Main dimensions

BPDTIME

The Calendar dimension defines the time structure and elements used within the Budgeting & Planning application. This is a built-in dimension and should not be changed. You can add hierarchies if needed.

The dimension provides years, quarters, and months (01-12). In case of variant fiscal years in relation to the calendar year, attributes are used to provide the meaning of each element. Related to opening balance calculations the element 01 always represents the first element of the fiscal year. Therefore, 01 does not necessarily mean January.

Related information:

Budgeting & Planning handles the changes of values per month.

  • Opening balances are always stored on the 01 element.
  • More detailed planning aspects, for example, weekly or daily based planning steps are integrated by sub plans.
  • Regarding periods 12+ data imports are split between two dimensions Calendar (BPDTIME) and Levels (BPDLEVEL).

This dimension contains predefined attributes used by the applications.

Interaction with sub plans:

Sub plans can use their own time dimension. As part of the data transfer between the sub plan cubes and the main cube of Budgeting & Planning, the allocation of the data is organized using the Application Engine.

BPDCYCLE

The BPDCYCLE dimension defines configuration sets. In relation to the Version dimension (BPDVERSION) data sources and versions can be differentiated per configuration set.

Usually, the first step of all planning activities is an overall strategy of the Organization. This strategy might remain valid for several years.

Based on this strategy a long-term plan will normally be worked out and updated every year.

Again, based on the long-term plan operative budgets are provided, usually for the actual fiscal year. Comparisons against the actuals taking place use this budget figures for controlling purposes and regulations within the operative process.

Several key figures, for example, sales values, are updated during the fiscal year (every month, quarterly, on demand, etc.). This process brings along different versions of the forecast and shows the dependency of the different stages of values, all based on the strategy and the long-term plan.

The current configuration set addresses the latest long-term plan. The different data types described above and maybe different versions of these figures are differentiated by the source dimension. Even a complete configuration set can be copied and used. For example, for overall or specific scenarios.

Related information:

  • Consideration of the Version dimension.
  • Currently, the dimension provides several placeholders. Setting up a new configuration set using the application does not create a new element but selects the next available placeholder element.
  • Currently, the descriptions of the configuration sets and the translations are stored as values within the configuration set definition cube.

Modification of the dimension:

Additional configuration sets can be added. Currently, the dimension provides several placeholders. New elements should be added using the same logic of a serial number.

Interaction with sub plans:

Values of a sub plan have always to be assigned to one configuration set (BPDCYCLE dimension), one or more sources / versions (Version dimension), and one or more levels (Levels dimension).

BPDVERSION

The Version dimension provides a differentiation of data coming from different sources, for example, actuals or projection, and different versions of the data simultaneously. In relation to the BPDCYCLE dimension they are all assigned to one configuration set and overall strategy.

The Version dimension provides the differentiation of different data sources. For example, system A and system B, and different versions of data.

Based on the hierarchy and the weight (aggregation), it can be designed which data will be aggregated to the C members. For example, TOTAL_PROJECTION.

New elements must follow the same logic:

  • Additional elements for budget or forecast must be added to both parents, to TOTAL with weight "0" and to TOTAL_CONFIGURATION with weight "1".
  • Element IDs must use the same prefixes, because filters in Application Studio are based on these prefixes:
    • BUDGET. Prefix for new budget elements.
    • FC_FISCAL. Prefix for new fiscal forecast elements.
    • FC_ROLLING. Prefix for new rolling forecast elements.
  • You can define additional analysis rates by adding additional elements underneath CURRENCY_ANALYSIS.

Related information:

  • Consideration of the BPDCYCLE dimension.

Interaction with sub plans:

Values of a sub plan have always to be assigned to one configuration set (BPDCYCLE dimension), one or more sources / versions (BPDVERSION dimension), and one or more levels (BPDLEVEL dimension).

BPDLEVEL

The Levels dimension includes hierarchies and elements to differentiate:

  • Opening balances and changes.
  • Different planning levels related to different sub plans / calling steps as:
    • Financial planning
    • Organization planning
    • Sales planning
    • Workforce Budgeting
    • Workforce Planning
    • Decision packages
    • Other sub plans
  • Imports, inputs, and automatically calculates values. For example, assumptions/premises.

This dimension separates different values generated along the whole planning and budgeting workflow. Additionally, the dimension provides the flexibility to integrate as much sub plans as required (as applications or customer-specific adjustments).

All data imports or entries are calculated and stored as differences. The hierarchy provides the aggregation of already existing values (defaults) used to calculate and store the difference based on the data entry.

Related information:

There are additional hierarchies within the dimension (for example, organized by a sub plan or workflow) to provide data access to all values generated by a Budgeting & Planning application.

  • In addition to the change structure there is also an opening balance section. Budgeting & Planning considers opening balance calculations for the time scale configured for the configuration set. Therefore, based on data entry, the changes are calculated as mentioned above and the opening balances, if the account type is Asset or Liability.
  • The sum of TOTAL_CHANGES and TOTAL_OB = Balance.

Interaction with sub plans:

Each sub plan must have one or more elements within the level dimension.

BPDSTEP

The Workflow Steps dimension includes flexible and predefined workflow steps.

BPDCURRENCY

The Currencies dimension reflects all local currencies of the organization.

Within one configuration set the local currency of the entities, assigned by the configuration of the Budgeting & Planning application is used for the whole configuration set (data entry financial steps and sales). Any data can be imported to the main cube in different currencies.

Related information:

The company currency assignment for data entry related to financial steps and the sales planning can be set up as part of the entity activation. According to that, the local currency is the same for all entries per configuration set and entity.

Interaction with sub plans:

Sub plans always should use the Currencies dimension to ensure correct data transfer between the sub plans and the main cube of Budgeting & Planning.