# Customize columns

{% hint style="info" %}
This page describes the current experience. A new version of this feature is being rolled out and might already be available to you. See [Overview of Manage financial statements (Beta)](/financial-statements/managing-statements/overview-of-manage-financial-statements-beta.md) for details.
{% endhint %}

{% hint style="info" %}
User permission: Manage Custom Statements
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You can design your own version of a Profit and Loss statement and Balance Sheet statement by defining the columns that they contain, giving you much greater flexibility in the layout and analysis capabilities. You can use the custom measures option to insert additional columns into your financial statement, to enable the analysis of multiple measures from the same data stream within the financial statement. You can save your column configurations in the form of layouts, then when you switch to a different version of the Profit and Loss statement, you can apply the saved layout. So you can mix and match your column layouts to have lots of versions of each statement.

{% hint style="warning" %}
Currently, the Charts feature is unavailable with custom column layouts.
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{% embed url="<https://phocassoftware.wistia.com/medias/7skwr4i6yu>" %}
Add custom columns to financial reports
{% endembed %}

{% hint style="success" %}
Watch these other videos:

* Phocas Demo: [Customize statements](https://www.phocassoftware.com/watch-demo/customize-statements?autoplay=true) (shows custom column layouts)
* PUG Training: [Financial Statements – Advanced](https://www.phocassoftware.com/customer/training-series/financial-statements#session2) (jump to 25:50)
  {% endhint %}

## View the column configuration <a href="#customizecolumns-viewthecolumnconfiguration" id="customizecolumns-viewthecolumnconfiguration"></a>

Within a Profit and Loss or Balance Sheet statement, click the **Columns** > **Customize Columns**. The **Customize Columns** window displays a representation of the columns that are currently in the statement.

<div align="left"><figure><img src="/files/9C0oDzW3usDr10zr9838" alt="" width="442"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

You can edit or delete the existing columns and add new columns, as outlined below.

## Edit a column <a href="#customizecolumns-editacolumn" id="customizecolumns-editacolumn"></a>

In the **Customize Columns** window, you can change the name and setup of the existing columns. The available setup options depend on the type of column (expand the sections below) and might include a **Measures** setting if you opt to use custom measures (see the section below).

## Use custom measures <a href="#customizecolumns-usecustommeasures" id="customizecolumns-usecustommeasures"></a>

In the **Customize Columns** window, select the **Use custom measures** checkbox in the top-left corner to enable the **Measures** setting for each of the Total columns, then proceed to select a measure from the list for each of those columns. Expand the sections below for more information.

<div align="left"><figure><img src="/files/JlosNeoLvHsdEYuOZKQk" alt="" width="254"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

<details>

<summary>Learn more about measures in financial statements</summary>

Measures are different types of numerical data values (such as Amount, Quantity, Local Value, Reporting Value, and so on) that display in the statement grid. You can use the **Measures** menu to [change the measure](/financial-statements/using-statements/customize-your-view-financial-statements/change-the-measures.md), however, you can only view data for one measure at a time.

When you customize the columns in a financial statement, you have the option to use custom measures. This option allows you to insert additional columns into your financial statement to enable the analysis of multiple measures from the same data stream within the financial statement.

The measures that are available here are those that were mapped to the database in [Designer](broken://pages/LPWlRqrbP3ugSCA0ZiwS). If you do not see the measures you want, talk to your administrator. They can [map additional measures](broken://pages/luOyKalnNLjFmFMSFRnE) to the database or [transform existing data](broken://pages/pj0b0fTYrvIlN7HuXFmd#transform-a-column).

</details>

<details>

<summary>Examples of how custom measures can be used in column layouts</summary>

Allocations:

<img src="/files/EcTqjUSxGPqX7eH72mBI" alt="" data-size="original">

Debits and credits:

<img src="/files/OlPIXRgQ4pzvmkROGqX5" alt="" data-size="original">

Year end adjustments (such as Period 13):

<img src="/files/JYACwYTzGEOk5waF86qD" alt="" data-size="original">

</details>

## Hide a column <a href="#customizecolumns-hideacolumn" id="customizecolumns-hideacolumn"></a>

In the **Customize Columns** window, select the **Column is Hidden** checkbox, if you want to hide the column in the statement. This option is useful if you are using a **Variance** column but do not want to display the two underlying columns.

## Move a column <a href="#customizecolumns-moveacolumn" id="customizecolumns-moveacolumn"></a>

In the **Customize Columns** window, click and hold the column’s **Move** button on the left side of the name (a blue box displays around the row), then drag the item left or right to its new position.

## Delete a column <a href="#customizecolumns-deleteacolumn" id="customizecolumns-deleteacolumn"></a>

In the **Customize Columns** window, click the column’s **Delete** button. The column is deleted immediately.

## Add a new column <a href="#customizecolumns-addanewcolumn" id="customizecolumns-addanewcolumn"></a>

1. In the **Customize Columns** window, click the **New Column** button and select one of the following column types: **Total**, **Variance** or **Sum** (expand the sections below for more information).
2. Enter a name for the column.
3. Set up the column as required (expand the sections below for more information).
4. Move the column to another position (see above), if required.
5. Click **OK** to view your changes in the statement.
6. (Optional) Save your new column configuration as a layout (see below).

<details>

<summary>Total column</summary>

The Total column format is used by the standard **Current**, **Previous** and **Budget** columns in the **Columns** menu.

1. Select a stream (dataset) from the **Column Contains** list. The available streams are the same as those in the [**Current** menu](/financial-statements/using-statements/customize-your-view-financial-statements/change-the-current-data.md).
2. Select a period from the **Period** list or click the **Custom** option and proceed to create your own period.
3. Select a measure, if applicable (see the **Use custom measures** section above).

</details>

<details>

<summary>Variance column</summary>

The Variance column format is used by the standard **Variance** column in the **Columns** menu. It displays the difference between the values in two other columns, such as the **Current** and **Previous** columns. Whereas the standard setup displays both the value and percentage of the variance, when customizing this column you have the option to display the value only or the percentage only. You can also select the columns on which to calculate the variance.

1. Select the column you want to start with from the **From** list (this is the column from which you will subtract the other column).
2. Select the column you want to subtract from the **Subtract** list.
3. Select how you want to show the variance as: **Value and percentage**, **Percentage only** or **Value only**.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Sum column</summary>

The Sum column type allows you to add the values in two columns and display the sum in a new column. You can add any two of the Total columns together, and you can add a column to itself.

1. Select one of the columns you want to add from the **Add** list.
2. Select the other column you want to add from the **To** list.
3. Hide the other columns, if you only want to display the **Sum** column in the statement.

</details>

## Manage layouts

Layouts are different configurations of the standard column options, such as variances, percentages and periods, along with any customized columns. Layouts give you a new way to get insights into the way your business is performing. You can configure and save multiple layouts for your Profit and Loss statements, to get different views of the same financial information. Your saved layouts remove the need for users to add and remove columns themselves, allowing them to view the information they need more quickly.

Your saved layouts display as options in the **Columns** > **Layouts** menu and are available for other users to apply to all versions of your Profit and Loss statements.

{% hint style="info" %}
A layout acts like template that you can apply to different versions of your Profit and Loss statement. This is different from a [favorite](/financial-statements/using-statements/save-and-share-favorites.md), which is a snapshot of one version of a financial statement.
{% endhint %}

### Save a layout <a href="#managelayouts-inaprofitandlossstatement-savealayout" id="managelayouts-inaprofitandlossstatement-savealayout"></a>

1. Set up the columns in a particular way - you might want to [customize the columns](/financial-statements/managing-statements/customize-columns.md) if the standard column options do not meet your needs.
2. Click **Columns** > **Layouts** > **Save as New Layout**.
3. Enter a name for the layout and click **Save**.
4. Repeat the above steps to save additional layouts.

The following examples illustrate the types of layouts you can save based on customized columns.

<details>

<summary><strong>Example 1: Looking Back</strong></summary>

The following layout displays lots of previous periods and is suitable for gaining a historical view of performance. It contains the following customized columns: Current, Previous, Prior Previous, Prior Prior Previous and Current Month.

<img src="/files/qWWpzfWnx6jgwub5yk8l" alt="" data-size="original">

</details>

<details>

<summary><strong>Example 2: Rolling 12 months window</strong></summary>

The following layout displays a rolling 12-month window sliding backwards over time and is suitable for looking at emerging trends. It contains the following customized columns: FYTD (financial year to date), Current Month, Rolling 12 Months, Rolling 12 Months - 1 (prior month rolling 12 months) and Rolling 12 Months - 2 (prior prior month rolling 12 months).

<img src="/files/nNan6JWyS6KZ1Rhqspn5" alt="" data-size="original">

</details>

<details>

<summary><strong>Example 3: Quarter comparisons</strong></summary>

The following layout displays information for the current quarter and is helpful for monitoring recent and current performance. It contains the following customized columns: Current Month, Current Quarter, Current Quarter Budget Variance to Budget and Current Quarter Forecast.

<img src="/files/rRORABfThqke52MTY7B6" alt="" data-size="original">

</details>

### Make changes to a layout <a href="#managelayouts-inaprofitandlossstatement-makechangestoalayout" id="managelayouts-inaprofitandlossstatement-makechangestoalayout"></a>

When you apply a layout, if you then add or remove any columns, the layout is different. You have the option to revert to the original layout, update the original layout with the changes or create a new layout (and leave the original intact).

Other users can make changes to your layout but they cannot save those changes. Only users with permission to manage financial statements can save and update layouts.

* To undo your changes and revert to the original layout, click **Columns** > **Layouts** > **Revert to \[layout name]**. The grid updates and reapplies your original layout.
* To save your changes and update the original layout, click **Columns** > **Layouts** > **Save Changes to \[layout name]**. The grid remains in the updated layout.
* To save a new layout and leave the original as it was, click **Columns** > **Layouts** > **Save as New Layout**, then enter a name for the layout and click **Save**. The grid remains in the new layout and that layout is added to the list of layouts.

### Delete a layout <a href="#managelayouts-inaprofitandlossstatement-deletealayout" id="managelayouts-inaprofitandlossstatement-deletealayout"></a>

If a layout is no longer useful, you can delete it. When you delete a layout it is removed from the list of layouts, so it is no longer available for other users to apply.

Apply the layout you want to delete, then click **Columns** > **Layouts** > **Delete Layout** > **Delete**.


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