Cost forecasts

The cost forecast type determines which items are included in the Forecast grid.

Type	Description
Budget	The cost forecast includes all the budget items, regardless of access or status, from the current project. In the Forecast grid, the Actual Cost To Date column for each budget item is the sum of the Net Complete Value columns for contract invoices and the Subtotal columns for general invoices. Contract and general invoices are included if: The Invoice Date is prior to the Start Date or the first date of the Cost Period in the cost forecast. The Approved for Budget toggle is on in the invoice. The general invoice items have budget codes.
Contract	The cost forecast includes the statement of value (SOV) items, as well as subcontract change order (SCO) items for committing contracts and prime contract change order (PCCO) items for non-committing contracts, for the selected contract. In the Forecast grid, the Actual Cost To Date column is calculated based on the item type: SOV items in committing contracts: The sum of all Net Complete Value columns in contract invoices for the SOV item. SOV in non-committing contracts: Always set to 0. SCO: The sum of all Net Complete Value columns in contract invoices for the SCO. PCCO: The sum of all Net Complete Value columns in applications for payment (AFPs) for the PCCO. The Net Complete Value amount is included if the Invoice Date for cost invoices or App Date for AFPs is prior to the Start Date or the first date of the Cost Period in the cost forecast.
Project	The cost forecast includes every project, regardless of status, that you have access to. In the Forecast grid, the Actual Cost To Date column for each project is the sum of the Net Complete Value columns for contract invoices and the Subtotal columns for general invoices. Contract and general invoices are included if: The Invoice Date is prior to the Start Date or the first date of the Cost Period in the cost forecast. The Approved for Budget toggle is on in the invoice. The general invoice item has a budget code.

If provided, the following information is also added to the Forecast grid from the budget, contract, or project:

• Forecast cost of budget items (if the Forecast Cost column is selected)
• Forecast start date
• Forecast finish date
• Allocation type

You can also add or edit this information in the cost forecast.

The allocation type determines how the Value Remaining amount is distributed across the cost value columns.

Type	Description
Back Load	Automatically distributes the Value Remaining amount using a back load model that starts low and then peaks at the end.
Bell Curve	Automatically distributes the Value Remaining amount using a bell curve model that starts low, peaks at the midpoint, and then ends low.
Front Load	Automatically distributes the Value Remaining amount using a front load model that peaks at the beginning and then ends low.
Linear	Automatically distributes the Value Remaining amount evenly across the cost value columns.
Plug	Makes each cost value column editable so you can enter the amount. Negative values are allowed in the Plug Value Remaining column.

When you create a cost forecast, the Start Date or Cost Period is set automatically:

• For cost forecasts by month, the Start Date is set automatically to the first day of the current month. If this date is used for the first cost value column in the Forecast grid, its value reflects the cost for the entire month.
• For cost forecasts by period, the Cost Period is set automatically to the period that includes the current date.

In the Forecast grid, the Value Remaining amount is distributed based on the allocation type across the cost value columns. A cost value column is generated automatically for each month or cost period from the start date to the finish date:

• The first cost value column is based on whichever date is later: the Start Date or Cost Period in the Information panel or the earliest Start Date in the grid.
• The last cost value column is based on the latest Finish Date in the grid.

To generate the cost value columns, at least one grid row must have a start date and a finish date. Additionally, the Value Remaining amount is distributed only in rows that have a start date and a finish date.

If the automatically generated amounts in the cost value columns aren't accurate, you can edit the amounts using one of these options:

• Plug allocation type: Edit all the cost value columns in the grid row. The Plug Value Remaining column is added to the Forecast grid so you can see the amount that isn't distributed yet.
• Plug To Period column: Edit the cost value columns from the first column up to and including the selected column in the grid row. The Value Remaining amount is redistributed automatically based on the allocation type across the non-editable columns.

The Plug To Period column is unavailable if you select the Plug allocation type.

You are prompted to update the grid columns if you make a change that affects which cost value columns are generated.

The chart includes historical information from previous cost forecasts when all of these conditions are met:

• The cost forecast type is the same.
• The financial column or contract is the same.
• The Forecast By value (month or period) is the same.
• The Include in Chart toggle is on in the previous forecasts.

Based on this set of related cost forecasts, the chart starts with the earliest month or period and ends with the latest month or period.

Actual costs

The actual costs in the chart come from the AFPs, contract invoices, and general invoices for the Forecast grid items in the current forecast. The chart displays the actual costs that fit within each month or period, so the actual costs in the chart may not match the Actual Cost To Date column in the grid.

Forecast costs

The chart contains the following forecast costs:

• For the months or periods up to the start of the current forecast, the forecast costs are the latest information from the previous forecast.
• If a grid item is removed in the previous forecast, the chart uses the forecast cost for all the items that exist in the previous forecast.
• If a grid item is removed in the current forecast, the chart uses the forecast cost only for the items that exist in the current forecast.
• For the months or periods starting from the current forecast and after, the forecast costs are from the current forecast.