Weekly Cash Flow Snapshot Dashboard Spec

The spec defines exact workbook tabs and canonical schemas (Bank_Transactions, AR_Open, Payroll_Schedule, Expenses_Recurring, CC_Statements, Taxes, Settings, Helpers, Dashboard). By requiring specific headers, normalized date/amount types, and named settings, users learn to consolidate disparate exports into one consistent dataset. This reduces data confusion, makes cross-sheet formulas reliable (SUMIFS, INDEX/FILTER), and accelerates onboarding for anyone reviewing the dashboard—so the team spends less time reconciling sources and more time understanding cash dynamics.

The Helpers sheet (Calendar_Weeks, Inflows_By_Week, Outflows_By_Week) plus the Outflows_Expanded expansion logic turn recurring schedules and ad‑hoc events into dated cash events. The explicit roll‑forward formulas (Cash_Begin, Net = Inflows−Outflows, Cash_End, carry forward) teach users how weekly cash positions are derived. Seeing the step‑by‑step calculation (and example Google Sheets formulas) improves financial literacy—stakeholders can trace a runway number back to individual invoices, payroll, or vendor events and reproduce the forecast reliably week-to-week.

Defined thresholds (min_cash_buffer, alert_days_to_negative, payroll_cycles_min_coverage, cc_utilization_warn, client_concentration_warn, AR aging rules, tax timing) and their boolean logic translate complex cash signals into clear warnings (OK/Warn/Critical). Conditional formatting and per‑week checks teach users which metrics most affect liquidity and surface the few items requiring immediate action—so meeting time is spent on decisions, not interpretation. The alerts also serve as a learning loop: adjusting settings and seeing the dashboard response clarifies cause-and-effect.

The templated Owner Review Notes (variances, collections plan, payables plan, payroll readiness, cards/taxes, risks/decisions) plus a stepwise implementation checklist turn insights into repeatable meeting behavior. Users learn how to document causes, assign owners, and track resolutions. The checklist and data hygiene steps (load 90 days of bank data, populate settings, test alerts) create a reproducible process that improves each week—helping teams institutionalize lessons learned and shorten the feedback loop between data, interpretation, and action.