Help Center / Forecasting

Use Drivers in Forecasts

Create reusable inputs like headcount or units and use them in forecast formulas.

Use Drivers when a business input should feed more than one forecast line.

Examples:

  • headcount
  • active customers
  • units sold
  • utilization

If the same input should drive payroll, benefits, software spend, and revenue logic, put that input in Drivers first instead of rebuilding it on each statement row.

The Drivers tab

The Drivers tab (in the version workspace) uses the same toolbar as the statement tabs: period range, Hide Zeros, Assumptions, Override, and Batch.

Drivers are monthly input grids, so Override works on monthly driver cells.

Add a driver

Use + Add Driver in the workspace toolbar. Set a Base Unit, and add a Unit Label if the row should display a business label such as FTE or Seats.

Use names that will still make sense when they appear in formulas later. FTE Count is clearer than Headcount if you also model contractors separately.

A driver row holds assumptions just like a statement row, set the same way (see Edit Forecast Assumptions). Use assumptions for repeatable logic and Override only for one-off monthly exceptions.

Use a driver in a formula

Once the driver exists, you can reference it anywhere formula assumptions are supported: choose Formula as the assumption method, open the formula editor, and insert the driver from the available variables list.

Common examples:

  • FTE Count * 4250 for payroll or fully-loaded labor cost
  • Active Customers * ARPU
  • Units Sold * Cost Per Unit

When to use Drivers vs statements

Use Drivers when the number is an input to the model.

Use a statement-row assumption when the number belongs directly on the financial statement.

Good driver candidates:

  • people counts
  • customer counts
  • units
  • rates used across several rows

Poor driver candidates:

  • a one-off expense row that only appears once
  • a balance that already belongs directly on the Balance Sheet

Import driver values from CSV

When you already have driver figures in a spreadsheet — historical headcount, units, or rates — load them in bulk from Data Setup -> Drivers using Download Template and the CSV upload. This import writes directly; there is no separate review-and-confirm step like the actuals import has, so check the file first.

The template uses these columns:

  • Driver, Period, and Value are required.
  • Unit is optional.
  • Any dimension columns your entity uses are optional.

A driver named in the file that does not exist yet is created automatically; a row for an existing driver and period updates that period's value. Editing rights (Editor or above) are required.