Cash Flow Phasing in UniPhi: Which Method Should You Use?

Cash flow is one of the first conversations we have when configuring UniPhi for a new client. The phasing approach you choose at the start determines how reliable your monthly forecast will be for the life of every project, so it is worth agreeing the rule before anyone starts entering numbers.

This article gives a high-level overview of where phasing can happen in UniPhi, the methods available, and the simple rule we recommend.

Where can cash flow be phased?

Cash flow is managed in the Phasing tab of the Costs module (and the equivalent tab in the Revenue module). The Depth selector controls which level of the budget you are looking at and phasing against:

• Chart of Accounts / Level 1–4 – phasing at the cost code (or service code) level.

• Contracts – phasing against individual contracts and their schedule of rates lines.

Beneath each cost code you will also see forecast-to-complete (FTC) lines and commitment lines. Technically any of these rows can carry its own phasing – which is exactly why a clear rule is needed.

Phasing methods

Each row has a Phasing Method. The main options are:

• Manual – values are keyed month by month.

• Monthly, Quarterly, Half Yearly, Yearly – the remaining value is spread evenly across the start and end dates at the chosen frequency.

• S-curve – the remaining value follows a typical construction spend profile.

• Benchmark – the row follows a benchmark profile.

Select the method from the dropdown on each row:

The Phased Total and Variance columns show how much of the remaining forecast has been phased and how much is still unallocated. A large variance means part of your forecast is not in the cash flow at all.

The basic rule

Which level you phase at depends on who you are and what the cash flow is used for:

• Asset owner (client-side cost management): phase at the cost code level. Never phase at the forecast-to-complete line level.

• Consultant using UniPhi as their ERP: phase all revenue contracts.

Pick one level and stick to it. Mixing levels on the same project – some codes phased, some FTC lines phased, some contracts phased – is the most common cause of cash flows that do not reconcile to the forecast.

What if we don't follow the rule?

UniPhi will not stop you phasing at other levels. Some clients choose to, and that is their decision – but they take on the consequences: phasing that disappears when FTC lines are replaced by commitments, double-handling each month, and variances between the phased total and the forecast that someone has to chase down at month end.

Agree the approach during process configuration, record it in the client's process documentation, and train users on it from day one.

For more detail, see the companion articles: Cash Flow for Asset Owners: Phase at the Cost Code Level and Cash Flow for Consultants: Phase Every Revenue Contract.