A CEO’s Playbook: Budgeting & Forecasting Made Simple
In multiple assignments as Executive Director or CEO of New Zealand technology and software start-ups, I have encountered a recurring dilemma: the product or service is fully capable of success—but the financial numbers cannot be trusted. Many companies rely on spreadsheets to project sales, set budgets, and model expenditures, yet these spreadsheets often lack consistency, accuracy, and the full financial context required by directors and shareholders.
These spreadsheet models frequently omit a vital component: the balance sheet. As a result, the profit and loss statement may look plausible, but cashflow and company position remain unclear. The formula errors and manual entries that infiltrate these models become risks the board cannot afford. It’s a familiar story for many finance teams.
In today’s landscape—where financial missteps can quickly jeopardise an entire venture—businesses need tools built for precision, reliability, and foresight.
In multiple assignments as Executive Director or CEO of New Zealand technology and software start-ups, I have encountered a recurring dilemma: the product or service is fully capable of success—but the financial numbers cannot be trusted. Many companies rely on spreadsheets to project sales, set budgets, and model expenditures, yet these spreadsheets often lack consistency, accuracy, and the full financial context required by directors and shareholders.
These spreadsheet models frequently omit a vital component: the balance sheet. As a result, the profit and loss statement may look plausible, but cashflow and company position remain unclear. The formula errors and manual entries that infiltrate these models become risks the board cannot afford. It’s a familiar story for many finance teams.
In today’s landscape—where financial missteps can quickly jeopardise an entire venture—businesses need tools built for precision, reliability, and foresight.
🔧Why the Times Demand Better Tools
Nowadays, relying purely on spreadsheets is insufficient. According to recent industry analyses, modern budgeting and planning software significantly improves accuracy and decision-making. For example, a market review noted that automated reporting and forecasting reduce manual errors, enhance decision-making and increase efficiency across finance teams (The CFO Club+2Procurify+2). Further, companies that use modern FP&A (Financial Planning & Analysis) tools are able to complete budgeting cycles far more rapidly than they could with manual methods—some achieving full cycles in under a month instead of the typical 60–80 days. (GoLimeLight).
💡How Forecast 5 Helps Address the Problem
With Forecast 5, organisations gain the ability to craft accurate and comprehensive budgets, link Profit & Loss to Balance Sheets, Cashflows to Funds Flow, and extend forecasts out by years rather than months. The system removes the risk of human calculation, disconnected spreadsheets and version-control chaos—freeing finance teams to focus on strategy rather than spreadsheet rescue.
By leveraging purpose-built financial records and integrations, Forecast 5 enables scenario analyses, multi-entity consolidations and long-term projections. It empowers boards and finance teams with clarity and trust in their numbers.
🌍Real-World Outcomes: What Better Tools Achieve
Finance teams using modern budgeting software report substantially faster cycle times, reducing what once took 60+ days down to fewer than 25 in some cases.
Adoption of automated dashboards, real-time consolidation and integrated data reporting has become a distinguishing feature of top-performing organisations.
With uncertainty and market speed increasing in 2025, businesses require tools that enable agile “what-if” modelling and immediate financial impact assessment—capabilities that traditional spreadsheets simply cannot provide.
💼Ready to Move from Spreadsheets to Certainty?
Imagine a budgeting and forecasting cycle completed in a fraction of the time, with reliable numbers your board can trust. Imagine freeing your finance team to lead strategy rather than fight Excel. Forecast 5 delivers that outcome.
Faster Forecasts. Fewer Errors. One Trusted Platform.
See the difference in just 21 days!
Start your free trial or request a demo to experience smarter forecasting
