Understand a Small Business Cash Position
Design a finance dashboard that connects revenue, expenses, payroll obligations, and cash runway without hiding data uncertainty.
The brief
Understand the problem
Background
Small businesses often combine bank data, invoices, bills, and payroll from separate systems. A profit figure does not answer whether enough cash is available for upcoming obligations.
User context
Mina runs a twenty-person design studio. Two large invoices are late, payroll is due next week, and she needs to decide whether to delay a planned equipment purchase.
Product problem
Incomplete synchronization and uncertain invoice dates can make forecasts look more precise than they are. Sensitive salary details also require stricter access than summary finance data.
Objective
Create a cash-position dashboard and scenario review for a small business owner.
What to design
Define the experience
Required experience
- Current cash and upcoming obligations overview
- Revenue and expense trend with data provenance
- Cash-flow forecast with editable assumptions
- Restricted payroll detail
- Scenario comparison for a planned purchase
Screens and states
- Finance overview
- Cash-flow forecast
- Transaction detail
- Payroll obligations
- Scenario comparison
Core user flow
Follow the critical path
- 01
Mina reviews current cash and the next thirty days of obligations
- 02
She sees that two overdue invoices affect the forecast
- 03
She changes expected payment dates for a conservative scenario
- 04
She confirms payroll coverage without opening individual salaries
- 05
She compares buying equipment now with delaying it one month
Product rules
Requirements and constraints
Requirements
- Separate confirmed transactions from forecasts and assumptions
- Show source and last sync time for financial data
- Make overdue receivables and near-term obligations actionable
- Restrict salary-level detail by role
- Allow scenario changes without altering accounting records
- Explain forecast uncertainty rather than presenting one guaranteed outcome
Constraints
- Bank and accounting feeds update at different times
- Some expenses are recurring but variable
- Payroll data is highly sensitive
- The dashboard must handle several currencies
Reality check
States worth considering
Finish line
What to deliver
- Design five desktop screens showing current cash, uncertainty, permissions, and scenario planning.
Optional direction
Visual resources
Use these as a starting constraint if you want one. They are not part of the required solution.