Budgeting and Forecasting Basics - Build a Rolling 12-Month Model

In today’s fast-moving environment, static annual budgets are no longer enough. Markets shift, customer demands evolve, and unexpected events can upend financial assumptions overnight. Relying on a rigid annual plan puts organizations at risk of overspending, underfunding, or simply being caught off guard.

A rolling 12-month model changes the game. It keeps your organization one step ahead by providing a living, breathing financial plan that evolves with the business. Rather than waiting until year-end to update assumptions, you extend your forecast every month—giving leadership a clear view of both short-term needs and long-term goals.

This session is designed to make the rolling forecasts approachable and practical. You’ll learn how to structure the model, connect it to key drivers of your business, and update it effectively. We’ll also address how to use the model in real-world decision-making: identifying when to pull back on spending, spotting growth opportunities, and communicating performance clearly to stakeholders.

By attending, you’ll gain a skillset that goes beyond budgeting—it’s about building a financial system that adapts. Whether you’re a finance professional, a business owner, or part of a management team, this training will help you move from reactive planning to proactive forecasting. In a world where uncertainty is the only constant, a rolling 12-month model ensures you always have a forward-looking financial roadmap.

Areas Covered:-

• Why traditional budgets often fall short
• Benefits of a rolling 12-month forecast
• Step-by-step process to build a rolling model
• Identifying and incorporating key business drivers
• How to update forecasts with actual performance data
• Variance analysis: understanding gaps between plan and reality
• Best practices for keeping the model simple and effective
• How rolling forecasts support agile decision-making
• Using forecasts for resource allocation and cash flow planning
• Practical examples of rolling models in business settings
• Communicating rolling forecasts to leadership and stakeholders
• Transitioning from annual budgets to rolling forecasts smoothly
• Common pitfalls to avoid when implementing rolling models.

Why Should You Attend?

Budgeting and forecasting are essential tools for guiding business decisions, ensuring financial stability, and preparing for future growth. Traditional annual budgets often become outdated within months, leaving businesses without a clear picture of how they are performing against changing market conditions. That’s where a rolling 12-month model comes in—it provides an ongoing, updated forecast that helps businesses stay agile, responsive, and proactive.

By extending the forecast one month ahead as each month closes, organizations can continuously refresh their financial outlook. This approach creates more accurate projections, identifies risks earlier, and allows leaders to make better-informed decisions about investments, expenses, and resource allocation.

This session gives participants a step-by-step framework for building and managing a rolling 12-month model, from structuring the initial budget to updating forecasts and analyzing variances.

Who Will Benefit?

• Finance Managers
• Financial Analysts
• FP&A Professionals
• Controllers
• Accountants (Public, Corporate, and Government)
• Business Owners and Entrepreneurs
• Operations Managers involved in planning
• Budget Officers
• Strategy & Planning Teams
• Department Heads are responsible for managing budgets.