Publish a budget, forecast or other worksheet tab
Publish the budget or forecast data to the underlying database so others can use it for analysis and reporting.
User permissions: Budgets & Forecasts and Manage Budgets & Forecasts
When the budgeting or forecasting workflow is complete, the next logical step is to publish the data to a stream (dataset) in the underlying database. Other users of that database can then view the data, use it to create dashboards, and analyze it against other streams, such as actuals, other budgets, forecasts, and so on.
Learn about the publishing process
Before you start publishing Budgets & Forecasts data, it's important to understand what you can publish and where that data goes.
What you can publish
You can publish the data in the following worksheet tabs:
Main tab. For example:
When the workflow tasks you assigned to your team have been completed and submitted back to you, you can publish the budget/forecast for analysis and finalization. Note that not every row needs to be marked as Completed before you can publish the budget or forecast, as marking a task as Complete is for reference purposes only.
If you are still adjusting the budget/forecast, you can publish the draft to analyze the impact of your changes midstream.
If you create multiple filtered budgets and want to publish them to the same stream.
Database tab.
Reference tab.
Headcount Output tab. Note that the Publish option will be unavailable in financial budgets if no dimensions were added as levels in the budget hierarchy (in the budget setup). You cannot publish the Headcount Input tab.
Balance Sheet tab. You cannot publish the corresponding Cash Flow tab.
Where the data goes
There are three publishing methods, each sending the data to a different location.
New stream
This method creates a new stream in the underlying database and publishes the data into that stream. This publish method is selected by default if you have not yet published the worksheet tab to a stream but you can select a different method if required.
Existing stream
This method overwrites the matching data in the selected stream with the data in the worksheet tab.
This method and the applicable existing stream are selected by default when you have already published the worksheet to a stream. However, you can select a different stream or create a new stream as required. See the warning message below for an example.
The benefit of this method is you don’t need to update your dashboards and favorites. You might want to do this in the case of:
Changes to the current budget - you can republish the same budget.
Rolling over to a new period, such as next year’s budget - you can publish the new budget into the same stream.
If you publish to an existing stream, you will overwrite the data in that stream that matches the budget period and filters:
For example, if the budget stream had data from 2021, 2022 and 2023, and you publish data for 2023, the data for 2021 and 2022 would remain unchanged. Only the data for 2023 would be replaced with the new publish.
If you have applied filter in the budget setup, the same logic applies. For example, if you have three separate workbooks in which filters have been applied for each country (AU, UK and US) and you publish the US workbook to a stream which has data for all three countries, only the US data would be replaced. The UK and AU data in the stream would remain unchanged.
The publish history is not tracked, so you cannot revert back to an older version.
Excel
This method doesn't affect the underlying database. Exports the data from the worksheet tab into an XLXS file, which opens in Microsoft Excel. The data is in a basic, import-friendly format, ready to be used elsewhere. If you prefer to export the data in a format similar to how you see it on-screen, use the export workbook feature instead.
Publish the data in a worksheet tab
In the bottom right of the worksheet tab, click the Publish button.
First, select the publish method (see above for details of where the data goes):
Publish to new stream: Select the option and type a name for the new stream.
Publish to existing stream: Select the option then select the stream from the list.
Export to Excel: Select the option then edit the default file name, if required.
Next, select the required publish options:
Only publish completed rows: This option only publishes the rows marked as completed in the workflow. When selected, it allows you to publish what you are confident are the final budget values and ensures that incomplete budget values do not appear in the Financial Statements or Analytics modules until they are completed. This option is also suitable if you are working on a particular section of the budget, such as Revenue, and you only want to publish that section, as that’s all you are interested in.
Include zero value rows: This option publishes all rows in the worksheet, including those that have zero values (0.00) in all their cells. It is selected by default. If you don’t want to include the rows with zero values, clear the checkbox. The exclusion of zero-value rows from the published dataset is useful if you are exporting to Microsoft Excel, as there will be no redundant, zero-only rows.
Publish to days: This option overrides the default behavior whereby the budget period value is published into the first day of that period. It splits the budget period value proportionally by the number of days in the budget period and publishes the data to each day in the period. Select the checkbox, then select one of these options to calculate the number of days:
Calendar Days: The number of days in each period in the budget. For example, if you have a monthly budget, you will get 30 days for November, 31 days for December and so on.
Week Days: The total count of the number of Monday through to Friday days in the budget period. For example, you will see 20 days in the months that have 4 weeks and 25 days for the months that have 5 weeks.
Working Days (calendar): The number of days based on a selected predefined working day calendar. For example, you might have a calendar for your region that excludes public holidays. See example 1 below to learn more about this option.
(Yearly budgets only) Publish days or months: Override the default behavior whereby the budget period value is published into the first day of that period. Split the budget period value proportionally by the number of days or months in the budget period and publish to each day or month in the period. Select the checkbox, then select one of the days options (see above) or the month option:
Publish date range: Publish into a particular date range. Select the checkbox, then select the start and end date of the range. This option allows you to partially publish the budget, which is particularly useful in forecasts when you don't want to publish the actuals you are currently reforecasting. You can select a date range that excludes your actuals.
Then click the Publish button. A success message displays at the top of your screen. Click the Open link to view the published stream in the underlying database, where you can analyze the data immediately. Operational databases, such as Sales, open in the Analytics module, whereas financial databases open in the Financial Statements module. The stream is opened in the same configuration as the budget, including any levels, dimension filters, budget filters, and budget period, as in the following image.
If you publish a budget or forecast to a financial database, you need to add the stream to the Financial Statements module (see below) so you and other users can view it later.
Add the budget stream to Financial Statements
When you publish data in a financial budget to a new stream, it does not appear in the Financial Statements module automatically. It must be added to the Budgets menu. See the Financial Statements module > Manage budgets page to learn how to do this, but in summary: Click Budgets > Manage Budgets, add the new stream, and click Save.
View a published stream in Analytics or Financial Statements
The underlying database determines how you view and analyze the published stream. Data published from operational budgets, such as Sales, opens in the Analytics module, whereas data published from financial budgets opens in the Financial Statements module.
You can analyze a published stream straight after you publish it using the Open link in the success message at the top of your screen.
Afterward, you and other users can view the stream at any time. The process is different, depending on the type of database (module).
Operational database > Analytics
Open the database (it opens in Analytics) and select the stream from the Stream menu. Proceed to analyze the data.
For example, Suppose you publish the Main tab of an operational budget to a new stream called Budget FY22 in the underlying Sales database.
See the Analytics module > Streams page for more information on streams.
Financial database > Financial Statements
Open the database (it opens in Financial Statements) and select the stream from the Budgets menu. Proceed to analyze the data.
If you do not see the stream in the list, it has not been added yet. This is a supplementary action that needs to be carried out in the Financial Statements module. See the Add the budget stream to Financial Statements section above or Financial Statements module > Manage budgets page to learn more.
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