The Challenge
Forecasting revenue and expenses for long-term projects was a time-consuming, manual process. Each update—triggered by changes in funding, expenses, or project scope—required building or modifying spreadsheet models by hand. This limited visibility, increased errors, and made it difficult to manage a large portfolio of active projects efficiently.
The Solution
A custom-built, macro-enabled Excel model was developed to automate project-level forecasting. Designed to scale across hundreds of projects, the tool enables users to:
- Select individual projects from a centralized dropdown
- Forecast revenue and expenses across the full project term using historical trends
- Override trends with updated assumptions or new information
- Dynamically update forecasts as actual data becomes available
The model also supports staffing decisions by forecasting labor costs at the employee level and evaluating financial impact of adding or reducing team members.
The Benefits
- Time savings – eliminates repeated manual modeling for each update
- Scalable solution – supports hundreds of projects with consistent structure
- Improved decision-making – clearer insight into available funds and staffing capacity
- Greater flexibility – users can easily adjust forecasts based on changing circumstances
- Better resource planning – enables forward-looking discussions across teams
Real Impact
What began as a tool for a single department managing over 1,000 projects is now used across multiple teams to proactively manage funding, anticipate staffing needs, and avoid overspending. The solution transformed forecasting from a reactive task into a strategic asset.
Holcomb Reporting Solutions 