Arizona State University (ASU) CON 495 Construction Planning and Scheduling Exam 1 Practice

Negative cash flow hits the project’s liquidity directly, so the cash flow forecast is the metric that's most affected. This forecast tracks when cash is expected to come in and go out, so a period of negative cash flow immediately shows up as a shortfall or deficit in future cash balances, signaling the need for funding or spending adjustments.

The other metrics measure performance of work rather than cash availability: schedule performance index looks at schedule efficiency, earned value represents the value of work performed against the plan, and the cost performance index compares the value earned to actual costs. These can be influenced by cash constraints, but they do not directly depict future cash position over time like the cash flow forecast does.