Cash flow is the lifeblood of any business. Without clear visibility into when money comes in and goes out, even profitable companies can find themselves unable to meet payroll, pay vendors, or seize growth opportunities. NetSuite provides powerful native tools for cash flow analysis and forecasting that can transform how your finance team manages liquidity.

Why Cash Flow Forecasting Matters

Cash flow forecasting projects your future cash position by estimating inflows from receivables, sales, and other sources against outflows like payables, payroll, and capital expenditures. Unlike profit-focused metrics, cash flow analysis reveals the actual timing of money movements—critical for avoiding liquidity crunches.

Companies that implement robust cash flow forecasting can:

• Identify potential shortfalls weeks or months in advance

• Optimize payment timing to preserve working capital

• Make confident decisions about investments and financing

• Negotiate better terms with lenders using data-driven projections

<embed type="graph" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/drnuzed5h/raw/upload/v1768313262/nsgpt/blog/cash-flow-analysis-forecasting-netsuite/cash-flow-waterfall.json">

The waterfall chart above illustrates how cash flows through a typical month—from opening balance through various inflows and outflows to the closing position. This visualization makes it easy to identify which categories have the largest impact on your cash position.

NetSuite Cash 360: Your Real-Time Cash Dashboard

NetSuite's Cash 360 SuiteApp is the centerpiece of native cash forecasting capabilities. Introduced and significantly enhanced in the 2025.1 release, Cash 360 provides live visibility into cash positions by aggregating data from bank accounts, accounts payable, accounts receivable, and the general ledger.

Key Features

• Real-Time Consolidation:
  View current bank balances, outstanding receivables, and payables in a single dashboard

• Rolling 6-Month Forecasts:
  Generate projections with flexible intervals—daily, weekly, or monthly

• Drill-Down Transparency:
  Click any forecast figure to see the underlying transactions

• Multi-Subsidiary Support:
  View at subsidiary or consolidated levels for complex organizations

• Installment Intelligence:
  The 2025.1 update splits invoices with payment terms across periods automatically

How Cash 360 Works

As a native SuiteApp, Cash 360 automatically pulls live transaction data without requiring third-party integrations. When AR invoices are created, AP bills are entered, or bank transactions occur, forecasts update dynamically. The system applies historical payment and collection patterns to estimate timing, creating data-driven projections rather than simplistic assumptions.

<embed type="graph" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/drnuzed5h/raw/upload/v1768313061/nsgpt/blog/cash-flow-analysis-forecasting-netsuite/cash-forecast-chart.json">

The 13-Week Cash Flow Model

One of the most practical forecasting approaches is the 13-week (one quarter) rolling forecast. This timeframe is short enough for accuracy yet long enough to anticipate and address potential issues. Here's how to structure one in NetSuite:

• Week 1-2:
  Focus on confirmed transactions—invoices due, scheduled payments, known expenses

• Week 3-6:
  Blend confirmed data with historical collection patterns and recurring obligations

• Week 7-13:
  Extend using sales forecasts, anticipated orders, and seasonal adjustments

SuiteQL for Custom Analysis

For advanced users, SuiteQL enables custom cash flow queries directly against NetSuite data. The key tables for cash analysis include:

SELECT
    ap.periodname,
    a.accttype,
    SUM(tal.credit) as total_credits,
    SUM(tal.debit) as total_debits,
    SUM(tal.credit) - SUM(tal.debit) as net_movement
FROM
    TransactionAccountingLine tal
    JOIN Account a ON tal.account = a.id
    JOIN AccountingPeriod ap ON tal.postingperiod = ap.id
WHERE
    a.accttype IN ('Bank', 'AcctRec', 'AcctPay')
    AND tal.posting = 'T'
GROUP BY
    ap.periodname, a.accttype
ORDER BY
    ap.startdate

This query aggregates cash movements across bank, receivables, and payables accounts by period—the foundation for custom cash flow reporting.

Best Practices for Accurate Forecasting

To maximize the value of your cash flow analysis:

• Update Continuously:
  Cash 360 updates automatically, but ensure your AR/AP data entry stays current

• Factor in Payment Behavior:
  If historically only 90% of receivables collect on time, adjust your projections accordingly

• Include All Cash Sources:
  Don't forget recurring revenue, refunds, tax payments, and one-time items

• Use Multiple Scenarios:
  Consider best-case, worst-case, and most-likely forecasts for major decisions

• Review Weekly:
  Compare forecasts against actuals to refine your models over time

Understanding Your AR/AP Aging

A key input to accurate cash flow forecasting is understanding your receivables and payables aging. The chart below shows a typical AR vs AP comparison—when you know how much is due in each aging bucket, you can better predict actual cash timing.

<embed type="graph" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/drnuzed5h/raw/upload/v1768313263/nsgpt/blog/cash-flow-analysis-forecasting-netsuite/ar-ap-aging.json">

Notice how receivables typically have a longer tail than payables. This gap often creates working capital pressure that cash flow forecasting helps you anticipate and manage.

Extending Beyond Native Tools

While Cash 360 covers most forecasting needs, some organizations require additional capabilities. Third-party solutions like Planful, Prophix, and Adaptive Insights integrate with NetSuite for advanced scenario modeling and AI-driven forecasting. NetSuite Planning and Budgeting also offers built-in automation for variance analysis and rolling forecasts.

Next Steps

Ready to improve your cash flow visibility? Here's where to start:

• Enable Cash 360 from the SuiteApps Marketplace if not already active

• Configure your forecast horizon and account categories

• Review historical collection patterns to calibrate accuracy

• Set up weekly forecast-vs-actual reviews with your finance team

• Explore SuiteQL for custom reporting needs

Effective cash flow management isn't just about avoiding crises—it's about creating the financial agility to grow confidently. NetSuite's native tools make this achievable without complex integrations or spreadsheet maintenance. Start with Cash 360's real-time visibility, and build from there.