Learn about the Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance Insights Capabilities – Cash Position (Part 2 of 5)

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance Insights is helpful because it offers configurable and extensible solutions for predicting cash flow, receivable payments, and generating budget proposals, as well as the ability to use machine learning templates to build models with data you provide. In this blog we will cover the cash position capability in Finance Insights. This is the second blog of a 5-part blog series covering different capabilities in Finance Insights. Check out the first blog here.

For businesses, managing cash flow is crucial to ensure a steady stream of income to cover expenses and investments. Dynamics 365 Finance Insights offers a Cash Position feature that projects the near-term cash flow by estimating the cash receipts from customers and the cash disbursements to vendors. By using this feature, businesses can forecast their cash flow more accurately, which can help them plan their future investments and expenses effectively. In this blog, we will explore the basics of the cash position capability in Dynamics 365 Finance Insights.

When the system predicts customer payments, it uses the payment predictions from the customer payment prediction feature. Without payment predictions, the average time that is required to convert a customer invoice to a payment for each customer is used to calculate a payment date. For open customer orders, the system calculates the invoice date by using the average number of days for order lines per customer to be invoiced. It then uses the invoice date as an input for the payment prediction functionality. The customer payment prediction functionality calculates a payment date for each order line.

The payment date for outstanding invoices is estimated from the payment predictions by picking a date that corresponds to fiftieth percentile of the cumulative distribution function that’s obtained from the predicted bucket’s probabilities.

A similar approach is used to predict payments to vendors. For each vendor, the system calculates the average time that is required to convert a vendor invoice to a payment. That number of days is then used to calculate the payment date. For open vendor orders, the system calculates the invoice date by considering the average number of days that is required to convert order lines to an invoice for each vendor. The system then calculates the payment date by using the average time to convert a vendor invoice to a payment for each vendor.

The upper section of the Cash position tab includes a cash position chart. This chart shows cash inflows and outflows, and their impact on the total liquidity balance. The details in the cash position chart can be viewed in daily, weekly, monthly, or quarterly periods. When you select Daily, you can view forecasts for the next 21 days. When you select Weekly, you can view forecasts for the next 20 weeks. When you select Monthly, you can view forecasts for the next 12 months. When you select Quarterly, you can view forecasts for the next 12 quarters. You can hide the chart if you require additional space on your screen to view content on the Cash position tab.

The lower section of the Cash position tab shows details for the position, cash flow, projected payments, and bank account.

• Information in the Position details grid is presented in three sections: a list of liquidity accounts, a list of documents that make up cash inflows, and a list of documents that make up cash outflows. The grid also shows cash position balances. For the first period that you’re viewing, the balance for the liquidity accounts is the opening balance. For subsequent periods, the balances for the liquidity accounts are calculated based on the addition of cash inflows and the subtraction of cash outflows from previous periods. To view details of the transactions that make up the balance, select the Balance link.
• The Cash flow grid shows cash inflows, cash outflows aggregated per period, and their impact on liquidity account balances. For the first period, the balance for the liquidity accounts is the opening balance. For subsequent periods, the balances for the liquidity accounts are calculated based on the addition of cash inflows and the subtraction of cash outflows from previous periods.
• The Projected bank balance grid show expected cash outflows and their impact on liquidity accounts.
• The Bank account grid shows the impact of expected cash inflows and outflows on the bank balance.

To save and edit the cash position, create a snapshot.

The Cash position feature includes the following functionality.

• Cash position feature shows the cashflow based on existing documents in the system and cash inflow and outflow lines imported from external systems.
• Makes it easy to integrate cash flow data from external systems to Dynamics 365 Finance. Cash position can also use the data import-export framework. This framework makes it easy to integrate with Excel OData. You can also combine data from multiple sources to create a comprehensive cash position solution.
• Introduces intelligent cash position. Cash position is created based on customer’s payment behavior to predict when a company can expect cash to arrive in their accounts.
• For Customer orders and invoices, customer payment prediction AI functionality is used to determine the historical customer payment behavior when an order or invoice will be paid.
• For vendor orders and invoices, we use average time between shipping and invoice and paying an invoice per vendor to determine when a vendor order or invoice will be paid making cash outflows more accurate.

This creates a more accurate view of cash flow based on historical payment behavior for the treasurer.