecasting needs to work differently
Many cash flow forecasting tools promise automation, but often at the cost of control. Forecasts are generated from rigid rules, opaque models, or accounting data that assumes everything is perfectly categorized and up to date. When those assumptions do not hold, forecasts quickly lose credibility.
At the other end of the spectrum, spreadsheet based forecasting offers flexibility but introduces risk. Manual inputs, version control issues, and time consuming updates make it difficult to maintain accuracy as the business evolves. Forecasts become static snapshots rather than living views of future cash.
Effective cash flow forecasting needs to strike a balance. It should be grounded in real data, flexible enough to reflect how the business actually runs, and transparent so finance teams understand and trust the numbers.
The cash flow forecast in Chaser is built around these principles.
A forecast built on real business activity
At the core of the cash flow forecast is receivables data. Instead of relying solely on ledger averages or high level assumptions, cash inflows are driven by real invoices and expected payment timing. This creates a more realistic view of when cash is likely to arrive, based on actual customer behavior rather than generic projections.
Receivables driven forecasting allows finance teams to see how changes in invoice timing, overdue payments, or customer behavior affect future cash positions. As invoices are paid or updated, the forecast evolves to reflect reality.
To capture the full picture, additional cash movements can be included through mapped ledger accounts or manual entries. This allows finance teams to factor in other inflows and outflows alongside receivables, without forcing everything into a single automated model.
For more detail on how cash inflows and outflows are calculated, see the cash flow forecast fact sheet.
Flexible forecasting that adapts to the business
No two businesses manage cash in the same way. Forecasts need to reflect known patterns, expected changes, and one off events that do not fit neatly into historical averages.
The cash flow forecast provides flexibility through customizable forecasting rules and user controlled adjustments. Known changes can be factored in without breaking the underlying forecast logic. One off events can be accounted for without permanently distorting future periods.
This flexibility allows finance teams to model scenarios based on what is actually expected to happen, rather than forcing reality to conform to a fixed template. Forecasts can be adjusted as plans change, while still maintaining a clear audit trail and consistent structure.
As periods move from forecast to actuals, calculations update automatically to preserve accuracy and continuity over time. This accuracy first approach ensures that forecasts remain reliable as new data becomes available.
Clear visibility that supports confident decisions
A forecast is only useful if it is easy to understand and communicate. The cash flow forecast presents data in a clear, structured table that highlights trends, risks, and opportunities over time.
Finance teams can quickly see expected cash positions across past, current, and future periods, with a clear distinction between actuals and estimates. This makes it easier to identify potential shortfalls or surpluses early and plan accordingly.
Having a shared, consistent view of future cash also improves collaboration. Stakeholders across finance and leadership teams can align around the same numbers, reducing confusion and improving confidence in planning discussions.
By keeping cash flow forecasting and receivables management together in one platform, finance teams gain a single source of truth for incoming cash. This alignment removes the need to reconcile figures across multiple tools and spreadsheets, saving time and reducing risk.
Key benefits for growing finance teams
The cash flow forecast is designed to support finance teams as businesses scale and complexity increases. Key benefits include:
- Make confident financial decisions: Gain clear visibility into future cash positions to support informed planning across budgets, hiring, and investment.
- Improve cash flow predictability: Understand expected cash movement over time with forecasts that reflect real business activity and customer payment behavior.
- Reduce reliance on spreadsheets: Replace manual, error prone forecasting processes with a centralized and reliable cash flow view.
- Adapt forecasts to the business: Customize assumptions, inputs, and timing so forecasts reflect how the organization actually operates.
- Strengthen financial control: Stay proactive by identifying potential shortfalls or surpluses early and planning accordingly.
- Support growing finance teams: Provide a shared view of future cash that aligns stakeholders and improves collaboration.
Key capabilities at a glance
Reflect real business conditions
Receivables driven cash inflows
- Base cash inflow forecasts on real invoice data and expected payment timing for a more realistic view of future cash.
Manual and ledger inputs
- Include additional cash movements through mapped accounts or manual entries to capture the full picture.
Adjustments and overrides
- Account for known changes or one off events by adjusting forecasts where needed without disrupting the underlying model.
Maintain clarity and control
Clear visual forecasts
- Use intuitive tables and summaries to quickly understand trends, risks, and opportunities.
Accuracy first calculations
- Ensure forecasts update as actuals change, maintaining consistency and reliability over time.
Single source of truth
- Keep cash flow forecasting and receivables management together in one platform for better alignment and confidence.
Designed to evolve with finance teams
By combining real time data, flexible forecasting logic, and user control, the cash flow forecast provides a robust base that can grow alongside the needs of finance teams. As more data is captured and workflows mature, forecasting becomes more accurate, more insightful, and more valuable to decision makers across the business. For setup guidance and detailed explanations of how forecasts work, visit the help center.
Start forecasting with clarity
Cash flow forecasting should not require guesswork, rigid assumptions, or hours of manual effort. With real time data, flexible inputs, and a clear view of future cash positions, finance teams can move from reactive planning to confident decision making.
Explore the cash flow forecast feature and download the full fact sheet to see how it fits into existing finance workflows. Predictable cash flow starts with visibility. If you’d like to Grow confidently with real-time, customizable cash flow visibility, speak to an expert at Chaser about how the cash flow forecast can support your business.
