Consultant’s Experience: Enhancing Cash Flow Reporting
-By Hanna Luize Grase- Consultant
As a CPM consultant, I’ve seen firsthand how a well-designed cash flow statement can transform financial and managerial reporting. Over the past year, I have helped two clients in building and implementing cash flow reporting from scratch. One using SAP BPC, and the other with SAP Group Reporting.
In both cases, the goal was clear: provide better business insight and improve the overall quality of financial figures.
Why Cash Flow Reporting Matters
It completes the financial picture. It shows:
- A clearer view of how well operations are performing
- Where investments are made
- How those investments are funded, via loans or equity
It’s also one of the most reliable ways to validate financial reporting. If something doesn’t add up in the cash flow, it often signals issues elsewhere in the financial data.
Project 1: From Dutch GAAP to IFRS
In the first project, the client transitioned from Dutch GAAP to IFRS. We built both statutory and managerial cash flow statements, linked them to other financial reports, and automated the process.
This led to:
- Less manual work during month-end and forecasting
- More trust in the data
- Faster access to insights
Project 2: Real-Time Cash Flow with SAP Group Reporting
The second project focused on real-time data updates. Using SAP Group Reporting, we created a setup that streamlined how financial flow data is collected, processed, and reported. Fully automated and always up-to-date.
The result:
- A new, insightful liquidity flow statement
- Improved data quality
- Greater financial visibility across the organization
Challenges and Solutions
On the way, our team faced some challenges. Large businesses have complex and immense amounts of various financial data which need to be translated into a cash flow statement. However, working closely with clients and attention to detail, we overcame challenges and implemented a comprehensive financial flow that is a strategic tool helping the company manage cash more proactively, respond faster to risks, and support performance and growth.
What made these projects successful was the best practice approach we use at cpmview. We don’t just build reports – we make sure that the cash flow rules connect to the company’s planning and forecasting processes. We validate the data, automate the workflows, and ensure the cash flow statement accurately reflects the business’s reality. That way, it becomes a tool that helps managers make decisions about budgeting, investing, and managing risks.
The Impact
In both cases, the companies now have:
- Better control over financial performance
- More confidence in their financial figures
And for me, that’s what good consulting is all about – helping clients turn financial data into practical action.
