IB Business Management SL 3.7.4 Cash flow forecasts Question Bank
Practise IB Business Management SL/HL 3.7.4 by applying cash flow forecasts concepts to exam-style questions.
- Syllabus
- First assessment 2024
- Course
- Business management SL
- Level
- SL
Practise IB Business Management SL/HL 3.7.4 by applying cash flow forecasts concepts to exam-style questions.
Suparman Fish ( SF )
Gepa Suparman owns and operates four fishing boats in Indonesia. There is a growing demand for canned (tinned) food, including cans of fish. Gepa wants to enter the secondary sector by opening a small factory producing cans of fish.
Gepa's business will be called Suparman Fish ( S F ) and will be a private limited company. Gepa will own all of the shares. The factory will be located in a village three miles from the harbour. Because unemployment is high in the village, Gepa should easily find workers for the new factory. In addition to the manager's salary, workers' wages, and the cost of fish, supplies, and cans, S F will have the semi-variable cost of electricity.
Gepa has prepared a four-month cash-flow forecast based on the following information:
- opening balance month 1: $15000.
- month 1 : sales revenue of $1000,increasing by 20 % per month.
- manager's salary: $300per month.
- workers' wages: $175per worker per month.

- variable costs (fish, supplies, and cans) are equal to 40 % of sales revenue.
- semi-variable cost of electricity: fixed cost of $100per month, plus a variable cost of $0.10 per kilowatt hour (kwh). Month 1 usage: 100 kwh , increasing by 10 % each month.
Although S F would create several jobs in the village, many residents are not happy about the new factory. The new factory would use chemicals, which cause pollution. Residents are concerned about the unpleasant smells from the factory. A representative from the local employment office is concerned whether Gepa's factory will provide a safe working environment.
Prepare a monthly cash-flow forecast for S F for the first four months of operation.
All figures in $.
| Item | Month 1 | Month 2 | Month 3 | Month 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales revenue | 1000.0 | 1200.0 | 1440.0 | 1728.0 | 5368.0 |
| Manager's salary | 300.0 | 300.0 | 300.0 | 300.0 | |
| Workers' wages | 350.0 | 525.0 | 700.0 | 875.0 | |
| Variable costs | 400.0 | 480.0 | 576.0 | 691.2 | |
| Electricity fixed | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | |
| Electricity variable | 10.0 | 11.0 | 12.1 | 13.31 | |
| Total payments | 1160.0 | 1416.0 | 1688.1 | 1979.51 | 6243.61 |
| Net cash flow | -160.0 | -216.0 | -248.1 | -251.51 | |
| Opening balance | 15000.0 | 14840.0 | 14624.0 | 14375.9 | |
| Closing balance | 14840.0 | 14624.0 | 14375.9 | 14124.39 | |
| Profit | -875.61 |
Apply Own Figure Rule (OFR): if a candidate makes an error in one row and carries it through the remainder of the forecast, that is only one error.
N.B. if a candidate rounds, for example, 691.2 to 691, that is acceptable provided the candidate rounds correctly.
[1 mark] The candidate conveys some understanding of what a cash-flow forecast is, but otherwise the forecast is largely inaccurate, incomplete, or illegible.
[2-3 marks] A cash-flow forecast is drawn, but either it is not in a generally accepted format or it is untidy, and the forecast contains two or more errors.
[4-5 marks] The cash-flow forecast is drawn essentially correctly and neatly in a generally accepted format (and includes clear rows indicating opening and closing balance), but there is one or two errors.
[6 marks] The cash-flow forecast is drawn accurately and neatly in a generally accepted format (and includes rows opening balance, closing balance and net cash flow), and is error free.
Substituting the term "net profit" in the cash-flow forecast for "net cash flow" is inaccurate.
If the candidate has only one row for all cash outflows, subtract [1] from the total mark awarded.