# Editable cash-flow variance review worksheet

Operational design worksheet; obtain qualified finance review. Use restricted source references and sanitized records. Inflows are positive and payments negative. Analysis does not authorize forecast changes or cash execution.

## Comparison scope

- Forecast snapshot, approval time, horizon and owner: ____________________
- Entities, included/excluded accounts, currency and cash definition: ____________________
- Period, cutoff time zone, date rule and extraction times: ____________________
- Sign convention, transfer rules and mapping version: ____________________
- Forecast/actual opening cash, flows, closing cash and reconciling effects: ____________________
- Investigation thresholds, report release criteria and next review date: ____________________

## 1. Freeze the baseline and test comparability

- Responsible preparer, reviewer and due time: ____________________
- Input versions, completeness checks and restricted evidence references: ____________________
- Calculation or decision rule and reproducible output: ____________________
- Unresolved item, amount, owner, due date and release limitation: ____________________
- Review result, approver, time, version and later corrections: ____________________

## 2. Reconcile actual cash and identify missing data

- Responsible preparer, reviewer and due time: ____________________
- Input versions, completeness checks and restricted evidence references: ____________________
- Calculation or decision rule and reproducible output: ____________________
- Unresolved item, amount, owner, due date and release limitation: ____________________
- Review result, approver, time, version and later corrections: ____________________

## 3. Calculate the bridge with deterministic rules

- Responsible preparer, reviewer and due time: ____________________
- Input versions, completeness checks and restricted evidence references: ____________________
- Calculation or decision rule and reproducible output: ____________________
- Unresolved item, amount, owner, due date and release limitation: ____________________
- Review result, approver, time, version and later corrections: ____________________

## 4. Link material drivers to operational evidence

- Responsible preparer, reviewer and due time: ____________________
- Input versions, completeness checks and restricted evidence references: ____________________
- Calculation or decision rule and reproducible output: ____________________
- Unresolved item, amount, owner, due date and release limitation: ____________________
- Review result, approver, time, version and later corrections: ____________________

## 5. Separate timing, changed amounts and unresolved causes

- Responsible preparer, reviewer and due time: ____________________
- Input versions, completeness checks and restricted evidence references: ____________________
- Calculation or decision rule and reproducible output: ____________________
- Unresolved item, amount, owner, due date and release limitation: ____________________
- Review result, approver, time, version and later corrections: ____________________

## 6. Review residuals and challenge the proposed story

- Responsible preparer, reviewer and due time: ____________________
- Input versions, completeness checks and restricted evidence references: ____________________
- Calculation or decision rule and reproducible output: ____________________
- Unresolved item, amount, owner, due date and release limitation: ____________________
- Review result, approver, time, version and later corrections: ____________________

## 7. Approve commentary and a separate forecast revision

- Responsible preparer, reviewer and due time: ____________________
- Input versions, completeness checks and restricted evidence references: ____________________
- Calculation or decision rule and reproducible output: ____________________
- Unresolved item, amount, owner, due date and release limitation: ____________________
- Review result, approver, time, version and later corrections: ____________________

## Repeat for every material driver

- Driver ID and unique underlying transaction references: ____________________
- Frozen forecast amount/date and actual amount/date, signed currency: ____________________
- Signed variance, allocation rule and linked cash category: ____________________
- Evidence-supported amount and calculated unexplained remainder: ____________________
- Cause status: confirmed / estimated / unresolved / disputed: ____________________
- Timing: original period, later observed settlement OR expected future date: ____________________
- Amount/assumption change and evidence, without assuming permanence: ____________________
- Overlapping labels excluded from additive totals: ____________________
- Owner confirmation, contradictory evidence and next follow-up: ____________________
- Approved narrative version and separately authorized forecast revision; no cash execution: ____________________

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OpenMax · 2026-09-04 · https://openmax.com/resources/blog/cash-flow-variance-analysis-with-ai/