How should a cash flow dashboard monitor liquidity and runway?

Key takeaways

CA-led Virtual Accounting means your Chartered Accountant team runs bookkeeping, GST, TDS, income tax, and compliance end to end, the AI dashboard gives visibility, tracking, and comfort, founders do not do the accounting themselves.
A cash flow dashboard shows cash in and cash out, both actuals and projections, it is not a P and L and not a simple bank balance view, see P and L versus revenue expense dashboards.
Use daily positions, a two to thirteen week forward look, and a twelve month trend to drive timely action, see industry guides and treasury sources.
Top of screen KPIs must show total available cash, balances by account, and available versus restricted cash, see treasury guidance.
Keep burn rate and runway front and center, update weekly, set alerts, see finance dashboard research.
Avoid mixing accrual figures with cash basis flows, do not double count inter account transfers, and separate restricted balances, see frequent mistakes.

Define the cash flow dashboard, and what it is not

A cash flow dashboard shows cash in and cash out, both actuals and projections, in one view, it answers a simple question each day, do we have enough cash and for how long.

It is different from a P and L, accrual accounting can show profit even when cash is tight, see P and L versus revenue expense dashboards. It is also different from a bank balance screen, a balance shows what sits in the account, not what is due to come in or go out.

Liquidity decisions are cash basis, miss this and you will face payment stress, bounced payments, and tax notices.

Industry guides agree your dashboard must track actual and projected cash, not accruals or static balances, see industry guides. Treasury sources stress visibility beyond simple balances, see treasury sources.

CA-led Virtual Accounting, cash basis decisions, and founder comfort

In managed Virtual Accounting, your CA team handles bookkeeping, GST, TDS, income tax, and compliance, the AI dashboard gives visibility, tracking, and comfort, it is not a do it yourself tool for founders.

Founders focus on decisions, CAs handle entries, reconciliations, filings, and controls. The dashboard converts complex ledgers into cash basis signals your leadership can trust day to day.

Daily clarity on available cash and obligations, aligned to tax set asides.
Forward cash projections for two to thirteen weeks, with receivable and payable timing.
Longer trends for runway, burn, and seasonality, updated by your CA team.

Start with instant clarity at the top, see accounting dashboard for business.

Choose time horizons that drive action

Use more than one time window so you can act early, and not overreact.

Daily view for current positions, today and the last seven to thirty days show where cash stands now.
Short term forward look for two to thirteen weeks, this shows near term gaps, it lets you pull levers like delaying a payment or speeding a collection, see treasury sources.
Longer trend for twelve months, this shows seasonality and pattern shifts.

Update daily for positions, weekly for flows, and monthly for forecasts, during high volatility, refresh forecasts more often, see industry guides and staggered horizons guidance.

Top of screen KPIs, current cash position

Start with instant clarity at the top, the first row should show:

Total available cash across all banks and entities.
Balances by account.
Available cash versus restricted cash, tax set asides, escrow, covenant reserves.

Refresh daily, reconcile to bank statements, consolidate balances across accounts for a single liquidity view, see treasury guidance and experts.

Cash inflows module

Make it easy to see what cash is coming in, from whom, and when.

Actual receipts by category, customer collections, refunds, interest, financing inflows.
Top sources by amount and by frequency, this reveals dependable streams and risky ones.
Expected near term inflows, use a simple waterfall or line view for scheduled receipts and promised dates.
Flag late or at risk receipts and show follow up status.

Breaking down receipts by category and using waterfalls or lines improves clarity, see industry guides, charts help reveal reliable streams and collection delays, see charts.

Cash outflows module

Show what is going out, when, and to whom, so you can prevent overdrafts and plan cuts if needed.

Actual and scheduled payments by category, operating expenses, payroll, GST, TDS, income tax, debt service, capex.
Top vendors by spend and due dates.
Near term obligations flagged via a heat map or bar view.
Tag one offs versus recurring payments.

Categorizing payments and flagging near term obligations helps prioritization, see industry guides, heat maps or bar charts aid choices on what to cut or delay, see charts guidance.

Net cash flow and trend lines

Net flow shows if the business generates or consumes cash.

Visualize weekly or monthly net inflow or outflow, keep the zero line clear.
Use green and red coding for quick scans.
Add notes for known events, bonuses, tax payments, explain spikes.

Green or red coded trend lines make positive and negative flows easy to scan, see treasury sources, showing net flow by period reveals seasonality and early pattern shifts, see industry guides.

Burn rate and runway KPIs

Translate your cash into time.

Burn rate is average monthly net cash outflow, use the last three to six months.
Runway is months of operation, current available cash divided by burn rate.
Show both at the top, update weekly, set alerts when runway falls below thresholds.
For a short window, show days of cash coverage, cash divided by daily burn.

Keep burn and runway as top KPIs, update weekly with alerts, see industry guides, finance dashboard research notes that runway and burn indicators support quick risk assessment, see finance dashboard research.

Forecast versus actual variance analysis

Variance builds trust and improves forecasts.

Compare planned versus actual cash positions and flows, both absolute and percent.
Highlight the largest variances by category or entity.
Note reasons, delayed collections or unplanned expenses.
Refresh daily or weekly and keep a rolling history.

Use variance tables or charts to compare plan and actual, see treasury sources, making variances visible improves credibility and learning, see industry guides, for deeper signal design, see AI accounting insights finance dashboard.

Receivables and payables snapshots

Working capital timing drives cash timing.

AR aging tiles, zero to thirty, thirty one to sixty, sixty one to ninety, and ninety plus days, show DSO trend.
AP aging tiles and near due obligations, note creditor terms.
Update weekly, use color coded risks for overdue buckets.
Link aging buckets to expected cash inflow or outflow weeks.

Include AR and AP aging snapshots to anticipate timing crunches, see industry guides, weekly updates fit working capital indicators, see staggered horizons guidance.

Visual cues and thresholds that matter

Design choices can help or mislead.

Use three to four colors, green, amber, red, and a neutral, define low cash warnings.
Use zero based axes on flow charts, keep scales and intervals consistent.
Show days of cash coverage and low balance alerts.
Keep the layout clean, remove chartjunk.

Limiting colors and adding clear warnings improve decisions, see industry guides, zero based axes and simple design reduce misreads, see charts guidance.

Common pitfalls to avoid

These errors break trust and can trigger wrong calls.

Do not mix accrual P and L figures with cash basis flows.
Do not double count inter account transfers.
Separate taxes, one offs, and restricted balances.
Keep time periods and scales consistent, reconcile and automate where possible.

Frequent mistakes include mixing accrual and cash, double counting transfers, and ignoring restricted cash, see industry guides, manual entry without reconciliation creates inconsistencies, see charts guidance.

One screen layout that prioritizes decisions

Use a single screen so the most important signals are always visible.

Top row, cash position cards for total, by account, and available versus restricted, add burn rate and runway.
Middle, inflow and outflow waterfalls and a net flow trend line with a zero line.
Right or bottom, AR and AP aging tiles, forecast versus actual variance, upcoming payments, and alerts.
Keep it responsive so it works on desktop and on mobile.

This setup turns the page into a practical burn rate runway dashboard while keeping total liquidity at the top, see industry guides and treasury sources.

Update cadence and data hygiene

Reliable data keeps the dashboard useful.

Refresh positions daily, flows weekly, and forecasts monthly, move faster during volatility.
Reconcile to bank statements, lock prior periods to prevent drift.
Document definitions, define restricted cash, one offs, and allocation rules.
Set alert thresholds, review them each quarter.

Daily or weekly refresh and monthly forecasting is a common cadence, see industry guides, regular refresh and variance review build credibility, see treasury sources.

Minimum data inputs and definitions

Collect the minimum data needed so the dashboard stays accurate and lean.

Bank transactions and balances by account, include any restrictions or escrow.
AR ledger with due dates, customer names, and promised dates, AP ledger with vendor terms and payment schedules.
Planned cash events, payroll dates, GST and TDS due dates, EMIs, and capex milestones.
Forecast assumptions, collection patterns, seasonality, expected financing inflows.
Rules for inter account transfers, record once and exclude from net flow.

Keep restricted cash separate and avoid double counting transfers to maintain accuracy, see industry guides.

Who does what, CA team versus founder

Your CA team does the accounting, founders and finance heads use the dashboard to make decisions with confidence.

CA responsibilities, ledger upkeep, reconciliations, GST, TDS, income tax filings, compliance calendars, vendor and customer master hygiene.
Dashboard responsibilities, synthesize cash basis signals, runway, burn, receivable risk, payable pressure, variance explanations.
Founder responsibilities, approve payments, prioritize collections, plan hiring and capex based on runway and burn.

The dashboard is for visibility and tracking, not for posting entries. If you want a reference design, see AI accounting insights finance dashboard.

FAQ

What is CA-led Virtual Accounting, and how does the AI dashboard fit in

CA-led Virtual Accounting is a managed service where Chartered Accountants run your books, GST, TDS, income tax, and compliance routines, the AI dashboard gives founders and finance heads cash basis visibility, runway and burn, receivable and payable timing, and variance explanations, without turning them into bookkeepers.

Can the founder use the dashboard to do accounting entries

No, entries stay with the CA team, the dashboard is a read only decision surface for cash positioning, projections, and alerts, it improves control without adding workload to founders.

Why is a cash flow dashboard different from a P and L

P and L is accrual based, it can show profit when cash is tight, a cash flow dashboard shows actual and projected cash movements, it guides liquidity decisions, for a primer see P and L versus revenue expense dashboards.

Which time horizons should we track to manage liquidity and runway

Use daily positions for clarity, a two to thirteen week forward look for tactical levers, and a twelve month trend for seasonality and runway, these horizons are supported by industry guides and treasury sources.

Where should burn rate and runway sit in the dashboard

On the top row, next to total available cash and restricted versus available balances, update weekly, set alerts for thresholds, see finance dashboard research for why these KPIs drive quick risk calls.

How does the CA team compute restricted cash for taxes and covenants

Your CA team tags GST, TDS, income tax set asides, escrow, and covenant reserves in the bank and ledger data, the dashboard then separates available cash from restricted cash so decisions remain realistic.

What modules help us prevent overdrafts and payment stress

Outflows by category, vendor due date tracking, near term obligation views, and alerts for low balance thresholds, pair this with inflow waterfalls and receivable risk flags to time collections before obligations hit.

How do we maintain forecast accuracy without bloating the model

Keep minimum inputs, bank balances and transactions, AR and AP ledgers with due dates, planned cash events, and simple assumptions for collections and seasonality, compare forecast versus actual with variance analysis, see treasury sources and industry guides.

Does the dashboard track AR and AP aging for timing risk

Yes, AR aging buckets and DSO trends show expected inflow timing, AP aging and near due tiles show outflow timing, this working capital layer turns runway and burn into actionable weekly calls.

How does an AI Accountant style service differ from a DIY tool

An AI Accountant service is CA managed, the AI layer automates reconciliation, categorization, projections, and alerts, founders and finance heads consume signals, they do not post entries, approve journals, or do filings.

What are the most common errors the dashboard helps us avoid

Mixing accrual P and L with cash basis flows, double counting inter account transfers, ignoring restricted cash, and inconsistent time scales, your CA team sets definitions and locks prior periods to prevent drift.

How often should data refresh, and who is responsible for the cadence

Positions daily, flows weekly, forecasts monthly, during volatility move faster, the CA team owns refresh and reconciliation, leadership reviews alerts and variances on a weekly rhythm.

Can the dashboard show days of cash coverage for short windows

Yes, divide available cash by daily burn, it is a simple safety gauge when obligations cluster within two to four weeks, pair this with near term inflow probabilities for balanced calls.

How are variance notes captured and communicated to leadership

Variance modules highlight largest gaps by category or entity, the CA team annotates reasons, delayed collections, one off expenses, tax events, so founders can decide on follow ups without reading raw ledgers, see AI accounting insights finance dashboard.

Does the dashboard consolidate multi bank, multi entity balances

Yes, it aggregates balances by account and entity into a single liquidity view, and separates restricted from available cash, consolidation is essential for real runway and burn signals.