If someone in your firm asked "Are we okay?" - would you feel confident answering?
For most finance and operations professionals in A|E firms, cash flow forecasting only becomes a priority when something feels off - a payment is delayed, an expense hits early, or leadership starts asking questions at exactly the wrong moment. By then, the issue isn't just cash - it's timing. And without visibility into what's coming next, even stable firms can feel uncertain.
The good news: it doesn't have to be that complicated, and you don't need expensive software to get a handle on it.
In our recent webinar, "Cash Flow Clarity", SDA Executive Director Stephanie Kirschner, FSDA — who has led firms through everything from tight cash crunches to full bankruptcy reorganizations — walked through a simple, practical approach to cash flow forecasting built specifically for AE firms. The session drew on real experience and generated a lively conversation among attendees, many of whom shared the tools and workarounds they've developed in their own firms over the years.
Here are two things worth thinking about before you even watch the recording:
- Your ending cash balance is only half the story--timing is the other half.
- $24,000 in the bank sounds like a number. But when you divide it by your daily operating costs, it might mean 9 days of runway. That reframe alone changes how urgently you approach collections.
- Your forecast doesn't have to be perfect to be useful.
- The goal isn't precision — it's visibility. Even a simple monthly projection that gets updated regularly will surface surprises earlier and give you something concrete to bring to firm leadership before a problem becomes a crisis.
The recording goes deeper — including a working spreadsheet template you can adapt for your own firm and a candid conversation among peers about how they're handling cash flow in the real world.
How is your firm approaching cash flow forecasting today? Are you using a formal process, something more informal, or still figuring out what works best? We'd love to hear what's working (or what's been challenging) in your firm - share your experience in the comments.
If you've ever wished you had a clearer picture of where your firm stands financially — not just today, but 30, 60, or 90 days from now — this recording is worth your time.
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Posted 18 hours ago