How to Read the DOC Profit Report Correctly

The Daily Operating Control (DOC) is a powerful tool that combines various profit views into a single report. However, for month-end accuracy, it is vital to distinguish between "projected" money and "realised" money.

Why This Matters

• Accurate Reporting: Misreading the DOC leads to false profit expectations and incorrect financial statements.

• Efficiency: Understanding the columns prevents wasted time investigating "missing" profit that hasn't actually been finalised yet.

Key Terms & Definitions

• Expected Profit

  • The Planning View: This is based on your expected sale price and expected costs. It is a forecast, not a financial fact.

• Actual Profit

  • The Confirmed View: This is based on the actual sale and actual costs of closed deals. This is the figure that impacts your £ bottom line.

• Pipeline Profit

  • Work in Progress: This represents deals that are invoiced or progressing but are not yet fully confirmed or closed.

How to Use the DOC at Month-End

Step 1. Close Deals in Navigator

• Profit is only formally confirmed once a deal is moved to the Closed status. Ensure all invoiced deals for the period have been closed.

Step 2. Click Refresh

• The DOC does not update in real-time. You must click Refresh to pull the latest data from the ledgers into the report.

Step 3. Focus on the "Actual Profit" Column

• When reporting your final month-end figures, ignore the Expected or Pipeline columns. Use the Actual Totals only.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Reading Combined Totals: Avoid looking at grand totals that merge Expected and Actual figures. This will give you an inflated view of your banked profit.

• The "Vanishing Deal" Myth: Some users assume closed deals disappear from the reports. They do not; they remain in the record for that specific month to provide a permanent audit trail.

• Forgetting the Refresh: If you close a deal and immediately look at the DOC without refreshing, your £ totals will be outdated.

Essential Cross-Check Reports

To ensure your DOC is accurate, verify it against these two Navigator reports:

1. Pipeline Profit: Use this to view all deals invoiced within the month.

2. Action Report: Use this to identify any Unassigned Costs or overdue actions that might be holding back your "Actual" profit figures.