Getting Started
CAPACITY is an Excel-based spreadsheet but the Excel functions
are not accessible to the user. The program is fully protected to prevent any
changes to the formulae.
When you load CAPACITY therefore you will see that the normal Excel menus and
toolbars disappear.
If you need to access another Excel workbook at the same time you can open
Excel in another window. You will need to set your Window’s task bar
to auto-hide so that it can be displayed at the bottom of your screen while
CAPACITY is running. This will allow you to open Excel in a second window to
access other workbooks and also to access other applications.
A formula-viewing facility is also available. Simply click on the cell to be
viewed, then press Shift, Alt and F simultaneously and the formula will be
displayed.
There is also a facility for reducing the width of the spreadsheet by selective
hiding of columns:
1) The main menu at the top left can be hidden
2) The 30-year projections can be collapsed to show only years 0,5,10,15,20,25,30.
Both these collapsed formats can be printed.
The following is an overview of what you can do with the CAPACITY model:
| 1a) Create a new plan - input historical financials - input economic and business stream assumptions - view financial projections & financial analysis - save forecast |
1b) Reconcile an existing plan - input historical and forecast financials - input economic & business stream assumptions - reconcile forecast - view financial analysis - save forecast |
| 2) Carry out sensitivity analysis - retrieve new or existing plan - run scenarios and sensitivities - save scenarios - retrieve existing plan |
|
| 3) Aggregate and analyse data (HC / NHF use only) |
On selecting the program you will see a “splash” screen while the program is loading. After loading you will see the following “Home” page:
The home page is the “gateway” to the Model and
offers you the choice of:
Single Association
Peer Groups
Help
Quit
The “Peer Group” option is not available to individual
associations. The full menu structure is detailed in “Navigating
the Model” (The menus appear on the left of each screen in a web-page
style format).
If “Single Association” is selected the menu allows
you a choice of:
Retrieve/Update Existing Plan
Create New Plan
Selecting “Create New Plan” will display the screen
shown below.
You set up a new plan by first entering basic information regarding your association
into the white cells then clicking on the "Create Now" button.
The program saves the basic information and prepares the data input screens.
Selecting “Input Data” takes you to the “General
Assumptions” sheet shown below.
You can scroll both vertically and horizontally to access the whole sheet.
The “Input Data” menu on the left of the screen
gives you access to the 19 input sheets available in the model as well as the
other parts of the model. When data has been entered on any one of these sheets
a tick automatically appears next to the relevant menu item. The same menu
appears on all 19 “Data Input” sheets (16 different
revenue streams plus general assumptions plus accounting data, plus FV5 data
as illustrated below).
Selecting “Retrieve/Update Existing Plan” allows
you to access the computer’s folders and select and load a data file
for an existing business plan. You need to know where the data files have been
stored on your system.
Try this now and select the file Bushmead.xls. As above, selecting“Input
Data” takes you to the “General Assumptions” sheet.
You can scroll both vertically and horizontally to access the whole sheet.
The “Input Data” menu on the left of the screen
gives you access to the 18 input sheets available in the model as well as the
other parts of the model.
When data have been entered on any one of these sheets a tick automatically
appears next to the relevant menu item. The same menu appears on all 18 “Data
Input” sheets (16 different revenue streams, general assumptions
and accounting data). Look at these sheets and see which ones have been entered
for the sample association Bushmead and then decide which ones are relevant
to your association.
Selection of “Analysis” takes you to the “Chart” sheet
shown below. This provides a dynamic window on all the ratios generated by
the model. The menu on the left gives access to the 14 analysis sheets shown
below which are automatically generated by the model. Select some of these
analysis sheets now to see what is available.
Income and Expenditure Account
Balance Sheet
Cash Flow Statement
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Financial Profile
Cash Flow Analysis
Profitability and Cash Flow Maps
Credit Maps
Charts
Combined Charts
Debt Capacity
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Revenue Summary
Expenses Summary
Reconciliation Factors
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Scenarios and Sensitivities
Selection of “Print Reports” allows you to select
any combination of input and analysis sheets
and/or predefined reports for printing. This command is available on every
sheet in the model. The selection of “Print” allows
you to print the current sheet in either black and white or colour. This command
is also available on every sheet in the model.
Selection of “Save” allows you to save the current
business plan data that has been input. You should save on a regular basis
as there is no auto-save facility.
Selection of “Quit” will close the application
and will prompt you to save the active plan if required.
The model works at two levels.
Firstly as a simple planning model where you input the accounting
data for the historical base year together with a set of core assumptions to
generate a dynamic 30 year forecast.
Secondly as a reconciliation model. In this case the model
uses the output from your own business plan together with some core assumptions
to replicate your plan in a standardised format which can then be flexed and
sensitised.
.