Building the Numbers Behind the Plan
Turning a strategic plan into financial reality starts with building the numbers. In this VFD Technical Academy session, Mark Walker demonstrates how to create detailed, reliable forecasts using the VFD Forecast Model, connecting strategy with measurable outcomes across profit, cash, and balance sheet performance.
Once a business has defined its strategy and customer targets, the next step is to translate that vision into numbers. This session from the VFD Technical Academy shows you how to do exactly that, building a structured, data-driven financial forecast that bridges strategic ambition with operational reality.
Led by Mark Walker, this practical walkthrough continues the implementation journey from the Strategic Planning and Business Growth Model sessions. You’ll learn how to take a client’s high-level plan and use the VFD Forecast Model to produce a full five-year projection, complete with profit, cash, and balance sheet integration.
Core Topics Covered
Setting up the model: how to align the forecast with the financial year and historical data.
Using trend analysis to drive year-one assumptions and maintain seasonality.
Deciding when to forecast at nominal, customer, or channel level for the best insight.
How to manage underdeveloped or inconsistent Charts of Accounts — and restructure them to reflect business drivers.
Applying percentage uplifts, VAT rates, and new revenue channels.
Building cost of sales assumptions using linked formulas to sales lines.
Handling depreciation, capital expenditure, and debt repayment assumptions within the three-way forecast.
Creating realistic cash flow projections, including working capital and VAT treatment.
The session also explores practical implementation challenges — from dealing with incomplete bookkeeping data to educating clients about why structure matters. You’ll see how to work collaboratively to clean data, define assumptions, and produce a model that becomes a living management tool.
With examples drawn directly from real client experiences, Mark illustrates how an accurate forecast not only improves financial visibility but also supports funding applications, exit planning, and scenario modelling.
By mastering this approach, you can help your clients:
Start the financial year with clarity and measurable goals.
Understand their true profitability, cash requirements, and funding needs.
Make faster, more informed business decisions backed by solid numbers.
This is a must-watch for accountants, CFOs, and finance professionals who want to elevate their client implementation process and use the VFD toolkit to its full potential.
Watch the full session to see how to turn strategic thinking into a financial roadmap — and build the confidence to deliver forecasts that drive real business outcomes.