Cost & Revenue Forecasting Guide
The Forecasting tool uses your historical project data to predict future costs and revenue. You can forecast company-wide or for a single project, adjust cost categories to model different scenarios, and save forecasts for future reference.
Getting Started
- Click Forecasting in the left sidebar
- Configure your forecast settings
- Click Generate Forecast
- Review the results
- Optionally save the forecast for later comparison
Configuring a Forecast
Scope
Choose what to forecast:
- Company-Wide - Predicts costs and revenue across all active projects
- Specific Project - Select a project from the dropdown to forecast just that project
Forecast Period
How far into the future to predict:
| Option | Duration |
|---|---|
| 1 Week | 7 days ahead |
| 2 Weeks | 14 days ahead |
| 1 Month | ~30 days ahead |
| 3 Months | ~90 days ahead |
| Custom | Set 1-52 weeks |
Historical Basis
How many weeks of past data to use for the prediction:
| Option | Lookback Window |
|---|---|
| 4 Weeks | ~1 month of history |
| 8 Weeks (Default) | ~2 months of history |
| 12 Weeks | ~3 months of history |
| 16 Weeks | ~4 months of history |
Tip: A longer historical basis produces more stable predictions but may not reflect recent changes. A shorter window reacts faster to trends but can be noisy.
Adjustment Sliders
After choosing your settings, you can fine-tune the forecast by adjusting individual cost categories. Each slider ranges from -50% to +50%:
| Category | What It Adjusts |
|---|---|
| Labor | Personnel costs (wages, salaries) |
| Materials | Material purchases and supplies |
| Subcontractors | Third-party contractor costs |
| Equipment | Equipment rental and usage costs |
Example: If you know a large subcontractor invoice is coming next month, slide the Subcontractors adjustment up by 20-30% to account for it.
Click Reset Adjustments to return all sliders to 0%.
Reading the Forecast Results
After clicking Generate Forecast, you'll see:
Summary Cards
- Forecasted Revenue - Predicted income for the forecast period
- Forecasted Cost - Predicted total expenses
- Projected Profit - Revenue minus cost (green if positive, red if negative)
- Confidence Level - How reliable the prediction is, based on the number of data points available
Detailed Breakdown
- Cost breakdown by category (Labor, Materials, Subcontractors, Equipment)
- Baseline vs. adjusted values (showing the impact of your adjustments)
- Weekly projections for the forecast period
Saving Forecasts
After generating a forecast, click Save Forecast to store it for future reference.
- Enter a Name for the forecast (e.g., "Q2 2026 Projection")
- Optionally add a Description
- Click Save
Viewing Saved Forecasts
Switch to the Saved Forecasts tab to see all previously saved forecasts. Each saved forecast stores:
- All configuration parameters
- The actual forecast results
- Adjustment percentages applied
- Date the forecast was generated
Tip: Save forecasts at regular intervals (e.g., monthly) to track how your predictions compare to actual results over time.
Tips for Better Forecasts
- More data = better predictions - Forecasting works best when you have several weeks of consistent data
- Match your scope to your question - Use company-wide for overall planning, project-specific for bid accuracy
- Use adjustments for known changes - If you're adding a crew or losing a subcontractor, adjust accordingly
- Don't over-adjust - The historical data already captures trends; adjustments should reflect known changes, not guesses
- Review regularly - Compare past forecasts to actual results to calibrate your adjustments