This feature is included with Fathom Pro - the plan with access to all of Fathom's features. Companies on Portfolio can be upgraded to Fathom Pro at any time.

What is a forecast snapshot?

You can save a copy of your forecast or a scenario for reforecasting or comparing to your actuals or budget.

A forecast snapshot is a static, point-in-time record of the Profit & Loss, Balance Sheet, and Cash Flow Statement figures in your forecast or scenario. Any active microforecasts or driver values will be incorporated into the snapshot totals but will not be saved separately.

You can have up to 25 snapshots per company or consolidated group.

How to take a snapshot of your forecast

To take a snapshot of your forecast or scenario:

In your forecast, click the Telescope icon to access the main grid.
Click the Save icon in the upper-right corner of your forecast.
Select Create forecast snapshot.
Type in a name for your snapshot.

💡Smart Tip: Make the name memorable and unique so you can easily recall which snapshot(s) to select when crafting a report.
Select the forecast or scenario.
Choose the rolling from date. This is the last month of actual data or historical data from which you want the forecast to run. All periods past this date will have forecast figures.
Select the period range.
Save the Forecast Value Audit report for your records (optional).

💡Smart Tip: Saving the Forecast Value Audit report will enable you to retain a copy of the individual value rules, timing profiles, driver values and assumptions at play. These are not saved as part of a snapshot.
Create snapshot.

If you reclassify an account or add or remove headings in your Chart of Accounts, a previously created forecast snapshot will automatically update to reflect the changes. This ensures that you are comparing like-for-like when reporting on 'Actuals v Forecast Snapshot' or 'Forecast Snapshot v Budget'.

For single companies, there is also the option to save your forecast or scenario as your budget. If you already have a budget imported, this will replace all or part of your existing budget with your saved forecast or scenario.

How to report on a forecast snapshot

Once you have created a snapshot, you can report on it. Snapshots can be included in the following reporting components:

Reporting Component	You can report on...
Financials Tables	Financial Statements with: Forecast snapshot figures, including: Prior period Current period Next period Actuals + Forecast projection Variance (% and Currency), including: Actuals vs Forecast Forecast vs Budget Common Size % for a forecast snapshot
Financial Snippets	Financial Statements for a specific classification: Forecast snapshot figures, including: Prior period Current period Next period Actuals + Forecast projection Variance (% and Currency), including: Actuals vs Forecast Forecast vs Budget Common Size % for a forecast snapshot
KPI Tables	Financial KPI results and Chart of Accounts line items: Forecast snapshot results, including: Prior period Current period Next period Actuals + Forecast projection Variance (% and Currency), including: Actuals vs Forecast Forecast vs Budget Common Size % for a forecast snapshot

For more detailed information about reporting on your forecast and configuring the above tables, please see our 'Report on your forecast' article.

Common Size % is a percentage of Revenue measure for all account lines. For Balance Sheet accounts, Common Size % measures the percentage of Total Assets or Total Liabilities & Equity that a line item contributes, depending on its classification. For forecast snapshots, you have the options to report on the forecasted Common Size % (Current Period, Last Period, YTD, and Calendar YTD).

Can I report on forecast vs forecast results?

You can report on the figures for more than one forecast snapshot in Financials, Financial Snippet, and KPI tables in side-by-side columns. You can also show 'Actuals + Forecast snapshot projections' in side-by-side columns.

Variance columns specifically allow you to report on 'YTD Actuals + Forecast (Rest of Year) vs Full Year of Forecast' results. However, it is not possible to include 'Snapshot 1 vs Snapshot 2' or 'Forecast 1 vs Forecast 2' variance results.

Can I show forecast snapshots in charts or Financial Trends tables?

Currently, forecast snapshot results can only be displayed in Financials, Financial Snippet, and KPI tables. They cannot be added to charts or Financial Trends tables.

📝 Note: If you would like to see additional reporting options for forecast snapshots in the future, please reach out to our Support Team via the in-app messenger or support@fathomhq.com so we can make note of your request.

View, edit, or delete a forecast snapshot

To view, update, rename, or delete a forecast snapshot:

Click the Cog/Gear icon in the lower-left corner of your forecast to access the Forecast Settings.
From the General tab, scroll down to the Snapshots section.
Click the > icon to see a list of your snapshots.
Click the Three dots icon for a snapshot.
From the drop-down menu, select the appropriate option:
1. View: See the Profit & Loss, Balance Sheet, and Cash Flow Statement figures saved by the snapshot. Use the tabs at the top to switch between statements.
  
  💡Smart Tip: Click the bolded 'Period' option in the upper-right corner of your snapshot to view quarterly or yearly figures.
2. Rename: Type in a new name for your snapshot.
3. Update: Save over your existing snapshot. You can rename it, change the forecast or scenario you're saving, choose a new rolling from date, and change the period range. You can also save a 'Forecast Value Audit' report for your updated snapshot. The update cannot be undone once complete.
4. Delete: Delete the snapshot. This cannot be undone, and the snapshot will no longer appear in reports to which it was added.

When a forecast snapshot is updated, the figures will be updated in any reports that include the snapshot. If a snapshot is deleted, it will no longer be displayed in reports it was previously included in.

💡Smart Tip: You also have the option to create a new forecast snapshot from the 'Snapshots' section of the Forecast Settings.

Learn more