Structure a budget to avoid losing data

Set up your budget or forecast workbook to prevent unexpected changes when underlying dimension groups are modified during the budgeting period.

Although only the term budget is used on this page, this information also applies to forecasts.

If your budget hierarchy includes dimension groups, you might lose budget data when dimension entities move within the workbook structure.

For example, suppose your organization groups its customers (primary or top-level dimension) by the Sales Rep dimension group. If your workbook includes both the Customer and Sales Rep dimensions, the cell data is stored against both. If a customer later moves to a different sales rep, that relationship changes and the previously entered budget data is lost.

To reduce that risk and secure the completed budget prior to distribution, include a transaction grouping dimension in the workbook structure. Transaction grouping dimensions are primary dimensions that capture the grouping dimension at the time of the transaction.

The image below shows Sales Rep used both as a grouping dimension as well as a primary transaction grouping dimension.

When the Sales Rep (Trans) dimension is used as a level in the budget, changes in the Customer-to-Sales Rep relationship don't affect the stored budget values. You can also view the budget in Financial Statements grouped by either Sales Rep (Trans) or Sales Rep.

Another benefit is that you can identify and explain variances that result from structural changes.

Related pages:

• Relationship with the Financial Statements module > Impacts of making changes to dimension groups and account groups

• Financial Statements > Overview of financial statements and dimensions

• Financial Statements > Manage dimension groups