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Intermediate Certificate on pass

Cash Flow Reading

Read the cash flow statement for any date range, from opening to closing cash, and fix an account that sits in the wrong activity.

3 lessons 40 min 5-question assessment 70% to pass
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What you’ll learn

  • Connect finance reports to source modules, controls, and operational decisions
  • Review accounting, tax, budget, payment, reconciliation, and close evidence
  • Identify finance exceptions before they distort reports or manager decisions
  • Prepare finance records for audit, period close, and executive review

Course content

3 lessons · 40 min of reading
01
Lesson 1 of 3 Reading 12 min

Pick the period and read opening to closing cash

Cash Flow Reading focuses on the date range, opening and closing cash, operating, investing and financing activities, the cash accounts listed, cash postings with no other side, and the Cash flow field on an account. In AWRA, finance control works best when operational activity, accounting records, tax treatment, approvals, attachments, and reports stay connected.

The practical goal is trust. Finance users should know where a number came from, which source module created it, who reviewed it, and what evidence supports the balance, tax, payment, budget, or close decision.

In practice, an owner opens Accounting, Cash Flow for the quarter, sees cash at the start of the period, operating cash in from customers, a vehicle loan wrongly shown as operating, and cash at the end. They edit the loan account in the Chart of Accounts, set its Cash flow field to Financing activity, and reload the statement.

Cash flow reading path

1

Range

From and To dates are chosen.

2

Opening

Cash at the start of the period is read.

3

Activities

Operating, investing and financing totals are reviewed.

4

Exceptions

Cash postings with no other side and the listed cash accounts are checked.

5

Closing

Cash at the end of the period informs decisions.

Finance model

  • Finance reports should trace back to source records and review decisions.
  • Tax, budget, and accounting setup choices affect many downstream reports.
  • Attachments and review notes make balances defensible during audit or close.
  • Exceptions should be owned before they become reporting noise.
02
Lesson 2 of 3 Workshop 14 min

Separate operating, investing and financing

The operating routine is to choose the period, read opening cash, review each activity, check the listed cash accounts and any line with no other side, set the Cash flow field on misplaced accounts, and compare closing cash with the bank. This keeps finance work from becoming a spreadsheet-only exercise disconnected from AWRA source activity.

Before acting, check date range, opening cash, activity totals, listed cash accounts, postings with no other side, misplaced accounts, bank reconciliation, and closing cash. These checks protect report accuracy, cash visibility, tax treatment, procurement decisions, and audit readiness.

A strong finance user can explain the next action from the record itself, whether the action is reviewing a ledger line, chasing a receivable, reconciling a payment, approving a budget, or closing a period.

Cash flow guide

Finance signal Review Action
Profit but low cash Receivables and collections Chase payments
Loan shown as operating Account Cash flow field Set it to financing
Till account missing from cash Listed cash accounts Set it to cash or bank
Line with no other side Unbalanced cash journal Correct the journal

Finance decisions

  • Finance action should follow the current balance, source module, and control state.
  • High-impact edits, deletes, overrides, and close decisions need clear reasons.
  • Operational context helps finance teams interpret margins, cash, and aging.
  • Reports are more useful when exceptions have owners and next actions.
03
Lesson 3 of 3 Practice 14 min

Fix misplaced accounts with the Cash flow field

Finance closure should leave proof. Useful evidence includes cash flow statement for the period, listed cash accounts, account Cash flow settings, receipts and payments, aging reports, and reconciliation status, connected to the exact account, transaction, report, payment, tax setting, budget, reconciliation, or close item.

Managers should review patterns such as unmatched payments, aged balances, failed sync, suspicious adjustments, tax setup gaps, budget overruns, and unresolved period-close blockers.

In practice, closure means cash movement is explained and collection or payment timing actions are assigned.

Cash flow checklist

Period is set
Opening and closing cash agree with the bank
Activities are reviewed
Misplaced accounts are corrected
Cash actions are assigned

Financial proof

  • Finance work is complete only when the balance and evidence can be defended.
  • Close routines should surface unresolved risk instead of hiding it.
  • Audit packs and exports should preserve source context, not just report totals.
  • Good finance governance protects cash, tax, margins, budgets, and trust.

Finished the material?

Take the 5-question assessment and earn your certificate — 70% to pass.

Take the assessment

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