Planning need · Budget vs actual
See where the plan moved. Decide what changes next.
Compare what the business planned with what actually happened. See where revenue, costs or timing moved, understand the variance, then decide whether the plan or the assumption needs to change.
01 · The plan meets reality
The plan is a starting point. The business keeps moving.
A customer pays late. A hire starts in a different month. A software bill rises. The comparison becomes useful when the difference is clear enough to review before the next plan is set.
02 · Variance review
See where the numbers moved.
Planner compares planned and actual values, then calculates the difference by line and category. It shows what moved. It does not decide what caused the movement.
| Category | Planned | Actual | Difference | What to review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Payroll | $180k | $188k | +$8k+4.4% | Start date and team mix |
| Tools | $54k | $63k | +$9k+16.7% | New or higher software cost |
| Commitments | $42k | $55k | +$13k+31.0% | One-time or recurring change |
RunwayCal can show supported planned and actual values, the variance, and available detail behind a line. Your team still decides whether the difference is temporary, structural, or a reason to change the plan.
03 · Review
The number tells you what changed. You still decide why.
A large difference deserves attention, not an instant conclusion. The people closest to the work bring the context the calculation cannot know.
RunwayCal shows
- Plan and actual
- Variance amount and percentage
- Category, line, period, and review status
- Available transaction detail and notes
Your team interprets
- Timing difference or one-time event?
- Volume, rate, or operating change?
- Was the original assumption still reasonable?
- Does the next plan need to change?
04 · Assumption
Some differences are noise. Some change the plan.
Keep the assumption
The difference is timing, a known one-time event, or movement already expected to reverse. Record the context and keep watching the next period.
Change the assumption
The cost is recurring, the operating pattern has shifted, or a new commitment changes the base plan. Update the assumption only after the business has reviewed it.
05 · Test
If the assumption changes, test the consequence.
Scenarios let you change an assumption and compare a hypothetical path with the current baseline. The scenario remains separate from actuals and does not rewrite canonical cash or runway.
06 · Decision context
Bring the answer back to the numbers the business is using.
A variance matters when it changes a confirmed cost, commitment, receipt, or operating decision. Mission Control provides the wider context. A budget difference does not become realized cash unless the underlying event has actually happened and been recorded.
Plan. Review. Test.
See the difference. Test the next move.
Keep the plan connected to what actually happened, without confusing actuals with assumptions or scenarios.