Daily Cash Report

A contractor has a supplier payment due this afternoon, and yesterday's total group cash is not enough to decide whether the paying account can cover it. A daily report should identify that account's usable balance, pending outflows and the data timestamp.

Oracle's cash-positioning guide describes daily positions by currency or bank account using actual cash flows from different sources, and JPMorgan's liquidity guidance separates visibility, access and forecasting, which a daily report should keep distinct. List all relevant accounts with legal owner, bank, currency and purpose, because an omitted account can hide cash or an obligation.

Record when each bank balance was obtained so that a stale feed does not look like a current position, and mark a blank or stale account 'not updated' rather than carrying it forward silently, stating how much of the total is affected. Reconcile automated bank feeds too, since imports can duplicate or omit transactions.

Start with a reconciled or clearly labelled bank value as the opening balance, noting any previous-day correction, then track receipts and payments by date. Receipts include customer collections, transfers and other deposits, and transfers between group accounts must not be double counted, while payments include payroll, suppliers, taxes and debt service that actually cleared, kept separate from scheduled ones.

Opening plus receipts minus payments should equal the reported movement for a defined account and period, and any difference should be investigated. Distinguish ledger and available cash, because uncleared items, holds and overdraft limits can make a book balance different from usable funds.

Check entity restrictions and show restricted funds such as escrow, pledged deposits and client money in a separate section, since cash at one subsidiary may not be immediately available to another. Keep currencies separate, retaining original amounts and the exchange-rate timestamp when converting for a group headline.

Show pending large movements, such as approved payments scheduled later that day, and add a short horizon of likely payments and receipts over the next few days, labelling forecast data separately from actual bank data. Do not count unapproved facilities, since a proposed credit line is not cash in the bank, although committed and drawable facilities can be shown separately.

Review bank cutoffs so the report states when available cash can actually reach the paying account, and explain any material variance, such as a late receipt, with an owner for follow-up. Use detail suited to the reader, as owners may need an exception summary while treasury needs account-level evidence, and do not bury a near-term payroll risk in a long transaction list.

Control access on a need-to-know basis, archive timestamped versions, define escalation for a balance below minimum or an unexplained discrepancy, and plan coverage for weekends and holidays when obligations still fall due. For owners, the report should answer what cash is usable today and whether upcoming bills are covered, and daily evidence of late customer receipts should improve the next forecast.