Locating Dimensions

Adding Dimensions: 

Account Numbers

Time

Editing Dimensions

Deleting Dimensions

When your company’s data is uploaded to Planning Maestro, the building blocks of your company (such as your departments and account numbers) become Base Structures. You can use your Base Structures to create Dimensions.

Just as Base Structures are the building blocks of your company, Dimensions are the building blocks of your budget.

Dimensions enable you to organize your company’s data in multiple ways to study it from different perspectives.

Use your Base Structures to create your Dimensions. Then, you can use these Dimensions to deploy (publish) your data for analysis and planning.

 You can add, edit, and delete Dimensions in the Modeler module.

Locating Dimensions 

To manage your Dimensions, open the Modeler module, connect to your Profile, and select Manage Dimensions.

The Dimensions page opens. Use this page to add, edit, and delete Dimensions.

Adding Dimensions

Some Dimensions are automatically created from Base Structures when your company’s data first uploads. You can add more Dimensions to “play with” your company’s structures and create new combinations and perspectives for your data.

Example: Splitting Base Structures – Your company’s GL (General Ledger) account numbers are strings : RRRR-EEEE-DDDD-xxxx (Region-Entity-Department-Account). You can split Base Structures and create new Account Number Dimensions that rearrange or recombine these segments. Concatenating Base Structures – You are part of a corporation that has two companies with duplicate Account Number structures; "5000" is an expense account in one company and a revenue account in another company. You can differentiate these accounts by editing the definition of your Account Number and concatenating Base Structures. Include both Account Number Base Structures in your Account Number Dimension, and then rename the duplicate Members 5000-01, 5000-02, and so on.  Another example: if you need to display one Account Number multiple times in one report under several department headings, you can concatenate your Account Number and Department Dimensions to do so (because the same Account Number cannot appear multiple times in report).

Step 1: To add a new Dimension, on the Dimension page, click + New Dimension.

Step 2: A New Dimension pane opens on the right.

Name – Enter the new Dimension’s name in this field. Make sure this name is not a duplicate of another Dimension’s name, even if the names use different cases (ex. account and ACCOUNT).

Display Name – Enter the public name other users will see in this field.

Example: You have many budgets and use complex alphanumeric names to organize them. To avoid confusing other contributors who will see this budget, you use your own naming convention for the “private” name and a simple name like “2023 Budget” for the “public” name.

Description – Enter a description of the Dimension in this field.

Dimension Type – Click on this dropdown menu and select the Dimension type:

Dimension Types:

• Account Number – Select this type for a Dimension containing account numbers from your General Ledger.
• Time – Select this type for a Dimension containing the structure for your fiscal calendar.
• Currency – Select this type for a Dimension containing the currencies your company uses (even if you only use one currency).
• Version – Select this type for a Dimension containing the Versions (scenarios of data, such as your Actuals and various budgetary amounts).
• Dimension – Select this type for miscellaneous Dimensions that don’t fit in the other types.

 

Please Note – There is a sixth type of Dimension, GL Source, for Dimensions that contain GL Sources. Planning Maestro automatically creates this GL Source Dimension. You cannot create a new GL Source Dimension.

Depending on which Dimension Type you select, new fields appear. The sections below explain what information to enter based on each Dimension Type.

Adding Account Number Dimensions

When you upload your CIF Files, Planning Maestro automatically creates an Account Number Base Structure and Account Number Dimension. If your Account Numbers are long and contain multiple segments (for example, separate segments for region, office, and department) you can create extra Account Number Dimensions that split and recombine these segments.

If you selected the Account Number type, use the Define Member Names field to select Members for this Dimension.

Please Note: You must link each new Account Number Dimension to at least one Base Structure. You can split your Account Number Base Structures(s) into segments to help you create new combinations when you create Account Number Dimensions.

Step 1: To select the Members for this Dimension, in the Define Member Names field, click + Add.

Step 2: A Select Base Structure popup appears. Mark the checkbox next to every Base Structure you want to draw Members from and click Select.

• The name of the Base Structure(s) you selected appears in the Define Member Names field.
• The description of the Base Structure(s) you selected appears in the Define Member Descriptions field.

Step 3: If you selected multiple Base Structures, you can move a Base Structure up in the list by clicking the Up arrow (  ) or  down by clicking the Down arrow (  ).

Step 4: Click Save & Exit.

The new Dimension appears at the bottom of the list on the Dimensions page.

Please Note: You cannot use the same name for more than one Dimension. If you try to save a Dimension with a duplicate name, you receive this error message:

Adding Time Dimensions

When you upload your CIF Files, Planning Maestro automatically creates a Time Dimension that contains your fiscal calendar. You can create other Time Dimension if needed to use other fiscal calendar structures (such as 4-4-5).

If you selected Time as the Dimension Type, a Fiscal Calendar Type dropdown menu appears below.

Step 1: Click on the Fiscal Calendar Type dropdown menu and select the type that describes your fiscal calendar:

• Calendar months – Select this type if your fiscal calendar runs according to the calendar months (January, February, etc.).

• 12 Periods – each Quarter has 3 Periods with 4, 4, and 5 Weeks (4-4-5) – Select this type if your fiscal calendar has four quarters of 13 weeks each. Each quarter is grouped into two 4-week months and one 5-week “month” in that order.

• 12 Periods – each Quarter has 3 Periods with 4, 5, and 4 Weeks (4-5-4) – Select this type if your fiscal calendar has four quarters of 13 weeks each. Each quarter is grouped into a 4-week “month,” a 5-week “month,” and a four-week month in that order.

• 12 Periods – each Quarter has 3 Periods with 5, 4, and 4 Weeks (5-4-4) – Select this type if your fiscal calendar has four quarters of 13 weeks each. Each quarter is grouped into a 5-week “month” and two four-week months in that order.

• 13 Periods – Q1, Q2, and Q3 have 3 Periods, Q4 has 4 Periods (3-3-3-4) – Select this type if your fiscal calendar has four quarters with 3, 3, 3, and 4 periods.

• 13 Periods – Q1, Q2, and Q4 have 3 Periods, Q3 has 4 Periods (3-3-4-3)– Select this type if your fiscal calendar has four quarters with 3, 3, 4, and 3 periods.

• 13 Periods – Q1, Q3, and Q4 have 3 Periods, Q2 has 4 Periods (3-4-3-3) – Select this type if your fiscal calendar has four quarters with 3, 4, 3, and 3 periods.

• 13 Periods – Q2, Q3, and Q4 have 3 Periods, Q1 has 4 Periods (4-3-3-3) – Select this type if your fiscal calendar has four quarters with 4, 3, 3, and 3 periods.

Depending on the Fiscal Calendar Type you select, different fields appear below (see the following sections).

Setting up a Calendar Months Fiscal Year

If you selected Calendar Months for your fiscal year, new fields appear below:

• First Month in Fiscal Year – Click on this dropdown menu and select the month of the year in which your fiscal calendar starts.
• First Fiscal Year in Dimension – Enter the earliest year for which you have data from the Base Structure.
• Fiscal Year Name Based On – If you selected a beginning month other than January, click on this dropdown menu and select one of the following options to decide the name of your fiscal year:
• Year End – Select this option if your fiscal year ends in the month you chose above.
• Year Begin – Select this option if your fiscal year starts in the month you chose above.

Please Note: This field is grayed out and uneditable if you select January as the first month in the fiscal year, because your fiscal calendar is within one year.

• Number of Years – Enter the number of years this Time dimension should include.

Step 2: Click Save & Exit.

If you selected one of the 12-period options for your fiscal year, a Fiscal Calendar General Rule dropdown menu appears below.

Step 3: Click on the First Fiscal Year General Rule dropdown menu and select one of the following options:

• Fiscal year starts on a specific day.
• Fiscal year Ends on a specific day.
• Fiscal year starts on a week that includes a specific day.
• Fiscal year ends on a week that includes a specific day.
• Fiscal year starts on a week that includes a specific date.
• Fiscal year ends on a week that includes a specific date.

Depending on which general rule you select, new fields appear below (see the next sections).

General Rule	Fields that appear
Fiscal year starts on a specific day	Fiscal Calendar General Rule – Select the first, second, third, or last day of the week, and calendar month of the day that begins your fiscal year. First Fiscal Year in Dimension – Enter the earliest year for which you have data from the Base Structure. Number of Years – Enter the number of years this Time Dimension should include.
Fiscal year Ends on a specific day	Fiscal Calendar General Rule – Select the first, second, third, or last day of the week and calendar month of the day that begins your fiscal year. First Fiscal Year in Dimension – Enter the earliest year for which you have data from the Base Structure. Number of Years – Enter the number of years this Time Dimension should include.
Fiscal year starts on a week that includes a specific day	Fiscal Calendar Rule Details – Select the first, second, third, or last day of the week and calendar month of the day that begins your fiscal year. First Fiscal Year in Dimension – Enter the earliest year for which you have data from the Base Structure. Number of Years – Enter the number of years this Time Dimension should include.
Fiscal year ends on a week that includes a specific day	Fiscal Calendar Reference Date – Select the calendar month and day of the month that starts your physical year. Start of Week – Select the day that starts each week in the fiscal year. First Fiscal Year in Dimension – Enter the earliest year for which you have data from the Base Structure. Number of Years – Enter the number of years this Time Dimension should include.
Fiscal year starts on a week that includes a specific date	Fiscal Calendar Reference Date – Select the calendar month and day of the month that starts your fiscal year. Start of Week – Click on this dropdown menu and select the day that starts each week in the fiscal year. First Fiscal Year in Dimension – Enter the earliest year for which you have data from the Base Structure. Number of Years – Enter the number of years this Time Dimension should include.
Fiscal year ends on a week that includes a specific date	Fiscal Calendar Reference Date – Select the calendar month and day of the month that ends your fiscal year. Start of Week – Click on this dropdown menu and select the day that starts each week in the fiscal year. First Fiscal Year in Dimension – Enter the earliest year for which you have data from the Base Structure. Number of Years – Enter the number of years this Time Dimension should include.

 

Setting up a 13-Period Fiscal Year

If you selected one of the 13-period options for your fiscal year, a Fiscal Calendar General Rule dropdown menu appears below.

Click on the First Fiscal Year General Rule dropdown menu and select one of the following options:

Depending on which general rule you select, new fields appear below (see the following section).

General Rule	Fields that appear
Fiscal year starts on a specific day	Fiscal Calendar Rule Details – Select the first, second, third, or last day of the week, and calendar month of the day that begins your fiscal year. First Fiscal Year in Dimension – Enter the earliest year for which you have data from the Base Structure. Number of Years – Enter the number of years this Time Dimension should include.
Fiscal year Ends on a specific day	Fiscal Calendar Rule Details – Select the first, second, third, or last day of the calendar month that ends your fiscal year. First Fiscal Year in Dimension – Enter the earliest year for which you have data from the Base Structure. Number of Years – Enter the number of years this Time Dimension should include.
Fiscal year starts on a week that includes a specific day	Fiscal Calendar Rule Details – Select the first, second, third, or last day of the calendar month of the day that begins your fiscal year. First Fiscal Year in Dimension – Enter the earliest year for which you have data from the Base Structure. Number of Years – Enter the number of years this Time Dimension should include.
Fiscal year ends on a week that includes a specific day	Fiscal Calendar Reference Date – Select the calendar month and day of the month that ends your fiscal year. Start of Week – Select the day that starts each week in the fiscal year. First Fiscal Year in Dimension – Enter the earliest year for which you have data from the Base Structure. Number of Years – Enter the number of years this Time Dimension should include.
Fiscal year starts on a week that includes a specific date	Fiscal Calendar Reference Date – Select the calendar month and day of the month that starts your fiscal year. Start of Week – Click on this dropdown menu and select the day that starts each week in the fiscal year. First Fiscal Year in Dimension – Enter the earliest year for which you have data from the Base Structure. Number of Years – Enter the number of years this Time Dimension should include.
Fiscal year ends on a week that includes a specific date	Fiscal Calendar Reference Date – Select the calendar month and day of the month of the last week in your fiscal year. Start of Week – Select the day that starts each week in the fiscal year. First Fiscal Year in Dimension – Enter the earliest year for which you have data from the Base Structure. Number of Years – Enter the number of years this Time Dimension should include.

 

Adding Dimension Dimensions

If you selected the Dimension type, two new fields appear:

• Define Member Names – Select the Members for this Dimension by selecting the name(s) of the Base Structure(s) you want to build from.
• Define Member Descriptions – Select the descriptions for the Members of this Dimension by selecting the description(s) the Base Structure(s) you want to build from.

Step 1: To select the Members for this Dimension, in the Define Member Names field, click + Add.

Step 2: A Select Base Structure popup appears. Mark the checkbox next to every Base Structure you want to draw Members from. Click Select.

• The name of the Base Structure you selected appears in the Define Member Names field.
• The description of the Base Structure you selected appears in the Define Member Descriptions field.

If you selected multiple Base Structures, you can move a Base Structure up in the list by clicking the Up arrow (  ) or  down by clicking the Down arrow (  ).

Step 3: Click Save & Exit.

• A confirmation message appears.
• The new Dimension is saved. You can include this new Dimension in Plans and Cubes.

Editing Dimensions

You can edit custom Dimensions you added.

Step 1: To edit a Dimension, return to the Dimensions page. Open the Modeler and select Manage Dimensions.

Step 2: On the Dimensions page, select the name of the Dimension you want to edit.

Step 3: The Dimension opens in a panel on the right. Use the tabs to edit the Members, Attributes, or Hierarchies.

Please Note: If this Dimension has been deployed in a Plan or Cube, you cannot rename it (though you can change its Display Name).

Step 4: Click Save & Exit.

• Your changes are saved. 
• A confirmation message appears.

Deleting Dimensions

You can delete any Dimensions in Planning Maestro. To delete a Dimension, open the Dimensions page. Open the Modeler and select Manage Dimensions.

Please Note: You cannot delete your GL Source Dimension.

Step 1: On the Dimensions page, select the Delete icon (  ) under the name of the Dimension you want to delete.

Step 2: A popup warning appears. Click Confirm.

• The Dimension disappears from the list.
• A confirmation message appears.