Spread Methods are patterns for spreading amounts over certain time periods. In Centage, you can apply Spread Methods to data projections to indicate how the total amount is populated to individual time periods.

While there are several preconfigured Spread Methods included in Centage, you also have the ability to create your own custom Spread Methods.  When you are creating and editing data projections in the Worksheets modules, you can select Spread Methods for specific Properties.

Some examples of how Spread Methods can be applied include:

• Quarterly expense for the same amount each quarter
• Apply a seasonal spread to total sales amount to reflect that some months will have much higher sales than others
• Indicate the number of working days in a month to calculate monthly salary totals

This document shows you, a Centage user, how to add, edit, and delete Spread Methods.

Please Note: Centage offers option of fiscal calendar with 12 periods or 13 periods. Periods available for a Year will apply based on your Plan's Time Dimension. If you use a 13-period fiscal calendar and want to create a Spread Method that spreads amounts over quarters, see the Adding Quarterly Spread Methods with 13 Periods section of this document.

Spread Methods Page

To access the Spread Methods page, click Automations on the left menu bar and select Spread Methods.

The Spread Methods page provides a list of Spread Methods.  These are displayed in a table with one row for each method and columns to display the settings for the properties of that method, including Spread Over and Start Type. 

• Click the arrows in the columns to sort in ascending or descending alphabetical order by that property.
• Click +Add button to create a new Spread Method
  • Spread Method definition page
  • Wizard
• Use the Search field in the top right of the page to search for a specific Spread Method.
• Click the button Action column to see activity options 
  • Eye icon to View the definition for Centage's standard Spread Methods
  • Pencil icon to View or Edit the definition of custom Spread Methods
  • Trashcan icon to Delete custom Spread Methods

Standard Spread Methods

There are six standard Spread Methods available to all Centage users.

• Even – Divides the amount evenly to all the periods in the year.

• Period Amount – Assigns the entered amount to each period.

• Quarterly End – Assigns ¼ of the amount to the last period of each quarter.

• Quarterly Start – Assigns ¼ of the amount to the first period of each quarter.
• Year End – Assigns an entire amount to the last period of the fiscal year.
• Year Start – Assigns an entire amount to the first period of the fiscal year.

Spread Method Definition

For each Spread Method, you can view the selections for properties on the Spread Method definition page. 

1. Name – Enter a name.  This will be displayed on the drop-down menu where users select Spread Methods for Properties of data projections.
2. Description (optional) – Enter a description or purpose.
3. Spread Over – Click on the dropdown menu to select the total time frame the amount will spread into.  The default selection is Year.
   • Year – amount is spread over a year.
   • Quarter of Year – amount is spread over a quarter.
   • Period of Year – amount is spread over a single period.
4. Spread Over Length – Use the + or - button to indicate the number of periods in Spread Over to apply the spread.  The default value is 1.  Case: If you select Year for Spread Over and 2 for Spread Over Length, the amount will spread over two years.
5. Spread By – Click on the dropdown menu to select one of the following options to indicate how the amount will spread into periods of the option selected for Spread Over. The default selection is Period of Year.  Case: if you chose to Spread Over Quarter of Year, your choices are Quarter and Period.
   • Period of year – spread the amount to periods.
   • Quarter of year – spread the amount to quarters.
   • Year – spread the amount to a year.

6. Spread Type – Click on this dropdown menu to select how to distribute amounts to periods. The default selection is Custom.
   • Custom – type values for periods.
   • Even – spread the amount evenly to periods.
7. Start Type – Click on this dropdown menu to indicate control factor to determine start period for the spread. The default selection is Hierarchy.
   • Hierarchy –  align periods for the spread to how they are defined in the Time Dimension. Case: If your Time Dimension is set to Fiscal Year Start in July, then P1 for the spread is July.
   • Data Projection – align the first period to the Start Date of the data projection.  Case: If your Time Dimension is set to Calendar Year and the Start Date for the data projection is March 1, then the spread will start applying in P3 as the first period.
8. Prorate – toggle to indicate how to calculate the amount for a period when the Start Date or End Date for a data projection falls in the middle of a period. The default is ON.
   • ON  –  calculate the amount for the period based on the Start Date or End Date of the data projection.
   • OFF - calculate the full amount for a period regardless of the Start Date or End Date of the data projection.
9. Input Method – choose an option for basis to enter values into periods.
   • Weight   –  enter weight values for each period.  The Percent column is calculated automatically.
   • Percentage  – enter percent values for each period. Centage enforces that the total for all periods is 100%.
10. Input Grid – enter values for the periods.
11. Save & Exit – click to save selections.

Create a Spread Method

You can create Spread Methods from the Spread Methods Page.  You may choose to enter your selections on the Spread Method definition page or use a Wizard to proceed through a series of steps to make property selections.

There are three options to begin the process of adding a Spread Method

• Click + Add button in the top-right of the Spread Methods page to open the Spread Method definition page

  

• Click the down arrow button to the right of +Add to select Add new or Add via Wizard
• Right-click on the page to select Add new or Add via Wizard

This article provides information for using the Spread Method definition page.  View this article for instructions for Creating a Spread Method using the Wizard.

Step 1. Navigate to the Spread Methods page.

Step 2. Use one of the options above to begin the process.

Step 3. The Spread Method definition page opens with default settings similar to the Centage standard: Even. Make selections for each of the properties and enter values for the selected Input Method.

Step 4. Click Save & Exit.

A confirmation message is displayed in the upper right corner.

You are returned to the Spread Methods page where you will see this Spread Method listed.

Example: Spread Method to use for electricity expense where your organization incurs greater expense in the summer months. Name: Electricity Description: Electricity Leave default selections for other properties Select Percentage for Input Method Type values to Input Grid

Edit a Spread Method

Step 1. Navigate to the Spread Methods page.

Step 2. On the row with the Spread Method, click the button in the Actions column and select Edit.

Please Note: You cannot edit or delete the Centage standard Spread Methods.

Step 3. The Spread Method definition page opens. Edit as needed.

Please Note: You cannot edit the Name of a Spread Method.

Step 4. Click Save & Exit.

A confirmation message is displayed in the upper right corner. 

You are returned to the Spread Methods page.

Please Note: For any data projections where this Spread Method is selected, the values will be recalculated to reflect this change.

Delete a Spread Method

Step 1. Navigate to the Spread Methods page.

Step 2. On the row with the Spread Method, click the button in the Actions column and select Delete.

Please Note: You cannot edit or delete the Centage standard Spread Methods.

Step 3: A message window is displayed. Click Confirm.

Please Note: If the Spread Method is in use by any data projections, this message is displayed: You must remove this Spread Method from these data projections.

A confirmation message is displayed in the upper right corner. 

The Spread Method is removed from the list.