Software of the Month Club 1997 February

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********************************************************************** -> This file contains detailed instructions for installing, loading and using EASI-PLAN. It can be used for reference purposes, resolving specific problems or learning in detail about EASI-PLAN. It is NOT essential to read this file before you start to use EASI-PLAN. -> The file has been supplied as an integral part of the shareware version of EASI-PLAN, a comprehensive financial planner for new, small and medium-sized businesses, specially developed for use on a 'try-before-you-buy' basis by Invest-Tech Limited. For contact details, see end of this file. -> This file approximately 37 x A4 pages long. -> To quit this file and return to DOS at any stage, press CTRL+BREAK. -> To return to EASI-PLAN's introductory menus, type "GO" at the DOS prompt. -> To print this file, type "PRINT MANUAL.TXT" at the DOS prompt. -> To scroll through this file screen-by-screen, press any key. ********************************************************************** EASI-PLAN r3.0 Lite & Pro ========================= SHAREWARE VERSION ================= Comprehensive Financial Planner for New and Established Businesses =============================== USER MANUAL =========== Invest-Tech Limited 27 Ardmeen Park, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland Irish Tel: 01-283 4083 UK Tel: 01232-315454 (Call 9 to 9 weekdays and 10 to 6 weekends - GMT/BST) Fax: 278 2391 Fax codes: Irish:01- UK:00-353-1- Inter'l:+353-1- CompuServe: 100606,2665 Internet: 100606.2665@compuserve.com The information and data contained in this manual are subject to change without notice and do not represent a commitment by the vendor. Both the manual and the described software are supplied under a licence agreement and may be used only in accordance with the terms of this agreement (see README.TXT). (c) Copyright 1994-95 Invest-Tech Limited All rights reserved. ********************************************************************** CONTENTS ======== PREFACE HOW TO......TABLE 1. INTRODUCTION 2. FINANCIAL & BUSINESS PLANNING 3. INSTALLING EASI-PLAN 3.1 First-time Installation 3.2 Initial loading of EASI-PLAN 4. BASICS OF EASI-PLAN 4.1 Loading EASI-PLAN Projections 4.2 Key Instructions 4.2.1 Using menus 4.2.2 Entering assumptions 4.2.3 Saving & loading assumptions 4.3 Initial Set Up Tasks 4.3.1 Video display 4.3.2 Printer setup 4.3.3 Laser/page printer 5. EXPLORING EASI-PLAN 5.1 Getting Help 5.2 Special Function Keys 5.3 Exercise 6. USING EASI-PLAN 6.1 General Advice 6.2 Structuring a Model 6.3 Using QUIK-PLAN 6.4 Model-Building Procedure 6.5 Avoiding Calculation Errors 6.6 Printing Reports and Graphs 6.7 Sensitivity Analysis 6.8 Advancing Projections 6.9 Creating a Spreadsheet File 7. SUPPORT & ASSISTANCE *********************************************************************** PREFACE ======= For a general introduction to EASI-PLAN, its system requirements and related information, please refer to the README.TXT text file. EASI-PLAN is a shareware product and supplied on a "try-before- you-buy" and unsupported basis. If you wish to continue using it after a 30-day trial period you must register as a user with Invest-Tech. In return for registering, you will receive a fully- operational copy of EASI-PLAN with a complete manual. You also gain access to full support. You can use the Registration Form in the text file REGISTER.TXT to register. You can also upgrade and register directly with Invest-Tech via our World Wide Web (WWW) site on the Internet using a credit card and its special built-in forms. See bottom of file for details of its location. Our Web site, called PlanWare, contains downloadable versions of *ALL* our financial planners for businesses and the home. It also offers useful advice in the form of text files on such topics as business planning, cashflow forecasting etc. as well as lots of other interesting stuff. This is the most comprehensive of all the text files accompanying EASI-PLAN. It is based on the more extensive 160-page printed manual which also contains several detailed appendices, comprehensive key-stroke tutorial exercises and many other items and features. This file covers all the main features of EASI-PLAN Lite. It does not cover some of the more sophisticated features included in EASI-PLAN Pro. Important Note: The suggested directory for EASI-PLAN Lite is EASIL3. If using EASI-PLAN Pro, the suggested directory is EASIP3. Please note these when referring to the instructions given in this manual. The other text files supplied with the shareware version are: Read-1st.txt If this exists, it must be read by all new users. Readme.txt Basic information. Should be read by new users. Register.txt Contains registration details and Registration Form. Use to register. Vendor.txt Contains short/long descriptions of EASI-PLAN etc. as well as a copy of Distributor Agreement and Form. For use by shareware libraries. The following batch files also contain explanatory text: Ep.bat Used to load EASI-PLAN in conjunction with an existing *.ASS file specified by the user. Go.bat Special introductory file which can be run by new users as soon as they have installed/unzipped EASI-PLAN. Start.bat Used to facilitate installation and unzipping of a self-extracting file called EASIPLAN.EXE or EASIPLAP.EXE. These files may be present in some shareware versions. ********************************************************************** HOW TO...... TABLE ==================== -> You may wish to print and cut out this table. =================================================================== How to..... Initiating keys ------------------------------------------------------------------- Load or reload assumptions in "filename.ass" EP FILENAME.ASS or *F,L Save assumptions *F,R or *F,B Access Help Page F1 or **CTRL+F1 or **ALT+F1 Refer Help Note **RETURN+PgDn Drilldown **RETURN Turn Hints on/off *H Access Main Menu F10 Access sub-menus etc. **F1, **F2 etc. Access position indicator & menu **F8 Use CTRL function keys **CTRL Use ALT function keys **ALT Change title for projections *I,T Change Basic setup info *I,B Erase selected assumptions **CTRL+F7 Remove all monthly assumptions *I,M Remove all quarterly assumptions *I,Q Enter assumptions *A Enter monthly assumptions *A & M or **F2 Enter quarterly assumptions *A & Q or **F5 Copy assumption across row **CTRL+F4 Copy row of assumptions **CTRL+F5 Insert constant value **ALT+F2 Insert changing value (percent) **ALT+F4 Insert changing value (absolute) **ALT+F5 Change number of decimal places **CTRL+F6 Jump around reports **CTRL+F2 Create split window **CTRL+F3 Recalculate *C or **F9 Review reports *R or *F2, *F3, *F4, *F5, *F6 or *F8 Print reports *P View graphs *V or **F7 Print graphs *V (with Graphics) Set up printer *I,S or *I,P or *I,D Change video display *I,V Advance all assumptions *D Do sensitivity analysis *S Use QUIK-PLAN *K Create spreadsheet-compatible file *F,X ================================================================== * Starting from EASI-PLAN's Main Menu ** Starting from within a report ********************************************************************** 1. INTRODUCTION =============== EASI-PLAN Lite is a powerful and easy-to-use financial planning software package for preparing comprehensive projections, budgets, business plans etc. for up to three years ahead. It is especially aimed at small businesses and new ventures. It is also ideal for use by professional advisers, consultants, training organisations, financial institutions and enterprise support agencies which work with new or small businesses. It has the flexibility to handle manufacturing, distribution or service businesses. EASI-PLAN Lite is extensively menu-driven and incorporate comprehensive online context-sensitive help facilities. It is suitable for managers, entrepreneurs and business people with only limited or no previous expertise in computing, finance or business planning. A related version, EASI-PLAN Pro, contains greater detail and is suitable for use by medium-sized businesses and strategic business units within large companies. A user can readily upgrade from Lite to Pro at an attractive price. Both versions of EASI-PLAN can be operated side-by-side from the same PC. There is also a version of EASI-PLAN, called Micro, specifically developed for use by very small businesses. Further information about Pro and Micro are given in the README.TXT file. EASI-PLAN Lite is pre-formatted to handle the very wide range of the variables and functions normally encountered when preparing financial projections. Based on the monthly and quarterly assumptions entered by the user, EASI-PLAN compiles detailed and fully-integrated financial projections for one year on a monthly basis and, in less detail, for a further two years on a quarterly basis. It produces numerous pro-forma financial and management reports together with graphs for many key variables. EASI-PLAN Lite contains numerous facilities for accelerating the process of preparing first-cut projections; for undertaking global or specific what-if or sensitivity analysis; for speeding up the entry of assumption data etc. EASI-PLAN is easy-to-use because all the formulae for financial calculations are pre-written; reports are pre-formatted and clearly laid out; menu structures follow logical sequences; and extensive online help is available to the user at all stages. The time required to set-up and become familiar with EASI-PLAN is only a few hours as compared with the many hundreds of hours that would be required to construct a similar financial model on a spreadsheet. This manual provides detailed explanations on all aspects of EASI-PLAN and will help users make effective use of it with the minimum of preparation. It is unnecessary to read the manual in any detail before using EASI-PLAN on account of the extensive context-sensitive help which is provided online. The best way to learn about EASI-PLAN is to use it ! The manual is based on the full printed version supplied with the fully operational version of EASI-PLAN. In a few places, it describes special features (such as creating ASCII or spreadsheet files) which are not accessible in the shareware version of EASI-PLAN. The manual is structured as follows: Section 2 introduces financial & business planning. Section 3 explains how to install, load EASI-PLAN for the first time. Section 4 describes the basics of using of EASI-PLAN and explains how to prepare it for a video display and printer. Section 5 contains further explanations and exercises to familiarise users with additional features. Section 6 contains detailed advice on using EASI-PLAN in real planning situations and explains its more advanced facilities. Finally, Section 7 describes Invest-Tech's support for EASI-PLAN. EASI-PLAN has been developed by Invest-Tech over several years and is being used by a wide variety of businesses ranging from start-ups to major companies. Formed in 1983, Invest-Tech is an independent business and management consultancy specialising in business planning & strategy and the development of related software. It is a Registered Practice within the Institute of Management Consultants in Ireland. Details of Invest-Tech's other software products for cashflow, financial, business and personal planning are contained in the README.TXT file. ********************************************************************** 2. FINANCIAL & BUSINESS PLANNING ================================ This Section contains a general introduction to financial and business planning. It will be of particular interest to users who are new to these areas. By means of a computer and suitable software, a mathematical model of a business's finances can be constructed to help prepare its financial projections. The use of a computer-based model reduces the tedium of carrying out numerous repetitive calculations and simplifies the alteration of assumptions and the presentation of results. Financial models are used to compile forecasts and budgets; to assess possible funding requirements; and to explore the likely financial consequences of alternative funding, marketing or operational strategies. They can also be used for business planning, investment or funding appraisals and for financial analysis. Used effectively, a model can help prevent major planning errors, identify or evaluate opportunities, attract external funding, provide guidance, evaluate financial and development options, monitor progress etc. A model utilises assumptions on sales volumes, prices, operating costs, funding etc., to produce projected balance sheets, profit & loss accounts and cashflow statements. Typically, it makes monthly projections for the first year and less detailed projections for the following years. All the elements of a model are usually fully-integrated, by means of formulae, so that a change to any assumption in any period results in appropriate adjustments to profits, cashflows etc. throughout the model. Once entered, the initial assumptions can be readily altered to evaluate alternative scenarios. For example, a model could be used to explore the extent to which future sales can be increased while holding borrowings within predetermined limits; to assess the effects of varying selling prices and/or volumes on net profits; or to determine the optimum level and mix of future funding for a business. For the management of an existing business, or promoters planning a substantial new venture, financial modelling can be an invaluable tool to assist the preparation of a business plan. However, business planning should not be confused with the preparation of financial projections. The former must provide the foundation for the financial projections which can be derived arithmetically by a model. The model and its forecasts should contribute to but never dictate the contents of a written business plan. Once basic issues relating to markets, sales and operations have been fully researched and considered, a model can be used to produce the financial projections. However, the veracity and usefulness of these projections will be completely determined by the quality and reliability of the underlying assumptions determined outside the model. For example, if sales or cost forecasts are unrealistic or inadequately researched, then the value of a model's output is greatly diminished. An impressive set of financial projections is of little benefit if unsupported by research or based on mere speculation or wishful thinking. Before using a financial model to help plan the future of a business, a manager or entrepreneur should: 1. Decide at the very outset on the central purpose of the modelling exercise (raise funds etc.); the target audience (co-directors, financial institutions etc.); and the time horizon (one year etc.). 2. Identify and think through all the critical assumptions. Prepare outline projections to confirm their overall direction, examine the critical elements in detail and consider strategic issues relating to sales, profitability, funding etc. The QUIK-PLAN facility (see Section 6.3) within EASI-PLAN is ideal for preparing first-cut projections which can be progressively refined and expanded. 3. Check that all key assumptions (e.g. sales forecasts) and data (e.g. opening balance sheet and any prior-year financial results) are to hand, and have been adequately researched. 4. Recognise the danger of presenting too much detail or too many reports. Most senior managers, investors and financiers seek simple financial statements which they can readily see to have been based on detailed analysis and realistic assumptions. This detail can be provided on request or relegated to appendices in a report or business plan. Make use of EASI-PLAN's summary reports, including its three-year Textual Summary Report, and numerous graphs to present the highlights of a plan or set of projections. When preparing financial projections, be conscious of the following pitfalls and dangers: # Using financial forecasting as a substitute for business planning # Ignoring historic trends or performances at company, sectoral and national levels # Overstating market shares and growth, sales forecasts, and profit levels # Underestimating costs and delays likely to be encountered # Disregarding industry performance norms and competitors' responses # Breaching generally-accepted financial guide lines and ratios # Making unduly optimistic assumptions about the availability of loans, trade credit, grants, equity etc. # Seeking spurious accuracy while failing to recognise matters of strategic importance. These problems can arise as the result of a lack of foresight or insight, or because of excessive optimism. As they can lead to under- estimation of the resources required to develop a business with potentially disastrous consequences, it can be counterproductive to overstate the potential of a business. Realistic views should always be taken of a business's prospects, prospective profits, funding requirements etc. There is often merit in compiling worst case projections to complement most likely or best forecasts. EASI-PLAN's sensitivity-analysis facilities (Section 6.7) can be used for this purpose to temporarily override the basic assumptions. Once a plan or projections have been approved or are being implemented, it should be regularly updated and compared with the results being achieved. After all, a plan is only useful if it is being followed; serves as a benchmark for control purposes; and if the projected outcomes are being achieved. To assist with the monitoring of a plan, EASI-PLAN offers facilities for preparing rolling 12-month projections (Section 6.8); and exporting projections and assumptions for incorporation into a budgeting system (Section 6.9). Users with limited financial expertise should work closely with their professional advisers when using EASI-PLAN. ********************************************************************** 3. INSTALLING EASI-PLAN ======================= This Section explains how to install and load EASI-PLAN for the first time. EASI-PLAN must be set up as explained in this Section before it can be used. Please check the supplied disk(s) for a READ-1ST.TXT file containing the latest information on EASI-PLAN. View this file (if it is present) as follows: - Switch to the drive/directory to which EASI-PLAN has been installed/unzipped etc. - Type "TYPE READ-1ST.TXT|MORE" where "|" is the pipe symbol (look for it in the bottom lefthand coner of your keyboard). 3.1 First-time Installation ---------------------------- A list of EASI-PLAN's files is contained in README.TXT. All these files should be included in the EASIPLAN.* archive file. a) Confirm that at least 0.5mb of space is available on your hard disk (use the DIR or CHKDSK command) for possible use as "virtual memory". b) Get into the sub-directory on your hard disk where you have copied/installed all EASI-PLAN's files (for example if the sub-directory EASIL3 was used, type "CD EASIL3" and press RETURN at the DOS prompt). c) For general introductory information, type "GO". If your PC uses a very old type of display, do not select this option - refer to Section 3.2 below. 3.2 Initial Loading of EASI-PLAN --------------------------------- To directly (i.e. to bypass "GO" the introductory menu system) load EASI-PLAN after it has been installed, proceed as follows: 1. Get into the EASIL3 sub-directory on the drive where EASI-PLAN has been installed, i.e. type "CD EASIL3" and press RETURN at the C:\> prompt if EASI-PLAN was installed onto a hard disk drive called C. 2. If it is planned to print EASI-PLAN's graphs, run the DOS "GRAPHICS" program (see Section 6.6 below for further info.). 3. Type "EP MASTER" (ensure that a single space is inserted between EP and MASTER) and press RETURN. Wait whilst EASI-PLAN loads itself together with specimen projections on a file called MASTER.ASS. 4. After a short time the introductory screens for EASI-PLAN will appear. Press RETURNs to skip these screens and wait a few moments for EASI-PLAN's Main Menu to appear. If the video display is unsatisfactory, press I (for Initialise) from EASI-PLAN's Main Menu and then V (for Video) and select a different type of display. If using a LCD display, EASI-PLAN's "on-screen" cursor may not be visible until the display has been reset to L (for LCD/B&W) within the Video sub-menu. The final preparatory task is to save a copy of the specimen assumptions supplied with EASI-PLAN (in the file called MASTER) which have just been loaded onto the hard disk for future use as a "working" copy. To do this, proceed as follows: Press F (for File) from EASI-PLAN's Main Menu (if necessary, get into the Main Menu by pressing the F10 function key which is located at the top or along the side of the keyboard or by choosing "Goto" as a menu option) and then press N (for New). Next, create the working copy of the specimen assumptions on the hard disk by immediately entering a unique file name, (WORKING is recommended), in response to the screen prompt and press RETURN. Use WORKING as the initial working copy for experimental purposes. Repeat the foregoing procedure to make a second copy called BACKUP if desired. EASI-PLAN will automatically add .ASS as the file extension to these file names. When specifying a file name, the maximum permissible number of letters is eight and do not include the character "." (full point) as part of the file name. To quit EASI-PLAN, press G (for Goto) if it is necessary to get back to EASI-PLAN's Main Menu, then press Q (for Quit) from the Main Menu and give "Y" responses to the subsequent questions. To reload EASI-PLAN with the WORKING.ASS assumptions file, type "EP WORKING" at the DOS prompt. ********************************************************************** 4. BASICS OF EASI-PLAN ====================== This Section describes in detail all the basic commands and features of EASI-PLAN and explains how to accommodate different types of video displays and printers. If EASI-PLAN is not being run through Windows and if available memory is limited (i.e. less than 540k), use the DIR or CHKDSK commands to confirm that 0.5mb of space is free on the hard disk to enable EASI-PLAN to create virtual memory. EASI-PLAN does this by creating one or two temporary files called VM.TMP and SLASHS.TMP on the EASIL3 sub-directory. These files will only be created if the PC has insufficient memory to fully accommodate EASI-PLAN. They will be removed automatically when EASI-PLAN is exited using its Quit command. If, however, EASI-PLAN exited as a result of re-booting the PC, the files will not be removed. This can be done by the user using the DOS file "Delete" command without impairing EASI-PLAN. For further information on the memory requirements for EASI-PLAN, you should refer to the READ-1ST.TXT text file. 4.1 Loading EASI-PLAN Projections ---------------------------------- To start using EASI-PLAN, get into the EASIL3 sub-directory by entering "CD EASIL3" and pressing RETURN at the hard disk's root directory prompt (e.g. C:\>). To load EASI-PLAN together with the previously saved working model (WORKING.ASS), type "EP WORKING" (ensure that a space is inserted between EP and WORKING), press RETURN at the C:\EASIL3> prompt and await the appearance of EASI-PLAN's initial help screen and Main Menu. The syntax for loading a EASI-PLAN model is as follows: EP [X:]ANYNAME (Insert a blank space immediately after EP) The following is an explanation of the make up of this command line: EP is a simple batch file which loads EASI-PLAN's two main files (Easi.exe & Plan.ovr). [X:] is optional and refers to the disk drive/path containing ANYNAME. It needs to be used only when ANYNAME is not on the same drive or sub-directory as EASI-PLAN's other files, for example, when using a second hard disk drive. If ANYNAME resides on a different sub-directory to that containing EASI-PLAN, the path should be entered immediately before ANYNAME. For example, to load an ANYNAME file which is located in drive D in a sub-directory called PRIVATE, use the following command line: EP(space)D:\PRIVATE\ANYNAME ANYNAME (max. 8 characters) is the name of the file containing all the assumptions relating to a specific set of cashflow projections. EASI-PLAN automatically adds a file extension .ASS to ANYNAME. For example, to load EASI-PLAN along with projections for a subsidiary company called ABC-LTD (previously saved as a file called ABC-LTD.ASS in the same sub-directory as EASI-PLAN), the command would be as follows: EP(space)ABC-LTD If, in future sessions, a model's file name cannot be remembered, simply type "EP(space)X" and press RETURN at the C:\EASIL3> prompt and wait until the "File does not exist" message appears. Press RETURN to remove this message, use the cursor to highlight the required file from the list which automatically appears on the next screen, and then press RETURN to load it. EASI-PLAN always looks for its help system file (PLAN.HLP) on the same disk/sub-directory as is used to hold its assumption files (*.ASS). If the help file is not found, an error message "Help File Not Found" will be displayed. To restore the help facility, copy PLAN.HLP onto the disk/sub-directory containing the assumptions files (*.ASS). 4.2 Key Instructions --------------------- The following instructions are fundamental to using EASI-PLAN. If necessary, refer to the set-up task described in Section 4.3.1 below to change the video display. When using EASI-PLAN always ensure that the SCROLL LOCK key is off. Load EASI-PLAN along with the specimen assumptions in the previously created assumptions file WORKING (i.e. enter "EP(space)WORKING") and explore and experiment using the instructions given below. Do not make any changes to the assumption values in WORKING for the time being. 4.2.1 Using Menus ------------------ The following instructions explain in detail how to access and use EASI-PLAN's menus. - To move around EASI-PLAN's menus, either (a) use the cursor keys to position the menu cursor over a specific menu item and press RETURN or (b) type the first capital letter (shown in red on most colour displays) of the menu item's name (without pressing RETURN). From the Main Menu, access the Reports sub-menu and experiment by pressing R (for Reports), moving the cursor down/up the sub-menu to a specific report and then pressing RETURN to select it. - Pressing G (for Goto), or RETURN when the cursor is at the first item, in a sub-menu, always brings a user back up the menu chain to the Main Menu. - A mouse can be used to select menu items by pressing the left- hand button. - To get back to the Main Menu from within any report, press the F10 function key. Alternatively, use one of the other function keys (F2 to F7), as indicated by the function key strip at the bottom of the screen, to directly call up a specific Report or Graph sub-menu. - If a menu unexpectedly disappears at any stage, press F10 to bring up the Main Menu. Alternatively, press a function key (F2 to F7) to bring up a sub-menu. If a system error should occur due to simultaneous conflicting commands etc. being issued inadvertently to EASI-PLAN, it may be necessary to press CTRL+BREAK (hold down the CTRL key, press the BREAK key and then release both keys) to clear the error, and then press F10 to retrieve the Main Menu. 4.2.2 Entering Assumptions --------------------------- This Section explains how to locate and access reports and enter assumptions. EASI-PLAN is divided into a series of reports containing assumptions and/or calculated results. To access any report, get into EASI-PLAN's Main Menu (press F10 if necessary) and press A (for Assumptions) or R (for Reports) to view a sub-menu indicating the range of reports. Use either sub-menu to select and access a particular report (either by moving the cursor down/up and pressing RETURN or by pressing the first capital letter of the menu option). Instead of selecting a specific report, press / (for /all) to gain access to all related reports. Once inside a report, use the down/up/right/left cursor keys to hop from cell to cell and to explore the contents of the report. Use the PgDn or PgUp keys to move the cursor quickly down or up a report and the TAB and CTRL+LEFT keys to page across a report to the right or left respectively. Use the HOME key to jump to the top left-hand corner of a report, and END, HOME to jump directly to its bottom right-hand corner. The computer will beep whenever the boundary of a report has been reached. A mouse can be used, instead of the cursor keys, to scroll around a report. When viewing a Report, a function-key menu strip always appears along the bottom of the screen. The primary function keys, F1 to F9, can be used to directly access sub-menus or operations without having to revert to the Main Menu. When finished with a report, press the function key F10 to get straight back to the Main Menu or use one of the other function keys (F2 to F7) to pop-up a sub-menu. Assumptions can be entered (within Assumption Reports) only in unsecured cells within rows of cells opposite the <<->> and ->> arrows and shown in reverse video (against a light blue or white background on most displays). Variable descriptions in the leftmost column of some reports (opposite double-headed <<->> arrows and shown in reverse video) can be changed by the user or left empty if not relevant. Zero values are signified by the .. symbol on the screen and are automatically converted to empty spaces within a printed report. To enter an assumption value, place the cursor at the desired cell position within an unsecured area, enter the value and either press RETURN or a cursor key to move directly to an adjacent cell. Generally, EASI-PLAN expects monetary values to be entered as 000's, for example, as 50.1 in lieu of 50,100. To temporarily display values to the nearest pound, use the CTRL+F6 function key to display values within a specified area to three decimal places. The following rules about entering assumptions must always be observed: # EASI-PLAN will not permit the entry of values other than in cells or areas (blocks of cells) which have been designated for inputted assumptions by the ->> or <<->> arrows and shown in reverse video. # All EASI-PLAN's formulae and most variable descriptions have been secured to prevent any possible accidental changes. Attempts to enter data in these secured cells will be frustrated by a secured cell error message (press RETURN to clear). # Never enter letters, or insert a blank space using the space bar, instead of numbers into cells which have been reserved for numeric entries. Clear such an entry immediately before pressing RETURN by pressing the Backspace key until the computer beeps; enter a number or a zero; and then press RETURN to complete the task. # When entering a value into a cell, always complete the entry process by pressing either RETURN or a cursor key to move to the next cell. Never start to enter a value and then, in midstream, try to invoke a menu or function key option. # If a mistake is made when entering a value in a cell, use the Backspace key to correct it before pressing RETURN or, alternatively, press RETURN and re-enter the correct value. # If, after entering a value and pressing RETURN, a series of ********'s appear, these asterisks indicate that the value has overflowed the cell's capacity to display it. To resolve a cell overflow, check that 000's have been entered or temporarily change the number of decimal places being displayed using CTRL+F6. EASI-PLAN can accommodate in-cell arithmetic conducted within an unsecured cell. For example, if 2*3-4 is entered into an unsecured cell, the result (2) will be displayed as soon as the RETURN key is pressed. The usual calculator rules about precedence and bracketing apply. EASI-PLAN does not recalculate projections until the C (for Calculate) option within the Main Menu, or F9 (Calc) within a report, has been selected. If the former is used, EASI-PLAN will display a Summary & Diagnosis Report immediately after it recalculates provided no calculation errors (Section 6.5) have been identified. If a calculation error is detected, an appropriate message will be displayed after either calculation option has been selected. 4.2.3 Saving & Loading Assumptions ----------------------------------- This Section describes the options within the F (for File) sub-menu for loading and saving assumption files. To save a set of assumptions as an *.ASS file on disk, press F (for File) at the Main Menu to get into EASI-PLAN's File sub-menu. This offers a range of options including Replace, Backup, New etc. for saving projections using either an existing or a new file name. The second line of EASI-PLAN's screen display always shows the last twelve characters of the name and disk/directory location (path) of the currently loaded file. The following comments supplement the menu prompts within the F (for File) sub-menu: # When using the R (for Replace) command, EASI-PLAN overwrites the existing file with the new version and does not create a back-up copy. # B (for Backup) renames the current file by changing its extension name from .ASS to .BAK before saving the updated copy onto disk using the same file name. If necessary, the back-up file can be changed back to an .ASS file using the DOS Rename command. # When using the N (for New) option to enter a new file name, its disk/directory path and its name (maximum of 8 characters - do not use a "." full point) can be edited using the Backspace key within the pop-up data-entry box on the screen. If an existing file name is entered, no file will be saved at all. # When using E (for Erase), take care to only erase files with .ASS file extensions, otherwise key program files could be lost. Press F10 after erasing a file in order to return to the Main Menu. # Use D (for Default) in conjunction with the Backspace key to change the default (normal) drive and/or directory (i.e. path) which EASI-PLAN uses for holding its assumption files (*.ASS). If EASI-PLAN is being used on a computer with a hard disk which can be accessed by other people, a user may wish, for security reasons, to always save assumption files on a removable disk rather than on the hard disk. To do this, the default drive should be changed to refer to the removable disk drive by pressing F (for File) and D (for Default) from the Main Menu and editing the indicated path using the Backspace key. # Refer to Section 6.9 below for guidance on using X (for eXtract) to create a spreadsheet-compatible file. Note that this file will require over 200k of disk space. # If it proves to be impossible to temporarily exit EASI-PLAN and enter DOS using the T (for Temporary DOS) menu option, the most likely reason is that there is insufficient space on the hard disk to temporarily accommodate some of EASI-PLAN's programs. Once in DOS, type EXIT to return to EASI-PLAN. # The Textual Summary Report generated by EASI-PLAN can be printed directly from within EASI-PLAN or it can saved to disk as an ASCII text file (called EASIPLAN.TXT) by means of the A (for ASCII-Text) option. This ASCII file can then be imported into a business plan, management report etc. and edited with the aid of almost any word-processing package (see Section 6.6). To switch from using one assumption file to another either: (a) Use the L (for Load) option within the F (for File) sub-menu and then use the cursor keys to select the required file from the list of displayed file names. (b) Exit EASI-PLAN using the Q (for Quit) command and then load the second assumptions file by typing EP(space)ANYFILE and pressing RETURN at the EASIL3 sub-directory prompt. This completes the explanations and exercises relating to the basics of EASI-PLAN. The next Section describes EASI-PLAN's help system and function keys in detail and concludes with a short exercise. To quit EASI-PLAN without saving any changes made during the foregoing exercises, press Q (for Quit) from the Main Menu and respond with "Y's" to any subsequent questions. 4.3 Initial Set Up Tasks ------------------------- A new user should undertake the following once-off tasks from within EASI-PLAN's Initialise sub-menu using an unaltered copy of the original model supplied with EASI-PLAN. For example, use WORKING but do not make any changes to the assumption values in WORKING for the time being. The set up tasks relate to the video display and printing. If necessary, re-load EASI-PLAN as follows: Get into the EASIL3 sub-directory by entering CD EASIL3 at the hard disk's root directory prompt (e.g. C:\>). Load EASI-PLAN with the previously saved working copy of the specimen budget (WORKING), by typing "EP(space)WORKING", press RETURN to skip the initial help screen and await the appearance of EASI-PLAN's Main Menu. 4.3.1 Video Display ------------------- With EASI-PLAN's Main Menu on the screen, check the video display. If it is satisfactory, skip to sub-sections 4.3.2 or 4.3.3 below to set up your printer. If you need to change the video display, proceed as explained immediately below. Choose the most appropriate video display. Press I (for Initialise) from the Main Menu and then V (for Video) and select from the three types of display listed. For most colour monitors, EASI-PLAN uses the following display settings: =============================================================== Letters Background --------------------------------------------------------------- Secured values, formulae and fixed variable descriptions Grey Blue Inputted values Blue Light Blue Changeable descriptions Blue Light blue Descriptions with Help Notes Bright blue Blue =============================================================== For most B/W, LCD or mono monitors, EASI-PLAN uses the following display settings: =============================================================== Letters Background --------------------------------------------------------------- Secured values, formulae and fixed variable descriptions White Black Inputted values Black White Changeable descriptions Black White Descriptions with Help Notes Bright white Black =============================================================== Precise settings and appearances may vary from monitor to monitor. If the white and bright white letters cannot be distinguished, try changing the monitor's contrast settings. If it proves difficult to display EASI-PLAN, or to see its cursor when viewing reports or Help Pages, try changing the video display (from the Main Menu press I, V etc.) or review the instructions in Section 3.2 above. If a Hercules monitor is being used, it is not possible to display the graphs on the screen. A special utility supplied with the fully-operational version of EASI-PLAN enables the graphs to be displayed. If it is planned to always use EASI-PLAN with a monitor which necessitates resetting of the display each time the program is used, it is possible to alter the batch file (EP.BAT) which loads EASI-PLAN to make the necessary changes automatically. This procedure is fully explained in EASI-PLAN's printed manual. 4.3.2 Printer Setup ------------------- This Shareware version of EASI-PLAN contains restrictions on the printing of reports. All these reports will easily fit onto an A4 page (in portrait) when either a 10 or 12 cpi character pitch is being used. As a consequence, it should not be neccessary for a user to get involved in changing the supplied set up strings. These matters are discussed in detail in EASI-PLAN's full manual. For the record, printer setup is accessed via the I (for Initialise) sub-menu. The relevant options are S (for Strings), P (for Print Margins) and D (for Defaults). If you make changes to the supplied printer setup, go to the Main Menu and use F (for File) and R (for Replace) to save the current set of assumptions, with the new printer settings, as an updated copy of WORKING. The only area where a user may need to change the supplied printer setup relates to page lengths. If successive reports creep down/up the page during printing, reduce/increase the page lengths being used by EASI-PLAN by the number of lines of creep. For example, if the amount of creep is two extra lines per page, reduce the specified page length by two lines. If a dot-matrix printer is being used, the supplied page length (66) should be satisfactory with either A4 or 8," x 11" continuous paper. If using a laser printer, this page length may need to be reduced to 64 to prevent page creep etc. To do this proceed as follows: 1. From the Main Menu, press I (for Initialise) to get into the Initialise sub-menu. 2. Press S (for Strings) and press any key once to skip the explanatory note. Press RETURNs to accept the offered strings. Enter two sets of page lengths in response to the two prompts which will appear in quick succession on the screen (try 66 or 64 for both sets). In response to the next prompt, press RETURN to accept the default string. Finally, enter the printer's default page length (try 66 or 64) and then wait a few moments while all the foregoing settings are incorporated into WORKING. To change other printer defaults for the interface and paper handling, choose D (for Default) from within the Initialise sub-menu. As supplied, EASI-PLAN uses the following defaults which can be altered one at a time by the user: - Interface set for a parallel printer (LPT1:) - Give line feed after RETURN - Do not wait for paper to be loaded at a new page. ALWAYS ensure that the printer is loaded with paper and 'on line' before using EASI-PLAN's print sub-menu. If successive reports tend to creep down/up the page during printing, reduce/increase the page length being used by EASI-PLAN by the number of lines of creep. As EASI-PLAN sends extended ASCII characters to the printer no other printer configuration should be necessary. If the printer fails to print the £ pounds currency sign, it may be necessary to switch the printer to using a different character or symbol set. Refer to the printer's manual for guidance. If using a HP LaserJet printer, or one emulating a LaserJet, the default symbol set, Roman-8, may not display the £ sign. Instead, try switching to an IBM-type symbol set. Refer to the printer's manual for guidance. If it proves necessary to change printer margins, choose P (for Print margins) from within the I (for Initialise) sub-menu. Select one margin to be changed, enter a new value and press RETURN. Repeat this procedure to change other margins and then test the results. If, during printing, problems of alignment, line or page skipping, line wraparound etc. are encountered, refer to the guidance notes in the Help Pages dealing with "Resolving printer problems" (display the Main Menu, press F1 for the index to Help Pages, place the cursor over this item and press RETURN). Then, either use the I (for Initialise) sub-menu to change the printer set-up, or make changes directly to the printer using its own controls. To stop printing at any stage, press CTRL+BREAK. Note that the main Print sub-menu contains options for advancing the printer by a single page; setting the printer's alignment to the top of a page; and restoring the printer to its default settings (using the string and page length specified when using the Strings menu option within the Initialise sub-menu). If any changes have been made to printer settings, re-save WORKING by pressing F (for File) from the Main Menu and B (for Backup). Quit EASI-PLAN by pressing Q (for Quit) from the Main Menu and give "Y" responses to the subsequent questions. ********************************************************************** 5. EXPLORING EASI-PLAN ======================= This Section contains a detailed description of the online help facilities (Section 5.1), explains how to use the special ALT and CTRL function keys (Section 5.2) and concludes with an exercise (Section 5.3). Most new users will benefit by reviewing this Section and completing the exercise. To get started, load a copy of WORKING, as set up in accordance with Section 4 above, by typing EP(space)WORKING at the EASIL3 sub-directory prompt. 5.1 Getting Help ---------------- EASI-PLAN incorporates extensive online help facilities which can be accessed as follows: # By default, a series of small context-sensitive Hint and Guidance Windows pop-up automatically when using EASI-PLAN's menus. These Windows can be globally turned off (or on) by pressing H (for Hint) within the Main Menu. When operating within a sub- menu, pressing H (for Hint) will turn on the Hint and Guidance Windows specific to the sub-menu. # The primary function key F1 can be used at any stage to access a context-sensitive Help Page. For example, pressing F1 when viewing a report results in an explanation of its origin and/or contents. If F1 is pressed when the Main Menu is being displayed, the first page of the main Index to Help Pages will appear. Once inside this Index, use the down/up cursor keys to move a special Help Page menu bar (shown in a dark colour on most displays) to a specific item and press RETURN to select it. (There are other special indexes within the Help Page system for accessing specific reports and error messages). To exit from a Help Page, press the ESC key or refer to the instructions at the bottom of the page. First-time users should check the Help Page Index for Details of latest changes to EASI-PLAN. # Variable descriptions shown with brightened letters in the leftmost column of many reports contain pop-up Help Notes relating to the descriptions. # A Help Note can be accessed by placing the cursor over a brightened description, pressing RETURN and then pressing the keyboard's PgDn key. Press PgUp to clear the Note, or simply let it scroll off the screen or be tiled over by another Note. If brightened letters cannot be distinguished, try changing the monitor's contrast. # Rows with brightened values contain drill-down cells which enable a user to view the assumptions or underlying data from which the cells' values have been derived. To drill down, place the cursor on any brightened value within a drill-down row, press RETURN once and then continue pressing RETURN as often as may be necessary to cycle through assumptions etc. and get back to the initial drill-down row. Note that a guidance message appears at the bottom of the screen when drilling is in progress. The drill-down facility can also be used to jump to a row of assumptions for the purpose of inserting or changing a single assumption value immediately prior to pressing RETURN to get back to the original starting position. If an assumption has been altered in this way, be sure to recalculate by pressing the F9 function key. Note: If a Help Note has just previously been accessed, press RETURN followed by PgDn to initiate drilling. # Unlike a database system, all EASI-PLAN's reports reside in memory and can be instantly accessed or scrolled through. If a user gets lost when viewing reports, a special pop-up menu can be accessed by tapping the F8 (Lost) function key. This menu lists all the monthly or quarterly reports and indicates the cursor's current location by means of >>>>>>> arrows. 5.2 Special Function Keys -------------------------- In addition to the primary function keys (F1 to F10) for accessing sub-menus etc., EASI-PLAN contains numerous other function key commands which can be activated by holding down the computer's CTRL or ALT key before pressing a function key. These can be used to speed up the entry of assumptions, access extra facilities etc. With some slow-running computers there might be a very slight delay before some of these function key commands take effect. As soon as either the CTRL or ALT key is pressed, a different menu strip appears at the bottom of the screen. To use any of the indicated function keys when a report is being displayed on the screen, press and hold down either the CTRL or ALT key while tapping one of the listed function keys. For most of these function keys, special guidance notes will appear temporarily in the top left corner of the screen. They work as explained in detail below. CTRL+F1 (Help) -------------- This gives access to Help Pages relating to the CTRL function keys. CTRL+F2 (Jump) -------------- This enables a user to automatically mark the cursor's current position, move to a new location anywhere within EASI-PLAN's reports, perform a task or tasks (such as checking, entering or changing assumptions), and then jump back to the initial position. The menu strip at the bottom of the screen will indicate when Jump is in operation. Try pressing CTRL+F2, move the cursor sharply down (or up) to view another part of EASI-PLAN and then press CTRL+F2 a second time to jump back to the start again. After CTRL+F2 has been invoked, the cursor can be moved freely around any of EASI-PLAN's assumption and output reports. Avail of this facility to become more familiar with the sequence of reports and their locations relative to each other. Even though their menu strip is not displayed, all the primary function keys (including F8 - Lost) can be used while Jump is in operation. CTRL+F3 (Window) ---------------- This creates a synchronised second window which splits the screen horizontally to enable a user compare data etc. from two separate reports anywhere in EASI-PLAN. The menu strip at the bottom of the screen will indicate when Window is in operation. To try this function, locate the cursor in the middle of the screen, press CTRL+F3 to split the screen, move the cursor (or mouse) up or down within the lower window to inspect another report (or to enter or change some assumptions). Press CTRL+F3 to get back to the starting position within a single window. After this command has been invoked, the cursor can be moved freely around any of EASI-PLAN's assumption and output reports. Even though the menu strip is not displayed, all the primary function keys (including F8 - Lost) can be used while Window is in operation. If a user inadvertently calls up a menu while the screen is split, the second window can be eliminated by displaying any report, pressing CTRL+F3, moving the cursor for a few cells in any direction and pressing CTRL+F3 a second time. CTRL+F4 (ValueCopy) ------------------- This enables a user to copy a single assumption value to another assumption cell or to replicate it throughout a rectangular block of unsecured assumption cells. To experiment, get into any Assumption Report and proceed as follows: 1. Position the cursor over the assumption value to be copied. 2. Press CTRL+F4, move the cursor to the assumption cell to be copied to and then press RETURN. To copy a single assumption value to all the cells within a rectangular block of unsecured assumption cells, the procedure is as follows: 1. Position the cursor over the assumption value to be copied. 2. Press CTRL+F4, move the cursor to one corner of the block of assumption cells to be copied to and press "." (full point), move the cursor to the diagonally opposite corner of this block and press RETURN. Note that EASI-PLAN will not permit either copying a secured value or copying to a secured area. Always move the cursor to the value to be copied before pressing CTRL+F4. CTRL+F5 (RowCopy) ----------------- This can be used to copy a complete row of monthly assumptions up or down to another row containing unsecured assumption cells. To try it, get into an Assumption Report and proceed as follows: 1. Position the cursor at the left-hand unsecured end of the row of assumptions to be copied. 2. Press CTRL+F5, move the cursor vertically to the corresponding left-hand end of the unsecured row to be overwritten and press RETURN. Note that EASI-PLAN will not permit the copying of a row containing secured values or copying to a secured row. Always move the cursor to the left-hand end of the row to be copied before pressing CTRL+F5. CTRL+F6 (Decimal) ----------------- This can be used to temporarily change the number of decimal places being displayed for both assumption and secured values and areas. To use it, position the cursor at a corner of the area to be reformatted; press CTRL+F6; enter the required number of places when requested to do so and press RETURN; move the cursor to the diagonally opposite corner of the block of values to be formatted; and press RETURN a second time to finish. If the number of places exceeds a cell's capacity to display them, a string of asterisks (*******) will appear. Use CTRL+F6 again to reduce the number of places. CTRL+F7 (Erase) --------------- This can be used to erase assumption values in unsecured assumption cells within a rectangular area. To try it, get into any Assumption Report and proceed as follows: 1. Position the cursor at a corner of the unsecured area whose values are to be erased. 2. Press CTRL+F7, move the cursor to the diagonally opposite corner of the unsecured area to be erased and press RETURN. ALT+F1 (Help) ------------- This gives access to Help Pages relating to the ALT function keys. ALT+F2 (Constant) ----------------- This can be used to speedily enter a constant value across a row reserved for monthly or quarterly assumptions within any Assumption Report. To use it, place the cursor in any unsecured cell (shown in reverse video) within a row containing a ->> or <<->> arrow. Hold down the ALT key, press F2 and release both keys simultaneously. Next, enter the constant value as directed, and press RETURN. This value will be automatically copied across the remaining months or quarters and the cursor will move down one row. On some slower computers, allow a few moments for this command to take effect. ALT+F4 (Percentage) ------------------- This can be used to enter an initial assumption value for any monthly or quarterly period and to change it by a specified percentage in each subsequent period, for example, to create a monthly or quarterly series like 10.0, 11.0, 12.1, 13.3 etc. (based on 10+10%=11.0, 11.0+10%=12.1 etc.). To try it, position the cursor at an unsecured cell for any assumption variable; hold down the ALT key, press F4 and then release both keys; enter the desired initial value in response to the first pop-up data-entry prompt on the screen and press RETURN; in response to the second prompt enter the percentage by which the first value should be changed (use + for increase and - for decrease) for each subsequent period and press RETURN. ALT+F5 (Absolute) ----------------- This can be used to enter an initial assumption value for any monthly or quarterly period and to change it by a specified absolute amount in each subsequent period, for example, to create a monthly or quarterly series like 10, 11, 12, 13 etc. (based on 10+1=11; 11+1=12 etc.). To try it, position the cursor at an unsecured cell for any assumption variable; hold down the ALT key, press F5 and then release both keys; enter the desired initial value in response to the first pop-up data-entry prompt on the screen and press RETURN; in response to the second prompt enter the amount by which the first value should be changed (use + for increase and - for decrease) in each subsequent period and press RETURN. Please note the following: - With a colour display and some B/W displays, the cursor can be used to paint (in red) the area to be copied to, erased etc. - With some mono displays, the cursor may change from a solid dark block to a flashing dash when using some of the special function key facilities, for example, during copying etc. - EASI-PLAN only permits copying or erasing values within unsecured areas shown in reverse video. Values cannot be copied to areas which overlap secured cells or extend beyond a report's limit. If such tasks are attempted, the command will fail, the computer will beep, or an error message will be displayed (clear by pressing either RETURN, F10 or CTRL+BREAK and F10). 5.3 Exercise ------------- A user who is familiar with EASI-PLAN can skip straight to Section 6 which deals with the use of EASI-PLAN in real planning situations. To undertake the exercise, load an unaltered copy of WORKING as set up in accordance with Section 4, by typing EP(space)WORKING at the EASIL3 sub-directory prompt. If it is desired to save changes made to WORKING, use the N (for New) option within the F (for File) menu to save WORKING under a new name as soon as EASI-PLAN loads. By way of an introduction, get into the Main Menu (press F10 if necessary) and press P (for Print) and T (for Text) to print the Textual Summary Report summarising the model's starting position. If desired, view some of EASI-PLAN's pre-set graphs by pressing V (for View) etc. from the Main Menu. As the exercise progresses, it may be interesting to maintain a note of key values such the year-end cash balance, profit/loss etc. Make changes to the assumptions in WORKING by following the key sequences given in parenthesis below (these always originate from EASI-PLAN's Main Menu). Make liberal use of Help Pages, Help Notes, drill-down Cells and the F8 position indicator & pop-up menu. 1. Go to the Monthly Assumption Report for Sales Forecasts (No. 1) (F10, A, M & S) and view the Help Note for Sales (000) by placing the cursor over this item and pressing RETURN and PgDn (press PgUp to clear). Next, enter new or revised sales values for all four subgroups within the first main group in order to increase monthly sales - use the ALT+F2, ALT+F4 and ALT+F5 special function keys to speed up the entry of values; recalculate (F9); and review the effects of these changes on the first year's profitability (F4, P, PgDn, F7, M, S, RETURN, P, RETURN, K, RETURN, G &G). 2. Substantially alter the distribution of trade debtors for the current year in the Monthly Assumption Report for Debtors/ Creditors (No. 8) (F10, A, M, B & PgDn). Change the percentage distributions so that much more credit is taken by Trade debtors for the two sales groups. Make sure that the total percentages for each debtor group (i.e. row) are always equal to 100%. Recalculate (F9) and review the effects of these changes on monthly cashflows (F3, C, PgDn, PgDn, F7, M, C, RETURN, G & G). If an error message pops up after recalculation, then EASI-PLAN has detected that the percentage distribution of debtors does not equal 100% for each debtor group. Return, if necessary, to Report No. 8, correct the percentage distribution and recalculate. 3. Substantially increase overhead expenses for some categories in the Monthly Assumption Report for Overheads (No. 4) (F10, A, M, & O); recalculate (F9); and review the effects of the changes on the first year's profitability (F4, P, PgDn, F7, M, P, RETURN, G & G. 4. Incur some major additional capital expenditure during the first year by entering an appropriate amount for Capital expenditure (000) in the Monthly Assumption Report for Fixed Assets etc. (No. 5) (F10, A, M & A). Recalculate (F9) and review the impact of the change on the cashflow projections (F3, C & PgDn to get to Note 6 located below the main cashflow projections). 5. Place the cursor on top of any brightened value within any Capital expenditure payments row in Note 6; press RETURN once to start using the drill-down facility to hop back to the underlying assumptions; enter an additional amount to cover some extra unforeseen capital expenditure and immediately press RETURN to get back to the starting position at Note 6. Recalculate (F9) and scroll upwards to observe the impact of this additional expenditure on the cashflows and the Capital expenditure item within the Cash Outflows. 6. Substantially increase the opening value for Trade debtors in the opening Balance Sheet (F10, A & B). Recalculate (F9) and respond to the Error in Opening Balance Sheet message by increasing the Reserves near the very bottom of the balance sheet by the amount of the imbalance as indicated by "Check balance sheet balances". Recalculate (F9) and confirm that the balance sheet balances. Next, respond to the Error in phasing of Opening Balance Sheet Items message by going to Monthly Assumptions Report No. 8 which deals with phasing out opening balances (F2 & B). Locate the row causing the imbalance by reference to an ERR message and enter new values to correctly phase out the revised opening total. Recalculate (F9) to confirm that model is completely error free. By this stage, the model is likely to have incurred substantial short-term borrowings as indicated by the cashflow projections, debt/equity ratios and balance sheets and depicted in various graphs. Figure out the amount of equity required to put the business on a sounder short- and long-term footing. Enter this amount as the Proceeds of share issues in Assumption Report No. 7 (F10, A, M, F, PgDn, PgDn & PgDn), recalculate and then review the results. Try making other changes to the monthly and quarterly assumptions and explore the remaining reports for months, quarters and years. Use the CTRL and ALT function keys to enter assumption values or copy assumptions, to jump between reports or split the screen, to erase assumptions etc. Utilise the online Help Notes, Help Pages, drill-down cells and the F8 position indicator & pop-up menu. Reprint the Textual Summary Report and compare the results with those at the start of the exercise. At this stage, do not save the altered model (except under a new file name) and do not use either the QUIK-PLAN or Advance facilities. The best way to find out how EASI-PLAN operates is to use it with familiar values and to progressively learn, in live planning situations, where all the assumption and calculated variables are located and how they relate to each other. If it should be neccessary to find the path of a specific assumption through the model, the simplest approach is to temporarily give it a very large value, for example, 100,000, recalculate and then use CTRL+F2 to jump around reports when following the asterisks caused by calculated values overflowing their cells. To understand how specific formulae work, go to the report containing the computed values of special interest; use CTRL+F3 to split the screen; scroll up or down to the underlying assumption values (or use the primary function keys, including F8-Lost, even though their menu is not displayed); make successive changes to these assumptions while recalculating and watching how the computed values change. Alternatively, use drill-downs to move quickly between calculated values and their underlying assumptions. ********************************************************************** 6. USING EASI-PLAN ================== This Section is relevant to all new users. It offers general advice on using EASI-PLAN (Section 6.1) and explains in detail how to use it to prepare financial projections for different types of businesses (Section 6.2). It also discusses specific issues relating to the following: Using QUIK-PLAN (Section 6.3) General model-building procedure (Section 6.4) Avoiding calculation errors (Section 6.5) Printing reports and graphs (Section 6.6) Doing sensitivity analyses (Section 6.7) Rolling projections forward (Section 6.8) Extracting assumptions and forecasts for use within a spreadsheet (Section 6.9). To use EASI-PLAN to build an entirely new model of a business, it is necessary to first load an existing model; to give it a new file name; to remove all existing assumptions; and then enter the new assumptions. This procedure is explained in detail in Sections 6.3 and 6.4 below. If a user regularly builds new models, it would be worthwhile creating and saving a blanked model with all its assumptions removed. Near the front of this text file, there is a detachable "How To....." chart which can be removed and used as an aide memoir. 6.1 General Advice ------------------- When starting to prepare a new set of financial projections for a business, there are likely to be some very significant gaps in the information needed to plan effectively. It may be necessary to review historic accounts and budgets to derive basic cost or sales data; to conduct research and analyses of the market; to identify alternative strategies or scenarios; to make manpower projections; to consider financial issues etc. EASI-PLAN can assist this process by helping to pose the right questions and providing feedback on the financial implications of possible outcomes. However, bear in mind that it is really only a high-powered calculating and printing system and its output will only be as good as the underlying assumptions. Refer back to Section 2 for further comments on the possible pitfalls in preparing projections. On the first occasion that EASI-PLAN is used to produce real projections for a business, curtail the number of monthly assumptions relating to sales, expenses etc. and concentrate initially on producing a creditable monthly profit & loss account for the first year. For example, start by entering just single rows of key assumptions for sales and use only a few rows for high-level direct and overhead expense payments etc. As all other sales, cost and overhead assumptions will have been already set to zero, the number of assumptions will be manageable and it should be very easy to follow these through the various formulae and reports. Review these initial results and then progressively add greater detail. Note that assumptions can only be entered in rows opposite the ->> or <<->> arrow signs on a printout and shown in reverse video on the screen. An alternative and very effective way to start using EASI-PLAN is to utilise its QUIK-PLAN facility (see Section 6.3 below) to produce first-cut but comprehensive projections for either the initial twelve months or for the full three years and then to progressively edit and refine the original assumptions. This method has the advantage that the it takes a very short time to produce a full set of projections which give an immediate overview of prospects for the three years and can serve as a framework within which extra detail can be added. 6.2 Structuring a Model ------------------------ EASI-PLAN is structured to suit a manufacturing, distribution or service business. Guide lines on using EASI-PLAN with different business types are provided in an Appendix in the manual accompanying the full version of EASI-PLAN. Any assumption variables which are not needed can be left with zero values (displayed as .... on the screen and printed as empty spaces) as EASI-PLAN will run satisfactorily with only the minimum of assumptions relating to sales, expenses, cash movements, balance sheet items etc. A user can change, or leave blank, the descriptions of variables which are unsecured (displayed in reverse video in the leftmost column and signified by <<->>> arrows) within several of the Monthly Assumption Reports. To change a variable name, simply place the cursor over the cell containing the description and overwrite it. Where appropriate, the new description will be automatically copied into other reports when EASI-PLAN next recalculates. When changing a description, the replacement must use the exact same currency denomination, i.e. 000's, as the original description, otherwise formulae will not operate correctly. A user, with access to a spreadsheet, can edit out redundant rows and variables from an EASI-PLAN model. This can be done, once the projections have been finalised, by using EASI-PLAN's Extract facility to create a spreadsheet-compatible file comprising all the values within the assumption and output reports. This extracted file can then be loaded into the spreadsheet and edited or summarised using a different format or layout. See Section 6.9 for further details. If a business is very small or its initial level of activity is very low, values can be temporarily displayed on the screen and in reports to the nearest pound by increasing the number of decimal places being used to three (for example, to show 1,071 as 1.071 instead of as 1.1). The number of places being used must be reduced whenever ********'s appear in cells. 6.3 Using QUIK-PLAN -------------------- QUIK-PLAN is a special facility within EASI-PLAN for (a) producing simple quick and dirty projections for one/three years or (b) generating first-cut forecasts which can be refined and fine- tuned from within the Monthly and Quarterly Assumption Reports. The entire process of producing a set of financial projections and an accompanying report is remarkably fast if QUIK-PLAN is used to generate the projections and these are subsequently printed in summary form as a textual report. This approach could be particularly useful to professional advisers, banks and other organisations providing front-line support to new and small enterprises. A blank form based on QUIK-PLAN's Assumptions Report is included as an Appendix in the full manual and can be used to manually capture all the key assumptions away from EASI-PLAN. To get started with QUIK-PLAN, load EASI-PLAN with an existing model, for example, enter EP(space)WORKING at the DOS prompt. Next, undertake the following preparatory tasks: 1. From the Main Menu, press I (for Initialise) and B (for Basic) to access the Basic Data Entry Screen. Follow the on-screen instructions to enter the company's (not licensee's) name; the form of the business (limited company or sole trader); the number of the first month to be covered by the projections (1 for January, 2 for February etc.); the year relating to the first month to be covered by the projections (use 4 digits); the currency symbol to be used throughout the model (preferably a single character such as $ etc.); and descriptions for the two main product/sales groups most appropriate to the company. These can relate to major product categories, market segments, customer groups, different VAT rate categories etc. Select definitions which are most relevant from the perspective of forecasting sales, material costs, credit terms etc. At a later stage, sales forecasts can be entered for four user-definable subgroups within each main group. If a mistake is made when entering data, correct it immediately using the Backspace key, otherwise repeat this procedure. Once this basic data has been inserted, it will be automatically entered throughout the model and the appropriate months and years will be incorporated in all the report headings and graph titles. 2. From the Main Menu, press I (for Initialise) and T (for Title) to give the new model a specific title, for example "First Attempt". This will be inserted automatically in the second line of the screen and on the cover pages for each set of monthly, first-year, quarterly and three-year reports. 3. From the Main Menu, press F (for File) and N (for New) to save this model under a new file name using a maximum of eight characters, for example, MODEL1. As the procedure for using QUIK-PLAN is fully explained online, the following guidelines are only intended to serve as a general introduction: # To access QUIK-PLAN, press K (for quiK-plan) and A (for Assumptions) from the Main Menu. This will bring the user into the QUIK-PLAN Assumptions Report. # Once assumption values have been entered into the QUIK-PLAN Assumptions Report either by overwriting or zeroising any existing values, run QUIK-PLAN by pressing F10 (for the Main Menu), K (for quiK-plan) and R (for Run). # From the Main Menu, press F (for File) and B (for Backup) to save the assumptions. This completes the QUIK-PLAN process and a full set of projections, including a balancing opening balance sheet, will have been compiled for the initial twelve months and subsequent eight quarters. An Appendix in the full manual explains in detail how QUIK-PLAN handles each inputted value and indicates the additional assumptions which it makes to complete the projections. Graphs and reports showing all the detailed projections can now be viewed on the screen or printed. For a quick synopsis, press C (for Calculate) within the Main Menu and view the Summary & Diagnosis Report, or refer to the Textual Summary Report by pressing R (for Report) and T (for Text) from the Main Menu. This report contains numerous drill-down cells which can be used to directly access the underlying assumptions and detailed projections. It can be printed (F10, R and T) or saved as an ASCII file (F10, F and A) for incorporation in another document. Assumptions introduced by means of QUIK-PLAN can now be changed or expanded from within the Monthly & Quarterly Assumption Reports. To do this, start at the sixth point listed in the model-building procedure described in the next Section (6.4). 6.4 Model-Building Procedure ----------------------------- If a model is being developed, without utilising QUIK-PLAN, the procedure is now explained in detail. To get started, load EASI-PLAN with an existing model, for example, enter EP(space)WORKING at the DOS prompt. The detailed procedure for building a model is explained below. 1. Erase all existing monthly and quarterly assumptions by pressing I (for Initialise), M (for Months) and Q (for Quarters) from within the Main Menu. 2. Decide how EASI-PLAN's two main sales groups should be defined. These can relate to major product categories, market segments, customer groups, different VAT rate categories etc. Select definitions which are the most relevant from the perspective of forecasting sales, material costs, credit terms etc. At a later stage, sales forecasts can be entered for four user- definable subgroups within each main group. 3. From the Main Menu, press I (for Initialise) and B (for Basic) to access the Basic Data Entry Screen. Follow the on-screen instructions to enter the company's (not licensee's) name; the form of the business (limited company or sole trader); the number of the first month to be covered by the projections (1 for January, 2 for February etc.); the year relating to the first month to be covered by the projections (use 4 digits); the currency symbol to be used throughout the model (preferably a single character such as £L, $ etc.); and descriptions for the two main product/sales groups most appropriate to the company. If a mistake is made when entering this data, correct it immediately using the Backspace key, otherwise repeat this procedure. Once this basic data has been inserted, it will be automatically replicated throughout the model and the appropriate months and years will be incorporated in all the report headings, graph titles etc. 4. From the Main Menu, press I (for Initialise) and T (for Title) to give the new model a specific title, for example "First Attempt". This will be inserted automatically on the second line of the screen and on the cover pages for each set of monthly, first-year, quarterly and three-year reports. 5. From the Main Menu, press F (for File) and N (for New) to save this new model under a new file name (maximum of eight characters), for example, MODEL1. 6. From the Main Menu, press A (for Assumptions) and M (for Months) to access the Monthly Assumption Reports sub-menu. Press / (for /any) to access all monthly assumption reports, or call up each report in turn, and enter forecasts and assumptions. Concentrate initially on entering approximate or high-level values with a view to refining them later on once a full picture starts to emerge. Utilise the following aids: # Press F2 and I (for Index) to view a listing of monthly assumption variables and their locations within Assumption Reports. # If lost in the midst of reports, press F8 to pop up the cursor position locator and a menu listing of all the monthly reports. # Use "in-cell" arithmetic and the CTRL and ALT function keys to quickly enter constant values across the twelve months, copy values in rows etc. # Refer to EASI-PLAN's Help Pages and Help Notes for detailed guidance on entering assumptions. After entering a batch of assumption values, recalculate to check results using the F9 function key. Note that the calculation errors which may be indicated whenever the model recalculates at this stage can be ignored until all the monthly assumptions and outstanding opening balance sheet data have been entered. Note that: - Values for the opening stocks in Assumptions Report No. 2 are based on values entered into the opening monthly balance sheet (Drill to review or revise). - Likewise, values for the opening fixed assets and accumulated depreciation in Assumption Report No. 5 are picked up from values entered in the opening monthly balance sheet (Drill to review or revise). - Assumption Report No. 8 is used to phase out the opening balances for certain items in the opening balance sheet. If the total values being phased out in this Report differ from the values in the opening balance sheet, EASI-PLAN will report an error when it next recalculates. Switch to the opening balance sheet or to Report No. 8 to eliminate the error by phasing out corrected values. - Use the graphs (F7) to keep a watch on the general direction of the projections. - Make regular back-up copies of the model using the B (for Backup) option within the F (for File) sub-menu. - Finish the monthly projections before starting to enter either the opening balance sheet or the quarterly assumptions. 7. From the Main Menu, press F (for File) and B (for Backup) to save an updated set of assumptions. 8. From the Main Menu, press A (for Assumptions) and B (for Balance) to enter data in unsecured cells within the opening balance sheet. After entering all the necessary opening balance sheet values, press F9 and make sure the opening balance sheet balances by viewing the row for CHECK balance sheets balance immediately below the opening balance sheet. If this does not show a zero balance, review all the values entered for the opening balance sheet. 9. When the opening balance sheet balances, press F9 to calculate once again in order to ensure that no calculation errors arise (see Section 6.5 below). 10. Enter a prior year's actual or estimated P&L by pressing A (for Assumptions) and P (for P&L) from the Main Menu. 11. Make a further back-up copy of the model using the B (for Backup) option within the F (for File) sub-menu. The 12-month/first-year projections have now been completed and appropriate reports and graphs can be inspected on the screen or printed. Assumptions can be fine-tuned and the projections can be subjected to critical examination to check their veracity etc. 12. To prepare projections for the second and third years, get into the Quarterly Assumptions Report by pressing A (for Assumptions) and Q (for Quarters) from the Main Menu (or use the F5 function key). The full manual contains detailed guidance on entering quarterly assumptions. Refer to the calculated values for the first four quarters for guidance when entering assumptions for the subsequent quarters. Recalculate and ensure that no calculation errors arise (see Section 6.5 below). 13. Make a back-up copy of the completed model using the B (for Backup) option within the F (for File) sub-menu. 14. At this stage, use the C (for Calculate) option within the Main Menu to do a final recalculation and view the on-screen Summary & Diagnosis Report. For a quick synopsis of the final projections, refer to the Textual Summary Report by pressing R (for Report) and T (for Text) from the Main Menu). This report contains numerous drill-down cells which can be used to directly access the underlying assumptions and detailed projections. It can be printed (F10, R and T) or saved as an ASCII file (F10, F and A) for incorporation in another document. 15. From the Main Menu, view graphs (press V etc.), inspect reports (press R etc.) and print results (press P etc.). Refer to Section 6.6 for guidance on printing reports and graphs. If necessary, refer back to Section 4.3 to review procedures for changing the printer strings, margins, page lengths etc. being used by EASI-PLAN. This completes the procedure for building a three-year model. It can now be used in conjunction with EASI-PLAN's other facilities to conduct sensitivity-analysis (Section 6.7); produce rolling projections (Section 6.8); and export to a spreadsheet (Section 6.9). 6.5 Avoiding Calculation Errors -------------------------------- When using EASI-PLAN, it is essential to ensure that no calculation errors are created; that its four sub-models always produce identical results; and that no imbalances occur in the opening balance sheet. As explained in Section 6.4 above, a temporary imbalance will always occur until certain values have been entered in the Monthly Assumption Reports as well as in the opening balance sheet. EASI-PLAN displays an on-screen message, immediately after recalculation, if it detects a predetermined type of calculation error. These messages with explanations of causes and suggested solutions, are listed in the online Help Pages. The following procedure will help locate and eliminate errors: # Check the right-hand column of a report called the Check Balances Report for differences between key values computed by EASI-PLAN's four sub-models. This report can be viewed by pressing R (for Report) and E (for chEck) from the Main Menu. # Scan the rows showing CHECK balance sheets balance immediately below the Monthly and Quarterly Balance Sheets for imbalances. # Examine the two tables within Monthly Assumption Report No. 8 for any ERR messages. 6.6 Printing Reports & Graphs ------------------------------ When presenting financial projections, recognise the danger of producing too much detail or too many reports at the outset. Instead, make use of EASI-PLAN's summary reports and graphs to convey the broad picture. If you wish, you can supress the printing of rows containing zero values (i.e. with unused variables) by selecting the Z (for Zeros) option within the main print menu. Refer to Section 4.3 above if it is desired to change the printer strings, margins, page lengths etc. being used by EASI-PLAN. As EASI-PLAN sends extended ASCII files to the printer, no other printer configuration should be necessary. However, if the printer fails to print reports correctly, consult the Help Pages dealing with Resolving printer problems (access by pressing F1 from within any Print sub-menu). A particularly useful report is EASI-PLAN's Textual Summary Report which summarises, in textual and tabular form, key projections for the three years and offers a rudimentary diagnosis of any problems due to the projections being out-of-line with generally accepted norms. It can be viewed by pressing R (for Reports) and T (for Text) from the Main Menu and printed by pressing P (for Print) and T (for Text) from the Main Menu. On the full version of EASI-PLAN, the Textual Summary Report can also be saved to disk as an ASCII file for incorporation in a business plan or management report by pressing F (for File) and A (for ASCII-Text) from the Main Menu. Note that the ASCII file is always saved using the name EASIPLAN.TXT and the previous version is automatically overwritten. If this version must be preserved, it should be renamed before initiating the process of creating a new version. (To temporarily exit from EASI-PLAN to DOS for this purpose, press F & T from the Main Menu). When importing EASIPLAN.TXT into a document, set carriage returns (or line feeds) at paragraph ends only and use a left-aligned, non-proportional font (such as Courier 10 cpi) with single-line spacing when formatting the imported text. DOS's GRAPHICS program supplied can be used to print a graph being displayed on the screen directly to a printer. Try it before using EASI-PLAN with real data (or immediately after having saved a model file), in case the system hangs etc. To use GRAPHICS, run it before loading EASI-PLAN by entering GRAPHICS at the hard disk's root directory DOS prompt. Refer to the DOS manual for further guidance on the range of options provided by the GRAPHICS program to accommodate different printer types etc. especially if a laser printer is being used. If this method of printing graphs is used frequently, it would be worthwhile adding the GRAPHICS command line to the batch file (EP.BAT) used to load EASI-PLAN before the line shown as EASI PLAN %1. Having loaded GRAPHICS before running EASI-PLAN, proceed to display one of its graphs on the screen. Make sure the printer is online, press the SHIFT+PrintScreen keys and wait a short time while a very presentable copy of the graph on the screen is print (depending on the printer set-up, a page feed might be required to eject the printed page). To improve the appearance of the printed output, try changing the parameters used by GRAPHICS (refer to the DOS manual for details). Also, if using a colour monitor, change the display temporarily over to LCD/B&W (press I, V & L from the Main Menu) before printing. EASI-PLAN Pro contains a scecial facilty for printing graphs. For further information refer to the on-line help pages and the supplied text file, PICPRT.TXT. 6.7 Sensitivity Analysis ------------------------- EASI-PLAN incorporates a very powerful sensitivity-analysis facility which enables a user to temporarily override existing assumptions and to make global changes to the following key variables on a month-by-month basis in the first year and on a quarterly basis for the following two years: Sales volumes Selling prices Cost of materials/packaging/goods Overheads Of course, individual assumptions or groups of assumptions can be changed for specific months or quarters at any stage by directly accessing and changing their values from within a Monthly or Quarterly Assumption Report. When using EASI-PLAN to conduct global sensitivity analysis, the procedure is as follows: 1. From the Main Menu, press S (for Sensitivity) to access the Sensitivity-analysis sub-menu. 2. Press I (for Insert) to get into the two adjacent tables which accommodate the monthly and quarterly sensitivity- analysis factors. Insert values for the appropriate months and/or quarters expressed as percentage changes (+ for increases or - for decreases) for sales volumes, selling prices, material costs and/or overheads. 3. When finished entering factors, press F10 and S (for Sensitivity) to bring back the Sensitivity-analysis sub-menu and press C (for Calculate). EASI-PLAN will recalculate the entire model using the specified percentage changes and then display, on the screen, the Results of Sensitivity Analysis, in summary form, for the latest and previous runs. 4. Press any key to get from this report back to the Sensitivity- analysis sub-menu. This sub-menu can then be used to display a Sensitivity Results graph (FIG14), by pressing V (for View), which compares sales and profits for the latest and previous runs. This graph can be printed using the method described in Section 6.6 above. 5. Press P (for Print) to print the Results of Sensitivity Analysis along with the two tables containing details of the sensitivity-analysis factors. 6. EASI-PLAN will indicate via a small message box above the Main Menu whenever it may be necessary to zeroise the sensitivity-analysis factors. This is done by pressing Z (for Zeroise) from within the Sensitivity-analysis sub-menu. Before restoring the model to its original state, it is possible to make further (compounded) changes to assumptions and/or view or print any reports or graphs incorporating the detailed results of the sensitivity analysis for months, quarters or years. Note that when undertaking sensitivity-analysis calculations, EASI-PLAN makes only highly selective adjustments within its Monthly and Quarterly sub-models. As a consequence, some values in the monthly and quarterly assumption reports may not appear to sum correctly or to relate to their underlying assumptions. Generally speaking, the sensitivity-analysis factors change assumptions in the exact same way as could be achieved by altering all the underlying relevant assumptions directly. For example, if monthly sales volumes are increased by a specified percentage using its sensitivity factor, sales turnover is increased by the same percentage as are stock levels, materials/goods purchases, direct costs (including direct labour), VAT receipts/payments, creditor/debtor levels etc. In contrast, an increase in selling prices would only increase sales turnover, VAT receipts and debtors while direct costs, stocks and creditors would all remain unchanged. 6.8 Advancing Projections -------------------------- EASI-PLAN incorporates a facility to advance or roll forward its first-year assumptions and projections one month at a time. For example, if projections had been originally prepared for the twelve months commencing March 1995, the Advance facility could be used to replace March's assumptions (and projections) by April's and so on for the remaining months. It would also add a new twelfth column for March 1996 containing identical assumptions to those for February 1996. The Advance facility automatically updates the months and years displayed in the headings of reports and in the titles & axes of graphs. The Advance facility makes EASI-PLAN ideally suited for preparing regularly updated 12-month rolling projections. It can be used every month or less frequently (by repeating Advance several times). Because most underlying assumptions should not change dramatically from month to month, the task of updating projections is greatly simplified and the entire process can be completed very quickly. This makes Advance a very useful management tool for short-term planning. For example, it could be used every month to prepare a rolling twelve-month profit and cashflow plan. (Invest-Tech also offers a range of more specialised cashflow planners which also incorporate an advance facility and compliment EASI-PLAN). Before using Advance, it is advisable to save the existing model in case it becomes necessary to revert to the projections which existed prior to advancing the assumptions. To use the Advance facility, press D (for aDvance) from the Main Menu and follow the on-screen instructions. Once the monthly assumptions have been advanced the following simple tasks must be performed to complete the procedure and to eliminate any calculation errors: - Update all items in the opening balance sheet (recalculate to ensure that the updated opening balance sheet balances) - In Assumption Report No. 8, revise the values being used to phase out opening balances (look out for ERR messages) based on the updated opening balance sheet and review the percentage distributions for current-year trade debtors and creditors - Examine the validity of all assumptions for the new twelfth month paying particular attention to any non-recurring items which may be duplicated in the eleventh and twelfth months as a result of using Advance. - Check all key assumptions and their timing for the other months in the light of recent trading and developments. - If Advance has been used for several months, there may be merit in reviewing the quarterly assumptions for the second and third years. Save the updated model with an unique file name. For example, use the new start month and year as the file name e.g. APR95. Once projections have been advanced, EASI-PLAN's global sensitivity analysis facility can be used to conduct "what-if" on the advanced forecasts. 6.9 Creating a Spreadsheet File -------------------------------- EASI-PLAN has a facility to create a spreadsheet-compatible file (which can be imported into Lotus 1-2-3 and many other spreadsheets) containing all the monthly, first-year, quarterly and three-year assumptions and projections relating to the model currently in memory. The file is laid out as a single sheet with variable descriptions down the left-hand column and all assumption and calculated values (without formulae) spread across the next twenty-two columns. Possible uses of this values-only worksheet include the following: # Enhancement of EASI-PLAN's reports with the aid of a spreadsheet publisher # Preparation of high-quality graphs using a specialist graphics package # Incorporation of selected elements of EASI-PLAN's assumptions and projections into other documents # Editing reports to remove redundant items, to combine rows or reformat reports # Serving as input for other planning or detailed budgeting systems # Combining EASI-PLAN's projections for several subsidiaries in order to produce consolidated results. Before using the Extract facility, it may be important to undertake the following preparations: - Make sure that there is 125k of free space on the hard disk to accommodate each extracted file. - Temporarily replace the £L symbol by the $ symbol, as the former may get lost during the extraction process, by pressing B (for Basic) within the I (for Initialise) sub-menu etc. The £L sign can be restored later by using the search/replace function within the spreadsheet. If this is not done, try using the spreadsheet's search/replace facility to replace the solid block symbol (ALT+254) by the symbol from within the spreadsheet once extraction has been completed. To create a spreadsheet-compatible file, press F (for File) and X (for eXtract) and enter a new file name. This name will be automatically given a WKB file extension. A *.WKB file can be loaded by 1-2-3 and very many other spreadsheets (such as Symphony, Quattro, Excel and SuperCalc), which can import and read files based on the 1-2-3 format. After loading a WKB file into a spreadsheet, the following tasks should be undertaken to set up the extracted file: - Hide columns C-E & S - Set column A to width 32, B to 3, C-R to 7 and T-W to 9 - Set the global format to one decimal place - Globally protect all values and descriptions - Remove all the range names accompanying the extracted file - Change the formats for the year numbers in the title rows from quarters, months and years to integer - If necessary, search/replace the $ symbol by the £L sign. The following comments will help a user to utilise the extracted file within the spreadsheet: # The quarterly and three-year titles are located at the very top of the worksheet in rows 1-4. # The monthly and first-year titles are located at rows 274-277. # To view only the first-year or three-year assumptions and projections, hide columns G to S. EASI-PLAN is supplied with a special format file (EASIPLAN.FMT) which can be used with WYSIWYG, the spreadsheet publisher supplied with most releases of Lotus 1-2-3, for displaying or printing an extracted file. To use it, proceed as follows after having extracted a file: - Use DOS to make a copy of the supplied file (EASIPLAN.FMT) to coincide with the name of the newly extracted spreadsheet- compatible file (for example, called newfile.wkb) as follows: copy easiplan.fmt newfile.fmt - Load the spreadsheet along with its publisher and retrieve the extracted WKB file with the newly-named FMT file - Hide columns C-E and S - If using a 10-point font as the default, set the remaining column widths as follows: A to 19, B to 4, F-R to 7 and T-W to 9 - Set the global format to one decimal place - Remove all the range names accompanying the extracted file - Change the formats for the year numbers in the title rows from quarters, months and years to integer - If necessary, search/replace the $ symbol by the £L sign. EASI-PLAN's assumptions and projections cannot be changed within a spreadsheet as only values without any related formulae are extracted from the EASI-PLAN model. ********************************************************************** 7. SUPPORT & ASSISTANCE ======================== EASI-PLAN has been supplied as shareware at minimal cost to enable users to try it out before registering etc. We regret that we can only provide support to EASI-PLAN users who have registered with us and secured a copy of EASI-PLAN with its comprehensive manual. Registered users of EASI-PLAN Lite who wish to upgrade to EASI-PLAN Pro, the more powerful version, can do so at a discount to the normal price (see README.TXT). In addition to EASI-PLAN, Invest-Tech offers an extensive range of business and financial planning packages for use by businesses. As the same basic structures, menus etc. are used throughout the product range, conversion from one product to another would be very straightforward fro a EASI-PLAN user. General information about these other products is contained in Help Pages within EASI-PLAN and in README.TXT. More comprehensive details can be obtained by contacting Invest-Tech. Invest-Tech also provides a model-building service on a fee-paying basis to expand or modify EASI-PLAN to meet a user's particular requirements. This work is undertaken on a confidential basis and to the highest professional standards in accordance with the Code of Professional Conduct of the Institute of Management Consultants in Ireland and the UK. Invest-Tech would welcome feedback from users and invites suggestions relating to EASI-PLAN. ********************************************************************** EASI-PLAN (c) Copyright Invest-Tech Limited 1993-95 All Rights Reserved Invest-Tech Limited 27 Ardmeen Park, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland Irish Tel: 01-283 4083 UK Tel: 01232-315454 (Call 9 to 9 weekdays and 10 to 6 weekends - GMT/BST) Fax: 278 2391 Fax codes: Irish:01- UK:00-353-1- Inter'l:+353-1- CompuServe: 100606,2665 Internet: brianf@iol.ie WWW Site URL: http://www.planware.ie/resource/planware ********************************************************************** To view this file page-by-page, type "TYPE MANUAL.TXT|MORE" To print this file, type "PRINT MANUAL.TXT". *** End of MANUAL.TXT file ***