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Oracle Cloud

Administering Oracle Financial Consolidation and Close Cloud

Oracle Cloud Administering Oracle Financial Consolidation and Close Cloud


Copyright 2016, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
Authors: EPM Information Development Team
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Contents

Documentation Accessibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Documentation Feedback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Chapter 1. Creating an Oracle Financial Consolidation and Close Cloud Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Prerequisites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Workflow for Creating an Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Creating an Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Enabling Application Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Enabling Features During Application Creation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Enabling Features Using the Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Chapter 2. Managing Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Application Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Managing Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Importing Metadata . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Creating the Metadata Import File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Loading the Metadata Import File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Exporting Metadata . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Importing Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Creating the Data Import File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Loading the Data Import File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Exporting Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Viewing Data Import and Export Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Refreshing the Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Removing an Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Scheduling Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Using the Inbox/Outbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Viewing User Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Chapter 3. Working with Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Dimensions Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

iii

Period . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Data Source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Consolidation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Currency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Entity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Intercompany . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Movement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Scenario . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Multi-GAAP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Working with Dimension Hierarchies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Expanding and Collapsing Dimension Hierarchies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Navigating Dimension Hierarchies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Finding Dimensions or Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Sorting Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Moving Members Within the Dimension Hierarchy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Viewing a Members Ancestors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Showing Member Usage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Adding Custom Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Aggregation Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Data Storage Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Setting Dimension Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Setting Dimension Density and Order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Setting the Evaluation Order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Defining Accounts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Account Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Summary of Account Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Aggregation (Consolidation Operator) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Time Balance Property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Account Types and Variance Reporting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Setting Account Calculations for Zeros and Missing Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Saved Assumptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Data Types and Exchange Rate Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Defining Account Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Defining Entity Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Intercompany Property for Entities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Base Currency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Working with Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

iv

Dynamic Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Adding or Editing Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Deleting Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Deleting Parent Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Viewing Member Properties from Forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Working with Shared Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Creating Shared Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Setting Up Currencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Working with Multiple Currencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Scaling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Number Formatting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Viewing Currency Usage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Creating Currencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Editing Currencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Deleting Currencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Setting Up Scenarios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
About Scenarios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Creating Scenarios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Editing Scenarios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Deleting Scenarios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Copying Scenarios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Customizing Application Years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Adding Years to the Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Editing Year Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Working with Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Understanding Attribute Data Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Deleting Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Working with Attribute Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Creating Attribute Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Assigning Attribute Values to Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Modifying Attribute Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Deleting Attribute Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Working with User-Defined Attributes (UDAs) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Creating UDAs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Changing UDAs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Deleting UDAs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Working with Member Formulas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Viewing Details of Formula Verification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Working with Alias Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

About Alias Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87


Creating Alias Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Editing or Renaming Alias Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Deleting Alias Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Clearing Alias Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Copying Alias Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Chapter 4. Managing Jobs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Jobs Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Viewing Pending Jobs and Recent Activity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Scheduling Jobs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Editing and Deleting Jobs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Chapter 5. Auditing Tasks and Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Auditing Information Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Configuring Audit Tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Viewing Audit Details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Chapter 6. Defining Valid Intersections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Understanding Valid Intersections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Valid Intersection Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Valid Intersection Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Anchor and Nonanchor Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Valid Intersection Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Redundancy or Overlap in Valid Intersection Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Shared Members and Valid Intersection Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Substitution Variables and Valid Intersection Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Evaluation Order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Creating Valid Intersections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Managing Valid Intersections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Viewing Valid Intersections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Changing the Valid Intersection Group Evaluation Order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Disabling and Enabling Valid Intersection Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Editing Details for a Valid Intersection Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Duplicating Valid Intersection Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Deleting a Valid Intersection Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Suppressing Invalid Data in Forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Working with Valid Intersections in Forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Managing Invalid Intersection Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Creating an Invalid Intersection Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

vi

Editing an Invalid Intersection Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112


Duplicating an Invalid Intersection Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Running an Invalid Intersection Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Deleting an Invalid Intersection Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Chapter 7. Managing Forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Predefined Forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Form Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Point of View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Page Axis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Rows and Columns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Form Design Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Forms and Access Permissions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Forms and Currencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Forms and Versions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Forms and Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Forms and Shared Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Forms and Calculations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Creating Simple Forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Setting Form Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Setting Form Grid Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Setting Form Dimension Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Setting Display Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Setting Printing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Creating Composite Forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Setting Composite Form Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Adding Simple Forms to a Composite Form Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Rearranging Forms in the Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Editing Simple Forms from within a Composite Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Deleting Simple Forms from a Composite Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Setting Composite Form Section Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Setting Composite Form Point of View and Page Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Creating Master Composite Forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Embedding Charts in Composite Forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Working with Forms and Form Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Opening Forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Previewing Forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Editing Forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Moving, Deleting, and Renaming Forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138

vii

Running Form Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138


Working with Substitution Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
About Substitution Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Creating and Assigning Values to Substitution Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Deleting Substitution Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Working with User Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
About User Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Managing User Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Creating User Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Deleting User Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Working with Smart Lists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Synchronizing Smart Lists in Reporting Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Adding or Changing Smart List Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Adding or Changing Smart List Entries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Previewing Smart Lists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Displaying #MISSING with Smart Lists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Chapter 8. Managing Journals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Creating Journal Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Deleting Journal Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Managing Journal Periods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Chapter 9. Consolidating Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Consolidation Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Consolidation Dimension . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Data Flow in the Consolidation Dimension . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Intercompany Eliminations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Translating Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Consolidation and Translation Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Consolidation and Translation Security Access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Calculation Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Consolidating Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Viewing Consolidation Progress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Consolidation Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Example 1: Reconsolidating Data from a Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Example 2: Consolidating Data from the Data Status Grid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Example 3: Consolidating Data for Multiple Periods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Chapter 10. Setting Up the Close Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Close Manager Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157

viii

Close Process Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158


Sample Task Flows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Managing Close Manager System Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Managing Global Integration Tokens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Managing Close Process Organizational Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Managing Holiday Rules for Close Calendars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Changing Configuration Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Managing Close Process Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Defining Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Importing List Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Editing Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Duplicating Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Deleting Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Viewing Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Searching for Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Managing Alert Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Creating Alert Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Editing Alert Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Viewing Alert Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Searching for Alert Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Deleting Alert Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Chapter 11. Managing Task Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Task Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Creating Task Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Setting Task Type Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Setting Task Type Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Specifying Task Type Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Specifying Task Type Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Assigning Task Type Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Working With Task Type Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Viewing Task Type History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Editing Task Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Viewing Task Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Searching for Task Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Importing Task Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Exporting Task Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Deleting Task Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190

ix

Chapter 12. Managing Task Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191


Creating Task Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Setting Template Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Specifying Template Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Assigning Viewers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Applying Template Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Specifying Day Labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Embedding Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Working With Template Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Viewing Template History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Opening Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Adding Tasks to Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Editing Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Importing Tasks into Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Task Import File Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Exporting Tasks to Microsoft Excel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Reassigning Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Creating Schedules from Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Manually Validating Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Viewing Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Searching for Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Deleting Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Chapter 13. Managing Tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Creating Tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Setting Task Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Setting Task Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Specifying Task Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Selecting the Workflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Adding Task Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Setting Task Access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Setting Task Predecessors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Applying Task Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Working With Task Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Viewing Task History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Working with the Task Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Importing and Exporting Tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Editing Tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Sorting Tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226

Searching for Tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227


Moving Tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Cutting, Copying, and Pasting Tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Reopening Tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Submitting Tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Approving or Rejecting Tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Managing Task Reassignments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Deleting Tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Aborting Tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Chapter 14. Managing Close Schedules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Manually Creating Schedules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Setting Schedule Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Adding Instructions to Schedules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Assigning Schedule Viewers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Applying Schedule Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Adding Day Labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Working With Schedule Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Viewing Schedule History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Setting Required Task Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Opening Schedules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Editing Schedules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Adding Tasks to Schedules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Importing Tasks into Schedules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Updating Tasks in Schedules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Reassigning Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Authorizing System-Automated Tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Setting Schedule Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Viewing Schedule History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Validating Schedules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Locking Schedules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Viewing Schedules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Searching for Schedules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Deleting Schedules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Chapter 15. Managing Supplemental Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Process Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Supplemental Data Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Supplemental Data Dashboard Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Available View Actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251

xi

Displaying Column Attributes in Supplemental Data Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251


Managing Dimension Attributes in Supplemental Data Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Adding Dimension Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Editing Dimension Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Deleting Dimension Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Working with Data Sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Creating Data Sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Adding Data Set Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Importing List Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Viewing Data Set History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Deleting Data Set Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Editing Data Sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Deleting Data Sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Creating Supplemental Data Manager Form Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Specifying Form Template Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Working with Supplemental Data Manager Form Sections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Assigning the Workflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Specifying Form Template Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Setting Form Template Access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Viewing Form Template History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Deleting Form Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Duplicating Form Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Deploying a Form Template to a Data Collection Period . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Un-Deploying a Form Template to a Data Collection Period . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Managing Data Collection Workflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Chapter 16. Managing Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Specifying Application Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Specifying Number Formatting Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Setting Approvals Options and Out-of-Office Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Setting Up Email for Approvals and Notifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Specifying the Date Time Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Specifying a Default Alias Table, and Setting Member and Alias Display Options . . . 278
Specifying Refresh Database Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Viewing User Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Customizing Your Application Appearance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Making Announcements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Modifying the Navigation Flow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Specifying Artifact Strings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281

xii

Selecting Notification Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282


Setting Application Defaults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Specifying System Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Limiting Use of an Application During Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Chapter 17. Managing the Approval Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Approval Process Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Managing Periods for the Approval Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Starting the Approval Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Creating Approval Unit Hierarchies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Setting Up the Approval Unit Hierarchy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Selecting Approval Unit Hierarchy Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Assigning Approval Unit Owners and Reviewers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Assigning Approval Unit Hierarchies to Scenarios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Editing Approval Unit Hierarchies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Viewing Approval Unit Hierarchy Usage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Deleting and Renaming Approval Unit Hierarchies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Locking and Unlocking Entities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294

xiii

xiv

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17

18

Creating an Oracle Financial


Consolidation and Close Cloud
Application

1
In This Chapter

Prerequisites................................................................................................19
Workflow for Creating an Application ....................................................................19
Creating an Application ...................................................................................20
Enabling Application Features ............................................................................21

An application is a set of related dimensions and dimension members that are used to meet a
set of consolidation and close process needs. Each application has its own accounts, entities,
scenarios, and other data elements.

Prerequisites
l

After analyzing available historical data, you have created a set of requirements and
developed an application design that supports your requirements.
Security components have been set up. See Managing Users and Roles in the Getting
Started with Oracle Financial Consolidation and Close Cloud.
At least one user is granted the Service Administrator role of the service instance.

Workflow for Creating an Application


Table 1

Workflow to Create an Application

Task

Description

More Information

Create application structure

Create an application.

See Creating an Application on page


20.

Load metadata and refresh


the application

Load dimensions and their members into the application


from load files.

See Importing Metadata on page 27.

Load data

Load data from a flat file.

See Importing Data on page 32.

Set up forms folders and


forms

Create forms folders and forms and specify who can access
them. Users use forms to view or enter application data.

See Chapter 7, Managing Forms.

19

Task

Description

More Information

Set up task lists and tasks

Create task lists and tasks, and specify who can access
them.

See Chapter 13, Managing Tasks.

Create reports

Design and develop reports that display the data available


in the application.

See Building Reports in Designing with


Financial Reporting Studio for Oracle
Enterprise Performance Management
Cloud.

Creating an Application
Oracle Financial Consolidation and Close Cloud is a multi-dimensional consolidation
application. By default, the system provides a required set of pre-defined dimensions to store
the consolidation detail data. During application creation and configuration, you can select
additional optional dimensions based on your application needs.
To create an application, you must be the Service Administrator.

To create an application:
1

Log on to Oracle Financial Consolidation and Close Cloud as a Service Administrator.

From Financial Consolidation and Close, click Start.

On the Create Application: General page, enter a name for the application.

Enter an application description.

Click Next.

On the Details page, select the calendar and currency options for the application:
Note: After you create an application, you cannot change or enable these options.

Time Period - Number of Months: Select the number of months to include in the year:
12 months or 13 months.
If you selected 13 months, select the period Distribution. The default distribution is
3-3-3-4.

20

Start and end year: Select the period range to include in the application.
First month of fiscal year: From the drop-down, select the first month to use for the fiscal
year. For 12 months, the default is January. For 13 months, the default is P1.
Optional: Create HYTD Members: By default, the application provides the following views
of data: Periodic, YTD, QTD. To include Half Year to Date(HYTD) time periods, click
Enable.
Main Currency: From the drop-down, select the main currency for your application. The
default currency is USD.

Multicurrency: Select if your application contains data for more than one currency. If the
Multicurrency option is not enabled, the Currency dimension is not created for the
application.

Click Next to enable application features.


Note: See Enabling Application Features on page 21.

From the Review page, review the selected application details and select an option:
l

To create the application, click Create.

To change any settings, click Back and make changes in the previous screen.

From the Application Creation Status message, click OK.

Enabling Application Features


Oracle Financial Consolidation and Close Cloud provides a set of consolidation features that
includes out-of-the-box translations, consolidation, eliminations and adjustments.
When you create an application, the system creates these dimensions:
l

Year

Period

View

Currency

Consolidation

Scenario

Entity

Intercompany

Account

Movements

Data Source

Depending on the functionality required for your application, you can enable additional
features, dimensions, and members that you need. For example, you can enable journal
adjustments or tracking of intercompany eliminations.
Note: After a feature is enabled, you cannot disable it.

You can select these features.


Tip: To view the available options within each feature, click Show.

21

Track Multi-Source Data Input


Select this option if you have multiple sources of data input and adjustments, then from the
sub-options, select the other sources that you want to track. For each selection, a
corresponding member is added to the Data Source dimension. If journal adjustments are
enabled, the Data Source dimension will also include the Journals Input member.
m

Supplemental DataSelect this option if you want to collect additional supplemental


data from Supplemental Data Manager. When you enable this option, you can configure
your data collection workflow through Supplemental Data Manager
Other DataSelect this option if you want to collect data from another source. An
additional member named Other Load will be created in the Data Source dimension
for tracking purposes.

Intercompany
Select this option if your application includes intercompany data. If enabled, the system
creates an ICP dimension containing system members. The Entity dimension displays a
property for members that specifies if the member should be included for ICP. If the property
is selected, a member with the same name is created in the ICP dimension.
If you select this option, you can additionally select Track Intercompany Elimination. This
option enables you to track your intercompany elimination data separately by data source.
If this option is not selected, then the total elimination value from all data sources is stored
as one total in the application rather than by the data source detail.
If you do not enable intercompany transactions, the Intercompany Dimension is not
displayed in your application.

Balance Sheet Hierarchy


You can select the Balance Sheet hierarchy that is most suitable for your application.
m

Traditional Balance Sheet ApproachThis option provides the account hierarchy with
Total Assets as a parent member and Total Liabilities and Equity as a separate parent
member. The aggregation of these two parent members should be zero as Total Assets
= Total Liabilities and Equity.
Net Asset ApproachThis option allows you to track your Net Assets separately within
the Balance Sheet hierarchy as Net Assets = Total Assets - Total Liabilities.

Multi-GAAP
Select this option if you need to report your financial statements in both local GAAP and in
IFRS or other GAAP. This option tracks the local GAAP data input as well as any GAAP
adjustments.
You can rename members to reflect the correct GAAP adjustment if needed. You can also
include additional members and hierarchies for other GAAP adjustments.
If the Multi-GAAP option is enabled, you can have one additional custom dimension for
your application.
If the Multi-GAAP option is not enabled, the system does not create the Multi-GAAP
dimension, so you can add two custom dimensions for your application.

22

Enter AdjustmentSelect this option to enter GAAP adjustments manually.


Calculate AdjustmentSelect this option to allow the system to calculate the adjustment
amount based on the Local GAAP and IFRS amount entered.

Journals
Select this option if your application includes journal adjustment data. If you select this
option, the Journals menu displays in the application. The system adds a Journal Input
member to the Data Source dimension.
If enabled, you can additionally select Journal Workflow for the journal process. In a journal
workflow, all journals must first be submitted for approval before they can be posted to the
system.
If you do not enable Journals, the Journals menu does not display in the application, and
there are no journal-related metadata or reports.

Include Ratio Calculations


Select the applicable ratio calculations that you want to include in your application. A
separate Ratio hierarchy will be created in the Account dimension with the specific ratio
groups that you selected. Individual ratio accounts and the corresponding calculations will
be created as part of the application. You can add additional ratio calculations to each group.
m

Liquidity Ratio
o

Current Ratio

Quick Ratio

Cash Ratio

Asset Management Ratio


o

Inventory Turnover

Asset Turnover

Days Sales in Receivables

Days Sales In Inventory

Profitability Ratio
o

Gross Profit Margin

Return on Sales

Return on Equity

Leverage Ratio
o

Debt To Equity Ratio

Debt Ratio

Custom Dimensions
Select this option to add Custom Dimensions, then enter a name for the dimension.

23

You can add a maximum of two custom dimensions to an application. If your


application is enabled with the Multi-GAAP reporting option, you can only add one
custom dimension.
o

Custom Dimension 1

Custom Dimension 2

Enabling Features During Application Creation


During the application creation process, you enable features using the Features tab in the Create
Application Wizard.

Enabling Features Using the Console


After you create an application, you can enable features at any time using the Console.
The Enable Features page displays the features available to be enabled. It also displays the features
that you selected as part of application creation, which cannot be disabled or changed.
When you create an application, the system adds Account and Entities to the Configure screen
in the Console. If you add Custom dimensions when you enable features, the system adds a
configuration task for each Custom dimension to the Configure screen.

To enable application features using the Console:


1

On the Home page, click Console.

On the left, click Configure

From the Configure screen, click Enable Features.

Select to enable one or more features.

See Enabling Application Features on page 21.

Click Enable.

When the system displays a message that the functionality has been enabled, click OK.

24

Managing Applications

2
In This Chapter

Application Overview.......................................................................................25
Managing Dimensions .....................................................................................26
Importing Metadata........................................................................................27
Exporting Metadata ........................................................................................31
Importing Data .............................................................................................32
Exporting Data..............................................................................................36
Viewing Data Import and Export Status ..................................................................37
Refreshing the Database ..................................................................................37
Removing an Application..................................................................................38
Scheduling Maintenance ..................................................................................39
Using the Inbox/Outbox ...................................................................................39
Viewing User Statistics ....................................................................................39

Application Overview
After you create an application, you can view and manage it using the Application console.
To manage applications, you must be the Service Administrator.
The Application overview shows the application properties and application statistics, such as
the number of tasks, forms, rules, and approval hierarchies in your application.
It also lists the dimensions used by the application. To manage dimensions, see Managing
Dimensions on page 26.

To view the Application overview:


1

On the Home page, click Console.

On the left, click Application

If it is not already displayed, click the Overview tab.

25

Managing Dimensions
Dimensions categorize data values. These dimensions are provided with Oracle Financial
Consolidation and Close Cloud:
l

Account

Period

Data Source

Consolidation

Currency

Entity

Intercompany

Movement

Scenario

Year

View

You can create additional Custom dimensions. See Adding Custom Dimensions on page
50.
The Dimensions page lists dimensions in order of precedence. The order of dimensions is critical
for the structure and performance of an application and determines how data calculations will
perform. Evaluation Order enables you to specify which data type prevails when a data intersection
has conflicting data types.

To manage dimensions:
1

On the Home page, click Console.

Click Application, and then click the Dimensions tab.

Perform a task:

26

To view the details of a dimension, click the name of the dimension that you want to
view.
To reorder the dimensions, click the Up or Down arrow in the Order column next to the
dimension that you want to move.
To set a different evaluation order, click the Evaluation Order field next to the dimension
that you want to update.
To rename a Custom dimension, click the name of the dimension that you want to
rename, and then enter a new name in the Dimension field.

To import metadata, click Import. See Importing Metadata on page 27.

To export metadata, click Export. See Exporting Metadata on page 31.

Importing Metadata
You can import metadata from a file in a comma-delimited, tab-delimited, or other format.
These artifacts are supported in imports:
l

Dimensions

Smart Lists

Exchange rates

To import metadata, perform these tasks:


l

Create an import file for each artifact that you want to import. See Creating the Metadata
Import File on page 27
Load the import file or files (you can import multiple dimension files at the same time). See
Loading the Metadata Import File on page 30.

Creating the Metadata Import File


Before you begin loading, you must create an import file for each artifact that you want to import
(dimensions, smart lists, and exchange rate tables). The import file must contain a header record,
and then below the header record, a list of metadata records that you want to import or update.
The file format can be .csv (comma-delimited), or .txt (tab-delimited or other delimiter
characters).
The file consists of these sections:
1. A header record, the first line in the file:
l

Lists the dimension and any member properties used by subsequent metadata records;
the header record and subsequent records do not need to include all properties;
properties that are not included are inherited from the corresponding parents default
property value
Is case-sensitive

27

Can list properties in any order, as long as the subsequent metadata records are in the
same order
Can use comma or tab delimiters. Other delimiter characters can be used if they are
supported and the same delimiter character is used throughout the file. For a list of
supported delimiter characters and exceptions, see Other Supported Delimiter
Characters on page 28.

2. After the header record, a list of metadata records that you want to import update. Each
metadata record contains a delimited list (comma, tab, or other) of property values that
matches the order designated in the header record. A metadata record can skip a property
that is specified in the header record; in this case, the default property is assumed.
For an example import file, see Example: Entity Dimension Import File on page 28.

Example: Entity Dimension Import File


In this example, the import file loads an Entity dimension with the required header record and
three data records. This example is comma-delimited. The header record specifies the member
to be imported (Entity), the parent member (Parent) into which to import the member, and the
Data Storage property to assign to the member.
Entity, Parent, Data Storage
e1, Entity
e2, ,
e1, e2, Shared

Using this import file would result in this outline, assuming that no other members exist:
Entity
e1
e2

e1 (Shared)
The first data record (e1, Entity) imports Entity member e1 as a child under the root member
Entity. Unspecified values assume the default. For example, if data storage is not specified, it
assumes the default value, Never Share. The next data record (e2, ,) imports Entity member
e2 under the dimension root member because no parent is specified, and sets data storage to
Never Share. The last data record (e1, e2, Shared) imports a shared member of e1 under
member e2, and sets the data storage to Shared.

Other Supported Delimiter Characters


In addition to commas and tabs, Oracle Financial Consolidation and Close Cloud supports these
delimiter characters in import and export files:
l

tilde (~)

grave accent (`)

28

exclamation point (!)

number sign (#)

question mark (?)

dollar sign ($)

percent sign (%)

caret (^)

ampersand (&)

asterisk (*)

parentheses ( )

hyphen-minus (-)

plus (+)

colon (:)

semicolon (;)

angle brackets (< >)

backslash (\)

forward slash (/)

vertical bar ( | )

apostrophe ()

braces ({ })

underscore (_)

brackets ([ ])

at sign (@)

period (.)

Only one character is supported for use as a delimiter. For example, one vertical bar ( | ) is
supported, but two vertical bars (| |) are not supported.
Caution!

Not all of the characters listed can be used for all import and export scenarios. Note
the following exceptions.

Import and Export Metadata Delimiter Exceptions


Do not use these delimiter characters in metadata import and export files.
Table 2

Import and Export Metadata Delimiter Exceptions

Delimiter Character

Reason for Exception

double quotation mark ()

Creates an empty file

29

Delimiter Character

Reason for Exception

plus (+)

Causes an error if the metadata import file contains consolidation properties that use these characters

minus (-)
forward slash (/)
percent sign (%)
angle brackets (< >)

Causes an error if the property uses the value <none>

Note: Any character that conflicts with a character in a member name causes an error.

Table 3

Import and Export Data Delimiter Exceptions

Delimiter Character

Reason for Exception

parentheses ( )

Causes an error if used in a data import file

double quotation mark ()

Creates an empty file

hyphen-minus (-)

Causes an error if used in a data import file

Loading the Metadata Import File


To load the metadata import file:
1

Create an import file for each artifact (dimensions, smart lists, and exchange rate tables) that you want
to import. See Creating the Metadata Import File on page 27.

On the Home page, click Console.

On the Application tab, click Dimensions, and then click Import.

On the Import Metadata page, click Create.

Select the location of the import file or files:


l

InboxLoads the import file or files from the server. Enter the name of the file in Import
File.

For File Type, select an option:


l

Comma delimited

Tab delimited

30

LocalLoads the import file or files from a location on your computer. For Import
File, click Browse to select the import file on your computer for the artifact that youre
importing.

Other. Enter the delimiter character that is used in the import file. For a list of supported
delimiter characters and exceptions, see Other Supported Delimiter Characters on
page 28.

Select Clear Members to delete members not explicitly specified in the load file before performing the
import.

Note the following guidelines:


l

Any member not specified is deleted from the outline after importing the dimension
unless it is an ancestor of a member that was specified, or it is a base member of a shared
member that was specified.
If Clear Members is not selected, the import process will only add or update existing
members. Oracle recommends loading the metadata file without selecting Clear
Members to make sure that the file loads successfully. Then, select Clear Members and
execute the import process again.

Optional: If the selected location is Inbox, click Save as Job to save the import operation as a job, which
you can schedule to run immediately, or at a later time.

Saving an import operation as a job is useful to batch a load sequence; for example, import
metadata, then import data, and then run rules when the data load is complete.

Optional: If the selected location is Local, click Validate to test whether the import file format is correct.

10 Click Import to run the import operation.


11 If the import process is successful, the Refresh Database dialog box prompts you to refresh the database.
To refresh, click OK.

You can view the import status in the Jobs console. See Viewing Pending Jobs and Recent
Activity on page 91.

Exporting Metadata
You can export metadata to a file in a .csv (comma-delimited) or .txt (tab-delimited or other
delimiter character) format. These artifacts are supported in the export process:
l

Dimensions

Smart Lists

Exchange rates

The system creates an export file for each artifact (.csv or .txt, depending on the file type), and
all export files are consolidated into one zip file. You must extract the .csv or .txt files from the
zip file if you want to use the files as import files (for example, when importing into another
application).

To export metadata to a file:


1

On the Home page, click Console.

On the Application tab, click Dimensions, and then click Export.

On the Export Metadata page, click Create.

Select the target location of the export file:

31

LocalSaves the export file to a location on your local computer.

OutboxSaves the export file to the server.

Select the artifact or artifacts to export.

For File Type, select an option:


l

Comma delimitedCreates a comma-delimited .csv file for each artifact.

Tab delimitedCreates a tab-delimited .txt file for each artifact.

OtherCreates a .txt file for each artifact. Enter the delimiter character that you want
to use in the export file. For a list of supported delimiter characters and exceptions, see
Other Supported Delimiter Characters on page 28.

Optional: If the selected location is Outbox, click Save as Job to save the export operation as a job,
which you can schedule to run immediately, or at a later time.

Click Export, and then specify where to save the export file.

Importing Data
After you import dimensions, you can populate data by importing data files.
To import data, you must be a Service Administrator.
You can load data using a text file with sections that map the file data to dimensions. When you
load multiple data files, they are loaded in sequential order.
Note: You should not run reports, books, or batches while data is being loaded.

To import data, perform these tasks:


l

Create an import file for each artifact that you want to import. See Creating the Data Import
File on page 32.
Load the import file or files (you can import multiple dimension files at the same time). See
Loading the Data Import File on page 35.

Creating the Data Import File


Before you begin loading, you must create an import file for each artifact that you want to import
(dimensions, smart lists, and exchange rate tables). The import file must contain a header record,
and then below the header record, a list of metadata records that you want to import or update.
The file format can be .csv (comma-delimited), or .txt (tab-delimited or other delimiter
characters).
For examples of Data Import files, see Example: Data Import File - Periodic View on page
33 and Example: Data Import File - YTD View on page 33.

32

Data Import File Format


The file format consists of rows and columns. The first row consists of Column Headers. The
first Column Header is the Dimension name of the import dimension. After that, there can be
members from one other dimension called the driver dimension. The next Column Heading is
the Point-of-View, and the last Column Heading is Data Load Cube Name.
Each row contains the member of the Load dimension as the first column. The next set of
columns is the data value for each of the driver members. The Point-of-View column has
members of the remaining dimension to uniquely identify the cell to which data is being
imported. The Last column is the cube name - either Consol or Rates.

Example: Data Import File - Periodic View


You can import periodic data in a monthly frequency. Suppose the following data exists in the
application for the Sales account:
Sales...Jan: 100, Feb: 150, Mar: 120

A data import file would have these rows. The first row is the required file Column Headers:
Period, Sales, Point-of-View, Data Load Cube Name
Jan, 100, "FCCS_Entity Input, ENTITY CURRENCY, England, FCCS_Data Input, FCCS_No
Intercompany, FCCS_No Movement, Actual, FY14, Periodic, FCCS_Local GAAP", Consol
Feb, 150, "FCCS_Entity Input, ENTITY CURRENCY, England, FCCS_Data Input, FCCS_No
Intercompany, FCCS_No Movement, Actual, FY14, Periodic, FCCS_Local GAAP", Consol
Mar, 120, "FCCS_Entity Input, ENTITY CURRENCY, England, FCCS_Data Input, FCCS_No
Intercompany, FCCS_No Movement, Actual, FY14, Periodic, FCCS_Local GAAP", Consol

Example: Data Import File - YTD View


You can import periodic data in a YTD view. Suppose the following data exists in the application
for the Sales account:
Sales...Jan: 100, Feb: 250, Mar: 370

A data import file would have these rows. The first row is the required file Column Headers:
Period, Sales, Point-of-View, Data Load Cube Name
Jan, 100, "FCCS_Entity Input, ENTITY CURRENCY, England, FCCS_Data Input, FCCS_No
Intercompany, FCCS_No Movement, Actual, FY14, FCCS_YTD Input, FCCS_Local GAAP", Consol
Feb, 250, "FCCS_Entity Input, ENTITY CURRENCY, England, FCCS_Data Input, FCCS_No
Intercompany, FCCS_No Movement, Actual, FY14, FCCS_YTD Input, FCCS_Local GAAP", Consol
Mar, 370, "FCCS_Entity Input, ENTITY CURRENCY, England, FCCS_Data Input, FCCS_No
Intercompany, FCCS_No Movement, Actual, FY14, FCCS_YTD Input, FCCS_Local GAAP", Consol

Load Methods
These options are available for loading a data file into an application.

33

MergeUse this option to overwrite the data in the application with the data in the load
file. Each record in the data load file is imported into the cell, replacing the old value, if any.
ReplaceUse this option to replace data in the application. In Replace mode, before the
first record for a specific Scenario/Year/Period/Entity is encountered, the entire
combination of data for that Scenario, Year, Period, and Entity is cleared.
Accumulation TypeSelect one of these options to accumulate the data in the application
with the data in the load file:
m

NoneEach record in the data import file replaces the existing value in the database for
the record.

With DatabaseThe data is added to the existing value of the cell.

Within FileThe system accumulates the cell values that are within the file.

Load Method Examples


The following examples show how the load options work. Suppose the following data exists in
the application:
Actual, FY15, Jan, California, Sales: 20,000
Actual, FY15, Jan, California, COGS, 10,000
Actual, FY15, Jan, California, Expenses: 5,000

A load file has the following data:


Entity, Sales, COGS, Point-of-View, Data Load Cube Name
California, 10000, 15000, ("Actual","FY15","Jan"), Consol
California, 25000, 5000, ("Actual","FY15","Jan"), Consol

These examples how the data after the import using these option combinations:
Merge, None
Actual, FY15, Jan, California, Sales : 25,000 (second record wins)
Actual, FY15, Jan, California, COGS : 5,000 (second record wins)
Actual, FY15, Jan, California, Expenses : 5,000

Replace, None
Actual, FY15, Jan, California, Sales : 25,000
Actual, FY15, Jan, California, COGS : 5,000
Actual, FY15, Jan, California, Expenses : #MI (Replace clears everything in SYPE
combination)

Merge, With Database


Actual, FY15, Jan, California, Sales : 55,000 (Accumulate two records with existing value
in database)

34

Actual, FY15, Jan, California, COGS : 30,000


Actual, FY15, Jan, California, Expenses : 5,000

Replace, With Database


Actual, FY15, Jan, California, Sales : 35,000
Actual, FY15, Jan, California, COGS : 20,000
Actual, FY15, Jan, California, Expenses : #MI (Replace clears all the data before the
import)

Merge, Within File


Actual, FY15, Jan, California, Sales : 35,000
Actual, FY15, Jan, California, COGS : 20,000
Actual, FY15, Jan, California, Expenses : 5,000

Replace, Within File


Actual, FY15, Jan, California, Sales : 35,000
Actual, FY15, Jan, California, COGS : 20,000
Actual, FY15, Jan, California, Expenses : #MI

Loading the Data Import File


To import the data file:
1

On the Home page, click Console.

On the Application tab, click Actions, and then select Import Data.

Click Create.

Select the location of the data import file:

LocalImports the data import file from a location on your computer.

InboxImports the data import file from the server.

For File Type, select an option:


l

Comma delimited

Tab delimited

OtherEnter the delimiter character that is used in the import file. For a list of supported
delimiter characters and exceptions, see Other Supported Delimiter Characters on
page 28.

From Import Mode, select a mode:


l

Merge - Overwrite data in the application. Each record of data is imported into the cell,
replacing the old data, if any.

35

Replace - Replace data in the application. In Replace mode, before the first record for a
specific Scenario/Year/Period/Entity is encountered, the entire combination of data for
that Scenario, Year, Period, and Entity is cleared.

From Accumulation Type, select a type:


l

None - Replace the existing value in the database for the record.

With Database - Add the data to the existing value of the cell.

Within File - Accumulate the cell values that are within the file.

Enter or select the source file:


l

If you selected Local, click Browse to navigate to the file.

If you selected Inbox, enter the name of the file in Source File.

From Date Format, select a format:


l

MM-DD-YYYY

DD-MM-YYYY

YYYY-MM-DD

10 Optional: If the selected location is Inbox, click Save as Job to save the import operation as a job, which
you can schedule to run immediately, or at a later time.

11 Optional: If the selected location is Local, click Validate to test whether the import file format is correct.
12 Click Import.
13 From the information message that the data was submitted successfully, click OK.
14 To view details about the import process, from the Console page, click Jobs, view Recent Activity, and
then click the link for the import to view the details.

Exporting Data
To export data:
1

On the Home page, click Console.

On the Application tab, click Actions, and then select Export Data.

Click Create.

On the Export Data page, select the target location of the data export file:

36

LocalSaves the data export file to a location on your local computer.

OutboxSaves the data export file to the server.

For File Type, select an option:


l

Comma delimitedCreates a comma-delimited .csv file for each artifact.

Tab delimitedCreates a tab-delimited .txt file for each artifact.

OtherCreates a .txt file for each artifact. Enter the delimiter character that you want
to use in the export file. For a list of supported delimiter characters and exceptions, see
Other Supported Delimiter Characters on page 28.

For Smart Lists, specify Export Labels or Export Names.

Select the slice of data to be exported.

Optional: If the selected location is Outbox, click Save as Job to save the export operation as a job,
which you can schedule to run immediately or at a later time.

Click Export, and then specify where to save the data export file.

To reduce the size of data export file, if a form has an entire row of #missing values, the row
will be omitted from the data export file.

Viewing Data Import and Export Status


The Import and Export Status page displays details of recent jobs.

To view the status of a data import and export:


1

On the Home page, click Console.

On the left, click Jobs

From Recent Activity, click the name of the import or export job to view the details.

From Show, select an option:


l

Errors

Warnings

Information

All

Refreshing the Database


On the Application page, you can refresh the application database, which is used to store data in
the application. Databases are structured according to dimensions, hierarchical members,
attributes, and other data specified in an application.
You must refresh the application database whenever you change the application structure.
Changes made to an application arent reflected to users performing data entry and approval
tasks until you refresh the databases for the application. For example, when you modify
properties of an Entity member, add a Scenario, or change access permissions, these changes are
stored in the relational database until you refresh the application database.
Before refreshing the database, you can choose whether to enable all users or just the current
administrator to use the application in maintenance mode during the refresh process. You can

37

also log off all users, and you can terminate any active application requests. After the database
refresh, you can enable users to use the application.
Caution!

Before you refresh, Oracle recommends that you back up your outline file and export
data from all databases.

To refresh the database:


1

On the Home page, click Console.

On the Application tab, click Actions, and then select Refresh Database.

On the Refresh Database page, click Create.

Make selections for before and after the database refresh:


l

Before Refresh Database


m

Enable use of the application forAllows All users or Administrators (or the current
logged-in administrator) to access the application in maintenance mode during the
refresh.
Log off all usersLogs off all users before starting the refresh
Kill all active requestsTerminates any active requests in the application before
starting the refresh

After Refresh Database


Enable use of the application forAllows All users or Administrators to use the application
after the refresh

Choose an option:
l

To refresh the database now, click Refresh Database, review the confirmation message,
and then click Refresh.
To schedule a database refresh job, click Save as Job, name the job, and then click
Save.
Note: If you schedule a recurring refresh database job, the refresh job options that you

select are applicable each time the job is run. To edit your selections, click the
name of the job in the Jobs console, and then click Save.

Removing an Application
Removing an application deletes it and all of its contents. Any scheduled jobs for the application
will also be deleted. This action cannot be undone. Oracle recommends that you back up the
application first.

To remove an application:
1

38

On the Home page, click Console.

On the Application tab, click Actions, and then select Remove Application.

Review the confirmation message. To continue, click Yes.

Scheduling Maintenance
By default, Oracle Financial Consolidation and Close Cloud automatically performs daily
maintenance starting at midnight local time. During the nightly maintenance window, the
system performs backups, applies any patches, recycles the application, and so on. If you prefer,
you can schedule daily maintenance to occur at another time.

To schedule maintenance:
1

On the Home page, click Console.

On the Application tab, click Actions, and then select Schedule Maintenance.

Select the local time zone and the time of day for maintenance.

Click Save.

Using the Inbox/Outbox


The Inbox/Outbox enables you to upload files to the server/inbox and download the files from
the server to your local computer. It also enables you to view the files that are in the Inbox/
Outbox and then use the files to schedule import and export jobs. You can filter by name, refresh
the listing, and upload files from the server.

To view files in the Inbox/Outbox:


1

On the Home page, click Console.

On the Application tab, click Actions, and then select Inbox/Outbox Explorer.

Optional: To filter the list of files, click Filter, enter a name, and then click Apply.

Optional: To refresh the list of files, click Refresh.

To upload a file:
1

Click Upload.

In the Upload File box, click Browse to select a file.

Optional: Click Overwrite file.

Click Upload File.

Viewing User Statistics


You can determine which Oracle Financial Consolidation and Close Cloud users are logged on
to an application, and how long since they accessed it.
39

The View Statistics page displays the list of logged-in users alphabetically, with the time since
last access for the current application.
To view user statistics, you must be the Service Administrator.

To view user statistics:


1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Manage, click View Statistics.

40

Working with Dimensions

3
In This Chapter

Dimensions Overview ......................................................................................41


Working with Dimension Hierarchies .....................................................................47
Adding Custom Dimensions...............................................................................50
Defining Accounts..........................................................................................55
Defining Entity Members ..................................................................................64
Working with Members ....................................................................................65
Setting Up Currencies .....................................................................................71
Setting Up Scenarios ......................................................................................77
Customizing Application Years ............................................................................80
Working with Attributes ....................................................................................80
Working with Attribute Values.............................................................................82
Working with User-Defined Attributes (UDAs) ...........................................................84
Working with Member Formulas ..........................................................................86
Working with Alias Tables .................................................................................87

Dimensions Overview
Oracle Financial Consolidation and Close Cloud provides a set of consolidation and close
features that includes out-of-the-box translations, consolidation, eliminations and adjustments.
Depending on the functionality required for the application, the system enables only the
dimensions that are needed for the features. Each dimension is pre-seeded with a minimum set
of dimension members to allow for flexible application configuration.
By default, when you create an application, the system creates dimensions in this order:
l

Account

Period

Data Source

Consolidation

Currency

Entity

ICP

41

Movement

Scenario

Year

View

Multi-GAAP

The order of the dimensions has an impact on the performance of the consolidation. Any change
to the dimension order should first be carefully evaluated.
In addition to these dimensions, you can create custom dimensions. Custom dimensions should
be added after the ICP and before the Movement dimension.
The following sections describe the system-defined dimensions.

Account
The Account dimension represents a hierarchy of natural accounts. Accounts store financial
data for entities and scenarios in an application. Each account has a type, such as Revenue or
Expense, that defines its accounting behavior. Every application must include an Account
dimension.
You define properties for Account dimension members, such as the Account type, the number
of decimal places to display, and whether the account is an Intercompany Partner account. See
Defining Accounts on page 55.

Period
The Period dimension represents time periods, such as quarters and months. It contains time
periods and frequencies by displaying the time periods in a hierarchy. For example, if the Actual
scenario maintains data on a monthly basis, 12 periods of data are available for the year.
The system provides these options for the Period dimension:
l

12-months. If you select 12-months, you must then specify the first period of the Fiscal Year.
The default value is 12 months, with January as the beginning of the Fiscal Year. If you use
12 months, all periods default to the calendar months with period labels of January,
February, March, and so on.
13-period. If you select 13-periods, all periods default to period labels P01, P02, P03, and so
on.

The system also creates Quarterly periods for both 12-month and 13-period options. You can
create Half-Yearly periods.
Depending on the fiscal year information, the system builds the Period hierarchy for the
application.
Note: You cannot delete any parent-level Period members. You can add child-level members.

42

To specify periods for an application, see Creating an Application on page 20.

Data Source
The system stores the different types of input in the Data Source dimension. It includes journals
input to provide a better audit trail when entity data is consolidated in the consolidation path.
You can view the separate data input journals input in both the Proportion and Elimination
members of the Consolidation dimension.
By default, the system creates these Data Source members:
l

Total Data Source

Total Input (optional)

Data Input

Journals Input

Intercompany Eliminations (optional)

The optional members are created based on the options that you specify during application
configuration. You can create additional members in the hierarchy as needed to track input.
You cannot remove any of the system-created members.
To specify input members during application creation, see Creating an Application on page
20.

Consolidation
The Consolidation dimensions enables you to report on the details used to perform the different
stages of the consolidation process. It provides an audit trail of the transactions applied to data
during the consolidation process.
When you create an application, the system creates the Consolidation dimension with the
following hierarchy:
l

Entity Input - The member that is used for all user input, including journal inputs. For a
Base entity, this member represents input data and non-consolidation related business logic
(for example, member formulas and allocations). For the Parent entity, the total of the
Contribution Total members of its children entities becomes the Entity Input of the Parent
Entity.
Entity Adjustments - Stores all child Entity related manual journals and rule-based
adjustments and intracompany adjustments.
Entity Consolidation - For a specified entity, this member stores the sum of Contribution for
all of its child entities. For child-level entities, this member intersection is an invalid
intersection.
Entity Total - The total of Entity Input and Entity Consolidation
Proportion - For a specified entity, this member stores the values obtained after applying the
percentage contributed to its parent, to the Entity Total.
43

Elimination - Stores the Intercompany elimination values.


Contribution Adjustments - Stores all Parent/Child entity related manual journal adjustment
data.
Contribution - The consolidated result of a single Entity for a specific Parent Entity. This
includes the Proportion data, Elimination data and Contribution Adjustments for the
Parent/Child entity.

Note: You cannot add or remove any members from this dimension.

Currency
Currencies store translated values for entities. Every application must include a Currency
dimension. The Currency dimension must include a currency for each default currency assigned
to an entity in the Entity dimension.
When you create an application, the system provides the Currency dimension with predefined
currencies to use in the application. You can create members in the Currency dimension for
each currency needed in your application. For each application, you specify a currency to use as
the Application Currency.
See Setting Up Currencies on page 71.

Entity
The Entity dimension stores the entity hierarchy and represents the organizational structure of
the company, such as the management and legal reporting structures. Entities can represent
divisions, subsidiaries, plants, regions, countries, legal entities, business units, departments, or
any organizational unit. You can define any number of entities.
The Entity dimension is the consolidation dimension of the system. Hierarchies in the Entity
dimension reflect various consolidated views of the data. Various hierarchies can correspond to
geographic consolidation, legal consolidation, or consolidation by activity. All relationships
among individual member components that exist in an organization are stored and maintained
in this dimension. Entities in an organization can be categorized as base, dependent, or parent
entities. Base entities are at the bottom of the organization structure and do not own other
entities. Dependent entities are owned by other entities in the organization. Parent entities
contain one or more dependents that report directly to them.
You define properties for Entity dimension members, such as the default currency, and specify
whether the entity allows adjustments and stores intercompany detail. See Defining Entity
Members on page 64.

Intercompany
The Intercompany dimension represents all intercompany balances that exist for an account. It
is used to store the Entity members for Intercompany transactions. If you enable this option

44

when you create an application, the system creates an Intercompany dimension containing
system members.
Note: If you do not enable Intercompany Data when you configure features for the application,

the system does not create the Intercompany dimension. See Creating an Application
on page 20.
Entity dimension members have a member property called Intercompany that specifies if the
member should be included for intercompany transactions. If you select Yes for this property,
a member with the same name is created in the Intercompany dimension.
When you create intercompany transactions, each group must have at least one intercompany
account and one plug account. A plug account is an account that, when eliminations are
completed, stores the difference between two intercompany accounts.
To set up an application for intercompany transactions, you must perform these actions:
l

When defining accounts, specify the accounts that perform intercompany transactions and
specify a plug account for each intercompany account
When defining entities, specify the entities that perform intercompany transactions

By default, the system creates these Intercompany members:


l

No Intercompany - This member is used in member intersections to store information such


as currency rates. It cannot be renamed or edited.
Intercompany Entities - This member is the parent member under which all ICP entities are
created.
Total Intercompany - This member is the top-most member in the hierarchy.

You cannot add new members to the Intercompany dimension.


You cannot modify or delete Intercompany members.

Movement
The Movement dimension captures the movement details of an account. By default, the system
provides members in the Movement dimension to maintain various types of cash flow data, and
FX to CTA calculations. It enables administrators to perform these tasks:
l

View details of the cash flow movements when viewing the Balance Sheet
Automatically generate the Cash Flow due to the segregation of movements based on cash
flow categories

When you create an application, the Movement dimension is created by default with pre-seeded
members, and optionally adds system members based on the features that you enable. During
application creation, the system creates cash flow members and hierarchies for Cash Flow
Reporting in the Movement and Account dimensions.

45

Scenario
The Scenario dimension represents a set of data such as Actual, Budget, or Forecast. For example,
the Actual scenario can contain data that reflects current business operations. The Budget
scenario can contain data that reflects targeted business operations. The Forecast scenario
typically contains data that corresponds to predictions for upcoming periods. A Legal scenario
can contain data calculated according to legal GAAP format and rules.
By default, the system creates the Actual system Scenario member. You can rename Actual if
needed, and create additional Scenario members.
See Setting Up Scenarios on page 77.

Year
The Year dimension represents the fiscal or calendar year for data.
When you create an application, you specify the range of years for the application. The system
provides a default range, which you can change.
The system builds the Year dimension based on the range that you specified. You can increase
the range of years after the application is created. However, you cannot decrease the range. See
Customizing Application Years on page 80.

View
The View dimension represents various modes of calendar intelligence such as Periodic, Yearto-Date, and Quarter-to-Date frequencies. If you set the View to Periodic, the values for each
month are displayed. If you set the View to Year-to-Date or Quarter-to-Date, the cumulative
values for the year or quarter are displayed.
You load data into the system at the base-level view. Data is stored in the Periodic member.
When you load data, you can load data in YTD, and the data is distributed accordingly in the
Periodic values.
By default, when you create an application, the View dimension has these members:
l

Periodic - Each period shows the data entered, calculated or derived for this specific period.

YTD - Year-to-Date view. Periods within a year are cumulative.

QTD - Quarter-to-Date view. Periods within a quarter are cumulative.

HYTD - Half-Year-to-Date view. Periods within a half-year are cumulative. HYTD is only
created it if you selected it during application creation.

You cannot remove any View dimension members or create new members. You can edit member
properties, such as Alias.

46

Multi-GAAP
The Multi-GAAP dimension is an optional dimension that is used if you need to report your
financial statements in both local GAAP and in IFRS or other GAAP. This dimension tracks the
local GAAP data input as well as any GAAP adjustments.
You can rename members to reflect the correct GAAP adjustment if needed. You can also include
additional members and hierarchies for other GAAP adjustments.
By default, if you select this dimension, the system provides the following dimension members:
l

IFRS

Local GAAP

Adjustments to IFRS

To specify Multi-GAAP reporting during application creation, see Creating an Application


on page 20.

Working with Dimension Hierarchies


Subtopics
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Expanding and Collapsing Dimension Hierarchies


Navigating Dimension Hierarchies
Finding Dimensions or Members
Sorting Members
Moving Members Within the Dimension Hierarchy
Viewing a Members Ancestors
Showing Member Usage

Dimension hierarchies define structural and mathematical relationships, and consolidations


between members in the database. Relationships are represented graphically in a collapsible
hierarchy diagram. Upper-level dimension members are called parent members, and a member
immediately below a parent member is referred to as its child. All members below a parent are
referred to as descendants. The bottom-level hierarchy members are called base-level members.
Data is entered into base-level members of dimensions and not into parent members. Values
for parent-level members are aggregated from the children of the parent-level members. In some
cases, data for base-level members is calculated.

Expanding and Collapsing Dimension Hierarchies


To expand dimensions or members:
1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Dimensions.

47

For Dimension, select the dimension and member to expand.

Perform an action:
l

Click Expand.

Click Expand

Click the closed folder.

To collapse dimensions or members:


1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Dimensions.

For Dimension, select the dimension to collapse.

Perform an action:

Click Collapse.

Press the Left Arrow.

Click Collapse .

Click the open folders.

Navigating Dimension Hierarchies


l

Press the Up Arrow to move to the previous member.

Press the Down Arrow to move to the next member.

In Page, enter the page to view and click Go or press Enter.

Click Start, Prev, Next, or End to view other pages.

By default, 14 members are displayed per page. You can change this by setting preferences for
Show the Specified Members on Each Dimensions Page

Finding Dimensions or Members


To find dimension members in dimension hierarchies:
1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Dimensions.

For Dimension, select the dimension for the member.

For Search, select Name, Alias, or Both.

Enter the member name, alias, or partial string for which to search.

Click Search Down

48

or Search Up

Sorting Members
You can sort members in ascending or descending order, by children or descendants. Sorting
members affects the outline.

To sort members:
1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Dimensions.

For Dimension, select the dimension for the members.

On Dimensions, select the members whose children or descendants you want to sort.

For Sort, select children or descendants.

Sorting by children affects only members in the level immediately below the selected
member. Sorting by descendants affects all descendants of the selected member.

Click Sort Ascending

Click OK.

to sort by ascending order or Sort Descending

to sort by descending order.

The next time you create or refresh the database, the outline is generated with members in
the order that is displayed.

Moving Members Within the Dimension Hierarchy


You can move one member or a group of members in the same branch.

To move members or branches among siblings:


1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Dimensions.

For Dimension, select the dimension for the members to move.

Select the member or branch to move.

Perform an action:
l

Click Move Up

Click Move Down

to move the member up one position.


to move the member down one position.

To move members, including parents and children:


1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Dimensions.

For Dimension, select the dimension with the members to move.

Select the member or branch to move.

Click Cut.

49

You cannot Cut members after adding or editing dimensions, navigating to different pages,
deleting members, or logging of. Cut is not available for root dimension members.

Click the destination level under which to move the members.

Click Paste.

Click OK.

Update and validate business rules and reports.

Viewing a Members Ancestors


To view a members ancestors:
1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Dimensions.

For Dimension, select a dimension.

Select the member in the dimension hierarchy.

Click Show Ancestors.

Click Close.

Showing Member Usage


To view where members are used in an application:
1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Dimensions.

Select the dimension whose member usage you want to view.

Click Show Usage.

At the bottom of the Member Usage window, select where in the application to view the member's
usage.

Click Go.

Click Close.

Adding Custom Dimensions


In addition to the system predefined dimensions, you can create up to two additional Custom
dimensions based on your application needs. Custom dimensions are associated with the
Account dimension and provide additional detail for accounts.
The Dimensions list displays all of the dimensions for the application. When you create a
dimension, the system adds it to the end of the Dimensions list.

50

When you add Custom dimensions, you define their properties, including name, alias, security,
and attributes.

Aggregation Options
You can define calculations within dimension hierarchies using aggregation options.
Aggregation options determine how child member values aggregate to parent members:
l

+ Addition

- Subtraction

* Multiplication

/ Division

% Percent

~ Ignore

Never (do not aggregate, regardless of hierarchy)

Data Storage Options


Table 4

Data Storage Options

Option

Impact

Dynamic Calc and Store

Calculates data values of members, and stores values.

Store

Stores data values of members.

Dynamic Calc

Calculates data values of members, and disregards the values.

Never Share

Prohibits members in the same dimension from sharing data values.

Shared

Allows members in the same dimension to share data values.

Label Only

Has no data associated with the member.

About Dynamic Calc


With dynamically calculated members, the system calculates data values of members, and
disregards these values. The limit is 100 children under a Dynamic Calc parent. Changing a
member's storage to Dynamic Calc may result in loss of data, depending on how the data was
originally derived. You may need to update outlines, calculations, or both to get the dynamically
calculated value.

Dynamic Calc Versus Dynamic Calc and Store


In most cases, you can optimize calculations and lower disk usage by using Dynamic Calc instead
of Dynamic Calc and Store when calculating members of sparse dimensions. Use Dynamic Calc
51

and Store for members of sparse dimensions with complex formulas, or that users retrieve
frequently.
For members of dense dimensions, use Dynamic Calc. Dynamic Calc and Store provides only a
small decrease in retrieval time and regular calculation time, and does not significantly lower
disk usage. For data values accessed concurrently by many users, use Dynamic Calc. Retrieval
time may be significantly lower than for Dynamic Calc and Store.
Note:
l

Do not use Dynamic Calc for base-level members for which users enter data.
Do not use Dynamic Calc for a parent member if you enter data for that member in a target
version. Parent members set to Dynamic Calc are read-only in target versions.
Data values are not saved for Dynamic Calc members.

Store Data Storage


Do not set parent members to Store if their children are set to Dynamic Calc. With this
combination, new totals for parents are not calculated when users save and refresh forms.

Shared Data Storage


Use Shared to allow alternate rollup structures in the application.

Never Share Data Storage


The default data storage type is Never Share when you add user-defined custom dimensions.
You can use Never Share for parent members with only one child member that aggregates to the
parent, to apply access to the child member.

Label Only Data Storage


Label-only members are virtual members; they are typically used for navigation and have no
associated data. Note:
l

You cannot assign level 0 members as label-only.

Label-only members can display values.

Making dimension members label-only minimizes database space by decreasing block size.

You cannot assign attributes to label-only members.

52

In a multicurrency application, you cannot apply label-only storage to members of these


dimensions: Entity, Versions, Currencies, and user-defined custom dimensions. To store
exchange rates, use Never Share.
Data Storage for children of label-only parents is set to Never Share by default.

Caution!

Table 5

Do not design forms in which label-only parents follow their first child member,
as you cannot save data in the first child member. Instead, create forms with
label-only parents selected before their children, or do not select label-only
parents for forms.

Properties for Custom Dimensions

Property

Value

Dimension

Enter a name that is unique across all dimensions.

Alias

Optional: Select an alias table. Enter a unique alternate name for the dimension.

Description

Optional: Enter a description.

Valid for Application


Types

Select application types for which the dimension is valid. Clearing this option makes all members of the
dimension invalid for the deselected type.

Apply Security

Allow security to be set on the dimension members; must be selected before assigning access rights to
dimension members. Otherwise, dimensions have no security and users can access members without
restriction.

Data Storage

Select a data storage option. The default is Never Share.

To add or change Custom dimensions:


1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Dimensions.

Click Add

Specify the dimension properties.

Click Save.

Click OK.

, or select an existing dimension and click Edit

Click Refresh to revert to the previous values and keep the page open.

Setting Dimension Properties


Table 6

Dimension Properties

Property

Value

Dimension

Enter a dimension name.

Description

Optional: Enter a description.

Alias

Optional: Select an alias table and enter an alternate name of up to 80 characters.

Valid for Application


Types

Select application types for which the dimension is valid.

53

Property

Value

Apply Security

Allow security to be set on dimension members. If you do not select this option, there is no security on the
dimension, and users can access its members without restriction. Must be selected before assigning access
rights to dimension members.

Data Storage

Select data storage options:


l

Store

Dynamic Calc and Store

Dynamic Calc

Never Share

Shared

Label Only

See Data Storage Options on page 51.


Display Option

Set application default display options for the Member Selection dialog box. Select Member Name or Alias to
display members or aliases. Member Name:Alias displays members on the left and aliases on the right.
Alias:Member Name displays aliases on the left and members on the right.

Enable custom
attribute display

Display available and selected attributes for dimensions with associated attributes. Enable custom attribute
display for dimensions with attributes.

Setting Dimension Density and Order


The Performance Settings tab enables you to set dimensions as sparse or dense and set their
order of precedence.
Sparse and Dense Dimensions
Sparse dimensions lack data values for the majority of member combinations. Dense dimensions
have data values for the majority of member combinations. At least one dense dimension is
required. Custom attributes cannot be assigned to dense dimensions. The system designates the
Account and Period dimensions as dense, and the remaining dimensions as sparse. To optimize
performance for sparse dimensions, the system searches for and calculates only occupied data
values in each dimension combination, reducing calculation time and disk usage.

To manage performance settings:


1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Dimensions.

Select Performance Settings.

For each dimension, set its Density as Dense or Sparse.

Set the order of precedence by selecting a dimension and clicking Move Up

54

or Move Down

Setting the Evaluation Order


The Evaluation Order tab enables you to specify which data type prevails when a data intersection
has conflicting data types. For example, if Account members are set to the Currency data type,
and Product members are set to the Smart List data type, you can set whether the Currency or
Smart List data type prevails at an intersection.

To set evaluation order:


1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Dimensions.

Select Evaluation Order.

Select the Application type and click Go.

From Available Dimensions, select dimensions and move them to Selected Dimensions:

Add

Add All

moves all dimensions.

Remove

removes selected dimensions.

Remove All

moves selected dimensions.

removes all dimensions.

You need to select only dimensions whose members have specific data types (that is, their
data type is not Unspecified). The data type Unspecified does not conflict with another
data type.

If you select multiple dimensions, set the order of precedence by clicking Move Up

or Move Down

Click Save.

Defining Accounts
The Account dimension defines the chart of accounts for an application. When you create an
application, the system creates the Account dimension with a hierarchy of pre-seeded members,
and adds additional system members based on the features that you enable for the application.
Note: Pre-seeded members have the prefix FCCS, for example, FCCS_IncomeStatement. The

only modification that you can make to pre-seeded members is to edit the member
description or alias.
By default, the system creates these types of Account members:
l

System members

55

These members are parent-level members created when the application is created. You
cannot change them in the hierarchy as they must be the parent member. You cannot rename
them; you can only change the Alias or Description.
Examples: Income Statement, Balance Sheet

Optional system members

These members are created based on application features that you enabled. For example,
Ratio accounts required to perform the ratio calculation are optional system members.
Depending on which ratios you want to include as part of the application, those accounts
will be pre-seeded.
Examples: Return on Sales, Gross Profit Margin
Shared members

Some pre-seeded members are also added to an alternate hierarchy as shared members. For
example, all the Account members listed under Income Statement or Balance Sheet system
members which are set for a Cash Flow category have a shared instance created under the
selected category in Cash Flow.

Account Types
Each account is associated with an Account type. Account types determine how child accounts
are aggregated to parent accounts and how account balances accumulate over time.
Account types determine whether child values are added to or subtracted from their parent value.
This determination enables you to build financial calculations directly into the chart of accounts.
Each account is categorized as either Flow or Balance. Flow Account types accumulate over time.
Balance Account types represent a balance at a specific period and therefore do not aggregate
over time.
l

Flow account types: Revenue, Expense

Balance account types: Asset, Liability, Equity

Table 7

Account Types

Account Type

Description

Expense

Costs incurred by a company to generate revenue. Examples of expenses are: standard cost of sales, salary expense,
travel expense.

56

Account Type

Description

Revenue

Income received as a result of the sale of goods or services. Examples of revenue include Trade Sales, Income from
Sales of Fixed Assets

Asset

A resource that has economic value and from which the company expects to generate income over time. Examples
of assets are inventory, fixed assets, accounts receivable and pre-paid insurance.

Liability

Legal debts and obligations that companies owe to third parties as a result of business operations. Examples of
liabilities include accounts payable, accrued payroll, and notes payable.

Equity

The value of ownership in a company. Calculated as the amount of assets remaining after all debts are satisfied.
Examples of equity accounts include common stock, preferred stock, and retained earnings.

Saved Assumption

Non-financial items used by a company for analysis and reporting purposes. Examples are square footage and
headcount, units sold, miles traveled, and patients admitted.

Summary of Account Types


Table 8

Summary of Account Types

Account Type

Time Balance

Variance Reporting

Revenue

Flow

Non-Expense

Expense

Flow

Expense

Asset

Balance

Non-Expense

Liability

Balance

Non-Expense

Equity

Balance

Non-Expense

Saved Assumption

User-defined

User-defined

Variance reporting and time balance settings are system-defined; only Saved Assumption is userdefined.

Aggregation (Consolidation Operator)


The Account type determines how a member aggregates into its direct Parent member. The
aggregation rule is based on the Account type for the member and the Account type for its parent.
The relationship between the Parent and Child Account types determines if a child is summed
into its parent, or subtracted from it.
Account types are different from the Aggregation (consolidation) factors such as Addition and
Subtraction, because the system considers the relationship between the base member and its
parent Account type. Account types either replace or override the Aggregation factor for the
member.
By default, the Consolidation property is set by the system. However, you can change the
consolidation operator. See Aggregation Options on page 51.
57

The following table indicates how an Account type behaves when totaled into a specific type of
parent account. The columns represent the Account type of the parent accounts. For example,
when aggregated, ASSET account values are added into parent ASSET and EXPENSE accounts,
and subtracted from parent LIABILITY and REVENUE accounts.
Table 9

Account Type Behaviors During Aggregation into Parent Accounts


Parent Account

Account Type

Asset

Liability

Equity

Revenue

Expense

Saved Assumption

ASSET

Add

Sub

Sub

Sub

Add

Add

LIABILITY

Sub

Add

Add

Add

Sub

Add

EQUITY

Sub

Add

Add

Add

Sub

Add

REVENUE

Sub

Add

Add

Add

Sub

Add

EXPENSE

Add

Sub

Sub

Sub

Add

Add

SAVED ASSUMPTION

Add

Add

Add

Add

Add

Add

This example illustrates how account types are aggregated into parent accounts:

In this example, Total Assets is an ASSET account and the parent of Fixed Assets (an ASSET
account) and Amortization (a LIABILITY account). When the accounts are aggregated into the
parent account, the Fixed Assets value of 100 is added, the Amortization value of 20 is subtracted,
and the resulting value for Total Assets is 80.

Time Balance Property


Time balance specifies how the system calculates the value of summary time periods.
Table 10

Time Balance Properties

Time Balance
Property

Description

Example

Flow

Aggregate of all values for a summary time period as a period total.

Jan: 10 Feb: 15 Mar: 20


Q1: 45

First

Beginning value in a summary time period as the period total.

Jan: 10 Feb: 15 Mar: 20


Q1: 10

Balance

Ending value in a summary time period as the period total.

Jan: 10 Feb: 15 Mar: 20


Q1: 20

Average

Average for all the child values in a summary time period as the period total.

Jan: 10 Feb: 15 Mar: 20


Q1: 15

58

Time Balance
Property
Fill

Description

Example

The value set at the parent is filled into all its descendents. If a child value changes, the
default aggregation logic applies up to its parent.

Jan: 10; Feb: 10; Mar:


10; Q1: 30

Consolidation operators and member formulas overwrite Fill values when the members are
recalculated.
Weighted
Average Actual_Actual

Weighted daily average, based on the actual number of days in a year; accounts for leap
year, in which February has 29 days. In the example, the average for Q1 is calculated: (1)
Multiply each months value in Q1 by the number of days in the month, (2) Sum these
values, (3) Divide the total by the number of days in Q1. Assuming it is a leap year, the
result is calculated: (10 * 31 + 15 * 29 + 20 * 31) / 91 = 15

Jan: 10 Feb: 15 Mar: 20


Q1: 15

Weighted
Average Actual_365

Weighted daily average, based on 365 days in a year, assuming that February has 28 days;
does not account for leap years. In the example, the average for Q1 is calculated: (1)
Multiply each months value in Q1 by the number of days in the month, (2) Sum these
values, (3) Divide the total by the number of days in Q1. Assuming it is not a leap year,
the result is calculated: (10 * 31 + 15 * 28 + 20 * 31) / 90 = 15

Jan: 10 Feb: 15 Mar: 20


Q1: 15

You can use the Weighted Average - Actual_Actual and Weighted Average - Actual_365 time
balance properties only with a standard monthly calendar that rolls up to four quarters.

Account Types and Variance Reporting


An accounts variance reporting property determines whether it is treated as an expense when
used in member formulas:
l

Expense: The actual value is subtracted from the budgeted value to determine the variance.
Non-Expense: The budgeted value is subtracted from the actual value to determine the
variance.

Examples:
l

When you are budgeting expenses for a time period, the actual expenses should be less than
the budget. When actual expenses are greater than budget expenses, the variance is negative.
For example, if budgeted expenses are $100, and actual expenses are $110, the variance is
-10.
When you are budgeting nonexpense items, such as sales, the actual sales should be more
than the budget. When actual sales are less than budget, the variance is negative. For example,
if budgeted sales were $100, and actual sales were $110, the variance is 10.

Setting Account Calculations for Zeros and Missing Values


With time balance properties First, Balance, and Average, specify how database calculations treat
zeros and missing values with the Skip options.

59

Table 11

Effect of Skip Options When Time Balance is Set to First

Skip Option

Description

Example

None

Zeros and #MISSING values are considered when calculating parent values (the default). In
the example, the value of the first child (Jan) is 0, and zeros are considered when calculating
the parent value, so Q1 = 0.

Jan: 0 Feb: 20 Mar: 25 Q1:


0

Missing

Excludes #MISSING values when calculating parent values. In the example, the value of the
first child (Jan) is #MISSING, and #MISSING values are not considered when the calculating
parent values, so Q1 = second child (Feb), or 20.

Jan: #MISSING Feb: 20


Mar: 25 Q1: 20

Zeros

Excludes zero values when calculating parent values. In the example, the value of the first
child (Jan) is 0, and zero values are not considered when calculating parent values, so Q1 =
the second child (Feb), or 20.

Jan: 0 Feb: 20 Mar: 25 Q1:


20

Missing
and Zeros

Excludes #MISSING and zero values when calculating parent values. In the example, the value
of the first child (Jan) is zero, and the value of the second child (Feb) is missing. Because
missing and zero values are not considered when calculating parent values, Q1 = the third
child (Mar), or 25.

Jan: 0 Feb: #MISSING Mar:


25 Q1: 25

Saved Assumptions
You use saved assumptions to identify key business drivers and ensure application consistency,
by selecting time balance and variance reporting properties.
l

Variance reporting determines the variance between budgeted and actual data, as an expense
or non-expense.
Time balance determines the ending value for summary time periods.

Examples of how time balance and variance reporting properties are used with saved assumption
account members:
l

Create a saved assumption of an expense type for variance reporting, assuming that the
actual amount spent on headcount is less than the amount budgeted. To determine the
variance, the system subtracts the actual amount from the budgeted amount.
Determine the value for office floor space by using the time periods last value.
Make an assumption about the number of product units sold at the end of the time period.
Determine the final value for the summary time period by aggregating the number of units
sold across time periods.

Data Types and Exchange Rate Types


The Data type determines how values are stored in account members, and the exchange rates
used to calculate values. Available data type for account member values:
l

Currency - Stores and displays in the default currency.

Non-currency - Stores and displays as a numeric value.

Percentage - Stores a numeric value and displays as a percent.

60

Date - Displays as a date.

Text - Displays as text.

For accounts with the Currency data type, these are exchange rate types:
l

Average - Average exchange rate

Ending - Ending exchange rate

Historical - Exchange rate in effect when, for example, earnings for a Retained Earnings
account were earned or assets for a Fixed Assets account were purchased.

Historical Amount Override

Historical Rate Override

Note: The system always uses Average rate for Flow accounts, and Ending rate for Balance

accounts.

Defining Account Properties


You define properties for accounts, such as account types, and data types, and whether they are
Intercompany accounts.
For Intercompany accounts, see Setting Intercompany Account Attributes on page 64.

To define account properties:


1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Dimensions.

From the Dimension list, select Account.

On the Member Properties tab, enter account properties.

Table 12

Account Properties

Property

Description

Name

Enter a name that is unique across all dimension members.

Description

Optional: Enter a description.

Alias Table

Optional: Select the alias table to store the alias name.

Alias

Optional: Enter an alternate name for the member.

61

Property

Description

Account Type

Select the account type:


l

Expense

Revenue

Asset

Liability

Equity

Saved Assumption

See Account Types on page 56.


Variance Reporting

Select an option:
l

Expense

Non-Expense

See Account Types and Variance Reporting on page 59.


Time Balance

Specify how the system calculates the value of summary time periods:
See Time Balance Property on page 58.

Skip

Select an option:
l

None

Missing

Zero

Missing and Zero

See Setting Account Calculations for Zeros and Missing Values on page 59.
Exchange Rate Type

Indicates the exchange rate for the account.


l

Average

Ending

Historical

Historical Amount Override

Historical Rate Override

No Rate

Note: The system always uses Average rate for Flow accounts, and Ending rate for Balance accounts.
Source Cube

62

Specify the source cube for the member.

Property

Description

Data Storage

Select data storage options:


l

Store

Dynamic Calc and Store

Dynamic Calc

Never Share

Shared

Label Only

See Data Storage Options on page 51.


Two Pass Calculation

Select whether to calculate values of members based on values of parent members or other members.

Allow Upper-Level
Entity Input

Specify whether parent Entity input is allowed for this account.

Application Type

Indicates the application type for which the member is valid.

Data Type

Select a data type:


l

Unspecified

Currency

NonCurrency

Percentage

Date

Text

Smart Lists

See Data Types and Exchange Rate Types on page 60.


Smart Lists

Optional: Select a Smart List to associate with the member.

Enable for Dynamic


Children

Enables users to create children for this member by entering a member name in the runtime prompt for a business
rule that has been configured with a dynamic parent member).

Number of Possible
Dynamic Children

This option is available if Enable for Dynamic Children is selected. Enter the maximum number of dynamicallyadded members that users can create. The default is 10.

Access Granted to
Member Creator

This option is available if Enable for Dynamic Children is selected. Determines the access that member creators
have to dynamic members that they create with a runtime prompt:
l

InheritThe member creator will inherit the closest parent's access to the newly-created member.

NoneThe member creator will not be assigned any access to the newly-created member. (An administrator
can later assign the member creator access to the members.)

ReadThe member creator will be assigned Read access to the newly-created member.

WriteThe member creator will be assigned Write access to the newly-created member.

Note: If an administrator changes these settings, they affect only future dynamic members; they do not
retroactively affect dynamic members.

63

Setting Intercompany Account Attributes


You specify Intercompany account attributes on the Attribute Values tab for the Account. When
you set the Intercompany Account property to Yes, you must specify a Plug account.

To specify Intercompany Account values:


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From the Account dimension, select the Attribute Values tab.

Enter this information:


Table 13

Intercompany Account Attribute Values

Attribute

Description

Intercompany Account

Specify if the account is an Intercompany account. If set to Yes, a Plug account must be specified for this
account.
Note: This option is only available if Intercompany is enabled for the application.

Is Plug Account

Specify if this account can be a Plug account.

Plug Account

For the accounts that have Intercompany set to Yes, and IsPlugAccount is not set, you can specify a Plug
account. Accounts with this property set to Yes can be selected as Plug Accounts. You can also leave this
option blank.

Click Save.

Defining Entity Members


By default, the Entity dimension includes a Global member in the entity hierarchy. The Global
member is used to store information such as currency rates. You cannot edit or rename it.
The system also creates the Total Geography member by default. This member is used for system
forms. You can create new members as siblings to Total Geography, and you can create a
hierarchy under it. You then need to change the entity member selector in the forms
appropriately.
You define attributes for Entity dimension members, such as the default currency and security
class, and to specify whether the entity allows adjustments.
To define entity properties, see Adding or Editing Members on page 66.

Intercompany Property for Entities


For Entity members, you specify if the member stores Intercompany detail. If you set the
Intercompany property for an Entity member, a member with the same name is created in the
Intercompany dimension. When the Intercompany property is set for an Entity, a new member
must be created under the Intercompany dimension with the name ICP_<Entity Name>. The
alias for the Default Alias Table for the new member must be set as the alias for the Entity. If an
alias is not defined, it must be set as the name of the added Entity.

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For example, when an entity named UK is marked as Intercompany, a member named ICP_UK
must be created. If an alias is defined for UK, the same alias must be set to the new Intercompany
member ICP_UK. If an alias is not defined for UK, the alias must be set to UK.
If the alias of an Entity member that is marked as Intercompany changes, the alias of the
associated Intercompany member also must be changed to the new alias.
If an Entity is marked as Intercompany and later the Intercompany property is removed, the
associated Intercompany member must be removed.

Base Currency
For a multicurrency application, specify each entity members base currency. The default base
currency for entity members is the currency specified when creating the application. For
example, if U.S. Dollars is the default currency, you may specify Yen as the base currency for the
Japan entity and U.S. Dollars for the United States entity. When you use forms that have values
for the Japan entity, if the display currency is set to U.S. Dollars, values are converted to U.S.
Dollars using the rates in the exchange rate table (assuming Yen is the local currency and U.S.
Dollars is the reporting currency).

Working with Members


Subtopics
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Dynamic Members
Adding or Editing Members
Deleting Members
Deleting Parent Members
Viewing Member Properties from Forms
Working with Shared Members
Creating Shared Members

You can assign access rights to members and rearrange the dimension member hierarchy.

Dynamic Members
Dynamic member are members with values that are dynamically calculated when the data is
requested. The values are not stored. The most common type of dynamic calculation is ratio
calculation.

To enable a parent member for adding dynamic children:


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Edit the parent member and select the option Enable for Dynamic Children.
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Optional: Set the member property Number of Possible Dynamic Children (the default is
10). This setting determines the number of placeholders that are created for dynamically
adding or loading members under the parent. If all placeholders are used, subsequently

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added children are added as normal members and cannot be used until the database is
refreshed.
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Optional: Set the member property Access Granted to Member Creator (the default is
Inherit).

Refresh the database to create the placeholders for dynamic members in the databases in which the
members are used.

Adding or Editing Members


You define properties for dimension members using these values.
In addition to the member properties in this list, some dimensions require additional member
properties.
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See Defining Accounts on page 55.

See Defining Entity Members on page 64.

See Setting Up Currencies on page 71.

See Setting Up Scenarios on page 77.

Table 14

Member Properties

Property

Value

Name

Enter a name that is unique across all dimension members.

Description

Optional: Enter a description.

Alias Table

Optional: Select the alias table to store the alias name.

Alias

Optional: Enter an alternate name for the member.

For Entity members only:


Base Currency

Select the base currency for the Entity member.

For Account members only:


Account Type

Select an account type:


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Revenue

Expense

Asset

Liability

Equity

Saved Assumption

See Account Types on page 56.


For Account members only:
Variance Reporting

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If the account type is Saved Assumptions, for Variance Reporting, select Expense or Non-Expense. Designate
the saved assumption as a Revenue, Asset, Liability, or Equity account.

Property

Value

For Account members only:


Time Balance

Select an option:
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Flow

First

Balance

Average

Fill

Weighted Average - Actual_Actual

Weighted Average - Actual_365

See Time Balance Property on page 58.


For Account members only:
Skip

Select an option:
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None

Missing

Zero

Missing and Zero

See Setting Account Calculations for Zeros and Missing Values on page 59.
For Account members only:
Exchange Rate Type

Select an option:
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Average

Ending

Historical

Historical Amount Override

Historical Rate Override

No Rate

For Account members only:


Source Cube

Specify the source cube for the member.

Data Storage

Select a data storage property. The default is Never Share for new custom dimension members (except root
members).
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Store

Dynamic Calc and Store

Dynamic Calc

Never Share

Shared

Label Only

Two Pass Calculation

Specify whether to recalculate values of members based on values of parent members or other members.
Available for Account and Entity members with Dynamic Calc or Dynamic Calc and Store properties.

Allow Upper-Level Entity


Input

Specify whether parent Entity input is allowed for this member.

Application Type

Select the application type for which the member is valid.

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Property

Value

Data Type

Select a data type:


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Unspecified

Currency

NonCurrency

Percentage

Date

Text

Smart Lists

See Data Types and Exchange Rate Types on page 60.


Smart Lists

Optional: Select a Smart List to associate with the member.

Enable for Dynamic


Children

Enables users to create children for this member by entering a member name in the runtime prompt for a
business rule that has been configured with a dynamic parent member).

Number of Possible
Dynamic Children

This option is available if Enable for Dynamic Children is selected. Enter the maximum number of
dynamically-added members that users can create. The default is 10.

Access Granted to Member


Creator

This option is available if Enable for Dynamic Children is selected. Determines the access that member
creators have to dynamic members that they create with a runtime prompt:
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InheritThe member creator will inherit the closest parent's access to the newly-created member.

NoneThe member creator will not be assigned any access to the newly-created member. (An
administrator can later assign the member creator access to the members.)

ReadThe member creator will be assigned Read access to the newly-created member.

WriteThe member creator will be assigned Write access to the newly-created member.

Note: If an administrator changes these settings, they affect only future dynamic members; they do not
retroactively affect dynamic members.

To add or edit members:


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Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Dimensions.

From the Dimension list, select a dimension.

Perform an action:
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To add a child member, select the parent level of the dimension hierarchy to which to
add a member and click Add Child.
To add a sibling, select the level of the dimension hierarchy to which to add a sibling
and click Add Sibling.
To edit a member, select that member from the dimension hierarchy and press Enter or
click Edit.

On Member Properties, set or change member properties described in the table above.

If you do not see the new member on the page, click Next.

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Click Save to save information to the relational database and see changes in the dimension hierarchy.

Refresh the database so that edited members are visible to users entering data.

After creating a dimension member, you typically complete these tasks:


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Assign access. See Managing Security in the Getting Started with Oracle Financial
Consolidation and Close Cloud.
Specify attributes. See Working with Attributes on page 80.

Deleting Members
Each data value is identified by a set of dimension member values and an application type.
Deleting dimension members or deselecting the application type results in data loss when
refreshing an application.
Caution!

Before starting this procedure, perform a backup. See the Oracle Enterprise
Performance Management System Backup and Recovery Guide.

Before deleting members, understand where in the application they are used (in which forms,
exchange rates, and so on) by using Show Usage.
You must delete the entity member throughout the application before deleting it from
Dimensions. For example, if the entity member is used in a form, you must delete it from the
form before deleting it from Dimensions.

To delete members:
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Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Dimensions.

From the dimension hierarchy, select the entity member to delete.

Click Delete.

Deleting a base member also deletes its shared members.

Click OK.

Update and validate rules and reports.

Deleting Parent Members


Data values are identified by a set of dimension member values and an application type. Deleting
dimension members or deselecting the application type results in data loss when refreshing the
application.
Caution!

Before starting this procedure, perform a backup. See the Oracle Enterprise
Performance Management System Backup and Recovery Guide.

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To delete a parent member and all its descendants from the dimension hierarchy:
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Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Dimensions.

On the Home page, click Console.

On the Application tab, click Dimensions.

From the Dimension list, select the dimension whose member that you want to delete.

Select the dimension whose member and descendants to delete.

Select the member whose branch to delete.

Click Delete.

Click OK.

Viewing Member Properties from Forms


To view member properties from forms:
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On the Home page, click Data Analysis and then select a form.

In the form, select a row or column member and right-click.

Select Show properties in outline.

The Dimensions page displays the member highlighted in the hierarchy.

Optional: Select Edit to view the member's properties, then click Cancel.

Working with Shared Members


Sharing members allow alternate rollup structures within an application. A base member must
exist before you can create a shared member. You can create multiple shared members for the
base member. A base member must display before its shared members in position from top to
bottom.
Shared members are available for Account and user-defined custom dimensions. Shared
member values can be ignored to avoid double-counting values when you roll up the outline.
Note: Shared members are not supported for Entity, and alternate hierarchies are not supported.

Shared members share some property definitions with base members, such as member name,
alias name, base currency, and application types for which members are valid. Shared members
must have unique parent members and different rollup aggregation settings. Custom attributes,
custom attribute values, and member formulas are not allowed for shared members. Renaming
base members renames all shared members.
Shared members cannot be moved to another parent member. You must delete shared members
and recreate them under different parent members. Shared members must be at the lowest level
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(level zero) in the hierarchy and cannot have children. The base member need not be level zero.
You can enter data in shared members, and values are stored with base members.
Shared members are displayed similarly to base members in the dimension hierarchy for member
selection in Oracle Smart View for Office.

Creating Shared Members


You create shared members the same way as other members, with these differences:
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The base member cannot be the parent of the shared member.

You cannot add a shared member as a sibling to the base member.

You must give the shared member the same name as its base member. It can have a different
description.
You must select Shared as the Data Storage for the shared member.

Setting Up Currencies
Subtopics
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Working with Multiple Currencies


Scaling
Number Formatting
Viewing Currency Usage
Creating Currencies
Editing Currencies
Deleting Currencies

By default, the system creates input currencies such as USD, EUR, GBP, and so on.
It also creates reporting currencies, which by default has two mandatory members:
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Entity Currency

Parent Currency

A reporting currency is the currency in which your company prepares financial statements. The
system supports currency conversion from local currencies to one or more reporting currencies.
Converted reporting currency values are stored and read-only for all users. An applications
default currency is the default reporting currency. You can disable a currency as a reporting
currency.
Reporting currency members are dynamic calculation members where the translation occurs
dynamically when the data is retrieved. The values are never stored for reporting currency
members. The system only stores Entity Currency and Parent Currency values.
Note: You cannot edit or delete the Entity Currency and Parent Currency members. You can

only specify an Alias.


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Each application is limited to 45 currencies, and each currency that is selected as a reporting
currency counts as two currencies (original currency and reporting currency).
When you add a new currency to the Currency dimension, you must create a new member under
the From Currency dimension with the name From_Currency. The alias for the Default Alias
table for the new member must be set as the alias for the currency. If an alias is not defined, it
must be set as the name of the added currency.
For example, when a currency called GBP is added to the Currency dimension, a new member
called From_GBP must be created in the From Currency dimension. If an alias is defined for
GBP, the same alias must be set to From_GBP also. If an alias is not defined for GBP, it must be
set as GBP for From_GBP.
If the alias of a Currency member changes, the alias of the associated From Currency member
must also be changed to the new alias.
If a Currency member is removed, the associated From_Currency member must be removed.

Working with Multiple Currencies


If an application supports multiple currencies, you can enable multiple currencies per entity on
forms.
If multiple currencies are enabled, users can see values converted from the local currency to a
reporting currency and can override a cells base currency.
Note:
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When the local currency is selected on forms, the default stored and displayed currency for
cells is the entitys base currency (which you specify). Users can enter data values only into
local currency members. If the local currency member is selected, all currencies specified
for the application are available as input types.
You can set dimension properties for each currency in the Edit Currency dialog box. In
preferences, users can select different display options, and can select Currency Setting to
apply the properties set by the administrator.
Currencies can be converted only to reporting currencies. Users cannot enter data into cells
displayed in reporting currencies. The applications main currency is by default a reporting
currency. You can change which currencies are reporting currencies.
Currencies defined for the application are valid currencies for data entry. Valid currencies
for data entry are displayed in a list that users access by clicking the Currency link during
data entry.
Currency codes associated with input values are stored as numeric values. These codes are
calculated in dimension formulas and business rules. The calculated values of these currency
codes may translate to currency codes that are incorrect or invalid. Where there are children
with mixed currencies, review calculated results on the upper levels.
If a parent has multiple children, of whom only one child has an overridden currency, the
parent inherits the overridden currency code (which is not displayed on forms).

In certain cases, parent entities display #MISSING when trying to convert to a selected
currency. Ensure that a currency rate is entered for each combination of local currencies
and selected currencies on forms or reports. Currency combinations must exist for all mixedcurrency children entities and parent members.

Scaling
You can specify scaling data values when displayed in certain currencies. For example, you can
set the scaling for Yen to Thousands, then enter 10,000 as a value for the Japan entity on a form
with the Local member selected for the Currency dimension. When you select Yen as the currency
member for the form, the scaling is applied and 10 displays as the value for Japan.

Number Formatting
You can determine the initial display of numerical values for non-currency and currency data
types in forms:
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Thousands separator:
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None: 1000

Comma: 1,000

Dot: 1.000

Space: 1 000

Decimal separator:
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Dot: 1000.00

Comma: 1000,00

Negative number sign:


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Prefixed minus: -1000

Suffixed minus: 1000-

Parentheses: (1000)

Negative number color:


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Black

Red

Viewing Currency Usage


You can view how an application uses a currency: whether a currency is the default, is used for
triangulation currency or by an entity, or has a conversion or exchange relationship with other
currencies.

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To see how currencies are used:


1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Dimensions.

Select Currencies.

Select the currency for which you want information.

Click Show Usage.

Creating Currencies
Select from a predefined list or create your own. You can specify:
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The three-letter code

The symbol

A description of up to 256 characters

The scaling factor to use when values are displayed

The triangulation currency to use for currency conversion

The alias table to use to display aliases

Number formatting, including thousands separator, decimal separator, negative sign, and
color
Whether it is a reporting currency

To create currencies:
1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Dimensions.

Select Currency.

Click Add.

From Create Currency:


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To add a predefined currency, select Select standard Currencies.

To create a currency, select Create new currency and specify properties:


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For Code, enter an abbreviation or identifier of up to three characters.

Optional: For Description, enter a name, such as Japanese yen.

For Symbol, enter a symbol or select a symbol from the list.

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Optional: For Scale, select how to enter and display the currency. For example, 3
yen represents 3000 yen if scaling is set to thousands.
Optional: For Triangulation Currency, select the currency to use as the common third
currency for conversion.
Optional: For Alias Table, select the alias table to use.

Optional: For Alias, enter a name for the currency alias.

Optional: Select Reporting Currency.

Optional: For Thousands Separator, select how to display the thousands separator (it must differ from
the decimal separator).

Optional: For Decimal Separator, select how to display numbers with decimal values (it must differ from
the thousands separator).

Optional: For Negative Sign, select how to display negative numbers:


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Prefixed minus: -1000.

Suffixed minus: 1000-

Parentheses: (1000)

10 Optional: For Negative Color, select the display color.


11 Optional: Select the type of Data Storage.
12 Optional: Select Two Pass Calculation.
13 Optional: Select the Data Type.
14 Optional: Select a Smart List.
15 Click Save.

Editing Currencies
To edit currencies:
1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Dimensions.

Select Currency.

Select the currency to edit.

Click Edit.

Modify properties:
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To select from the predefined symbols, select one from the Select from Predefined
Symbols drop-down list.

To change the currencys symbol, for Symbol, enter or select the symbol.

For Scale, set how to enter and display the currency.

For set currency precision (the number of digits to the right of the decimal place), select
a number from 1 to 10 from the Precision drop-down list.
None is the default.

To specify the currency as a reporting currency, select Reporting Currency.

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For Thousands Separator, select how to display the thousands separator (it must differ
from the decimal separator).
For Decimal Separator, select how to display numbers with decimal values (it must differ
from the thousands separator).
For Negative Sign, select how to display negative numbers:
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Prefixed Minus: -1000.

Suffixed Minus: 1000-

Parentheses: (1000)

Use Default Setting: Apply the display setting for the currency.

For Negative Color, select the display color.

Click Save.

Deleting Currencies
You cannot delete the default currency.

To delete currencies:
1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Dimensions.

For Dimension, select Currencies.

For Currency, select the currency to delete.

Click Show Usage to determine if the currency is the default currency, a triangulation currency, or
associated with an entity. You cannot delete a currency that meets these criteria.

If you delete a currency defined in the exchange rate table, it is deleted from the table.

Click Close, OK, Delete, and OK.

Update and validate business rules and reports.

76

Setting Up Scenarios
Subtopics
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About Scenarios
Creating Scenarios
Editing Scenarios
Deleting Scenarios
Copying Scenarios

Each scenario contains data for accounts and other dimensions of each entity. After users enter
data for an entity for a scenario, they can submit or promote the data for the entity to other users
for review and approval.

About Scenarios
Use scenarios to:
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Create forecasts.

Enter data into scenarios.

Associate scenarios with different time periods or exchange rates.

Assign user access rights by scenario.

Report on scenarios.

Compare and analyze scenarios.

Time Periods
Assign each scenario a range of years and time periods, and specify the Beginning Balance time
period. When users access forms, they can enter into that scenario only years and periods within
the range. Years and periods outside of the range display as read-only. You can modify the time
range.

Access Permissions
Specify access permissions to Scenario dimension members for groups or users to determine
who can view or modify data. A user or group can have only one of these access permissions:
Read, Write, or None. Access permissions for a user can be combined based on groups to which
the user belongs.

Creating Scenarios
To create scenarios:
1

Click the Navigator icon

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Under Administer, click Dimensions.

Select Scenarios.

Click Add Child.

For Scenario, enter a name.

Optional: For Description, enter a description.

For Start Yr., Start Period, End Yr., and End Period, select the time period to associate with the scenario.

Optional: For Exchange Rate Table, select an exchange rate table to associate with the scenario.

If an application uses multiple currencies, associate a scenario with an exchange rate table
to enable currency conversions.

Optional: For Alias, select an alias table to associate with the scenario, and enter a description.

10 Optional: Select Include BegBal as Time Period to include the BegBalance time period in this scenario
for currency conversion.

11 Optional: Select Enabled for Process Management to include this scenario in approvals.
12 Click Save.

Editing Scenarios
To modify scenarios:
1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Dimensions.

For Dimension, select Scenario.

Select the scenario to edit.

Click Edit.

Optional: For Scenario, enter a name.

Optional: For Description, enter a description.

For Start Yr., Start Period, End Yr., and End Period, select the time period to associate with the scenario.

Optional: For Exchange Rate Table, select an exchange rate table to associate with the scenario.

If an application uses multiple currencies, associate a scenario with an exchange rate table
to enable currency conversion.

10 Optional: For Alias, select an alias table to associate with the scenario, and enter the description.
11 Optional: Select Enabled for Process Management to use this scenario in approvals.
12 Click Save.

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Deleting Scenarios
When you delete scenarios, all references to the scenario are deleted. You cannot delete scenarios
assigned to an axis on a form. You must first remove references to scenarios from forms and
assign different scenarios.

To delete scenarios:
1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Dimensions.

Select Scenarios.

Select the scenarios to delete. At least one scenario must remain in the application.

Click Delete.

Click OK.

Update and validate business rules and reports.

Copying Scenarios
Only scenario properties are copied. Data values and access rights associated with the original
scenario are not copied to the new scenario.

To copy scenarios:
1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Dimensions.

Select Scenarios.

Select the scenario to copy.

Click Copy Scenario.

For Copy to Scenario, enter a name.

Optional: For Description, enter a description.

For Start Yr., Start Period, End Yr., and End Period, select the time period to associate with the scenario.

Optional: For Exchange Rate Table, select an exchange rate table to associate with the scenario.

If an application uses multiple currencies, associate a scenario with an exchange rate table
to enable currency conversion.

10 Optional: For Alias Table, select an alias table to associate with the scenario, and enter a description.
11 Optional: Select Enabled for Process Management to include this scenario in approvals.
12 Click Save.

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Customizing Application Years


When you create an application, you specify a range of years. After the application is created,
you can increase the number of years used in the application.

Adding Years to the Calendar


You can add years to the application calendar, but you cannot decrease the number of years in
the application.

To add years to the calendar:


1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Dimensions.

Select Years.

Click Add Years.

For Number of Years to Add, enter the number of years to add to the calendar.

You can add a range of years either onto the end of the last defined year or before the first
defined year.

Click Add Years.

Editing Year Information


You can add or update the description and alias for a year.

To edit years:
1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Dimensions.

Select Years.

Click Edit.

Enter a description for the year.

For Alias Table, select the alias table to use, and then enter an alias name.

Click Save.

Working with Attributes


Use attributes to group members using the same criterion. You can assign attributes to sparse
dimensions only. You cannot assign attributes to label-only members. Attribute dimensions do
not have aggregation properties because parents are dynamically calculated.

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The Account dimension is usually defined as dense, so you cannot assign attributes to it unless
it is changed to sparse for all application types. If you change a dimension from sparse to dense,
all attributes and attribute values for that dimension are automatically deleted.
Attributes can have data types of text, date, Boolean, and numeric. When attributes are defined,
you can use the Member Selection dialog box to select attribute functions, such as Equal and
GreaterOrEqual.

To create and change attributes, attribute values, and aliases:


1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Dimensions.

Select a sparse dimension for which to define an attribute, attribute value, or alias.

Only sparse dimensions can contain attributes.

Select the top level in the dimension hierarchy, and click Edit.

In the Dimension Properties dialog box, click Custom Attributes.

If the dimension is not sparse, Custom Attributes is not available.

Select options:
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To create attributes, click Create. Type an attribute name, and select a data type: Text,
Date, Boolean, or Numeric. You cannot modify the data type after the attribute is created.
To modify attributes, click Modify, and update the attribute name.
To set aliases for attributes, select an attribute and an attribute value, click Alias. Select
an alias table, type an alias name, and click Close.

Click Close.

When you click Close, the hierarchy is validated and an error displays if issues are detected.
For example, date attribute values must be entered in the correct format, and numeric and
date attribute dimensions must have at least one attribute value defined.

Update and validate rules and reports.

Understanding Attribute Data Types


Attribute dimensions can have a data type of text, numeric, Boolean, or date that enables different
functions for grouping, selecting, or calculating data. The attribute type applies only to level 0
members of the attribute dimension.
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Text attributes enable basic attribute member selection and attribute comparisons in
calculations. When you perform such comparisons, characters are compared. For example,
a package type Bottle is less than a package type Can because B precedes C in the alphabet.
Numeric attribute dimensions use numeric values for the names of level 0 members. You
can include the names (values) of numeric attribute dimension members in calculations.
For example, you can use the number of ounces specified in an Ounces attribute to calculate
profit per ounce for each product. You can also associate numeric attributes with ranges of

81

base dimension values, for example, to analyze product sales by market population
groupings.
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Boolean attribute dimensions in a database contain only two members. When a Boolean
attribute dimension is added, two attribute values, True and False, are created for this
attribute dimension by default. A base dimension, such as Account or Entity, can be
associated with only one attribute dimension that has the Boolean data type.
Date attributes can specify the date format as month-day-year or day-month-year, and
sequence information accordingly. You can use date attributes in calculations, for example,
comparing dates in a calculation that selects product sales since 12-22-1998. Users can set
the date format by selecting an option in Attribute Dimension Date Format in Application
Settings preferences.

Deleting Attributes
When you delete an attribute, all attribute values associated with the attribute are also deleted.
Attribute values are removed from members to which they had been assigned, and the attribute
is removed from dimensions to which it was assigned.

To delete attributes:
1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Dimensions.

Select the sparse dimension for which to delete an attribute, and click Edit.

Click Custom Attributes.

Select the attribute to delete.

Above the Attributes column, click Delete.

Click OK.

Update and validate rules and reports.

Working with Attribute Values


Attribute values provide users with another way of selecting dimensions members when using
forms. Data values for attribute values are dynamically calculated but not stored.

Creating Attribute Values


You can define attribute values for sparse dimensions, which are typically the Entity and userdefined custom dimensions. After you define an attribute value for a dimension, you can assign
it to members of that dimension.

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To create attribute values:


1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Dimensions.

Select the sparse dimension for which to create an attribute value.

Select the top level in the dimension hierarchy.

Click Custom Attributes.

On the Manage Attributes and Values page, select the attribute for which to specify a value.

Above the Attribute Values column, click Create. If the options are available, you can click Add Child
or Add Sibling.

On Create Attribute Value, in Name, enter a name.

Press Enter or Save.

10 Click Cancel.

Assigning Attribute Values to Members


You can assign attribute values members of a dimension that are defined as sparse for all
application types. Attribute values must be assigned to the same-level sparse dimension
members. Otherwise, errors display during refresh.

To assign attribute values to members:


1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Dimensions.

Select the sparse dimension for whose member you want to assign an attribute value.

In the Dimension hierarchy, select a member to which to assign an attribute value.

Click Edit.

For members assigned attribute values: Click View to change a members attribute value.

Select Attribute Values.

Select attribute values to assign to the member.

Perform an action:
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To assign the value to the selected member, click Add

To remove a value from the selected member, select the value to remove and click Remove

.
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To remove all values from the selected member, click Remove All

Click Save.

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Modifying Attribute Values


To modify attribute values:
1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Dimensions.

Select the sparse dimension for which to modify an attribute value.

Select the top level in the dimension hierarchy.

Click Custom Attributes.

For Attributes, select the attribute containing the value to modify.

For Attribute Values, select the attribute value.

Above Attribute Values, click Modify.

On Modify Attribute Value, in Name, enter a name.

10 Click Save.

Deleting Attribute Values


When you delete an attribute value, it is removed from custom dimension members to which
it is assigned.

To delete attribute values:


1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Dimensions.

Select the sparse dimension containing the attribute for which to delete a value.

Select the top level in the dimension hierarchy.

Click Custom Attributes.

For Attributes, select the attribute containing attribute values to delete.

For Attribute Values, select attribute values to delete.

To select all attribute values for deletion, select Attribute Values.

Above the Attribute Values column, click Delete.

Click OK.

10 Update and validate rules and reports.

Working with User-Defined Attributes (UDAs)


You can use user-defined attributes (UDAs) within member formulas and reports. UDAs return
lists of members associated with the attribute. For example:

84

For a Product dimension with several product members, you can create a UDA called New
Products and assign this UDA to the new products in the Product dimension hierarchy.
Then you can base certain calculations on the New Products designation.
If you use the @XREF function to look up a data value in another database to calculate a value
from the current database, you can add the HSP_NOLINK UDA to members to prevent the
@XREF function from being created on all application types that are not the source type
selected for that member.

UDAs are specific to dimensions. For example, creating a UDA for an Account member makes
it available for non-shared Account members. Deleting it removes it for all Account members.
To make UDAs available for multiple dimensions, create the same UDA for multiple dimensions.
For example, create a UDA named New for the Account and Entity dimensions to make it
available for Account and Entity members.

To select UDAs for members:


1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Dimensions.

Select the dimension for whose members to associate the UDA.

From the dimension hierarchy, select a member and click Edit.

Select UDA.

Optional: To create a UDA, click Create.

Select UDAs for the member by moving them to Selected UDA and clicking Save:
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Add

Remove

Remove All

moves the selected UDAs to the Selected USA panel.


removes selected UDAs.
removes all UDAs.

Creating UDAs
To create UDAs:
1

Navigate to the UDA tab in Dimensions.

On UDA, click Create.

Enter a name and click Save.

Changing UDAs
To change UDAs:
1

Navigate to the UDA tab in Dimensions.

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On UDA, select a UDA and click Edit.

Change the name and click Save.

Deleting UDAs
Deleting a UDA removes it for the dimension.

To delete UDAs:
1

Navigate to the UDA tab in Dimensions.

Select the UDA and click Delete.

If you delete UDAs, you must update all member formulas, calculation scripts, and reports
that reference them.

Working with Member Formulas


You can define member formulas to combine operators, calculation functions, dimension and
member names, and numeric constants to perform calculations on members. Member formulas
can also include:
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Operator type, function, value, member name, UDA, and so on allowed in formulas.
Predefined formula expressions, including Smart List values, that expand into a formula or
value upon database refresh.

To define member formulas:


1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Dimensions.

Select the dimension for whose member to add or change a formula.

Select the member and click Edit.

Select the Member Formula tab.

Select options for the following fields:


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Cube
Note: A formula entered for the default cube is applied to all cubes unless it is overridden

by a different formula entered for a specific cube.


l

86

Data StorageSelect a data storage option. The default is Store.


Solve OrderFor aggregate storage plan types only, solve order specifies the order in
which formulas are evaluated. Enter a whole number between 0 and 100000 (or use
arrows to increase or decrease the number). The formulas for members that have a
specified solve order are calculated in order from the lowest solve order to the highest.
The default is 0.

In the text box, define formulas for the member.

Optional: To check the validity of the member formula, click Verify Syntax.

Click Save.

Before you click Save, clicking Reset restores the previous member formula information.

Viewing Details of Formula Verification


To view details of the member formula syntax verification:
1

On Member Formula, click Verify Syntax.

If the member formula is not valid, click Show Details.

If the member formula is valid, Show Details is not selectable.

Click Save.

Working with Alias Tables


Subtopics
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About Alias Tables


Creating Alias Tables
Editing or Renaming Alias Tables
Deleting Alias Tables
Clearing Alias Tables
Copying Alias Tables

About Alias Tables


You can assign alternate names, or aliases, to dimension members. You can create and update
alias tables, and set a default alias table for the application.
Multiple alias tables support, for example, these language combinations:
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English, French, German, Spanish, and Italian

Japanese and English

Korean and English

Turkish and English

Note: You can set alias tables to display members in an application. To specify Alias Table

settings, see Chapter 16, Managing Settings.

87

Creating Alias Tables


To create alias tables:
1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Alias Tables.

On the Alias Tables page, click Add.

In Add - Alias Table, enter a name.

Click OK.

Editing or Renaming Alias Tables


To edit or rename alias tables:
1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Alias Tables.

On the Alias Table page, select the alias table.

Click Edit.

For Edit - Alias Table, enter a name.

Click OK.

Deleting Alias Tables


To delete alias tables:
1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Alias Tables.

On the Alias Table page, select the alias table that you want to delete.

You cannot delete the default alias table.

Click Delete.

Click OK.

Clearing Alias Tables


You can clear the contents of alias tables.

To clear alias tables:


1

88

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Alias Tables.

On the Alias Table page, select the alias table to clear.

Clearing the alias table removes the contents of the table but does not remove the table.

Click Clear Values.

Click OK.

Copying Alias Tables


To copy alias tables:
1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Alias Tables.

On the Alias Table page, select the alias table to copy.

Click Copy.

Select the destination alias table.

The destination alias table must exist. Copying does not create tables.

Click Copy.

89

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Managing Jobs

4
In This Chapter

Jobs Overview ..............................................................................................91


Viewing Pending Jobs and Recent Activity...............................................................91
Scheduling Jobs............................................................................................92
Editing and Deleting Jobs .................................................................................93

Jobs Overview
Jobs are actions, such as exporting data or refreshing the database, which you can start right
away or schedule to run at intervals. The Jobs console enables administrators to manage jobs in
a central location.
You can manage these types of jobs in the Jobs console:
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Run rules

Import data

Import metadata

Export data

Export metadata

Refresh the database

Run Invalid Intersection Reports

Viewing Pending Jobs and Recent Activity


The Jobs console lists jobs that are in a pending state under Pending Jobs. Jobs that are processing,
have run and are completed, or have errors are listed under Recent Activity.
Note: Jobs are retained in the Jobs console for 90 days.

91

To view the job listings in the Jobs console:


1

On the Home page, click Console.

On the left, click Jobs

Perform a task:

To filter the list of pending jobs and recent activity, click the Filter icon
options, and then click Apply.

, select filter

To search for a job, enter text in the Search field, and then click the Search icon

To view details for jobs, click the name of the job.

Scheduling Jobs
You can schedule when to run jobs (now or at a future time) and how often (once, daily, weekly,
monthly, and yearly).

To schedule jobs:
1

On the Home page, click Console.

On the left, click Jobs

Click Schedule Jobs.

On the Schedule Job page, General tab, select the type of job:
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RulesLaunches a business rule. The Business Rules page lists the business rules that
were created for the application.
Import DataRuns a data import operation.

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Import MetadataRuns a metadata import operation.

Export DataRuns a data export operation.

Export MetadataRuns a metadata export operation.

Refresh DatabaseLaunches the database refresh operation.

Invalid Intersection ReportsRuns an Invalid Intersection Report.

Select when to run the job:


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Run Now

Schedule starting from, and then select the time.

Enter a name for the job; for example, MyWeeklyCubeRefresh,

In the job listing in the Jobs console, the name that you enter displays along with a systemgenerated job name; for example, MyWeeklyCubeRefresh: Refresh Database.

Select how often to run the job:


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Run Once

Daily

Weekly

Monthly

Yearly

Click Next to continue.

The Job Details page lists the operations that were saved as a job. Select a job, and click Next.

10 From the Review page, review your selection.


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To continue, click Finish.

To make changes, click Previous.

To cancel the job, click Cancel.

Editing and Deleting Jobs


You can only edit pending jobs, and delete only jobs that are pending or completed. You can
delete one job or multiple jobs at once. If a job is in a processing state, you cannot edit or delete
it.

To edit or delete a job:


1

On the Home page, click Console.

On the left, click Jobs

To the right of a pending job, click the Actions icon,

To edit a job:

.
, and then select Edit or Delete.

a. On the Edit Job page, make selections for when to run the job and how often, and then
click Next.
93

Note: You can only edit the schedule of the job. You cannot edit the job type or the job

name.
b. Review your selections, and then click Finish.

94

To delete one or more jobs at once, select the check box next to the job or jobs that you want to delete,
and then click Delete.

Auditing Tasks and Data

5
In This Chapter

Auditing Information Overview ............................................................................95


Configuring Audit Tasks....................................................................................96
Viewing Audit Details ......................................................................................96

Auditing Information Overview


You can use the Audit Information feature to view the tasks performed by users. You can filter
audited tasks by Task Group (for example, Metadata Administration, Forms or Data), Action
(such as Add or Modify), user ID, start time and end time.
You must be a Service Administrator to view and export task audit information.
By default, the system logs these user activities in the task audit:
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Data

Metadata Administration

Data Form definition

Rules

Copy Data

Journals, including journal actions and open and close period tasks

User administration

Security

Clear Cell Details

Approvals

The Audit Information page displays the following information:


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TaskThe task name

TimeDate and time

User Name

ActionFor example, Add or Modify

PropertyAudit properties

95

Old Value

New Value

Configuring Audit Tasks


By default, audit tracking is always enabled for all task groups. You can configure and change
the audit option for any task group.

To enable task auditing for a task:


1

On the Home page, click Console.

On the left, click Auditing

From the Audit Information page, click Configure.

From the Configure page, select a Task Group and click Apply.

Auditing will be started for the selected Task Group.

Viewing Audit Details


To view task audit details:
1

On the Home page, click Console.

On the left, click Auditing

By default, the Audit Information page displays all tasks.

96

Optional: Click Filter, and select filter criteria:


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Task Group - select one or more, or All. Default is All.


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If you select Metadata Administration, the system displays a list of subgroups where
you can select sub-tasks for metadata:
o

All

Custom Dimension

Member

Years

Period

View

Currency

Consolidation

Scenario

Entity

ICP

Account

If you select Data Form, the system displays a list of subgroups where you can select
sub-tasks for forms:
o

All

Form

Form Folder

If you select Data, the Intersection box is displayed, where you can enter the member
intersection. You can enter the full or partial member intersection and the system
can perform a wildcard search based on the criteria that you specify.

Action - select one or more, or All.


User - enter a user ID. You can enter full or partial user ID information and the system
can perform a wildcard search based on the criteria that you specify.

Start time - click the calendar to select a start date.

End time - click the calendar to select an end date.

Tip: You can select Clear to clear your selections and return to the default values.

When you are done selecting filter criteria, click Apply.

The grid displays the top 1,000 records from the audit table that match the filter criteria.
You can scroll to view all the records.

Optional: To export the audit information to a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, click Export, and follow the
download instructions.

97

When you select the Export option, the system exports all of the records that match the filter
criteria to a CSV file.

98

Defining Valid Intersections

In This Chapter
Understanding Valid Intersections........................................................................99
Creating Valid Intersections ............................................................................. 105
Managing Valid Intersections ........................................................................... 106
Suppressing Invalid Data in Forms ..................................................................... 109
Working with Valid Intersections in Forms ............................................................. 109
Managing Invalid Intersection Reports ................................................................. 111

Understanding Valid Intersections


Subtopics
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Valid Intersection Groups


Valid Intersection Rules
Anchor and Nonanchor Dimensions
Valid Intersection Examples
Redundancy or Overlap in Valid Intersection Rules
Shared Members and Valid Intersection Rules
Substitution Variables and Valid Intersection Rules
Evaluation Order

Valid intersections enable you to define rules, called valid intersection rules, which filter certain
cell intersections to users when they enter data or select runtime prompts. For example, you can
specify that certain programs are valid only for some periods or departments.
After valid intersections are defined, cells containing invalid data are read-only. This restriction
speeds the consolidation process and optimizes the information available to users.
To better understand how valid intersections affect behavior in forms and in runtime prompts,
see Working with Valid Intersections in Forms on page 109.
You can define valid intersections in the Console. To define valid intersections, you must become
familiar with these valid intersection concepts:
l

Valid intersection groups. See Valid Intersection Groups on page 100.

Valid intersection rules. See Valid Intersection Rules on page 100.

99

Anchor and nonanchor dimensions. See Anchor and Nonanchor Dimensions on page
100.

Valid Intersection Groups


Valid intersection groups define:
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Dimensions to be included

One of those dimensions as the anchor dimension

Whether nonanchor dimensions are required or not

Whether the anchor dimension members not specified or referenced will be valid or invalid

Valid Intersection Rules


Valid intersection rules:
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Must use the same dimensions that were defined within their valid intersection group

Define only valid intersections

Valid intersection rules within the same valid intersection group that produce an apparent
conflict or overlap, are marked valid if either valid intersection rule condition is met
See Example: Redundant or Overlapping Valid Intersection Rules Within the Same Valid
Intersection Group on page 103.

Valid intersection rules in different valid intersection groups that produce an apparent
redundancy or overlap, are marked valid if they satisfy the requirements of all valid
intersection groups
Thus, if any valid intersection group marks an intersection invalid, regardless of other valid
intersection groups making it valid, the system will mark the intersection invalid. Invalid
groups override valid group results.
Note: If you want to remove valid intersections regardless of what other valid intersection

groups allows, then this rule must be in a different valid intersection group.
See Example: Redundant or Overlapping Valid Intersection Rules Within the Same
Valid Intersection Group on page 103.

Anchor and Nonanchor Dimensions


Anchor and nonanchor dimensions:
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Anchor dimensions are always required dimensions in the type that is used in the valid
intersection evaluation.
See Example: Required Dimension on page 102.

100

Nonanchor dimensions are either required or not required:

If a nonanchor dimension is required, any type that does not use that dimension will
ignore any valid intersection group where that dimension is tagged as required as it
evaluates the valid intersections.

If a nonanchor dimension is not required, any type that does not use that dimension
will still evaluate any valid intersection group that includes that dimension as not
required and evaluate the intersections of any other dimensions in the valid intersection
group in the type.

Unselected anchor dimension members are valid by default, but you can mark them invalid
by clearing the Unselected Members are Valid option. This option marks all intersections
with anchor dimensions not selected in this rule as invalid.
See Example: Unselected Members are Valid on page 103.

Valid Intersection Examples


Subtopics
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Example: Anchor and Nonanchor Dimensions


Example: Required Dimension
Example: Unselected Members are Valid
Example: Redundant or Overlapping Valid Intersection Rules Within the Same Valid Intersection Group
Example: Redundant or Overlapping Valid Intersection Rules in Different Valid Intersection Groups

This section provides valid intersection group and valid intersection rule examples to illustrate
a few simple, complex, and edge-case scenarios.

Example: Anchor and Nonanchor Dimensions


The choice of the anchor dimension is critical. Consider the following example, which produces
a different result based on the anchor dimension definition:
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Valid intersection group 1 defines Entity as the anchor dimension and Product as a
nonanchor dimension.
Valid intersection group 2 reverses this definition with Product as the anchor dimension
and Entity as the nonanchor dimension.
Table 15

Example - Anchor Dimension is Entity

Valid Intersection Group

Anchor Dimension - Entity

Nonanchor Dimension - Product

DESC(500-Manufacturing) - Unselected members are valid

DESC(P_TP1 - Computer Equipment)

Group 1 means entities that are descendants of Manufacturing are valid only with descendant
products of Computer Equipment. No other products are valid with descendants of
Manufacturing. All other entities besides descendants of Manufacturing are valid with all
products, including descendants of Computer Equipment.

101

Table 16

Example - Anchor Dimension is Product

Valid Intersection Group

Anchor Dimension - Product

Nonanchor Dimension - Entity

DESC(P_TP1 - Computer Equipment) - Unselected members are valid

DESC(500-Manufacturing)

Group 2 means products that are descendants of Computer Equipment are only valid with
descendant entities of Manufacturing. No other entities are valid with descendants of Computer
Equipment. All other products besides descendants of Computer Equipment are valid with all
entities, including descendants of Manufacturing.
Caution!

The choice of anchor dimension is significant. You will get dramatically different
results if you choose the wrong anchor dimension.

Example: Required Dimension


In the following example, if a nonanchor dimension is not required, then the system evaluates
all remaining dimension intersections in the valid intersection group for a type that does not
contain the nonrequired dimension. This behavior could result in the evaluation of a valid
intersection group with only one effective dimension.
Table 17

Example - Required and Non-Required Nonanchor Dimensions

Valid Intersection Group

Anchor Dimension - Entity

Nonanchor Dimension - Product

DESC(500-Manufacturing) - Unselected members are


valid

DESC(P_TP1 - Computer Equipment) - Not required

In Group 1, the product dimension is not required, and unselected entities are valid. Therefore,
if the type of the form or business rule, at runtime, does not include the product dimension, the
system evaluates the entity dimension selections to mark all entities as valid for a type that doesnt
contain the product dimension.
Table 18

Example - Required and Non-Required Nonanchor Dimensions

Valid Intersection Group

Anchor Dimension - Entity

Nonanchor Dimension - Product

DESC(500-Manufacturing) - Unselected members are


Invalid

DESC(P_TP1 - Computer Equipment) - Not required

In Group 2, the product dimension is not required, and unselected entities are invalid. Therefore,
if a type does not include the product dimension, the system evaluates the entity dimension
selections to mark all entities except descendants of Manufacturing as invalid. Thereafter, any
type that doesnt use the product dimension will only allow data entry in the descendants of
Manufacturing entities.

102

Caution!

Carefully consider whether a nonanchor dimension is required or not, especially if


the result leaves a valid intersection group with only one effective dimension.
Additionally, selecting the Unselected Members are Valid option for anchor
dimension members also plays a significant role in the system behavior for valid
intersections. See Example: Unselected Members are Valid on page 103.

Example: Unselected Members are Valid


In the following example, two intersection groups are valid. In one group, the anchor dimension
unselected members are invalid (this option is cleared). In the other group, the anchor dimension
unselected members are valid (this option is selected).
Table 19

Example - Unselected Members are Valid

Valid Intersection Group

Anchor Dimension - Account

Nonanchor Dimension - Entity

IDESC(BS - Balance Sheet) - Unselected members are invalid

000 - No Department

IDESC(GP - Gross Profit) - Unselected members are valid

IDESC(403 - Sales)

Because Group 1 defines all unselected members are invalid, the system marks noninclusive
descendants of Balance Sheet invalid. Gross Profit is not an inclusive descendant of Balance
Sheet. So even though Group 2 explicitly states inclusive descendants of Gross Profit are valid
with inclusive descendants Sales entities, the invalid definition from Group 1 overrides any
further valid intersections of the same anchor dimension member set.

Example: Redundant or Overlapping Valid Intersection Rules Within the


Same Valid Intersection Group
When valid intersection rules are within the same valid intersection group and produce any
redundancy or overlap, the system marks an intersection valid if either of the valid intersection
rule conditions are met.
Table 20

Example - Redundant or Overlapping Valid Intersection Rules Within the Same Valid Intersection Group

Valid Intersection Rule

Anchor Dimension - Account

Nonanchor Dimension - Entity

IDESC(GP - Gross Profit) - Unselected members are invalid

IDESC(403 - Sales)

IDESC(GP - Gross Profit) - Unselected members are valid

IDESC(TD - Total Department)

Because Gross Profit is a descendant of Net Income and Sales is a descendant of Total
Department, inclusive descendants of Gross Profit are valid with any inclusive Descendant of
Total Department. Rule 1 is a subset of Rule 2, so Rule 1 is effectively a No operation rule and
is unnecessary. There is no restriction on inclusive descendants of Gross Profit accounts only
being valid for inclusive descendants of Sales Entities.

103

Example: Redundant or Overlapping Valid Intersection Rules in Different


Valid Intersection Groups
When valid intersection rules are in different valid intersection groups and produce any
redundancy or overlap, the system marks an intersection valid only if it satisfies the requirements
of all valid intersection groups.
In the following example, there are redundant or overlapping rules in different groups:
Table 21

Example - Redundant or Overlapping Valid Intersection Rules in Different Valid Intersection Groups

Valid Intersection Rule

Anchor Dimension - Account

Nonanchor Dimension - Entity

IDESC(GP - Gross Profit) - Unselected members are valid

IDESC(403 - Sales) - Required

IDESC(NI - Net Income) - Unselected members are valid

IDESC(TD - Total Department) - Not required

Because Group 1 is further restrictive for inclusive descendants of Gross Profit accounts being
valid with inclusive descendants of Sales entities, the system enforces this group for these
intersections. Other, non-Gross Profit accounts can still use all inclusive descendants of Total
Department entities, but inclusive descendants of Gross Profit accounts must use inclusive
descendants of Sales entities.

Redundancy or Overlap in Valid Intersection Rules


Valid intersection rules within the same intersection group, which produce any apparent conflict
or overlap, are marked valid if either valid intersection rule condition is met.
If different valid intersection groups share the same attributes, including the anchor dimension,
required and nonrequired nonanchor dimensions, and Unselected Members are Valid attribute,
they will be treated as rules of the same valid intersection group.

Shared Members and Valid Intersection Rules


Shared members are supported in valid intersection rules. If a base member is selected for a valid
intersection rule, any shared members are also included in the rule. Conversely, if a shared
member is selected for a valid intersection rule, the base member is also included in the rule.

Substitution Variables and Valid Intersection Rules


You can use substitution variables in valid intersection rules. User variables are not supported.
Substitution variables can be set on the server, application, or database level. The same
substitution variable can exist on multiple levels; the system uses the first one it finds as it searches
in this order:
1. Database
2. Application
3. Server
104

Evaluation Order
Evaluation order for valid intersection groups orders invalid results sets as quickly as possible,
increasing the speed and efficiency of the overall valid intersection evaluation.
For example, the system evaluates the first valid intersection group in the list, then the second
group, and so on. If the system finds an invalid intersection in the second group in the list, it
will stop evaluating the rest of the list because, once an intersection is defined as invalid, it will
override other valid intersection rule results.
To change the order in which groups are evaluated, see Changing the Valid Intersection Group
Evaluation Order on page 107.

Creating Valid Intersections


To create a valid intersection:
1

On the Home page, click Console.

On the left, click Valid Intersections

Create the valid intersection group:

a. Click Create.
b. Enter a name and description for the valid intersection group.
c. To select the anchor dimension, click the Down arrow,
Dimension.

next to Select Anchor

d. Optional: By default, the anchor dimension members that are not specified in the valid
intersection rule are marked valid. To clear this option, click the Down arrow,
next
to the anchor dimension, and then click Unselected members are valid.
e. To select additional dimension (called nonanchor dimension), click Add Dimension.
f.

Optional: By default, nonanchor dimensions are not required. To make a nonanchor


next to the nonanchor dimension, and
dimension required, click the Down arrow,
click Required.

Define the valid intersection rule:

a. Click Add Rule.


b. To select the range of members to include, exclude, or remove in the valid intersection,
next to the new rule:
click the Down arrow,
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Click Edit to open the Select Members page and select members to include in the
valid intersection rule.
Click Add Exclusion to define an exclusion in the rule. You can exclude a subset of
what is included for that dimension.
Click Clear to clear the selection.

105

To delete a rule, click Delete

Click Save and Close.

The new valid intersection group is added to the end of the valid intersections list. To reorder
the rules in the list, see Changing the Valid Intersection Group Evaluation Order on page
107.

Managing Valid Intersections


Subtopics
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Viewing Valid Intersections


Changing the Valid Intersection Group Evaluation Order
Disabling and Enabling Valid Intersection Groups
Editing Details for a Valid Intersection Group
Duplicating Valid Intersection Groups
Deleting a Valid Intersection Group

Viewing Valid Intersections


To view valid intersections:
1

On the Home page, click Console.

On the left, click Valid Intersections

Perform a task:
l

106

Create a valid intersection group. See Creating Valid Intersections on page 105.
Reorder invalid intersection groups. See Changing the Valid Intersection Group
Evaluation Order on page 107.
Disable and enable valid intersection groups. See Disabling and Enabling Valid
Intersection Groups on page 107.
Edit details for a valid intersection such as adding or removing dimensions in a valid
intersection group. See Editing Details for a Valid Intersection Group on page 107.
Duplicate an existing valid intersection group so that you can quickly create a new one.
See Duplicating Valid Intersection Groups on page 108.
Delete valid intersection groups. See Deleting a Valid Intersection Group on page
109.

Changing the Valid Intersection Group Evaluation Order


Evaluation order for valid intersection groups orders invalid results sets as quickly as possible,
increasing the speed and efficiency of the overall invalid intersection evaluation.
To learn ore about evaluation order, see Evaluation Order on page 105.

To change the position of a valid intersection group in a list:


1

On the Home page, click Console.

On the left, click Valid Intersections

To the right of the valid intersection, click the Actions icon,

Select Move Up or Move Down.

.
.

Tip: You can also drag valid intersection groups to move them up and down in the list.

Disabling and Enabling Valid Intersection Groups


Valid intersection groups, by default, are enabled at the time of creation. If you do not want a
valid intersection group to be evaluated or used, you can disable it on the Valid Intersections tab
in the Console. When a valid intersection is disabled, the valid intersection rule for that group
no longer applies when viewing forms or business rules. You can reenable a disabled valid
intersection group in the Console.

To disable and enable a valid intersection group:


1

On the Home page, click Console.

On the left, click Valid Intersections

In the Enabled column of the valid intersection list, click the check mark next to the valid intersection
group that you are disabling or enabling.

Note: The check mark is green if the group is enabled.

Ensure that any remaining groups that are enabled are still listed in the correct evaluation order in the
valid intersections list. If they are not, move them up or down in the order.

Editing Details for a Valid Intersection Group


To edit valid intersection group details, you work with dimension members in the member
selector. You can also define exclusions in valid intersection rules.

107

To edit valid intersection group details:


1

On the Home page, click Console.

On the left, click Valid Intersections

Click the name of the valid intersection group that you want to edit.
l

To edit dimension details, next to the dimension, click the Down arrow,
the members to include, exclude, or remove in the valid intersection rule:
m

to select

Click Edit to open the Select Members page and select members to include in the
valid intersections rule. You can also type in the members or functions.
Click Add Exclusion to define an exclusion in the rule. You can select members to
exclude; for example, you can select or include all children of YearTotal except
children of Q1 by excluding children of Q1.
Click Clear to clear the selection.

To delete a dimension from a valid intersection group, next to the dimension, click the
Down arrow,

and then click Delete

To remove a rule from a valid intersection group, click Delete

To add a dimension or rule to a valid intersection group, click Add Rule or Add
Dimension.

Click Save and Close.

Duplicating Valid Intersection Groups


To speed valid intersection group creation, you can duplicate an existing valid intersection and
then edit it.

To duplicate a valid intersection group:


1

On the Home page, click Console.

On the left, click Valid Intersections

Click the Actions icon,


then select Duplicate.

Open the valid intersection group and edit it.

Reorder the valid intersection groups, if needed. See Changing the Valid Intersection Group Evaluation
Order on page 107.

108

to the right of a valid intersection group that you want to duplicate, and

Deleting a Valid Intersection Group


After a group is deleted, the valid intersection groups are reordered. If there are three valid
intersection groups, and the second one in the order is deleted, the third validation group
becomes number two.

To delete a valid intersection group:


1

On the Home page, click Console.

On the left, click Valid Intersections

Click the Actions icon,


select Delete.

Reorder the remaining valid intersections, if needed. See Changing the Valid Intersection Group
Evaluation Order on page 107.

, to the right of a valid intersection group that you want to remove, and then

To delete a valid intersection rule from a valid intersection group, see Deleting a Valid
Intersection Group on page 109.

Suppressing Invalid Data in Forms


Suppressing invalid data hides rows or columns in forms that contain invalid data. If this option
is not selected, the system displays rows or columns that contain cells with data that are invalid.
Cells with invalid data are read-only.

To suppress invalid data in forms:


1

On the Home page, click Data Analysis.

Open the form and then click Layout.

Under Grid Properties, select Suppress invalid data - Rows and/or Suppress invalid data - Columns.

Working with Valid Intersections in Forms


Using valid intersections prevents data entry for invalid intersections as defined in the applicable
valid intersection group. The affected cells in the form display as read-only following standard,
read-only color coding. If you hover the cursor over an invalid intersection, a tool tip displays
indicating that the cell is read-only because it is defined as a invalid intersection.
The valid intersection group applies first to the form point of view and page axis. If the point of
view intersections are all invalid, then a warning message is displayed, and the form does not
render a data grid until a valid intersection is selected.
If the point of view has valid intersections, then the rows and columns are filtered to restrict data
entry at invalid intersections. If the Suppress Invalid Data option for the form is enabled, then
the form suppresses invalid rows, columns, or both, as appropriate.
109

Any rows or columns, which consist of a mix of valid and invalid intersections, display those
intersections as valid or invalid, as appropriate. Invalid intersections are displayed with standard,
read-only shading and preclude data entry.
You can reset the point of view to the default, unfiltered list without closing and reopening the
form by clearing the selections. You can also clear a selection, thus opening up more selections
for other dimensions. You cannot render a form with a dimension cleared, because valid
members must be selected for each dimension.
In the member selector, invalid members are suppressed due to valid intersection rules. You can
display invalid members in the member selector using the Show Invalid Members option. Invalid
members are displayed but are unavailable for selection.
Note: Valid intersection groups do not grant access to dimension members. Valid intersection

groups further restrict the valid intersections of dimension members already granted to
a user.
Table 22

Form Behavior if Valid Intersections are Applied

Action

Behavior

Open a form

The form renders with member selections as defined in the form definition, adhering to the users access rights for
dimensions, and applies valid intersection groups with the most recently used as current selections.

Select
members from
a point of view
dimension

Enables you to select a member on the point of view

In the member selector for a point of view dimension, enables you to select from a filtered list of remaining valid
intersections, which is based on the members that were selected for the other point of view dimensions

Ignores the order in which point of view dimension members are selected because selecting a member from any
dimension included in a valid intersection group dynamically filters the remaining dimension member lists for those
dimensions included in the valid intersection group, as appropriate, when that dimension is selected

Provides the option to hide invalid members from dimension lists or display them as unselectable in the point of view

Provides the ability to reset the point of view to the fully unfiltered list without closing and reopening the form by
clearing the selections

Note: Ad hoc forms, both in Web and Smart View, will not filter page or point of view members according to valid
intersection groups.
Select Go to
render a form
based on point
of view
selections.
You can also
click the right
arrow in the
form point of
view.

The form renders as defined based on the valid point of view intersection.

Enter and save


data

The form data is entered and saved.

110

Managing Invalid Intersection Reports


From the Console, you can define reports that enable you to identify invalid intersections. You
define the scope of the database that you want to scan for invalid intersections that contain data.
When the report is run, it displays the results of your last two scans.
To manage Invalid Intersection reports, you must be a Service Administrator.
See these tasks:
l

Creating an Invalid Intersection Report on page 111

Editing an Invalid Intersection Report on page 112

Duplicating an Invalid Intersection Report on page 112

Running an Invalid Intersection Report on page 112

Deleting an Invalid Intersection Report on page 113

Creating an Invalid Intersection Report


To create an Invalid Intersection report:
1

On the Home page, click Console.

On the left, click Invalid Intersection Reports

Click Create.

Enter a name for the report.

Enter a report description.

From Cube, select Consol or Rates.

For Entity, Scenario, and View, click to select members, and then click OK.

Optional: To select a member from another dimension, click Add Dimension, select a dimension
member, and click OK.

Tip: To remove an optional dimension, click Delete

next to the dimension.

Select an option:
l

Save and Run now - to run the report immediately.


Save and Run later - to save the report as a job to be run at a later time. The Schedule
Job dialog box displays. Select when to run the job and how often, and then click
Submit.

111

Editing an Invalid Intersection Report


You can edit an Invalid Intersection Report and change the name, description, and report
criteria.

To create an Invalid Intersection report:


1

On the Home page, click Console.

On the left, click Invalid Intersection Reports

From the list of reports, select a report.

Click the Actions icon,

Optional: Edit the report name or description.

Optional: Select different report criteria.

To save your changes, click Save and Close.

and then select Edit.

Duplicating an Invalid Intersection Report


To create an Invalid Intersection report:
1

On the Home page, click Console.

On the left, click Invalid Intersection Reports

From the list of reports, select a report.

Click the Actions icon,

In the Duplicate dialog box, enter a Name for the new report and then click OK.

and then select Duplicate.

Running an Invalid Intersection Report


To create an Invalid Intersection report:
1

On the Home page, click Console.

On the left, click Invalid Intersection Reports

The Invalid Intersection Reports page displays a list of existing reports.


Tip: To search for a report, enter search criteria, and then click Search.

3
112

From the list of reports, select a report.

Click the Actions icon,

and then select Run.

Deleting an Invalid Intersection Report


To create an Invalid Intersection report:
1

On the Home page, click Console.

On the left, click Invalid Intersection Reports

From the list of reports, select a report.

Click the Actions icon,

and then select Delete.

113

114

Managing Forms

7
In This Chapter

Predefined Forms ........................................................................................ 115


Form Components ....................................................................................... 117
Form Design Considerations ............................................................................ 118
Creating Simple Forms .................................................................................. 119
Creating Composite Forms .............................................................................. 129
Working with Forms and Form Components........................................................... 136
Running Form Diagnostics .............................................................................. 138
Working with Substitution Variables.................................................................... 139
Working with User Variables ............................................................................ 140
Working with Smart Lists ................................................................................ 141

Forms are grids for entering data. You can create simple forms or composite forms to meet your
needs. Because composite forms consist of simple forms, you must create simple forms before
creating composite forms.
See these topics:
l

Form Components on page 117

Form Design Considerations on page 118

For information on form security, see Getting Started with Oracle Financial Consolidation and
Close Cloud.

Predefined Forms
When you create an application, the system provides these forms. By default, the Service
Administrator and Power User have Modify access to these forms. A User or Viewer can launch
the form, but cannot modify the layout.
Note: The forms that are displayed by default may depend on the features that are selected for

the application.

115

Table 23

Predefined Forms

Form Name

Description

Dimension Members

Data Status

View calculation
and approval
status, translate
and consolidate
data.

Rows = Entity - Hierarchy

Enter exchange
rates for the
single period
selected in the
Point of View.

Rows = Currencies - From Currency, Account - Average Rate, Ending Rate

Enter Exchange
Rates - Single
Period

Columns = Periods
Scenario - <selectable>
Year- <selectable>

Columns = To Currency
Scenario - <selectable>
Year - <selectable>
Period

Enter Exchange
Rates - Multi
Period

Exchange Rates

Enter exchange
rates for
multiple periods
to a single To
Currency
selected in the
Point of View.

Rows = Currencies - From Currency, Account - Average Rate, Ending Rate

Manage
exchange rates.

The form is prepopulated with currencies. You enable the currencies applicable for the
application. .

Columns = Periods
Scenario - <selectable>
Year - <selectable>
To Currency

You also identify which currency to use as the application currency. by default, the currency rate
data is entered in relation to the application currency.
Rows = All enabled currencies for the application (From Currency).
Columns = Periods (all base periods)
Scenario - <selectable>
Year - <selectable>
Entity- Global
Currency - To Currency <selectable>
Override Rates

Manage
override rates.

Some Balance Sheet accounts are specified as Historical Rate accounts (for example, Common
Stocks, Investment in Subs). For Historical Rate accounts, you can enter either an Override rate or
Override amount for the account.
Rows = All accounts specified as Historical Rate accounts
Rows = From Currency
Columns = Periods
Columns = To Currency
Scenario - <selectable>
Year - <selectable>
Entity- <selectable>
Account - Override Rate

116

Form Name

Description

Dimension Members

Percentage
Consolidation

Enter Percent
Consolidation
values.

Rows = Entities - Hierarchy


Columns = Periods
Scenario - <selectable>
Year - <selectable>

Form Components
Subtopics
l
l
l

Point of View
Page Axis
Rows and Columns

Point of View
Select members for the Point of View to determine the context for pages, rows, and columns.
For example, if the Scenario dimension is set to Budget in the Point of View, all data entered in
pages, rows and columns is entered into the Budget scenario. The Point of View is set to one
member, which a user cannot change, for each Point of View dimension.
To simplify the form, in the Point of View you can specify only relevant members or include
user variables.

Page Axis
Use the page axis to specify combinations of members that may span dimensions so users can
work with data in smaller, more logical views. Each item on the page axis can have members
selected from one or more dimensions. Users see only members that they can access.
You can specify multiple page drop-down lists, and select members using relationship functions
or attributes. Switch between member sets by selecting them from the page axis.
You display member names or aliases on the page axis. You can specify the number of members
in a page dimension that enables a search drop-down list on the data entry page, which is useful
if the dimensions contain many members.

Rows and Columns


Rows and columns define the grid into which users enter data. For example, you can assign Unit
Sales to the row axis and January to the column axis. When users access forms, they can enter
data into the cell where the Unit Sales row intersects with the January column.
By default, forms have one set of rows and columns. You can add rows and columns to create
asymmetrical combinations of members.
117

Form Design Considerations


When you create a form, you associate with an cube type, which determines the forms valid
members. You cannot change the cube type after assigning it.
You can edit form accounts if their source type matches the forms cube type.

Forms and Access Permissions


By assigning access to a form, you control which users can change its design (for example, its
layout and instructions) and input data. Users can select only member to which they have Read
or Write access. Users can edit forms only if they have access to at least one member of each
secured dimension. For example, if users have Read-only access to the Europe entity, the rows
and columns on forms that include the Europe entity are displayed as Read-only. Users can
change data only for members to which they have Write access.

Forms and Currencies


For a single-currency application, all entities use the currency selected when the application was
created. For a multicurrency application, the selected Currency member on forms determines
the currency in which values display. When the Currency member Local is selected for rows or
columns, no currency conversion occurs for those rows or columns, and users can enter data
for the entities in their native currency. If a currency member other than Local is selected, data
values are converted to the selected currency for that row or columns, and the form is read-only.
You can enter data in rows or columns that have Currency or Local as the selected member.

Forms and Versions


Rows and columns with level 0 members allow data entry. Rows or columns set to a parent
member are read-only. The Point of View must also be set to the level 0 member to allow data
entry.

Forms and Attributes


You can select members by selecting a shared attribute, for example, the South attribute. Values
can be entered and saved into rows and columns that use attributes.

Forms and Shared Members


You cannot select shared members individually; instead, select them using a relationship
function. For example, you could select an alternate functional rollup to include all members
under that rollup. Values can be entered into rows or columns that display shared members and
are saved to the base members in the database. Shared members display in the same format as
base members in forms.

118

Forms and Calculations


To optimize calculations, select row members using relationships (such as Descendants or
Children) instead of selecting children individually. Calculating totals for the parent of
individually selected children could take several passes, depending on the number of hierarchy
levels.

Creating Simple Forms


Creating simple forms involves these steps:
Table 24

Simple Form Creation Checklist

Task

See This Topic

Set form layout, including:

Setting Form Layout on page 120

Adding form rows and columns

Setting Form Grid Properties on page 121

Assigning dimensions to columns and rows

Setting Form Dimension Properties on page 122

Selecting dimension members for forms

Setting Display Properties on page 123

Setting grid properties for the form

Setting Printing Options on page 124

Setting dimension properties


Adding formula rows and columns
Setting display properties for the form
Setting printing options for the form
Adding and updating validation rules in forms
Define page axis and Point of View

Page Axis on page 117 and Point of View on page 117

Set form precision, context menu associations, and whether


to enable dynamic user variables

Setting Form Precision and Other Options on page 125

Define access permissions

See Managing Security in the Getting Started with Oracle Financial


Consolidation and Close Cloud.

Design formula rows and columns

Adding Formula Rows and Columns on page 127

To create simple forms:


1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Forms.

Click Actions, and then select Create simple form.

On the Properties tab, provide a form name of up to 80 characters, and an optional description of up
to 255 characters.

Select the Cube associated with the form.

Optional: Provide instructions for working with the form.

119

Click Next to specify the form layout.

You can also create composite forms, which are forms that display several simple forms
simultaneously. See Creating Composite Forms on page 129.

Setting Form Layout


When you create forms, the Layout tab initially contains one row and one column, and all
dimensions are in the Point of View. When creating or editing forms, you can add rows and
columns to a form, as necessary.
When setting row and column layout:
l

Assign at least one dimension to the row and column axis.


You cannot select the same dimension for multiple axes. (You can have dimensions on
multiple axes if you set user variables in the Point of View).
Select a dimension from any axis and drag it to the destination axis to move a dimension
form one axis to another.
Select display properties.

To set or update the form layout:


1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Forms.

Click Actions, and then select Create simple form.

Open the form, and click Layout.

Optional: Select a dimension, and then drag it to Rows or Columns, or within a row or column.

Note: Initially, all dimension are in the form Point of View. You can drag dimensions from

the Point of View to rows, columns, or to pages. You can also drag dimensions from
any area in the grid (row column, Point of View, or page) to any other area.

Optional: Select another dimension, and then drag it to Rows or Columns, or within a row or column.

Select each dimensions members.

Select a row header (such as 1 or 2) to set row properties, or a column header (such as A or B) to set
column properties, using the information in this table:
Table 25

120

Segment Properties

Option

Description

Apply to all rows

Apply settings to all rows; available when there are two or more rows. Clear this option to set different properties
for each row.

Apply to all columns

Apply settings to all columns; available when there are two or more columns. Clear this option to set different
properties for each column.

Option

Description

Hide

Hides the column or row on the form.

Read-only

Creates a read-only row or column, enabling comparison of old, read-only data with new, editable data

Show separator

Creates a bold border before the segment to visually distinguish it.

Suppress hierarchy

Suppresses indentation

Suppress missing
data

Hides rows or columns without data. Clear to display rows or columns with #MISSING in cells when data is
missing.

Column width

Default: Use the column width defined at the grid level (under Grid Properties)

Small: Display seven decimal places.

Medium: Display 10 decimal places.

Large: Display 13 decimal places.

Size-to-Fit: Force all columns to fit in the displayed space based on the top data cell value.

Custom: Select a custom size to display more than 13 decimal places, up to 999 places.

Default: Use the row height defined at the grid level (under Grid Properties)

Medium: Display standard row height.

Size-to-Fit: Force all rows to fit in the displayed space.

Custom: Select a custom size in pixels for the row height.

Row height

Global
Assumptions Form

To enable transferring global assumptions from a test to a production environment for a simple form, select
Global Assumptions Form. Then update the form to store global assumptions such as a tax rate.

Optional: Add formula rows or columns.

10 Optional: Add or update data validation rules.

Setting Form Grid Properties


To set form grid properties:
1

Open the form, and then click Layout.

In Grid Properties, set general row and column properties using the information in this table:
Table 26

Form Grid Properties

Option

Description

Suppress missing
blocks

(Rows only) Improves the performance of the Suppress missing data setting when suppressing many rows,
for example, 90% or more. The Suppress missing blocks setting can degrade performance if few or no rows
are suppressed. Test forms before and after using this setting to determine whether performance is improved.
Also test forms whenever you make significant changes to your application.

Suppress missing
data

Hides rows or columns without data. Clear to display rows or columns with #MISSING in cells when data is
missing.

121

Option

Description

Suppress invalid
data

Hides rows or columns with invalid data. Clear to display rows or columns that contain cells with data that is
invalid. Cells with invalid data are read-only.

Default row height

Medium

Size-to-Fit: Force all rows to fit in the displayed space

Custom: Select a custom size in pixels for the row height

Small: Display seven decimal places

Medium: Display 10 decimal places

Large: Display 13 decimal places

Size-to-Fit: Force all columns to fit in the displayed space based on the top data cell value

Custom: Select a custom size to display more than 13 decimal places, up to 999 places

Default column
width

Global
Assumptions Form

To enable transferring global assumptions from a test to a production environment for a simple form, select
Global Assumptions Form. Then update the form to store global assumptions such as a tax rate.

Suppress invalid
Scenario/Time
Periods

Hides invalid Scenario/Time Periods.

Click Save to save your work and continue, or click Finish to save your work and close the form.

Setting Form Dimension Properties


You can set and edit form dimension display properties, including whether to display the
member name or alias in the form, hide the row or column, and permit users to view the member
formula. These properties apply to row, column, page, and Point of View dimensions.

To set dimension properties:


1

Open the form, and then click Layout.

Click in a Point of View, page, row, or column to set dimension properties.

Select Dimension Properties:


Table 27

122

Form Dimension Properties

Property

Description

Apply to all row dimensions

Applies properties to all row dimensions

Apply to all column dimensions

Applies properties to all column dimensions

Apply to all page dimensions

Applies properties to all page dimensions

Apply to all POV dimensions

Applies properties to all Point of View dimensions

Member Name

Displays the member name

Alias

Displays the member alias

Property

Description

Member Formula

Displays member formulas

Hide dimension

Hides the dimension

Show consolidation operators

Displays consolidation operators

Start expanded

Available only for dimensions on rows or columns, choosing this option initially displays the
dimension member list expanded

Enable custom attributes

Available only for dimensions on rows or columns, enables custom attributes.

Click Save to save your work and continue, or click Finish to save your work and close the form.

Setting Display Properties


You can set and edit options for form display, such as hiding forms or displaying missing values
as blank, in the Layout tab.
You can also enable account-level annotations. Users can add annotations to accounts in forms
if they have Write access to the account, entity, scenario, and view members. Account-level
annotations can vary by different combinations of Scenario, View, and Entity dimensions.
Notes:
l

The Account dimension must be assigned to a row axis.

Account, Entity, View and Scenario dimensions cannot be assigned to the column axis.

The Entity dimension can be assigned to the row, page, or Point of View axis.

View and Scenario dimensions must be assigned to the page or Point of View axis.

To set display properties:


1

Open the form, and then click Layout.

Select Display Properties, and then select form options:


Option

Description

Make form read-only

Use this option to make the form read-only.


You cannot set this option for composite forms.

Hide form

For example, hid forms that are part of composite forms or are accessed from menus or task lists.

Display missing values as


blank

Leave form cells empty where data does not exist. If this option is not selected, empty cells display
the text #MISSING.

Enable account
annotations

This option is only available if the Account dimension is on the row.

Allow multiple currencies


per entity

If the application supports multiple currencies, allow entities to support multiple currencies, regardless
of base currency. Users can select the currency for displayed cell values in forms.

123

Option

Description

Enable Mass Allocate

Users must have the Mass Allocate role to use this option.

Enable Grid Spread

Use this option to enable grid spread.

Enable cell-level document

(Default) Enable users to add, edit, and view documents in cells in the form, depending on access
permissions. To prevent users from using documents in a form, clear this option.

Message for forms with no


data

Enter text to display in form rows for queries without valid rows. Leave blank to display the default
text: There are no valid rows of data for this form.

Click Save to save your work and continue, or click Finish to save your work and close the form.

Setting Printing Options


You can set and edit preferences for printing form information in the Layout tab.

To set printing options:


1

Open the form, and then click Layout.

Select Printing Options, and then set preferences for printing form information:
Table 28

Form Printing Options

Option

Description

Include
supporting detail

Include supporting detail as extra rows in PDF files. Specify display format:
l

Normal Order: Prints supporting detail in the same order as on the Supporting Detail page, after the member
it is associated with

Reverse Order: Prints supporting detail in reverse order, before the member associated with it. Supporting
detail for children displays above parents, and the order of siblings is preserved.

Show comments

Display text notes associated with cells

Format data

Apply number format settings from the form to the displayed data

Show attribute
members

If attribute members are selected in the form, display them in PDF files

Apply precision

Apply form precision settings (desired number of decimal points) to the displayed data in PDF files

Show currency
codes

If the form supports multiple currencies, display currency codes in the form and in PDF files. Whether currency
codes display depends on whether currency codes are present on any member in the form.
If a currency code is present on any member contained in the form, currency codes display in the form regardless
of the selection for this check box. If currency codes are not present on members in the form, they are not
displayed.

Show account
annotations

124

If account annotations are enabled for the form, select to display account annotations in PDF files

Click Save to save your work and continue, or click Finish to save your work and close the form.

Including Data Validation Rules in Forms


In the Layout tab, you can add and update validation rules to the grid, column, row, or cell. When
rules are processed, they can change the color of cells, provide validation messages to users during
data entry, and can change the promotional path for Approval units. Validation rules are saved
with the form.
Before adding data validation rules, it is important to consider the function the rule will perform
and to plan the rule scope.

To include data validation rules in forms:


1

Open the form, and then click Layout.

Select Validation Rules, and then select an option:


Note: The menu options that display are context-sensitive, and depend on whether rules

have already been added, and if you previously selected a menu option. For example,
if you right-click a cell that contains a rule and select Copy Validation Rules, the Paste
Validation Rules menu option is displayed when you right-click another cell.
Table 29

Form Validation Rules Options

Option

Description

Add/Edit Validation Rules

Add or edit existing rules in the condition builder are of the Data Validation Rule Builder dialog
box.

Copy Validation Rules

Copy the selected rules to be pasted to a new location.

Paste Validation Rules

Paste the previously copied rules to a new location.

Validate only for users with


access to this form

If the currently logged-in user does not have access to the form, do not execute validations
associated with the form when validating the Approval unit.

Validate only for pages with


existing blocks

When enabled, the system figures out which page combinations have potential blocks and runs
the validations only for those page combinations. There are a few exceptions to this. If a page
combination has any Dynamic Calc, Dynamic Calc and Store, Label only, or Store with one child
member, then that page is always loaded.

Validate only for cells and pages


the user has access to

When enabled, validations are run as the currently logged-in user and not as the administrator,
which means the users security will be applied to the form members.

Build and validate the rules.

In the form, click Next to continue building the form, and then validate and save the form.

Setting Form Precision and Other Options


In Other Options, you set data precision, associate context menus with the form, and enable
dynamic user variables.

125

You control data precision by applying minimum and maximum values for different account
types. For example, you can truncate and round the decimal portion of longer numbers.

To set form precision and other options:


1

Open the form, and then click Other Options.

In Precision, select options to set the number of decimal positions displayed in a cell for Currency
Values, Non-Currency Values, and Percentage Values.

Specify Minimum values to add zeros to numbers with few decimal places. Specify
Maximum values to truncate and round the decimal portion of longer numbers. For example:
Table 30

Form Data Precision Examples

Value

Minimum Precision

Maximum Precision

Displayed Value

100

Any

100

100

Any number greater than or equal to 3 or None

100.000

100.12345

Any number less than or equal to 5

None

100.12345

100.12345

None

100.1234500

100.12345

Any number less than or equal to 3

100.123

100.12345

100

100.12345

100.1234

100

100.00

Notes:
l

By default, the precision settings that you select here override the precision set for the
currency member. If instead you want the currency members precision setting to apply
for the form, select Use Currency member precision setting.
Precision settings affect only the display of values, not their stored values, which are
more accurate. For example, if Minimum Precision is set to 2, and if the system spreads
the value 100 from Q1 into the months January, February, and March, the month cells
display 33.33 when they are not selected. When they are selected, they display their more
accurate values (for example, 33.33333333333333).

In Context Menus, associate menus with the form by selecting them from Available Menus and moving
them to Selected Menus, using the right and left arrows.

If you select multiple menus, use the Up and Down arrows to set the order in which they display.

Select Enable Dynamic User Variables to allow dynamic user variables in the form.

Click Save.

126

Creating Asymmetric Rows and Columns


Asymmetric rows and columns contain different sets of members selected across the same
dimensions. For example:
Row/Column A: Scenario = Actual, Time Period = Q1
Row/Column B: Scenario = Budget, Time Period = Q2, Q3, Q4

To create asymmetric rows or columns:


1

Open the form, and then click Layout.

Click the Dimension Selector to select the dimension to modify.

Click the Member Selector to the right of the dimension name, and then modify the members selected
for this dimension.

Click Save to save your work and continue, or click Finish to save your work and close the form.

Adding Formula Rows and Columns


Formula rows contain formulas that apply to form rows. Formula columns contain formulas
that apply to form columns. For example, you can create a formula column (column D) that
computes the percentage variance between the January sales (column A) and February sales
(column B). The formula defined for a formula row or column applies to all row or column
dimensions. To define or assign existing formulas to forms, select the appropriate row or column
on the Layout tab and then display form building options under Segment Properties.
Tip: Consider adding a formula row between two other rows to create a blank row. Blank rows

are useful, for example, for visually separating subtotals and totals within a form.

To add formula rows and columns:


1

Open the form, and then click Layout.

On the Layout tab, right-click Rows or Columns.

Select Add Formula Row or Add Formula Column.

Click the new Formula Label that is displayed in the row or column, and then enter the formula name.

Click the row or column number and specify any of the following displayed in the Segment Properties
pane to the right:
l

Hide hides the row or column

Show separator displays the row or column separator

Display formula on form displays the formula on the form when you click that option in
the row or column header

For each dimension in Formula Data Type in the right pane, select a data type for the formula result:
l

Currency

127

Non-Currency

Percentage

SmartList
If you select SmartList, select a Smart List from the drop-down list next to the data type.

Date

Text

Define the formula to use for the row or column by entering the formula name in the Formula field, and
then clicking Edit.

Click Validate to ensure that the formula does not contain any errors.

Click OK to save the formula and to close the Formula window.

Defining Simple Form Page and Point of View


You can select dimensions and members for the page axis and Point of View. The Point of View
dimensions and members must be valid for the form type and not assigned to a page, column,
or row axis. The Point of View sets the unique dimension members that define intersections of
data.
When you set user variables for forms, the variable name displays in the Point of View.

To define page axis and Point of View:


1

Open the form, and then click Layout.

Click the Dimension Selector and then drag the dimension to Page to add it to the form page axis.

Click the Member Selector for each page axis dimension and select members.

Repeat these steps to assign multiple dimensions to the page axis.

Assigning multiple dimensions to the page axis enables users to select dimensionality while
entering data. Users can select Display Options to specify whether the system sets the page
selection to the most recently used selection.

In Dimension Properties, select or clear options for page dimensions.

Optional: Click the Dimension Selector and then drag the dimension to the Point of View to add it to
the form Point of View. Repeat this action for each dimension that you want to move to the Point of
View.

In Point of View, click the Member Selector for each dimension and then select members.

In Dimension Properties, select or clear options for Point of View dimensions.

Click Save to save your work and continue, or click Finish to save your work and close the form.

128

Creating Composite Forms


Composite forms display several forms simultaneously. Users can enter data and see results
aggregated to an upper-level intersection, such as Total Revenue.

To create composite forms:


1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Forms.

Click Actions, and then select Create composite form.

In the Properties tab, enter a form name of up to 80 characters, and an optional description of up to
255 characters.

Optional: Select Hide Form to hide the form.

Optional: Enter instructions for the form.

Set the composite form layout.

Set the composite form section properties.

Set the composite form Point of View and Page display options.

10 Click Save to save your work and continue, or click Finish to save your work and close the form.

Setting Composite Form Layout


Each area in the composite form is called a section. Initially, you specify whether to divide the
composite form layout into two side-by-side sections, or two sections that are stacked one above
the other. There is also a custom layout option.

To set composite form layout:


1

Open the form, and then click Layout.

In Select Layout, select an option:


l

Custom Layout to create your own composite form layout.


Note: The Custom Layout option is selected by default.

2-Row Layout to split the composite form into two sections, one on top of the other,
divided by a horizontal line
2-Column Layout to split the composite form into two side-by-side sections divided by
a vertical line
After you select an option, the selected layout is displayed.

Add, rearrange, or delete simple forms as desired.

Optional: Click the Down arrow in the upper right side of a section to select the following additional
layout options for that section:

129

Split Horizontally to split the section into two sections, one above the other

Split Vertically to split the section into two side-by-side sections


Note: When you split a composite form section that contains simple forms, the simple

forms remain in the original section. For example, if you split a section vertically,
the original section is divided into two side-by-side sections. The simple forms
from the split section are included in the left section, and the right section is
empty.
l

Delete to remove a section from the composite form


When you delete a section from a composite form, the simple forms included in that
section are also deleted from the composite form, unless they are included in other
sections of the composite form.

Add Form to display the Form Selector dialog box, where you can select additional forms
to add to the layout.

Group as Tabs to display the forms in that section as tabs

Ungroup Tabs to clear Group as Tabs.

Click Save to save the Composite Form layout.

Tip: You can edit a simple form from within a composite form. Right-click the simple form,

and then select Form Designer and edit the form.

Adding Simple Forms to a Composite Form Layout


To add a simple form to a section in a composite form, do one of the following steps:
l

Drag a form from the Forms in <Form Folder> pane to the desired section.
Click in the desired section, select the Down arrow, and select Add Form. In the Form Selector
dialog box, select a form and click OK.
Expand Section Properties and click the Add icon. In the Form selector dialog box, select a
form and click OK.

When you are adding simple forms to a composite form, note the following guidelines:
l

Composite forms can contain simple forms and ad-hoc forms.


During runtime, the simple forms selected for the composite form display from left to right,
and then from top to bottom within each composite form section.

If you select Group as Tabs, the form displays in the order selected.

You can drag simple forms between sections of a composite form.

130

Rearranging Forms in the Layout


To rearrange the simple forms in the composite form layout, expand Section Properties, select
a form, and click an arrow key. You can:
l

Move the form to the top

Move the form up

Move the form down

Move the form to the bottom

Editing Simple Forms from within a Composite Form


While editing a composite form, you can edit a single form from the Layout tab. This option is
not available for ad-hoc forms.

To edit a simple form from a composite form:


1

Within the composite form, click the Layout tab.

Right-click a simple form, and then select Form Designer.

Edit the simple form.

Deleting Simple Forms from a Composite Form


To delete a simple form from a composite form, do one of these steps:
l

Right-click the form and select Delete.

Select the form in Section Properties and click the Delete icon.

Uncheck the form in the Form Selector dialog box and click OK.

Setting Composite Form Section Properties


Each section in a composite form is associated with properties set during creation. You can edit
these properties after you create a form.

To set composite form properties:


1

Open the form, and then click Layout.

Expand Section Properties.

Click in a composite form section and set the properties as desired.

131

Table 31

Composite Form Section Descriptions

Option

Description

Forms

Displays the simple forms in the section. The following options are available for each form selected:

Name

Display forms as tabs

Add form

Remove form

Edit from label

Move to top

Move up

Move down

Move to bottom

Section name to be displayed at the top of the section in Preview mode and at runtime.
Select the Text icon to select a text style and color for the section name.

Height

Width

Forms per Row

Section height. Select:


l

Automatic to have the system set the height

% (percentage sign) to set section height to a percentage of the composite form height

Width of the section. Select:


l

Automatic to have the system set the width

% (percentage sign) to set section width to a percentage of the composite form width

Select:
l

Automatic to have the system set the number

Select a number from 1 to 20.

The default is one form per row. If Forms per Column is set to a value other than Automatic, then Forms per Row
is set to Automatic.
Note: If you have grouped the forms as tabs, this option is not available.
Forms per
Column

Select:
l

Automatic to have the system set the number

Select a number from 1 to 20.

The default is one form per column. If Forms per Row is set to a value other than Automatic, then Forms per Column
is set to Automatic.
Note: If you have grouped the forms as tabs, this option is not available.
Set scope for
all common
dimensions as
global

132

Sets all the common dimensions across all the sections in the composite form to global and displays a list of the
global dimensions in Page and Point of View in the Global Dimensions properties.

Setting Composite Form Point of View and Page Dimensions


The composite form Point of View and page dimensions specify where within a composite form
each Point of View and Page dimension name displays. When you select a section in a composite
form, the right panel displays:
l

Global Layout Dimensions, which list the Point of View and Page dimensions that display in
the composite form heading.
Only dimensions that are common to all simple forms in all sections of the composite form
and that contain the same members can be designated as Global.

Custom Dimensions, which list the Point of View and Page dimensions common to all the
simple forms included in the selected composite form section.
You can specify where common dimensions display in composite forms. Common
dimension display choices are:
m

Local displays the dimension name in the simple form heading.

Section displays the section name in the section heading.


Only dimensions that are common to al simple forms in a section and that contain the
same members can be displayed in the section heading.

Global displays the dimension name in the composite form heading.

Creating Master Composite Forms


You can design composite forms that have one master form and multiple simple forms. When
you do so, the selection of members in the master form automatically filters to the members in
the simple forms, and the simple forms show only the details that are relevant to the members
highlighted in the master form.
For example, assume that a user is looking at a new computer line item in a form and wants to
see the cash flow impact from this line item. In this scenario, you could design a composite form
that includes the following forms:
l

A master form called New Computers that contains the following dimensions and
members:
m

Entity: MA

Scenario: Budget

Currency: Local

Year: No Year

Period: Beginning Balance

Asset Class: Computers

Line Items: Base SP1

A simple form called Cash Flow Impact

133

In the master composite form, the user highlights the row Computers/Base SP1.
The simple form, Cash Flow Impact, is filtered to show only the data that is relevant for the
members highlighted in the master composite form, New Computers: Computers, Base SP1,
Budget, and MA.

To designate a form as a master composite form:


1

Open the form, and then click Layout.

Right-click the form, and then select Tag as Master Composite Form.
Note: The master composite form applies to the entire composite form. So, for a composite

form, there can be only one master form across all its sections.
To filter the data in a simple form (or forms) that is relevant to the data in a master composite
form, right-click the master composite form and select Apply Context.

Embedding Charts in Composite Forms


Administrators can design composite forms to display the data in sections as charts. Users can
also drill down to the next level by clicking the underlined links or chart areas.
Design suggestions:
l

Display the top section as a chart and the bottom section as a grid, so that users can see the
effect of data they enter in the bottom grid (when saved) as a chart on the top.
Include the same ad hoc grid twice, one to display as a grid and the other to display as a
chart. Users can then perform ad hoc operations (such as Zoom In, Pivot To, and Keep Only)
on the grid and view the changes in the chart.
Create dashboards.

To embed charts in composite forms:


1

Create or edit the composite form, and then click Layout.

Click a composite form section, and then right-click on a form.

Select Display as Chart.

Display as Chart toggles with Display as Grid, allowing you to switch between them.

On Chart Properties, select a chart type:


Table 32

134

Chart Types

Chart Type

Description

Bar

The length of each bar proportionally represents a value over an independent variable (for example, time).

Horizontal Bar

Similar to the regular bar chart, but turned on its side so that the dependent variable is displayed on the horizontal
axis.

Chart Type

Description

Line

Displays data points (for example, sales of various product lines) over time, connected by lines.

Area

Similar to the Line chart, but the area between the axis and the line is emphasized with color.

Pie

Each slice of the pie chart proportionally represents a class of data in relation to the whole.

Scatter

Each point represents the distribution of data for two variables.

Click OK.

Optional: To set where the chart displays the values that the chart represents (called the Legend), click
Options, then click Legend, select one of the following options and then click OK:

Right: To display the legend to the right of the chart (default setting)

Bottom: To display the legend at the bottom of the chart

Left: To display the legend to the left of the chart

Top: To display the legend at the top of the chart

Optional: To set where the chart labels (that is, the member names or aliases) are displayed, on
Options, click Label, select one of the following options, and then click OK.
l

Outside Max: To display the label above bar charts or, for non-bar charts, display the
label above the data point for positive values and below the data point for negative values.
This is the default setting.
Center: To display the label centered on bar charts or, for non-bar charts, display the
label above the data point for positive values and below the data point for negative values.
Inside Max: To display the label on the bar, near the top, or for non-bar charts, display
the label below the data point for positive values and below the data point for negative
values.
Inside Min: To display the label inside on the bar, near the bottom, or for non-bar charts,
display the label above the data point for positive values and below the data point for
negative values.
Max Edge: To display the label on the bar, or for non-bar charts, display the label at the
data point.

135

Working with Forms and Form Components


Subtopics
l
l
l
l

Opening Forms
Previewing Forms
Editing Forms
Moving, Deleting, and Renaming Forms

Opening Forms
To open a form for editing:
1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Forms.

Select the tab for the type of form that you want to open.

Click the name of the form.

The form opens in edit mode in a new tab.

To open and view a form:


1

On the Home page, click Data Analysis.

Select the tab for the type of form that you want to open.

Click the name of the form.

Previewing Forms
While you are designing forms, you can preview the dimensions that are assigned to the Point
of View, columns, rows, and page axes. Previewing displays member attributes, alias, and data
associated with forms, although new data cannot be entered.
Previewing completes regular form design validation checks, and checks for proper evaluation
of any data validation rules included in the form. Data validation rules must be properly
completed before the form can be saved. In addition, data validation rules are saved as part of
the form. If you do not save changes to a form, any data validation rule changes made after the
form was last saved are lost.

To preview a forms design:


1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Forms.

With a form open, click Preview.

The form opens in edit mode in a new tab.

136

Resolve any issues reported during the design validation checks, including any issues with data
validation rules.

Save the form to ensure that updates are saved, including any changes to data validation rules.

Editing Forms
l

Editing Simple Forms

Editing Composite Forms

You can edit the layout, members, and properties of both simple and composite forms. For
example, you can add formula rows or columns to a simple form, or add forms to a composite
form.

Editing Simple Forms


To edit simple forms:
1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Forms.

Select the form, then click Edit.

Select:
l

Properties to edit the form name, description, and instructions.

Layout to edit form layout.

Other Options to edit form precision and to change which context menus are associated
with the form.

Click Finish to save your work and close the form.

Editing Composite Forms


To edit composite forms:
1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Forms.

Take one of these actions:

Select the form, click the Show Usage icon, and then click Edit.

Select the form, and then click Edit.

137

Note: When editing a composite form, this message may be displayed: Modifications have

been made to one or more included forms; if you want to save changes to common
dimensions, save the composite form. Determine what changes were made to the
common dimensions of the included simple forms before saving changes to the
composite form.

Select:
l

Properties to edit the composite form name, description or instructions.

Layout to edit form layout and properties.

Click Finish to save your work and close the form.

Moving, Deleting, and Renaming Forms


To move, delete, and rename forms:
1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Forms.

Select the form.

Select a task:
l

To move a form, click Move, and then select the destination folder.
Note: You can move multiple forms simultaneously if they are in the same folder.

To delete a form, click Delete.

To rename a form, click Rename, and then enter the new name.

Click OK.

Running Form Diagnostics


You can use grid diagnostics to view performance of forms and ad hoc grids. Understanding the
performance while opening forms and ad hoc grids helps Service Administrators fine-tune and
redesign forms and grids to achieve performance benchmarks.

To run grid diagnostics:


1

Click the Navigator icon

Click Tools, then Diagnostics, and then Grids.

Click Run Diagnostics.

On Grid Diagnostics, in Available Forms, select the forms that you want to analyze, and then move them
to Selected Forms.

Click Run Diagnostics.

138

Working with Substitution Variables


Subtopics
l
l
l

About Substitution Variables


Creating and Assigning Values to Substitution Variables
Deleting Substitution Variables

About Substitution Variables


Substitution variables act as global placeholders for information that changes regularly. For
example, you could set the current month member to the substitution variable CurMnth so that
when the month changes, you do not need to manually update the month value in the form or
the report script. .

Creating and Assigning Values to Substitution Variables


To create and assign values to substitution variables:
1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Variables.

Select the Substitution Variables tab.

Click Actions, then select Add.

On the Add Substitution Variable page, select the Application Type.

For Name, enter the name of the substitution variable.

For Value, enter a value for the substitution variable.

Click OK.

Deleting Substitution Variables


To delete substitution variables:
1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Variables.

Select the Substitution Variables tab.

Select the substitution variable to delete.

Click Actions, then select Delete.

Click Yes.

139

Working with User Variables


Subtopics
l
l
l
l

About User Variables


Managing User Variables
Creating User Variables
Deleting User Variables

About User Variables


User variables act as filters in forms, enabling users to focus only on certain members, such as a
department. Before you can associate a user variable with a form, you must create the user
variable.

Managing User Variables


You can set user variables to limit the number of members displayed on a form, helping users
focus on certain members. For example, if you create a user variable called Division for the Entity
dimension, users can select a member for their own division. You can create any number of user
variables for each dimension, and select user variables for any axis in the form.
The typical sequence of steps:
1. If necessary, create the appropriate parent-level members in the dimension outline.
2. Define user variables for each dimension that you want users to be able to filter.
3. When designing the form, associate the user variable with the form.
4. Instruct users to select a member for the user variable associated with the form.
Before users can open forms that have user variables, they must select a member for User
Variable Options in preferences. After selecting an initial value, they can change it in the
form or in preferences.

Creating User Variables


To create user variables:
1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Variables.

Select the User Variables tab.

Click Actions, then select Add.

In the User Variables window, for Dimension Name, select the dimension for which to create a user
variable.

For User Variable Name, enter the name of the user variable.

140

Optional: Select Use Context to allow user variables to be used in the Point of View. With this setting,
the value of the user variable changes dynamically based on the context of the form.

Click OK.

You can now associate the user variable with a form.

Deleting User Variables


To delete user variables:
1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Variables.

Select the User Variables tab.

Select the user variable to delete.

Click Actions, then select Delete.

Click Yes.

Working with Smart Lists


Administrators use Smart Lists to create custom drop-down lists that users access from form
cells. When clicking in cells whose members are associated with a Smart List (as a member
property), users select items from drop-down lists instead of entering data. Users cannot type
in cells that contain Smart Lists. Smart Lists display in cells as down arrows that expand when
users click into the cells.
Perform these tasks to create and administer Smart Lists:
l

Define Smart Lists

Associate Smart Lists with members.

Select dimensions for which Smart Lists are displayed.

Optionally:
m

Use Smart List values in member formulas.

Set how #MISSING cells associated with Smart Lists display in forms.

Synchronize Smart Lists in reporting applications

To create or work with Smart Lists:


1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Smart Lists.

Perform one action:


l

To create a Smart List, click Create, enter the name, and click OK.

141

To change a Smart List, select it and click Edit.


To delete Smart Lists, select them, click Delete and OK. Deleting Smart lists also deletes
any associated mappings with dimension members and reporting applications.
Data cells can display only one Smart List. If multiple Smart Lists intersect at cells, set
which one takes precedence.

Optional: Click Synchronize to synchronize Smart Lists in reporting application. See


Synchronizing Smart Lists in Reporting Applications on page 142.

Synchronizing Smart Lists in Reporting Applications


You can synchronize Smart Lists to map them to dimensions in reporting applications.

To synchronize Smart Lists in reporting applications:


1

Refresh the application database.

Refresh the reporting application mapping.

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Smart Lists.

Click Synchronize, then click OK.

During synchronization, values from reporting applications in all existing mappings are
appended after the last Smart List item in the appropriate Smart list. If a Smart List is mapped
to two dimensions, all members from the first mapping are inserted first, and then members
from the second mapping are inserted. If a member already exists in a Smart List, it is not
added again.

If Smart List items are mapped to more than one dimension, create a new Smart List with a new name,
and then manually transfer related data.

Note: Smart List names cannot have spaces in them. If you are synchronizing Smart Lists in a

reporting application, ensure that any new members do not have spaces in the name.

Adding or Changing Smart List Properties


Use the Edit Smart List Properties tab to set Smart List properties

To set Smart List properties:


1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Smart Lists.

Select a Smart List and click Edit.

Define Smart List properties on Properties:

142

Table 33

Smart List Properties

Property

Description

Smart List

Enter a unique name containing only alphanumeric and underscore characters (for example: Position) and no
special characters or spaces. Smart List names can be referenced in formula expressions.

Label

Enter the text to display when the Smart List is selected. Spaces and special characters are allowed.

Display Order

How Smart Lists are sorted in the drop-down list: by ID, Name, or Label

#MISSING DropDown Label

Enter a label (for example, No Justification) to be displayed as an entry in the Smart List whose value is
#MISSING.
Notes:
l

#MISSING Form
Label

Click Save.

Select Entries.

When the cell is not in focus, this label displays only if Drop-Down Setting is selected in the next option.
Otherwise, #MISSING or a blank cell is displayed, depending on the Display Missing Values As Blank
selection for the form.
#MISSING labels determine only the display of cells with #MISSING data; #MISSING remains the stored
value.

Determines how #MISSING values are represented in cells associated with Smart Lists. Options:
l

Automatically
Generate ID

It displays as the first selection in the Smart List drop-down, allowing #MISSING as a selection in the
form.

Drop-Down Setting: Displays the label set in #MISSING Drop-Down Label.


Form Setting: Displays #MISSING or leaves cells blank, depending on the Display Missing Values As Blank
selection for the form. This selection determines what is displayed in the cell when it is not the focus. When
the cell is in focus, the Smart List item that is selected from the drop-down is displayed.

Generate a numeric ID for each Smart List entry. If you do not select this option, you can customize Smart List
ID values.

Use the Entries tab to define selections on Smart Lists.

Adding or Changing Smart List Entries


Use the Edit /Add Smart Lists Entries tab to define the selections in the Smart List.

To define Smart List entries:


1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Smart Lists.

Select a Smart List and click Edit.

On Entries, define drop-down list items:

For first items only: enter information into the first row.

To add an item, click Add and enter the information.

To delete an item, select it and click Delete.


143

To edit an item, change the information in its row:


Table 34

Smart List Entries

Entry Property

Description

ID

Unique number that sets the order for the displayed entry. Customizable only if Automatically Generate ID is
not selected on the Properties tab.

Name

Unique alphanumeric name containing alphanumeric and underscore characters (for example: Customer_
Feedback) and no special characters or spaces

Label

Displayed text for the Smart List entry on the drop-down list (for example: Customer Feedback).

Items highlighted in red are duplicates.

Perform one action:


l

Click Save.

Select Preview.

Previewing Smart Lists


Preview the defined Smart List on the Preview tab. The tab shows the Smart List as displayed in
a drop-down list or a table.

Displaying #MISSING with Smart Lists


Administrators set values displayed in Smart Lists and data cells, including the display when no
data is in the cell. Cells can display no value, #MISSING, or (for cells associated with Smart Lists)
a specified value.
Use these options to control the display of #MISSING when cells are not in focus:
Option

Guideline

Blank

When designing forms, select Display Missing Values as Blank.


When setting Smart List properties, select Form Setting.

#MISSING

When designing forms, do not select Display Missing Values as Blank.


When setting Smart List properties, select Form Setting.

A custom label, such as


No Change

144

When setting Smart List properties, enter the custom label in the #MISSING Drop-Down Label field (for
example, No Change). Select Drop-Down Setting.

Managing Journals

8
In This Chapter

Creating Journal Groups ................................................................................. 145


Deleting Journal Groups ................................................................................. 145
Managing Journal Periods............................................................................... 146

Creating Journal Groups


You can create journal groups to help classify journals by type, and use the groups to filter journal
lists. You can add groups, edit the description of a group, or delete existing groups. You cannot
delete a group if there are any journals associated with it.
You can also load journal groups during a journals load. When you create a journal and specify
a journal group, the system validates the group against the list of groups and displays an error
message if the group that you specify is invalid.
To manage journal groups, you must be the Service Administrator.
For information on working with journals, see the Working with Oracle Financial Consolidation
and Close Cloud.

To create journal groups:


1

On the Home page, click Journals.

On the left, click Journal Groups.

Click Create.

Enter a name for the journal group.

Optional: Enter a journal group description.

Click Save.

Deleting Journal Groups


You can delete a journal group if you are the Service Administrator and if there are no journals
associated with the group.

145

To delete journal groups:


1

On the Home page, click Journals.

On the left, click Journal Groups.

Take one of these actions:


l

Select one or more journal groups to delete, click Delete Selected, and then click
Confirm at the confirmation prompt.
To delete all journal groups, click Delete All, and then click Confirm at the confirmation
prompt.

Note: If the group has any journal references in the application, the system displays an error

message that it cannot delete the group.

Managing Journal Periods


Before you can work with journals, you must open the time periods for the journals. By default,
all periods have an initial status of Unopened. You can open and close periods at any time, but
you cannot change an opened period to unopened.
To manage journal periods, you must be the Service Administrator.
To post journals, you must open the time periods for each scenario to which you want to post.
You cannot post journals to an unopened or closed period.
If there are Approved journals in the period, you cannot close it. If you select to close a period
that contains Working or Submitted journals, a warning message is displayed that non-posted
journals were found for the period, but you can close it.
For information on working with journals, see the Working with Oracle Financial Consolidation
and Close Cloud.

To open or close periods:


1

On the Home page, click Console.

On the left, click Manage Periods

For Scenario and Year, select members of the periods that you want to open.

Select the periods to open or close.

To open the selected periods, from the Actions drop-down, select Open, or to close them, click Close.

146

Consolidating Data

9
In This Chapter

Consolidation Process ................................................................................... 147


Consolidation Dimension................................................................................ 148
Translating Data.......................................................................................... 150
Consolidation and Translation Rules ................................................................... 150
Consolidation and Translation Security Access ....................................................... 151
Calculation Status ....................................................................................... 151
Consolidating Data ...................................................................................... 153
Viewing Consolidation Progress......................................................................... 154
Consolidation Examples ................................................................................. 154

Consolidation Process
Consolidation is the process of gathering data from descendant entities and aggregating the data
to parent entities. After you enter or load data into base-level entities, calculate and adjust data,
you run a consolidation for a selected Scenario and Period to aggregate the data throughout the
organization.
You launch the Consolidation process from forms or from data grids. You must have first loaded
or entered data in base entities. Launching consolidation runs the consolidation rules for the
specified scenario, period, and entity. The translation process is run as required to convert data
from the child entity currency to the parent entity currency. If the child and parent entity use
the same currency, the translation process is not run.
After you select the parent entity into which the dependent entities consolidate, the required
processes run automatically.
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The system runs calculation rules for all descendants of the entity.
If the data for the child entity and the data for the parent entity are in different currencies,
the system translates data based on the exchange rate.
You can enter adjustments to data through journals.
The consolidation process begins. If the parents ownership of the child is less than 100%,
the ownership percentage is applied. The system generates proportion and elimination
detail, and creates contribution data. You can make further adjustments to contribution
data through journals.

147

Consolidation Dimension
The Consolidation dimension provides an additional layer to the financial information, which
enables you to view details on input values, adjustment, and contribution information. It
includes entity data, such as the input value and any related adjustments to the entitys data. As
a dependent entitys values roll up into its parent during consolidation, the system stores
consolidation detail including Proportion and Elimination detail. Proportion detail contains
the balances resulting from the execution of consolidation rules. It also reflects the results of the
percent consolidation on the base values. Elimination detail contains any eliminating balances
that result during consolidation based on elimination rules.
The Consolidation dimension includes the following members:
l

Entity InputFor a Base entity, this member represents input data and non-consolidationrelated business logic (for example, member formulas).
For a Parent entity, this captures the input data (journals, override data, and percent
consolidation) or parent entity adjustment, in addition to the consolidation value from its
children.

Entity ConsolidationThis is only available for a Parent entity. The amount in this member
represents the total of the Contribution from each of its children entities. This is a systemcalculated amount as a result of the consolidation process.
Entity TotalThe summation of data of an entity, including both input and adjustment data
stored in the Entity Input member, and the total contribution stored in the Entity
Consolidation member (only for a parent entity).
ProportionThe weighted values of the Entity Input member of a single entity, for a specific
parent entity during a consolidation of a consolidation tree. There is one Entity Proportion
member in the Consolidation dimension for every Parent/Child entity relationship.
EliminationIntercompany elimination data for a specific Parent/Child entity is generated
and stored in this member.
ContributionThe consolidated result of a single entity for a specific Parent Entity. This
includes the automation of the Proportion data and Elimination data for the Parent/Child
entity.

The Consolidation dimension enables you to report on the details used to perform the different
stages of the consolidation process. It stores intermediate results during the consolidation
process to record how the system adjusted the consolidated members. It provides an audit trail
of the transactions applied to data during the consolidation process.
The following figure shows the Consolidation dimension with Intercompany eliminations
enabled:

148

Note: * Entity Consolidation member is a dynamic calculated member and is only applicable to
the Parent entity. This member is calculated by the sum of all childrens contribution.

Data Flow in the Consolidation Dimension


First, the system processes these steps independent of the Parent Entity:
Users can enter child entity data through manual input and/or data load and/or adjustments
in the entitys functional currency. The data is stored at the Entity Input member of the
Consolidation dimension. During consolidation, the system runs the default calculation
rules to fully calculate the Entity Input member and change the status to OK.
Next, the system processes these steps dependent on the Parent Entity:
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The system first translates the Entity Total data (including both Entity Input and Entity
Consolidation (applicable only to parent entity) to the currency of its parent.
The system then processes the translated data by applying the percent consolidation (PCON)
as related to its parent, and stores the result at the Proportion member of the Consolidation
dimension.
For any intercompany data, the value is eliminated and data is stored in the Elimination
member of the Consolidation dimension.
The summation of Entity Proportion data and Elimination data is stored in the Contribution
member of the Consolidation dimension.
The system then aggregates the Contribution data of all child entities of a Parent entity. The
system stores the consolidated result at the Parent entitys Entity Consolidation member.
The status of the parent entity changes to OK.

Intercompany Eliminations
When an application is enabled for Intercompany accounts and contains Intercompany account
data, eliminations take place as part of the consolidation process.
The intercompany elimination is done at the first common parent entity. During the
intercompany elimination process, for any Intercompany account, the system moves the amount
from the Intercompany account to the Plug Target account.
The Plug Target account can be an Intercompany account or non-Intercompany account. If you
want to view the detail of the elimination in the individual partner in the Plug account, then the
Plug account should be set as an Intercompany account. If not, all elimination details for each
partner are stored in the No Intercompany member of the Intercompany Dimension.

149

Translating Data
Currency translation converts account data from one currency to another. You can translate
data from the entitys input currency to any other currency that has been defined in the
application, either during the consolidation process or separately. When you consolidate data,
currency translation occurs if the parent entity has a different default currency than the child
entities.
After the translation rule is run, the translated currency dimension is stored. You can make
adjustments to the translated amounts in each currency through journals.

To translate data:
1

On the Home page, click Data Analysis.

From the Forms list, click Data Status.

Select the point of view.

Select a cell for which to run translation rules.

From the Actions drop-down menu, select Translate.

From the Translate menu, click Launch.

When the translation process successfully completes, the system displays a confirmation message. Click
OK.

Consolidation and Translation Rules


Oracle Financial Consolidation and Close Cloud provides pre-built calculation scripts to handle
consolidation and translation. In addition, the system provides pre-built scripts and member
formulas for some of the standard calculation processes. For example, these rules are provided
by default:
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Consolidate

Force Consolidate

Translate

Force Translate

DataLoad_PreProcess_Consol

DataLoad_PostProcess_Consol

MetadataLoad_PostProcess_Consol

FCCSFormStatusProcessor

RefreshDatabase_PostProcess_Consol

RefreshDatabase_DelegatePostProcess

ComputeRates

RefreshDatabase_PostProcess_Rates

150

Consolidation and Translation Security Access


The following security access is required to consolidate or translate data:
l

You must be either an Administrator or Power User.

You must also have Write access to the Parent entity selected to be consolidated or translated.
Note: Entities that are locked are excluded from the consolidation process.

As an Administrator, you assign access to the Consolidate and Translate actions by assigning
users access to the appropriate rule. When you assign a user Launch access to the Consolidate
Business Rule, the user also has access to the Consolidate action menu. When you assign a user
Launch access to the Translate Business Rule, the user also has access to the Translate action
menu.
Note: Administrators have default access to all the rules in the application.

Calculation Status
Oracle Financial Consolidation Close Cloud maintains the calculation status for each Scenario,
Period, Entity and Parent entity combination. The calculation status indicates whether data
needs to be translated or consolidated. The calculation status can change as a result of several
actions:
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Changing the organization structure

Adding or deleting accounts

Modifying entity attributes

Entering data in data grids, or loading data from external sources

Posting or unposting journals

Reloading rules

Changing percent consolidation

Changing currency rates

Changing override amount data

Table 35

Consolidation Statuses

Status

Description

OK

Data is OK - none of the data for the specified dimensions has changed.

No Data

No data exists for the specified dimensions.

Impacted

Data has changed since last generated, which requires a reconsolidation to change its status to OK. This occurs when
a change to a base entity data impacts a parent entity.

Needs Translation

The selected dimension member is not the entitys default currency and its translated values may not be current.

151

Status

Description

System Change

A change has occurred that may affect the data for the specified dimensions. For example, a new rules file or metadata
file has been loaded, or the currency rate has changed.

You can view the calculation status in forms and grids and then take action as necessary. The
following tables list available actions for forms and grids.
Table 36

Entity Input/ Entity Currency - Base Entity

Status

Description

Action

No Data

No data has been entered or generated.

None

OK

None of the data has changed.

None

Table 37

Entity Consolidation / Entity Currency - Parent Entity

Status

Description

Action

OK

None of the data has changed.

None

Impacted

A parent entity has been impacted by a change to a child entity.

Consolidate

Table 38

Entity Input/ Reporting Currency - Base Entity

Status

Description

Action

OK

None of the data has changed.

None

Needs Translation

Data needs to be translated because it has never been translated or data has changed since the last
translation.

Translate

Table 39

Entity Consolidation/ Reporting Currency - Parent Entity

Status

Description

Action

OK

Consolidation has been done, and data has been translated.

None

Needs
Translation

Data needs to be translated for the following reasons:

Translate

1. Parent entity needs consolidation first to generate the Entity


Consolidation data and then translate.

1. The system will first consolidate and


then translate.

2. Parent entity needs to reconsolidate first because child data has


changed and then translate.

2. The system will first consolidate and


then translate.

3. Parent entity data is OK so only need to translate.

3. Translation is required by user.

Table 40

Proportion or Elimination / Parent Currency - Base Entity

Status

Description

Action

No Data

No data has been generated from Consolidation.

Consolidate

OK

Data is OK.

None

152

Status

Description

Action

Impacted

Data has changed since last generated, which requires reconsolidation to change its status to OK.

Consolidate

Table 41

Proportion or Elimination / Reporting Currency - Base Entity

Status

Description

Action

No Data

No data has been generated from Consolidate and no translation has


been done.

Translate

OK

Proportion and Elimination data has been generated from


Consolidation and data has also been translated.

None

Need Translation

Data needs to be translated for the following reasons:


1. Proportion data needs to be re-generated before translation.

1. The system will reconsolidate and then


translate data.

2. Proportion data has been generated and is OK, but translation


has not been run.

2. The system will translate only the


Proportion data.

Consolidating Data
You can launch the Consolidation or Translation process from a form, and you can view the
data status in a grid. Oracle Financial Consolidation and Close Cloud provides a predefined Data
Status grid, which contains entities in the rows, and periods in the columns. The data in the grid
is based on the Scenario/Entity/Period/Entity/Currency information from the form.
In the status grid, you select the cells/rows to consolidate or translate.
When you select a parent to consolidate, all descendants of the parent are also consolidated. If
you consolidate data for a period and the data for prior periods has not been consolidated, the
data for the prior period is also consolidated.
When the consolidation process is complete, the status of each successfully consolidated entity
changes to OK.

To consolidate data:
1

On the Home page, click Data Analysis.

From the Forms list, click Data Status.

Select the point of view.

Select a cell for which to run consolidation.

From the Actions drop-down menu, select Consolidate.

From the Consolidate menu, click Launch.

When the consolidation process successfully completes, the system displays a confirmation message.
Click OK.

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Viewing Consolidation Progress


When you consolidate data, you can monitor the status of the task from the Jobs console. You
can view pending jobs, or recent activity, including the completion status, date and time.

To view consolidation progress:


1

On the Home page, click Console.

On the left, click Jobs

Review Pending Jobs and Recent Activity to check the status of the consolidation.

Click the name of the job to view Job Details.

Consolidation Examples
Subtopics
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Example 1: Reconsolidating Data from a Form


Example 2: Consolidating Data from the Data Status Grid
Example 3: Consolidating Data for Multiple Periods

Example 1: Reconsolidating Data from a Form


In this example, data has been loaded or entered in base entities and parent entities have also
been consolidated. However, subsequently there has been a change to the base entity data which
causes an IMPACTED status at the parent entity. Consolidation is launched from a form, after
first reviewing the status grid and selecting the impacted parent entity for consolidation. After
consolidation, the status changes to OK.
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Reconsolidating at the intermediate parent entity only impacts the upper-level parent
entities.
Reconsolidating the top-level parent entity consolidates all parent entities below.

Example 2: Consolidating Data from the Data Status Grid


The Data Status grid contains all entities in the rows and periods in the columns. It displays
Calculation status, Approval status, and Lock status in the column for each period.
Consolidation is launched for the top parent or the intermediate parent from the grid.

Example 3: Consolidating Data for Multiple Periods


In the Data Status Grid, consolidation is launched for the following periods:
l

154

Consolidate first period (January)

Consolidate last period (December)

Consolidate intermediate period (April)

Consolidate April when the January to February calculation status is OK, but March is
impacted.

155

156

10

Setting Up the Close Process

In This Chapter
Close Manager Terms.................................................................................... 157
Close Process Overview ................................................................................. 158
Sample Task Flows....................................................................................... 159
Managing Close Manager System Settings............................................................ 160
Managing Close Process Attributes .................................................................... 169
Managing Alert Types .................................................................................... 176

Close Manager Terms


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TasksA unit of action in the application, for example, data entry or data consolidation.
Power users define the tasks that comprise a close process. Users can read task instructions,
answer questions, submit, reassign, approve, and reject tasks, and can access tasks from email
notifications or by logging on to the application.
Integration TypesA definition of a service provided by an application.
Task TypesIdentify and categorize tasks commonly performed during a close period; for
example, Data Entry, or G/L Extract. The Task Type enables you to set default information,
such as settings that need to be input by the user, and questions or instructions that are
shared by all tasks of that type. Task Types are often based on Integration Types.
Execution TypesEnd-users, System-Automated Task, Event Monitoring Task
TemplatesTasks that are repeatable over close periods. Administrators can create
templates for different types of close periods, such as monthly or quarterly.
SchedulesDefines the chronologically ordered set of tasks that must be executed for a
specific close period, and is the alignment of a template's generic close days to calendar dates.
DashboardThis view presents a portal-style interface with views into schedules and task
lists, and high-level summaries into which you can drill down for greater detail.
AlertsNotifications from users on issues that they encounter during the process, such as
hardware or software issues. Users create alerts identifying a problem and assign them to be
resolved.

157

Close Process Overview


The closing process require these steps:
1. The administrator sets up users. See the Getting Started with Oracle Financial Consolidation
and Close Cloud.
2. The administrator completes the required setup procedures:
l

Set up organizational units. See Managing Close Process Organizational Units on page
162.
Set up global integration tokens. See Managing Global Integration Tokens on page
160.

Set up holiday rules. See Managing Holiday Rules for Close Calendars on page 165.

Set up attachment size. See Maximum Task Attachment Size on page 168.

Enable email notifications. See Setting Up Email for Approvals and Notifications on
page 277.

3. The administrator reviews the tasks required for a close process and sets up Task Types to
ensure consistency across tasks and to leverage predefined product integrations.
See Chapter 11, Managing Task Types.
4. Because many tasks are repeatable over close periods, the administrator saves a set of tasks
as a template to use for future periods. See Chapter 12, Managing Task Templates.
For example, an administrator can set up a monthly or quarterly close once and then use it
for all months or quarters. Tasks are defined with task predecessors, Assignees, and
Approvers.
5. To initiate the close process for a period, administrators generate a schedule (a chronological
set of tasks) by selecting a template and assigning calendar dates. The generic tasks in the
template are applied to calendar dates. See Chapter 14, Managing Close Schedules.
6. To begin the close process, the administrator changes the schedule status from Pending to
Open.
7. The administrator can also modify the schedule if needed and monitor it throughout the
close cycle.
8. During the close process, users receive email notifications of assigned tasks and can click
links in the email for direct access to assigned tasks.
9. Alternatively, users can log on to review and access assigned tasks in different types of views.
10. When users complete tasks, the tasks are sent to approvers and can be viewed by other users.
11. Users can create alerts for issues, such as hardware or software issues, that they encounter
during the close process. Alerts are forwarded to Assignees and Approvers for resolution.

158

Sample Task Flows


Scenario 1: Power User
The Power User sets up a template and tasks for an upcoming close period.
l

The Power User logs on and opens the Manage Templates page.
The Corporate Quarterly Close template contains many of the tasks required for the
corporation quarterly close cycle. From the list of templates, the Power User selects the
Quarterly Close template and reviews it.
The Power User selects the calendar dates on which to line up the template tasks, and creates
a schedule from the quarterly template.

The Power User then adds a task to the template specifically for Quarter 2.

The Power User opens the schedule, which begins the close process.

Scenario 2: Power User


The Power User monitors the status of close activities through the Dashboard.
l

The Power User logs on and checks the status of activities through Day 3.

The user drills down to see the details of incomplete tasks.

The Power User reviews open tasks for comments or attachments provided by assigned
users.

Scenario 3: Approver
A user assigned as an Approver reviews a current task to determine whether it can be approved.
l

The assigned Approver receives an email notification of an outstanding taskReview


MD&A Input for Services submission.
From the email, the Approver selects the link for Review MD&A Input for Services
Submission.
The Task Actions page is launched outlining the process.
The Approver reviews the document that the user submitted when completing the task to
ensure completeness.
The Approver enters additional comments and approves the submission.
If another level of approval is required, the task is forwarded to the next approver. If the task
was the last requiring approval, then the task completes, and the system runs the next task
if it is ready.
The Approver can reject a task instead of approving it, and the task is reassigned to the
Assignee.

Scenario 4: User
A user logs on to the application and reviews and completes an assigned task.
l

The user logs on and reviews their tasks.

159

The user clicks the link for an assigned task - MD&A input.

The task page is launched with instructions for the task, and a reference document.

The user reviews the instructions and the reference document, processes the updates, enters
a comment about the task, and submits it for approval.
The system automatically updates the task status and sends a notification to the assigned
approver.

Scenario 5: User
A user responds to an email notification of a task to load data, clicks a link in the email, and then
completes the task.
l

The user receives an email notification of an outstanding taskLoad Salary Data.


From the email, the user selects the link for the page where the required process is
documented.

The user reviews the instructions for the task and selects the Go to Task link.

The user loads data into the system.

The user enters a comment about the task and submits it for approval.

Managing Close Manager System Settings


Subtopics
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Managing Global Integration Tokens


Managing Close Process Organizational Units
Managing Holiday Rules for Close Calendars
Changing Configuration Settings

Managing Global Integration Tokens


The Global Integration Tokens feature enables creation of parameterized URLs. The URLs can
be used for a variety of purposes, including launching OBIEE reports which require provision
of parameters in order to display filtered report content.
When creating the URL, the parameters are inserted into the URL. When the URL is clicked,
the parameters are replaced with the appropriate values.
For example, the following is an excerpt of the parameters:
$YearName$%22%22Period%20Name%22&val6=%22$PeriodName$%22&col17=%22Logical%20Schedules
%22.%22Year%20Name%22&val7=%22$Y earName$%22&col8=%22Logical%20Schedules
%22.%22Deployment%20Name%22&val8=%22$ ScheduleName $%22

where
$YearName$ = 2012
$PeriodName$ = Jan12
$ScheduleName$ = DemoSchedule

160

The URL becomes:


%222012%22%22Period%20Name%22&val6=%22Jan2012%22&col7=%22Logical%20Schedules%22.%22Year
%20Name%22&val7=%222012%22&col8=%22Logical%20Schedules%22.%22Schedule%20Name%22&val8=
%22DemoSchedule%22

Parameters can be configured from static parameters defined in your application, attributes of
type Text and List, and the following native attributes assigned to Tasks, Templates, and
Schedules:
l

Period Name

Schedule Name

Task Name

Task ID

Year Name

You can access URLs from the following locations:


l

Templates: After an administrator or power user adds a reference URL to a template in the
Instructions section, the URL is clickable on the Instruction tab.
Schedule: After an administrator or power user adds a reference URL to a schedule in the
Instructions section, the URL is clickable in Instructions.
Task Details: After an administrator or power user or task owner adds a reference URL to a
task in the Instructions section, the URL is clickable in Instructions.
Task Types: After an administrator adds a reference URL to a Task Type in the Instructions
section, the URL is clickable on the Instruction tab.
Task Actions: Viewers of Task Actions can click the reference URLs.

Tokens
Global Integration Tokens:
l

Must be unique

Cannot be modified

Should not be deleted. When you try to delete, a warning is displayed: Deleting a Global
Integration Token will invalidate the URLs that are referencing it. Are you sure you want to
continue?

Creating a Token
To create a token:
1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Close Manager.

Under Manage, select System Settings. In System Settings, select Global Integration Tokens.

161

Select Actions, and then Add.

Enter:
l

Name: A unique token name

Type: Static or Task Attribute

Token Value:
m

If Task Attribute is selected as the Parameter Type, select the value that is passed
when the URL is rendered.
If Static Attribute is selected as the Parameter Type, enter the value that is passed
when the URL is rendered.

Deleting a Token
To delete a token:
1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Close Manager.

Under Manage, select System Settings. In System Settings, select Global Integration Tokens.

Select a token, then select Actions, and then Delete.

A warning message is displayed: Deleting a Global Integration Token will invalidate the
URLs that are referencing it. Are you sure you want to continue?

Click Yes to delete.

Managing Close Process Organizational Units


Subtopics
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Adding Organizational Units


Importing Organizational Units
Selecting an Organizational Unit

Organizational Units allow administrators to model regions, entities, business units, divisions,
departments, or any other entity that might be affiliated with a task. Organizational units are
hierarchical to facilitate reporting.
The section that displays the hierarchy enables administrators to expand and collapse sections
of the hierarchy.

Adding Organizational Units


To add an organization:
1
162

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Close Manager.

Under Manage, select System Settings. In System Settings, select Organizational Units.

Click Actions, and then Add.

On the Properties tab, enter:


l

Name
Administrators can change the name, and it need not be unique.

Organizational Unit ID
A unique ID used to identify the transaction for Migration purposes. Organizational
Unit ID cannot be changed after an organizational unit is set.

Optional: Description

Time Zone
Determines which time zone applies to the organizational unit. Selection of a time zone
is optional. If a time zone is not selected, the task time zone will revert to the users time
zone.

Holiday Rule
Determines which list of holidays applies to the organizational unit. Selection of a
Holiday Rule is optional.

Parent Organizational Unit


Enables Administrators to change the hierarchy.

Work Days
Determines which days of the week are work days.

The Access tab enables Administrators to assign viewer and commentator access in a centralized
location, rather than having to assign it to each task.

To select a user:
a. Select Actions, and then Add.
b. In Select Viewers, enter the First Name and Last Name, or click Select Users..
c. In Search Results, select the Users, Groups, or Teams and add them to the Available
column.

Importing Organizational Units


To import organizational units:
1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Close Manager.

Under Manage, select System Settings. In System Settings, select Organizational Units.

163

Select Actions, and then Import


l

Enter the file name or click Browse to navigate to the CSV import file.
Sample Organizational import format:
Note: This import organizational unit example requires a pre-existing parent org unit

named `Americas', a holiday rule named `US', and a viewer named fm_user5.
Create these or edit the file accordingly to use other objects
"OrganizationalUnitID","Name","ParentOrganization","Description",
"TimeZone","H
olidayRule","Calendar","Workdays","Viewer1","Commentator1" "US2",
"US2","Americas","Import Organization US2 Example","ET
(UTC-05:00)","US","",2-3-5,"fm_user5",""
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For Import Type, click one:


m

ReplaceReplaces the Organizational Unit detail with the Organizational Unit that
is in the file that you are importing. It does not affect other units that are not specified
in the import file.
Replace AllImports a new set of Organizational Units that replaces the existing
Units. This option is useful when you want to replace a unit in one system with an
updated definition from another system. Organizational Units that are not specified
in the import file are deleted.

Click Import.

Selecting an Organizational Unit


Administrators define organizational units in system settings. The organizational list is displayed
in functional dialogs.

To select an organization:
1

Under Manage, select System Systems, and then click Search.

Select an organization. An arrow indicates a child organization exists. Expand the parent to select a
child organization.

Click OK.

164

Managing Holiday Rules for Close Calendars


Subtopics
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Creating Holiday Rules


Importing Holiday Dates
Editing Holiday Rules
Deleting Holiday Rules
Duplicating Holiday Rules

Holiday Rules are collections of holiday dates. The Manage Holiday Rules dialog enables
Administrators to manage holiday rules.

Creating Holiday Rules


To create holiday rules:
1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Close Manager.

Under Manage, select System Settings. In System Settings, select Holiday Rules.

Click Actions, and then New.

Enter:
l

Holiday Rule ID
Holiday Rule ID is mandatory and must be unique.

Name
The name of the holiday rule is mandatory and can be up to 50 characters. Uniqueness
is not required.

Year
The Year attribute behaves as a filter option. Users need not select a value for this
attribute. If they do, then the table should be filtered to display the dates associated with
the selected year.

To name a holiday, in the Holiday section, click Import (


Add and enter the date and name of the holiday.

) to import the list of holidays or click

Importing Holiday Dates


You can import dates into a holiday rule.

To import holiday dates:


1

Click the Navigator icon

165

Under Administer, click Close Manager.

Under Manage, select System Settings. In System Settings, select Holiday Rules.

Create or select a holiday rule.

On the bottom section of Holiday Rules, select Actions, and then Import
l

Enter the file name, or click Browse to navigate to the CSV import file.
Example of a holiday date import format:
"Date","Name"
"Jan 1, 2016","New Years Day"
"May 30, 2016","Memorial Day"

For Import Type, click one:


m

ReplaceReplaces the holiday dates with the holiday dates in the file that you are
importing. Does not affect other units that are not specified in the import file.
Replace AllImports a new set of holiday dates that replaces the existing holiday
dates. Use this option to replace unit in one system with an updated definition from
another system. Holiday dates that are not specified in the import file are deleted.

Date Format

Select a Date Format from the drop-down list of allowed date formats. Date formats are not
translated. By default, the date format is set to the locale date format of the exported file
location.
For example:

MM/dd/yyyy

dd/MM/yyyy

dd-MMM-yy

MMM d, yyyy

Click Import.

Editing Holiday Rules


To edit holiday rules:
1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Close Manager.

Under Manage, select System Settings. In System Settings, select Holiday Rules.

Select a rule.

Edit:
l

Holiday Rule ID
Holiday Rule ID is mandatory and must be unique.

166

Name
Can be up to 50 characters. Uniqueness is not required.

Year
The Year attribute behaves as a filter option. Users need not select a value for this
attribute. If they do, then the table should be filtered to display the dates associated with
the selected year.

Deleting Holiday Rules


To delete holiday rules:
1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Close Manager.

Under Manage, select System Settings. In System Settings, select Holiday Rules.

Select a rule, select Actions, and then Delete.

You cannot delete a holiday rule associated with an organizational unit that is not logically
deleted. A list of organizational units to which the holiday rule was assigned is displayed.

Duplicating Holiday Rules


To duplicate holiday rules:
1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Close Manager.

Under Manage, select System Settings. In System Settings, select Holiday Rules.

Select a rule, then select Actions, and then Duplicate.

Edit the rule as needed.

Changing Configuration Settings


Subtopics
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Approver Levels
Maximum Task Attachment Size
User Sync Process

Approver Levels
Approver levels determine the number of task reviews.

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To change the approver level:


1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Close Manager.

Under Manage, click System Settings. In System Settings, select Configuration Settings, and then
Approver Levels.

In Approver Levels, select a value from 1 to 10.

Maximum Task Attachment Size


Task Attachment Size determines the maximum attachment file that users can upload. This
setting helps administrators adapt to work within limitations of the environment in which the
application is installed.
You can change the current maximum file size:

To change the maximum task attachment size:


1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Close Manager.

Under Manage, select System Settings. In System Settings, select Configuration Settings, and then
Maximum Attachment Size.

In Select maximum file upload size, select a value from 5 MB, with incremental values of 5 MB, up to
100 MB.

User Sync Process


The system maintains a local copy of the user, group, and team details for various reasons; for
example, User ID, User Login, First Name, Last Name. The User Sync process must be initialized
manually and then runs daily at 5:30 AM server time.

To enable the User Sync Process:


1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Close Manager.

Under Manage, select System Settings. In System Settings, select Configuration Settings, and then
User Sync Process.

Do one of these tasks:


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To initialize to run daily at 5:30 AM server time, for User Sync Process, select Turn On.
To manually initiate a user sync, for User Sync Process, select Turn Off, then click Save,
then select Turn On, and then click Save.

Managing Close Process Attributes


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Defining Attributes
Importing List Attributes
Editing Attributes
Duplicating Attributes
Deleting Attributes
Viewing Attributes
Searching for Attributes

Attributes are user-defined fields defined centrally by administrators and used in many places.
You can specify different value types for attributes: Date, Date and Time, List, Number, Text,
and True or False. For example, you can define a custom attribute named Auto Submit with a
value type of Yes or No. When you assign the Auto Submit attribute to an item, you can set it
to Yes for tasks required by external users.
If you select the List type, you can define a pick list of values. For example, you can define a List
attribute named Sales Region, with North, South, East, and West as values.
You can create, edit, and delete attributes.

Defining Attributes
To create an attribute:
1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Close Manager.

Under Manage, select Attributes.

Click New and enter:


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Name

Attribute Type:
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Date

Date and Time

Integer

List:

If you select List, enter a list of valid responses to the question.


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Multi-Line Text
The maximum length should be less than 4,000 characters.

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Select Multi-Line Text, then enter the Number of Lines, from 3 to 50 lines. Multi-Line
Text determines how many lines of text are visible, without scrolling, on the Actions
dialog boxes.
For Multi-Line text type: Select Include Attachments if you want the custom attribute
to include an attachments section on the Actions dialog box.
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Number:
If you select Number, select number formatting options
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For Decimal Places, enter a value for the number of decimal places to display.
Select the Thousands Separator option if you want numbers to display a
thousands separator (for example, 1,000.00)
From the Currency Symbol list, select a currency symbol, for example, Dollars
($).
From the Negative Number list, select how to display negative numbers, for
example, (123).
From the Scale list, select a scale value for numbers, for example, 1000.

Text

True or False

User

Yes or No

Calculation
Calculated attributes are read-only. Calculations can only be evaluated against
Schedules:

Schedules: You can add any Calculation and the calculation is evaluated, regardless of
whether it was explicitly assigned to the task or not.
Templates: You cannot add a custom attribute, that has the Calculation option selected,
as a column or a filterable attribute.
Administrators can add attributes to the attributes sections in the Actions dialogs and
they will be viewable by workflow users. Administrators can restrict access to certain
roles by setting access to Do Not Display. For example for calculated attribute XYZ, an
administrator could add Viewer: Do Not Display access to it, so that XYZ wouldn't
appear for viewers.
Any user role can add calculated attributes as columns in views and portlets. They can
also be added as filterable attributes in the Filter Panel.
When you select Calculation, a Calculation definition section is displayed:
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Calculation Type: The list of values is determined by the attribute type:


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Assign Value to ListAssign custom values to a List type attribute


Assign List To ValueAssign custom list values to the values of a different
attribute.

ConditionalA conditional calculation (If Then Else)

ScriptedA free-form scripted calculation. Scripted is available for attributes


of type Integer, Multi-line Text, Number, or Text.

The following table lists the calculation types that each attribute type can use when
the Calculation option is chosen:
Attribute Type

Assign Value to List

Conditional

Scripted

Assign List to Value

Date
Date/Time
Integer
List

Multi-Line Text

Number

Text

True/False

User
Yes/No
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When you select Scripted Calculation type, to enter a free-form calculation equation,
use the Add Attribute and Add Function:
Add AttributeSelect an attribute and insert the attribute into the Calculation
Definition box at the location of the cursor. If the cursor is in the middle of a word
or attribute, the word/attribute will be replaced in the definition. Any attribute that
is added will have brackets {} around the name, according to the scripting format.

Add FunctionSelect a function and add the function to the Calculation Definition.
The Function is added with placeholders for each parameter.
For example: Insert the DATE_DIFF function in the calculation definition:
DATE_DIFF(<Date1>, <Date2>, <Type>)
Then replace the placeholders with attributes:
DATE_DIFF( {Start Date}, {End Date}, 'DAYS')
Other scripted function examples:
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Date Difference: Returns the difference in days, hours minutes, or seconds


between two dates. For DATE 1 and DATE 2, the values TODAY and NOW can
be used, which denote the current date (with no time component) and datetime, respectively.
DATE_DIFF(<Date1>, <Date2>, <Type>)
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Example: DATE_DIFF( {Start Date}, 'TODAY', 'DAYS')


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Extract Text: Returns the substring within the value, from the positions
specified.
SUBSTRING(<Value>, <Location>, <Length>)
Example: SUBSTRING( {Name} , 5, 10)

If-Then-Else:
IF_THEN_ELSE(<Condition>, <Value1>, <Value2>)
Example: IF_THEN_ELSE( ( {Priority} = 'Low'),
1,IF_THEN_ELSE( ( {Priority} = 'Medium'), 2, IF_THEN_ELSE( ( {Priority}
= 'High'), 3, 0)))

If-Then-Else: Allows the user to insert a conditional calculation into the scripted
calculation. IF_THEN_ELSE calculations can be nested to support ELSE IF
type calculations as well.
IF_THEN_ELSE(<Condition>, <Value1>, <Value2>)
Example: ,
IF_THEN_ELSE( ( {Priority} = 'Low'), 'Good'
IF_THEN_ELSE( ( {Priority} = 'Medium'), 'Better'. 'Best') )

Instring: Returns the value of the search.


INSTRING(<Value1>, <Value to Search>)
Example: INSTRING({Name}, 'a')

Lowercase: Returns the value in lower case


LOWERCASE(<Value>)
Example: LOWERCASE ({Task Code})

Maximum: Returns the maximum value from a list of attributes. There can be
any number of parameters.
MAX <Value1>, <Value2>, <ValueN>)
Example: MAX( {Scripted Substring Loc a}, {Scripted Substring Loc s},
{Scripted Substring Loc t} )

Minimum: Returns the minimum value from a list of attributes. There can be
any number of parameters.
MIN <Value1>, <Value2>, <ValueN>)
Example: MIN( {Scripted Substring Loc a}, {Scripted Substring Loc s}, {Scripted
Substring Loc t} )

Round: Returns the value rounded to the decimal places specified


ROUND <Value1>, <Decimal Places>)
Example: ROUND( ({Scripted Substring Loc t} / 7), '4')

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Substring:

SUBSTRING(<Value>, <Location>, <Length>)


Example: SUBSTRING( {Name}, 4, 10)
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Text Location: Returns the index of the substring within the value, starting at
1 as the first position.
INSTRING(<Value>, <Value To Search>)
Example: INSTRING( UPPERCASE( {Name} ), 'TAX' )

Uppercase: Returns the value in upper case.


UPPERCASE(<Value>)
Example: UPPERCASE( {Name} )

The following validation checks are performed when you attempt to save the Scripted
Calculation:
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The Syntax of the Calculation is correct

The Attributes and Functions specified in the Calculation exist

Parameters to Functions are correct

No Circular Loops exist

Importing List Attributes


To import attributes of type List:
1

Create an import file of type List in a TXT file format, with each value on a separate line.

For example:
Blue
Yellow
Red
Green

The import option is always Replace All.

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Close Manager.

Under Manage, select Attributes.

Select an attribute of type List, and then click Actions, and then Edit.

Click Import

Browse to a TXT import file.

Click Import. Import List Values displays the values: Total List Values, Completed, Errored, List Values
Created, and List Values Updated.

If Completed Successfully, click OK.

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If Completed with Errors, the errors are listed. To export the error list, click Export to Excel .

Editing Attributes
You can edit the name of a custom attribute. If the attribute type is a List, you can also add,
rename, or delete list values.

To edit attributes:
1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Close Manager.

Under Manage, select Attributes.

Select an attribute.

Click Edit.

Edit the attribute name.

Note: If the attribute is a List type, you can add, rename, or delete list values. After a custom

attribute is saved, you can't change its type.

Click OK.

All related templates, schedules, task types, or tasks are updated.

Duplicating Attributes
You can duplicate attributes.

To duplicate attributes:
1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Close Manager.

Under Manage, select Attributes.

Select an attribute.

Click Duplicate.

Click Close.

Deleting Attributes
You can delete attributes that you no longer need. When you delete an attribute, the system
removes all references to the attribute.

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To delete attributes:
1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Close Manager.

Under Manage, select Attributes.

Select attributes.

Click Delete.

At the delete confirmation prompt, click Yes.

Viewing Attributes
In Manage Attributes, you can specify which columns to display for the list of attributes, or show
all. You can also reorder columns, sort columns by ascending or descending order, and change
the column widths.

To display columns:
1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Close Manager.

Under Manage, select Attributes.

Do one or more of the following tasks:


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To display all columns, select View, then Columns, and then select Show All.
To display specific columns, select View, then Columns, and select or deselect the column
names.
To reorder columns, select View, and then Reorder Columns, select columns and use the
Up or Down arrows or drag them to change the order.
To sort columns, hover over a column header until the Sort icons are displayed, and
then click Sort Ascending or Sort Descending.
To change column widths, hover over the column header dividers until the arrows
display, and drag the columns to the desired width.

Searching for Attributes


You can use the Manage Attributes dialog box to find attributes. You can enter full or partial
names on which to search.

To search for attributes:


1

Under Manage, select Attributes.

Click the > sign to expand the Search box.

Enter full or partial search criteria for the attribute.

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Optional: For additional search operators (such as Contains, Starts with, Ends with), click Advanced,
and then enter search criteria.
Tip: Click Add Fields to select additional fields for search criteria.

Click Search.
Tip: To reset the list to display all attributes, click Reset.

Managing Alert Types


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Creating Alert Types


Editing Alert Types
Viewing Alert Types
Searching for Alert Types
Deleting Alert Types

Note: The Managing Alert Types feature is only available to administrators.

During the close process, users might encounter roadblocks such as a hardware failure, software
issues, system failure, and so on. They can create an alert identifying the problem, and attach it
to the task.
For example, a user is running an AP Period Close process and cant log on to the AP system.
The user creates the alert indicating Software Issue as the type and assigns it to the System
Administrator. The System Administrator resolves the login issue, then closes the alert or submits
it for approval.
You can maintain a list of alert types to categorize alerts.

Creating Alert Types


You can create alert types to group alerts into categories, such as hardware failure, software
issues, system failures, and so on.
Using alert types, you can analyze the types of issues that users encounter during the close cycle
and make changes to prevent them in future cycles.

To create an alert type:


1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Close Manager.

Under Manage, select Alert Types.

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Click New.

For Name, enter an alert type name.

For Description, enter an alert type description.

Click Enabled to enable the alert type.

Click OK to save the alert type.

Editing Alert Types


You can edit the names and descriptions of alert types, and specify whether they are Enabled.

To edit an alert type:


1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Close Manager.

Under Manage, select Alert Types.

Click Edit.

Edit the alert type.

Click OK.

Viewing Alert Types


In Manage Alert Types, you can specify which columns to display for the list of alert types, or
show all. You can also reorder columns, sort columns by ascending or descending order, or
change the column widths.

To display columns:
1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Manage, select Alert Types.

Do one or more of the following tasks:


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To display all columns, select View, then Columns, and then select Show All.
To display specific columns, select View, then Columns, and select or deselect the column
names.
To reorder columns, select View, and then Reorder Columns, select columns and use the
Up or Down arrows or drag them to change the order.
To sort columns, hover over a column header until the Sort icons are displayed, and
then click Sort Ascending or Sort Descending.
To change column widths, hover over the column header dividers until the arrows
display, and drag the columns to the desired width.

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Searching for Alert Types


You can use the Manage Alert Types dialog box to find alert types. You can enter full or partial
names on which to search.

To search for alert types:


1

Under Manage, select Alert Types.

Click the > sign to expand the Search box.

Enter a partial or full name on which to search.

Optional: For additional search operators (such as Contains, Starts with, Ends with), click Advanced,
and enter search criteria.
Tip: Click Add Fields to select additional fields for search criteria.

Click Search.
Tip: To reset the list to display all alert types, click Reset.

Deleting Alert Types


You can delete alert types. When an alert type is deleted, the alert is not deleted; rather it loses
its alert type assignment.

To delete an alert type:


1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Close Manager.

Under Manage, select Alert Types.

In Manage Alerts, select the alert type.

Click Delete.

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11

Managing Task Types

In This Chapter
Task Types ................................................................................................ 179
Creating Task Types...................................................................................... 180
Setting Task Type Properties ............................................................................ 180
Setting Task Type Parameters........................................................................... 181
Specifying Task Type Instructions....................................................................... 181
Specifying Task Type Questions ........................................................................ 182
Assigning Task Type Attributes.......................................................................... 183
Working With Task Type Rules .......................................................................... 185
Viewing Task Type History ............................................................................... 186
Editing Task Types ....................................................................................... 187
Viewing Task Types....................................................................................... 188
Searching for Task Types ................................................................................ 188
Importing Task Types .................................................................................... 189
Exporting Task Types..................................................................................... 190
Deleting Task Types ...................................................................................... 190

Task Types
Task Types are saved definitions of commonly performed tasks. They identify and categorize
tasks commonly performed during a close period, for example, Data Entry or General Ledger
Extract. Task Types enable you to set default information, such as settings that must be input
by the user, and questions or instructions that are shared by all tasks of that type. For example,
if you have a set of required questions to be answered by users responsible for data loads, you
can create a Data Load Task Type with the required questions. When you create data load tasks,
you can select the Data Load Task Type and the questions are automatically included in the tasks.
Two predefined Task Types are installed by default:
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Basic Task: Basic Task Type that does not contain instructions, questions, or attributes.

Parent Task: Enables you to create parent tasks to define task hierarchies.

To create and manage Task Types, you must be assigned the Service Administrator or Power
User security role. Power Users can create their own Task Types, but can only view those of
others.

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Creating Task Types


Task Types enable you to set default information for a task, such as settings that need to be input
by the user, or questions or instructions that are shared by all tasks of that type.

To create a Task Type:


1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Close Manager.

Select Manage, and then select Task Types.

Click New.

See also:

Setting Task Type Properties on page 180

Setting Task Type Parameters on page 181

Specifying Task Type Instructions on page 181

Specifying Task Type Questions on page 182

Working With Task Type Rules on page 185

Viewing Task Type History on page 186

Setting Task Type Properties


The Properties tab enables you to set the name, ID, and description, and associate an Integration
Type.
For End User Types, you can allow an Assignee to open a pending task prior to the scheduled
time, if all task predecessor conditions have been met.

To set Task Type properties:


1

Create a new Task Type.

The Properties tab is displayed by default.

Enter a name for the Task Type.

Enter a Task Type ID that can be used to identify the Task Type.

Enter a Task Type description.

To specify an Integration Type, click Browse to search for and select an Integration Type, then click
OK. Selecting an Integration Type enables the Task Type to inherit the parameters from that Integration
Type.

Optional: For an End-User Type, select Allow Early Start to allow the Assignee to open the task before
the scheduled start time.

See also:
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Setting Task Type Parameters on page 181

Specifying Task Type Instructions on page 181

Specifying Task Type Questions on page 182

Working With Task Type Rules on page 185

Viewing Task Type History on page 186

Setting Task Type Parameters


The Parameters tab enables you to set the parameters for the Task Type.
Note: The Parameters tab is available only if you have selected an Integration Type that has

parameters that must be defined. Parameter values can be set at the Task Type level or at
the task level.
Some tasks contain parameters that need to be changed each time that they are applied to a
schedule. For example, date-driven parameters for Data Entry tasks may need to be set to the
current month each time they are added to a schedule. When you set Task Type parameters, you
can specify which parameters can be overridden during the scheduling process.

To set Task Type parameters:


1

Select Manage, and then select Task Types. Click New.

From the New Task Type dialog box, select the Parameters tab.

Enter parameter values as required.

Optional: To enable the parameter to be overridden at scheduling time, select Override at scheduling.

See also:
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Setting Task Type Properties on page 180

Specifying Task Type Instructions on page 181

Specifying Task Type Questions on page 182

Working With Task Type Rules on page 185

Viewing Task Type History on page 186

Specifying Task Type Instructions


You can create a set of instructions for completing tasks. You can also add references to
documents, files, or URLs to websites. For example, you can attach a policy document as a
reference, or a link to a product instruction guide.

To specify instructions:
1

Select Manage, and then select Task Types. Click New.

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Select the Instructions tab.

In Instructions, enter the instruction text.

To add a reference:
1

In the References section, click Add.

From the Type list, select one of these types:


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Local File
Enter a name, click Browse to select and attach the file, and click OK.

URL
Enter a URL name, then enter the URL, for example: Oracle, http://www.oracle.com,
and click OK.

See also:
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Setting Task Type Properties on page 180

Setting Task Type Parameters on page 181

Specifying Task Type Questions on page 182

Working With Task Type Rules on page 185

Viewing Task Type History on page 186

Tip: To delete a reference, select the reference, and click Delete.

Specifying Task Type Questions


You can specify Task Type questions that apply to all tasks with that Task Type.
Note: The Questions tab is not available for a Task Type that uses an automated Integration

Type.

To specify questions:
1

Select Manage, and then select Task Types. Click New.

Select the Questions tab.

Click New.

From the New Question dialog box, for Question, enter the text for the question.

From the Type list, select a question type:

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Date

Date and Time

Integer

List
Enter a list of valid responses to the question.

Multi-Line Text
The maximum length should be less than 4,000 characters.
Enter the Number of Lines, from 3 to 50 lines. Multi-Line text determines how many
lines of text are visible, without scrolling, on the Actions dialog boxes.
Include Attachments- select if you want the custom attribute to include an attachments
section.

Assign a Role. The purpose of assigning a role is to determine which role can answer the question:
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Assignee

Approver

Owner

Viewer

Note: When re-ordering questions, you can only re-order within a role.

If the question is required, select Required.

The Required checkbox is disabled for Questions assigned to Owner or Viewer roles.

Click OK to save the question.

Optional: To change the order of questions, select a question, then click Move to Top, Move Up, Move
Down, or Move to Bottom.
Tip: To edit a question, select the question and click Edit. To remove a question, select the

question and click Delete.

10 Click Save and Close to save the Task Type.


11 See also:
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Setting Task Type Properties on page 180

Setting Task Type Parameters on page 181

Specifying Task Type Instructions on page 181

Working With Task Type Rules on page 185

Viewing Task Type History on page 186

Assigning Task Type Attributes


To locate Task Types in the system, you can apply attributes to the Task Type. When you select
an attribute, you can set a value for the attribute based on the attribute type. You can later filter
by the attribute value.

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For example, you may have a List attribute named Sales Region with the values of North, South,
East, and West. The current Task Type applies only to the West Sales Region, so you can add
the Sales Region attribute and set it to West.

To apply an attribute:
1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Close Manager.

Under Manage, select Task Types. Click New.

Select the Attributes tab.

Enables administrators to assign attributes and provide values for the attributes.
To add an attribute, select Actions, and then Add. Enter:
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Attribute
Select an attribute from the list of defined attributes.

Type
This noneditable field is populated by the Attribute.

Value
Select a value associated with the type of attribute; for example, a numeric value for
Formatted Number attribute, a List for List attribute, multiple lines of displayed text
without scrolling for Multi-Line Text, a name of a person, User, or Yes or No for the
Yes/No attribute.

Access
All roles have view access unless otherwise specified in the Access box.
To add an access, for each of the roles:
a. Click Add.
b. Select a role: Owner, Assignee, Approver, with separate roles for each Approver level
currently in use in the application, or Viewer.
c. Select one of the Role access types.
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Do Not DisplayDoes not see this attribute on the Task Actions dialog box, or
in any of the dashboards, list views, or reports.
Allow EditsHas the ability to add, change, and remove values for the attribute,
but subject to the editability rules.
RequiredRequires a value for the attribute. The Required option is available
for Assignees and Approvers. Until a value is provided, Assignees are prevented
from submitting, and Approvers are prevented from approving.

d. Click OK.

Click OK.

See also:

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Setting Task Type Properties on page 180

Setting Task Type Parameters on page 181

Specifying Task Type Instructions on page 181

Specifying Task Type Questions on page 182

Working With Task Type Rules on page 185

Viewing Task Type History on page 186

Working With Task Type Rules


Task Type Rules apply to all Tasks of the same Task Type and thus serve as a convenient
mechanism to apply rules to groups of Tasks. Rules configured on the Task Type dialog propagate
down to the Edit Task Dialog, appearing on the Rules tab in that dialog, in read-only form for
template tasks, and copied to schedule tasks.
Available task type rules:
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Auto Approve TaskAutomatically completes specified approvals only if specified


conditions have been met..

Example of conditions that could apply to this rule: If attributes have specified values (including
calculated attributes)
When conditions are satisfied, the specified approver levels are marked as complete, thus
progressing workflow to the next approval level, or to Closed if no additional approval levels
exist.
Auto Approve Task runs when the Task status changes to Open with Approver.
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Auto Submit TaskCauses a task to be submitted automatically if specified conditions are


met.

When conditions are satisfied, the assignee role is marked as complete, thus progressing
workflow to the first approval level, or to Closed if no approval levels exist.
Auto-Submit Task rule runs when the Task status changes from Pending to Open with Assignee.
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Prevent Task ApprovalThis rule prevents approval of a task based on attribute values, or
other characteristics. This rule runs when the Approver clicks Approve.
Prevent Task SubmissionThis rule prevents submission of a task based on attribute values,
or other characteristics. This rule runs when the Assignee clicks Submit.

To work with task type rules:


1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Close Manager.

Select Manage, and then select Task Types.

Click a task type and then click Edit.

Select the Rules tab. You can view the following information:

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OrderThe order of precedence.

RuleName of the Rule

ConditionsThe choice of what conditions must exist before running the rule

To edit a rule, on the Rules tab, click Edit and update:


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RuleSelect a rule.

DescriptionOptional. Explain why you configured the rule and how should be used.

Message (On some rules)


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Message to ApproverDefine an optional message to approver in a prevent task


approval rule.
Message to AssigneeDefine an optional message to assignee in a prevent task
submission rule.

Approver LevelSelect the rule for all levels or select the Approver levels.
Note: The Approver Level must be set on the Auto Approve Task rule, and the Prevent

Task Approval rule.


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Select Create Filter and populate the conditions section or select Use Saved Filter, and
then select a filter. The filter selected and configured for the rule determines the
conditions that trigger the rule to apply.
ConditionsSelect one:
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Use Saved FilterThe Conditions section displays a read-only version of the


conditions associated with the saved filter.
Create FilterThe Condition section is enabled.
Conjunction, Source, Attribute, Operand, and Value behave as they do for the
existing advanced filter feature.

Filter TaskSpecify on which task the conditions should be selected: Current Task, Any
Predecessor, Specific Task (Provide the Task ID).

See also:
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Setting Task Type Properties on page 180

Setting Task Type Parameters on page 181

Specifying Task Type Instructions on page 181

Specifying Task Type Questions on page 182

Viewing Task Type History on page 186

Viewing Task Type History


The system maintains a history of Task Type actions, which you can view from the Manage Task
Types dialog box. The History tab displays the components that were updated, the modification

186

type, the old and new values, the user who made the modification, and the change date. The
information on the History tab is read-only and cannot be changed.

To view Task Type history:


1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Close Manager.

Select Manage, and then select Task Types.

Select a Task Type.

Click Edit.

Select the History tab.

When you finish, click Save and Close or Cancel.

See also:

Setting Task Type Properties on page 180

Setting Task Type Parameters on page 181

Specifying Task Type Instructions on page 181

Specifying Task Type Questions on page 182

Working With Task Type Rules on page 185

Editing Task Types


From the Manage Task Types dialog box, you can edit Task Types. For example, you can add
or delete attributes, edit parameters, add or delete questions, edit instructions, or change the
order of questions.
Editing Task Types may have an effect on tasks that are created from the Task Type. For tasks
in a template, the effect is immediate. Changes to the Task Type (instructions, questions, and
so on), are automatically updated in tasks of that type. There is no effect if you edit a Task Type
in a schedule.

To edit a Task Type:


1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Close Manager.

Select Manage, and then select Task Types.

Select the Task Type that you want to edit.

Use one of these methods:

Select Actions, and then Edit.

Click the Edit icon.

Right-click and select Edit.

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Select the tab for the information you want to edit and edit the Task Type.

Click Save and Close.

Viewing Task Types


In Manage Task Types, you can specify columns to display for the list of Task Types, or show
all. You can reorder columns, sort columns by ascending or descending order, or change the
column widths.

To display columns:
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Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Close Manager.

Select Manage, and then select Task Types.

Do one or more of the following tasks:


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To display all columns, select View, then Columns, and then select Show All.
To display specific columns, select View, then Columns, and select or deselect the column
names.
To reorder columns, select View, and then Reorder Columns, select columns and use the
Up or Down arrows or drag them to change the order.
To sort columns, hover over a column header until the Sort icons are displayed, and
then click Sort Ascending or Sort Descending.
To change column widths, hover over the column header dividers until the arrows
display, and drag the columns to the desired width.

Searching for Task Types


You can use the Task Types dialog box to find Task Types. You can enter full or partial names
on which to search.

To search for Task Types:


1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Close Manager.

Select Manage, and then select Task Types.

Click the Expand > sign to expand the Search box.

Enter full or partial search criteria for the Task Type.

Optional: For additional search operators (such as Contains, Starts with, Ends with), click Advanced,
and enter search criteria.

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Tip: Click Add Fields to select additional fields for search criteria.

Click Search.
Tip: To reset the list to display all Task Types, click Reset.

Importing Task Types


You can import Task Types or partial Task Type information from text files. The process is
similar to importing tasks into a template.
Note: Task Type rules cannot be imported. Use Migration to import Task Type rules.

To import Task Types, you must have the Service Administrator or Close Power User security
role.

To import Task Types:


1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Close Manager.

Under Manage, click Task Types.

Click Actions, and then Import.

Click Browse and navigate to the file.

Select an import option:


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ReplaceCompletely replaces the definition of a Task Type with the definition in the
import file. This option replaces all Task Type detail with the information that is in the
file that you are importing. It does not affect Task Types that are not specified in the
import file.
UpdateUpdates partial information for Task Types. This option is not a full
replacement of the Task Type details. Only details for the Task Type properties specified
in the file are updated.

The system displays a warning that task types matching a task type ID in the import file will
be modified. If you do not want to overwrite the task type, click Cancel.

Date Format

Select a Date Format from the drop-down list of allowed date formats. Date formats are not
translated. By default, the date format is set to the local date format of the exported file
location.
For example:
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MM/dd/yyyy

dd/MM/yyyy

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dd-MMM-yy

MMM d, yyyy

Click Import.

Exporting Task Types


You can export Task Types to a comma-separated values (CSV) file, which can be read by Excel,
then modify and reimport the file.
Note: Task Type rules cannot be exported. Use Migration to export Task Type rules.

To export Task Types:


1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Close Manager.

From Manage Task Types, select a Task Type, then click Export.

Click Save File, and then OK.

Select a location in which to save the file, and click Save.

Deleting Task Types


You can delete Task Types that you no longer need. To delete a Task Type, you must have Service
Administrator or Power User security rights.
Note: You cannot delete a Task Type if tasks belong to it.

To delete a Task Type:


1

From Manage Task Types, select the Task Type that you want to delete.

Use one of these methods:

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Select Actions, and then Delete.

Click the Delete icon.

Right-click and select Delete.

At the delete confirmation prompt, click Yes.

12

Managing Task Templates

In This Chapter
Creating Task Templates ................................................................................ 192
Opening Templates ...................................................................................... 199
Adding Tasks to Templates.............................................................................. 200
Editing Templates ........................................................................................ 200
Importing Tasks into Templates......................................................................... 200
Task Import File Format ................................................................................. 202
Exporting Tasks to Microsoft Excel...................................................................... 205
Reassigning Users ....................................................................................... 205
Creating Schedules from Templates.................................................................... 206
Manually Validating Templates ......................................................................... 208
Viewing Templates ....................................................................................... 209
Searching for Templates................................................................................. 209
Deleting Templates ...................................................................................... 210

A task template defines a repeatable set of tasks required for a close period. It is used as a basis
for creating schedules. You can create templates for different types of close periods, such as
monthly or quarterly. You use templates to generate schedules for specific close periods.
Template tasks are not assigned to specific days on a calendar, but are defined using generic days,
for example, day-3, day-2, day-1, day 0, based on close process activities. You apply the task flow
defined in the template to calendar dates when you create schedules.
If you are a Service Administrator or Power User, you can create, edit, delete, and have viewer
rights to templates.

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Creating Task Templates


Subtopics
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Setting Template Properties


Specifying Template Instructions
Assigning Viewers
Applying Template Attributes
Specifying Day Labels
Embedding Templates
Working With Template Rules
Viewing Template History

You can create templates for specific tasks, such as a Quarterly template to encompass all tasks
involved in a quarterly close. You might further define separate templates for a Headquarters
Quarterly Close and a Regional Quarterly Close.
When you create a template, you can assign users or groups as viewers.

To create a template:
1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Close Manager.

Select Manage, and then select Templates.

Click New.

Enter the necessary information in the template tabs:

Setting Template Properties on page 192

Specifying Template Instructions on page 193

Assigning Viewers on page 194

Applying Template Attributes on page 195

Specifying Day Labels on page 195

Embedding Templates on page 196

Working With Template Rules on page 197

Viewing Template History on page 199

Setting Template Properties


The Properties tab enables you to specify the template name, description, owner, and time span.
You must assign a template owner to every template, which must be a Service Administrator or
Power User. The current ID is the default owner. The template owner is also the default owner
of all tasks in the template unless overridden at the task level.

192

Tasks in a template are organized by numeric template days. Each template has a Day Zero,
which is usually the day the company closes its books. You can specify the number of days a
template tracks before and after the Zero day. Days before Day Zero are represented as Day-5,
Day-4, and so on. Days after Day Zero are represented as Day 3, Day 4, and so on. A template
has at least one day (Day Zero), even if you do not specify days before or after it.

To set template properties:


1

From the New or Edit Template dialog, on the Properties tab, enter:
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Name

Description

Organizational Unit

Enter the time span for the template.


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For Number of Days Before Day 0, select a number.

For Number of Days After Day 0, select a number.

For Owner, use the default owner or click Select Owner


. Administrators, or Power Users
configured with the Administrator or Power User roles are the only roles that will display when the user
clicks Search to select a user to assign as an Owner. Any member of the Shared Services group can
perform the role, but the same person cannot perform more than one role.

Enter the necessary information in the template tabs:


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Specifying Template Instructions on page 193

Assigning Viewers on page 194

Applying Template Attributes on page 195

Specifying Day Labels on page 195

Embedding Templates on page 196

Working With Template Rules on page 197

Viewing Template History on page 199

Specifying Template Instructions


You can specify instructions in the template for completing the close process. Users can view
the instructions from tasks in the template. The instructions are also transferred to each schedule.
You may also want to supply additional detail to help users understand the purpose of the
template and how to complete the tasks. You can attach additional references.

To specify template instructions:


1

From the New or Edit Template dialog, select the Instructions tab.

In Instructions, enter instruction text for each task in the template to include.

Click OK.

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To add a reference:
1

In the References section, click Add.

From the Type list, select one of these types:


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Local File
Enter a name, click Browse to select and attach the file, and click OK.

URL
Enter a URL name, then enter the URL, for example: Oracle, http://www.oracle.com.
and click OK.

Enter the necessary information in the template tabs:


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Setting Template Properties on page 192

Assigning Viewers on page 194

Applying Template Attributes on page 195

Specifying Day Labels on page 195

Embedding Templates on page 196

Working With Template Rules on page 197

Viewing Template History on page 199

Assigning Viewers
The Viewers tab enables you to assign viewer rights to users who may view tasks in the schedule
and schedule tasks that are generated from the template. You can assign multiple users to a
template as viewers. Viewers can be a group assignment. A Power User viewer can view the
template details and template tasks as read-only. A Close User viewer has no template access,
and only read-only access to schedules produced from the template.

To assign viewer rights:


1

From the New or Edit Template dialog, select the Viewers tab.

Click Add.

To search by users or groups, click Search Users, then select Users, Groups, or Teams.

Enter a full or partial user name, then click Search.

To specifically identify a user, click Advanced, then enter a User ID, Email address, or Description.

From the Search Results list, select IDs, then move them to the Selected box.

For additional details about the user, such as groups and roles, click Details.

Click Add or Add All to move users to the Selected list.


Tip: To remove users, select them and click Remove or Remove All.

194

Enter the necessary information in the template tabs:

Setting Template Properties on page 192

Specifying Template Instructions on page 193

Applying Template Attributes on page 195

Specifying Day Labels on page 195

Embedding Templates on page 196

Working With Template Rules on page 197

Viewing Template History on page 199

Applying Template Attributes


To locate templates in the system, you can apply attributes to the template. When you select an
attribute, you can set a value for the attribute based on the attribute type. You can later filter by
the attribute value.
For example, you may have a List attribute named Sales Region with the values of North, South,
East, and West. The current template applies only to the West Sales Region, so you can add the
Sales Region attribute and set it to West.

To apply an attribute:
1

From the New or Edit Template dialog, select the Attributes tab.

Click Add.

From the Attribute list, select an attribute.

For Value, depending on the attribute, select a value for the attribute from a drop-down list, or enter a
value.

Click OK.

Enter the necessary information in the template tabs:


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Setting Template Properties on page 192

Specifying Template Instructions on page 193

Assigning Viewers on page 194

Specifying Day Labels on page 195

Embedding Templates on page 196

Working With Template Rules on page 197

Viewing Template History on page 199

Specifying Day Labels


You can customize the names of days in the template. For example, you can rename Day 2 to
Data Entry Day. Editing the name of the day does not change its sequential order.
Day Labels created in a template are copied to any schedule created from the template.

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To specify day labels:


1

From the New or Edit Template dialog, select the Day Labels tab.

Select a day to rename.

Rename the day from its default value to a custom name.

Click OK.

Enter the necessary information in the template tabs:


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Setting Template Properties on page 192

Specifying Template Instructions on page 193

Assigning Viewers on page 194

Applying Template Attributes on page 195

Embedding Templates on page 196

Working With Template Rules on page 197

Viewing Template History on page 199

Embedding Templates
You can reuse tasks from one template in another by embedding a template into another
template. When you schedule tasks for a template, tasks for embedded templates are also
scheduled.
For example, the Quarterly close process may be the same as the Monthly close process with
some additional quarterly-only tasks. Instead of copying the Monthly template, you can specify
that the Quarterly template embeds the Monthly template so if you change the Monthly template,
you do not need to update the Quarterly. When you generate a schedule from the Quarterly
template, the schedule includes the tasks from the Monthly template.
Note: Only one level of embedding is possible. For example, if Template A is embedded in

Template B, then Template B cannot be embedded in another template.

To embed templates:
1

From the New or Edit Template dialog, select the Embedded Templates tab.

From the Available Templates list, select a template to embed.

Click Move to move the template to the Embedded Templates list.


Tip: To remove a template or templates, select the template from the Embedded Templates

list and click Remove or Remove All to move it to the Available Templates list.

Click OK.

Enter the necessary information in the template tabs:


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Setting Template Properties on page 192

Specifying Template Instructions on page 193

Assigning Viewers on page 194

Applying Template Attributes on page 195

Specifying Day Labels on page 195

Working With Template Rules on page 197

Viewing Template History on page 199

Working With Template Rules


Template rules apply to all tasks in the template, and rules are also applied to groups of tasks.
Rules that you configure in the Template dialog box apply to the Schedule dialog box and the
Edit Task dialog box, and they are displayed on the Rules tabs, in read-only form.
Template rules:
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Auto Approve TaskAutomatically completes specified approvals if specified conditions


have been met.

Examples of conditions that could apply to this rule:


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Attributes have specified values (including calculated attributes)

Predecessor task contains an attribute with a specified value

When conditions are satisfied, the rule causes the specified approver levels to be marked as
complete, and workflow progresses to the next approval level or is closed if no additional
approval levels exist.
This rule runs when the Task status changes to Open with Approver.
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Auto Submit TaskAutomatically submits a task if specified conditions are met.

When conditions have been satisfied, the rule causes the assignee role to be marked as complete,
thus progressing workflow to the first approval level, or to Closed if no approval levels exist.
Notes:
1. Auto Submit Task runs when the Task status changes from Pending to Open with Assignee.
Auto Submit Task rule honors predecessor relationship. It will only run when FINISH-TOFINISH predecessors have completed without error and FINISH ERROR-TO-FINISH
predecessors have completed. When a FINISH-TO-FINISH predecessor is Closed by either
user or rules, it should check for its RUNNING successors and trigger Auto Submit Task
rules if necessary.
2. Auto Submit Task rule is not triggered when the task has missing parameters.
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Prevent Task ApprovalThis rule prevents approval of a task based on attribute values, or
other characteristics. This rule runs when the Approver clicks Approve.
Prevent Task SubmissionThis rule prevents submission of a task based on attribute values,
or other characteristics. This rule runs when the Assignee clicks Submit.

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To work with template rules:


1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Close Manager.

Select Manage, and then select Templates.

Double-click a template.

Select the Rules tab. You can view the following information:

OrderThe order of precedence.

RuleSelect the Rule

ConditionsThe choice of what conditions must exist before running the rule

To create or edit a rule, on the Rules tab, click Create or Edit and update:
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RuleSelect a rule.

DescriptionOptional. Explain why you configured the rule and how should be used.

Approver LevelSelect the rule for all levels or select the Approver levels

Select Create Filter and populate the conditions section or select Use Saved Filter, and
then select a filter. The filter selected and configured for the rule determines the
conditions that trigger the rule to apply.
ConditionsSelect one:
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Use Saved FilterThe Conditions section displays a read-only version of the


conditions associated with the saved filter.
Create FilterThe Condition section is enabled.
Conjunction, Source, Attribute, Operand, and Value behave as they do for the
existing advanced filter feature.

Filter Task Specify on which task the condition should be selected: Current Task, Any
Predecessor, Specific Task (Provide the Task ID).

To delete, duplicate, or reorder a rule, click the appropriate button and follow the instructions.

Enter the necessary information in the template tabs:


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Setting Template Properties on page 192


.

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Specifying Template Instructions on page 193

Assigning Viewers on page 194

Applying Template Attributes on page 195

Specifying Day Labels on page 195

Embedding Templates on page 196

Viewing Template History on page 199

Viewing Template History


The system maintains a history of template actions, which you can view from the Template
dialog box. The History tab displays the components that were created or updated, the
modification type, the old and new values, the user who made the modification, and the change
date. The information on the History tab is read-only.

To view template history:


1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Close Manager.

Select Manage, and then select Templates.

Select a template for which to view history.

Click Edit.

Select the History tab.

Click OK.

Enter the necessary information in the template tabs:

Setting Template Properties on page 192

Specifying Template Instructions on page 193

Assigning Viewers on page 194

Applying Template Attributes on page 195

Specifying Day Labels on page 195

Embedding Templates on page 196

Working With Template Rules on page 197

Opening Templates
You can open templates from the Manage Templates dialog box.

To open a template:
1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Close Manager.

Under Manage, select Templates.

From Manage Templates, select a template.

Use one of these methods:

Select Actions, and then Open.

Click the Open icon.

Right-click and select Open.

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Adding Tasks to Templates


You can add tasks to templates. Each task has a start date and time. End-User tasks also have an
end date and time, and System-Automated tasks have a duration when added to a template. The
start day in a template corresponds to template days, rather than to calendar days.

To add a task to a template:


1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Close Manager.

Under Manage, select Templates.

Select and open a template.

Add tasks as required.

Click OK.

Editing Templates
You can edit templates to change the properties, such as the name of a template and the number
of days before and after Day Zero. If you reduce the number of days before or after the Day Zero,
tasks associated with those days are removed. Editing a template has no effect on schedules
previously generated from that template.
You can edit, copy, and delete tasks in a template.
You must be working in the source template to edit tasks from embedded templates.

To edit a template:
1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Close Manager.

Select Manage, and then select Templates.

Select a template and click Actions, and then select Edit.

Edit the template properties.

Click OK.

Importing Tasks into Templates


You can import tasks, or partial task data, from text files such as a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet,
into a template. For example, you can enter task definitions as rows in Excel, save the file as a
comma-separated values (CSV) file, and then import it into a template. You can also use the
Import feature to quickly add many repetitive tasks by editing the fields in a text file and
importing it, rather than creating individual tasks.

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Note: Before you import tasks into a template, you must specify task IDs that are unique in the

template to ensure that no two tasks have the same ID.


To import tasks, you must have security rights to edit the template.
Three options are available for importing tasks into a template:
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Replace
Replaces the definition of a task with the definition in the import file. This option replaces
the task detail with the detail that is in the file that you are importing. It does not affect other
tasks in the template that are not specified in the import file.

Replace All
Imports a new set of tasks that replaces the tasks in a template. This option is useful when
you want to replace a template in one system with an updated definition from another
system. Tasks that are not specified in the import file are deleted from the template.

Update
Updates partial information for tasks. For example, in the import file, you might have made
changes to task instructions, reassigned Owners, Assignees, and Approvers, or removed
some attributes and added new attributes. You might also have made the same change to a
large number of tasks, for example, adding a new attribute to 100 of 400 tasks. The update
option is not a full replacement of the task details. Only details for the task properties
specified in the file are updated. For example, if the import file has only a column for a task
instructions, the task name, Assignee, attributes, and other properties are not affected.

To import tasks into a template:


1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Close Manager.

Under Manage, select Templates.

From Manage Templates, select a template into which to import tasks.

Click Import Tasks.

Enter the name of the file to import, or click Browse to find the file.

Select an import option:


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ReplaceReplaces the definition of a task with the definition in the import files. It does
not affect other tasks that are not specified in the import file.
UpdateUpdates partial information for tasks. For example, in the import file, you
might have made changes to task instructions, reassigned Owners, Assignees, and
Approvers, or removed some attributes and added new attributes. You might also have
made the same change to a large number of tasks, for example, adding a new attribute
to 100 of 400 tasks. The update option is not a full replacement of the task details. Only
details for the task properties specified in the file are updated. For example, if the import
file has only a column for a task instructions, the task name, Assignee, attributes, and
other properties are not affected.

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Note: The system displays a warning that tasks in the template that match a task ID in the

import file will be modified. If you do not want to overwrite the task, click Cancel to
cancel the import process.

Date Format

Select a Date Format from the drop-down list of allowed date formats. Date formats are not
translated. By default, the date format is set to the locale date format of the exported file
location.
For example:

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MM/dd/yyyy

dd/MM/yyyy

dd-MMM-yy

MMM d, yyyy

Click Import.

If the import is successful, the Import Success dialog box is displayed, indicating that the
template name, the name of the file containing the tasks, and the total number of tasks
imported. Click OK.
If errors are found, the import process is not run, and the Import Errors dialog box displays
errors. View the errors, then click OK to return to Manage Templates.

Task Import File Format


The task import file enables you to specify the task information that you want to import into a
template. The first row contains only the column headings that identify the data in that column,
for example, TaskName. Separate rows are used to define each task.
Each task in the file must be given a unique ID in the TaskID column. You use the numeric IDs
to uniquely identify predecessors and parent tasks. For example, when you enter a parent task
in the Parent column, you enter the numeric ID of the task rather than the task name.
When you use the Replace or Replace All options, you can add, remove, and shift the columns
but you cannot remove required columns. When you use the Update option, there are no
required columns except TaskID, or TaskTypeID when you are importing Task Types. The data
in each column must match the column ID in the first row.
Many column IDs may have an indeterminate amount of values. For example, a task may have
many viewers. You can add parameters by modifying the ending number, for example, Viewer4,
Viewer5, and so on.
The numbers that you append to the column IDs for Approvers, Questions, or References only
represent the relative order with the other approvers, questions, or references. When you update
these, the system matches by the name of the approver, question, or reference without regard
to the number in the file format column. To replace question text, approvers, or reference names,
you must use Replace mode. When you select Update mode, the system only adds a new question,
approver, or reference if the file names do not match.

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All Text Lookup rows in the file must match values stored in the application. For example, if
you are importing Task Types, you must have specified values for them when you set up the
application. For groups of column headings, if you have a certain number of one of the group,
you must have the same number for other members. For example, if you have QText5, there
must be a corresponding QType5.

Column ID

Description

Type

TaskID

ID of task. Maximum of 80 characters.

Text

TaskName

Name of task

Text

TaskType

Task Type

Text Lookup

Description

Full description of task. Maximum of 1000 characters.

Text

Priority

Task priority (High, Medium, Low)

Text Lookup

StartDate

Start date, in template days (for example, -5, 0, 1, 12)

Integer

For schedules, the start date must be a calendar date in the locale format.
StartTime

Start time in HH:MM (24-hour), for example: 13:00

Integer

EndDate

User tasks only, in template days (for example, -5, 0, 1, 12)

Integer

For schedules, the end date must be a calendar date in the locale format.
EndTime

User tasks only, in HH:MM (24-hour), for example, 13:00

Integer

Duration

Task duration in minutes (automated tasks only)

Number

Owner

Task owner

Text Lookup

Assignee

Task Assignee (user tasks only)

Text Lookup

Active

Whether the task is active. Only applies to template import.

Boolean

StartEarly

Whether the Assignee is allowed to open a pending task prior to the scheduled start time

Boolean

RunAs

RunAs user name. Only applicable for system-automated tasks.

Text Lookup

Instruction

Instruction text. Maximum of 2 GB.

Text

Reference#

Instruction reference (URL and Content Server references)

URL

RefText#

Reference name, for URL references

Text

RefType#

Reference type (URL, Document)

Text Lookup

RefURL#

Reference URL, for URL references

URL

RefDocId#

Reference document ID, for document references

Integer

Approver#

Approver Level

User Name

Viewer#

Task viewer

User Name

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Column ID

Description

Type

QText#

Required for question. Text of question. Maximum of 255 characters.

Text

QType#

Required for question. Data type of question (Text, Member, True/False, and so on)

Text Lookup

QReq#

Required for question. Question required? (Yes or No)

Boolean

QList#

List of values for question, separated by | symbol, for example, Red|Green|Blue|


Yellow.

Text Lookup

QCurrSymbol#

Currency format for question X

Text

QDecPlaces#

Number of significant digits after the decimal places for question X

Number

QNegNumFmt#

Negative number format for question X

Text: - or ( )

QScale#

Scale format for question X

Number, in magnitude:
1000 and so on

QThouSep#

Thousand separator indicator for question X

Boolean

Attribute#

Attribute name, for example, Color

Text Lookup

AttrVal#

Attribute value, for example, Red. Maximum of 255 characters.

Text

AttrDisplay

Display to user (in task action dialog box) for attribute

Boolean

Param#

Parameter name

Text Lookup

ParmVal#

Parameter value

Text

Parent

Task ID of the task parent

Task ID

Predecessor#

Predecessor task ID (from column A)

Task ID

PredType#

Required. Predecessor type (for example, Finish to Start).

Text Lookup

PredTemplate#

Name of the predecessor template or schedule, if the predecessor belongs to a different


template or schedule

Text

When you import Task Types, these columns are used:


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TaskTypeID

IntegrationType

ParamOverride# - whether the parameter can be overridden

A sample task import file is provided. It contains these dynamic parameters, which you can
modify:
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Two questions

Two attributes

Two instructional references

Three predecessor tasks

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Three approver levels

Exporting Tasks to Microsoft Excel


You can export tasks from a template to a flat file in CSV format, then use Microsoft Excel to
modify the file. For example, you can export the tasks from a template in a test installation and
import them to a template in a production installation. When you export tasks from a template,
they are saved to a CSV file.

To export tasks:
1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Close Manager.

Under Manage, select Templates.

From Manage Templates, select a template from which to export tasks.

Click Export Tasks.

Click Save File, then click OK.

Select a location in which to save the file, and click Save.

Reassigning Users
You may periodically need to reassign users to different tasks. For example, you may create a
template and assign a user to certain tasks; however, later that employee leaves the company and
another employee assumes those tasks. You can use the Reassign feature in the Manage
Templates dialog box to automatically change assignments instead of manually searching for,
opening, and editing individual tasks. The Reassign feature enables you to quickly find the tasks
associated with one user and reassign them to another.
You can select the roles for which to reassign users. For example, if you select the Owner role,
the system reassigns the user only in tasks in which the user was assigned as the owner.

To reassign users:
1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Close Manager.

Under Manage, select Templates.

Select the template in which you want to reassign users.

Select Actions, and then Reassign User.

Click Find User and enter the search criteria for the user that you want to replace:

a. From the Select User dialog box, enter the first or last name for the user, and click
Search.

205

b. Select the user from the results, then click OK.

Click Replace with and enter search criteria for the user to whom you want to reassign tasks.

Select roles for the user that must be reassigned:

Owner

Assignee

Approver

Viewer

Click Reassign.

When the process ends, the system displays a Reassign Users - Success message that
indicates that the user reassignment is complete, and displays the template name and total
number of user reassignments made.

Creating Schedules from Templates


You can create schedules from templates. Creating a schedule from a template populates the
schedule with the tasks in the template. If the source template has embedded templates, the tasks
in the embedded templates are included. Template instructions, viewers, and attributes are also
added to the schedule.
You create schedules from templates from the Manage Templates dialog box. The Last Schedule
column shows the last schedule created from each template. The Schedules column shows the
total number of schedules created from each template.
To create a schedule from a template, you must have the Service Administrator or Power User
role.
The schedule starts in a Pending status, which gives you the opportunity to make final changes
in the definition.
When template tasks are added from a template to a schedule, they are assigned calendar dates
based on their relationship to the template Day Zero. The dates can also account for non-working
days of the schedule if you specified them. For example, if Day 0 is a Friday, the tasks for Day 1
are placed on the following Monday if you selected to exclude weekend days. The Date Map
displays the default calendar date assigned to each template day. You can use the Date Map
feature to adjust the date assignments.
A task in one template can have predecessor tasks in other templates. When you create a schedule
from a template, you can select predecessor tasks in schedules as predecessors for tasks with
predecessors in other templates. You use the Predecessor Task Links tab to select predecessor
tasks in schedules. The Predecessor Task Links tab lists all tasks with predecessors in other
templates, and enables you to select a predecessor in a schedule for these tasks.
When you create a schedule from a template, you can globally update the task parameters for a
Task Type if the parameters have the override option enabled.

206

To create a schedule from a template:


1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Close Manager.

Select Manage, and then select Templates.

Select the template that you want to schedule.

If the template was successfully validated, create the schedule: Click Actions, and then Create
Schedule.

On the Schedule Parameters tab, enter the following fields:


l

Schedule Name

Year

Period
Select a close period for the schedule.

Day Zero Date


Select the calendar date to assign to the template Day Zero.

Date Mapping
m

Organizational Unit

Calendar days

Working days

Advanced Configuration dialog box:


Click Advanced Configuration to override the Organizational Unit and Work Days
configuration for all tasks in the schedule.
Tip: You can create one global template and have that template create the proper

schedules for each regional entity, taking into consideration the holiday
calendars, time zones, and work day configurations of the entity.

Organizational Unit
Select one:
l

Use Task ValueSelect a value from the Organizational Unit


Set Value ToThe selected organizational unit is applied to all tasks in the
Schedule (even if the task in the template contained a different
Organizational Unit value). Since all tasks have the same Organizational
Unit, the Organizational Unit in the Date Mapping panel on the Schedule
from Template dialog box displays as Read Only.

Work DaysIf you do not assign an organizational unit to a task, and you do
not use the Override Work Days feature, than the application uses the following

207

default: Monday Friday are working days, and Saturday and Sunday are nonworking days.
m

Date MapFor each template day whose date assignment you want to modify, in
the Date column, enter the new date.

Optional: Select the Predecessor Task Links tab, select the schedule that contains the predecessor
task and in the Assigned Task list, select the predecessor task.

Optional: Select the Override Parameters tab, review the parameters, and for each parameter that you
want to modify, in the New Value column, enter a new value.
Note: This Override Parameters tab displays only tasks that use a Task Type in which at

least one parameter has the Override option enabled.

Click Create Schedule.

A schedule is created and populated with the tasks, instructions and viewers from the
template. It has a status of Pending. By default the schedule is opened into a view when
created.
Review the schedule and make adjustments as needed.

Manually Validating Templates


When you generate a schedule from a template, the system automatically validates the template
first to check for uniqueness violations, tasks that directly or indirectly depend on each other,
or a date-precedence mismatch. For example, you cannot have circular predecessors.
You can manually validate a template. Validation is particularly useful to check for problems
after you import tasks into a template from a file. If the template has an error, you can use the
navigation links in the validation results to navigate to the source of the error.

To manually validate a template:


1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Close Manager.

Under Manage, select Templates.

From Manage Templates, select the template that you want to validate.

Click Validate.

208

If no errors exist, the system displays a Template valid message.

If an error is displayed, click the link to the error.

Viewing Templates
In the Manage Templates dialog box, you can specify which columns to display for the list of
templates, or show all. You can also reorder columns, sort columns by ascending or descending
order, or change the column widths.

To display columns:
1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Close Manager.

Select Manage, and then select Templates.

Do one or more of the following tasks:


l

To display all columns, select View, then Columns, and then select Show All.
To display specific columns, select View, then Columns, and select or deselect the column
names.
To reorder columns, select View, and then Reorder Columns, select columns and use the
Up or Down arrows or drag them to change the order.
To sort columns, hover over a column header until the Sort icons are displayed, and
then click Sort Ascending or Sort Descending.
To change column widths, hover over the column header dividers until the arrows
display, and drag the columns to the desired width.

Searching for Templates


You can use the Manage Templates dialog box to quickly find templates. You can enter full or
partial names on which to search.

To search for templates:


1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Close Manager.

Under Manage, select Templates.

Click the > sign to expand the Search box.

Enter full or partial search criteria.

Optional: For additional search operators (such as Contains, Starts with, Ends with), click Advanced,
and enter search criteria.

Tip: Click Add Fields to select additional fields for search criteria.

Click Search.
Tip: To reset the list to display all templates, click Reset.

209

Deleting Templates
You can delete templates that you no longer need. To delete a template, you must have security
rights to the template.
Deleting a template removes it from the list of available templates and removes tasks associated
with it. It does not directly affect a running schedule, however some reporting and dashboard
metrics may use the template to link various schedule runs together, which are not possible if
the template is deleted.

To delete a template:
1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Close Manager.

Under Manage, select Templates.

From Manage Templates, select the template that you want to delete.

Click Delete.

At the confirmation prompt, click Yes.

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13

Managing Tasks

In This Chapter
Creating Tasks............................................................................................ 212
Setting Task Properties .................................................................................. 212
Setting Task Parameters................................................................................. 214
Specifying Task Instructions............................................................................. 214
Selecting the Workflow .................................................................................. 215
Adding Task Questions .................................................................................. 217
Setting Task Access...................................................................................... 219
Setting Task Predecessors .............................................................................. 219
Applying Task Attributes ................................................................................. 221
Working With Task Rules ................................................................................ 222
Viewing Task History ..................................................................................... 223
Working with the Task Dialog Box ...................................................................... 224
Importing and Exporting Tasks.......................................................................... 224
Editing Tasks ............................................................................................. 226
Sorting Tasks ............................................................................................. 226
Searching for Tasks ...................................................................................... 227
Moving Tasks ............................................................................................. 227
Cutting, Copying, and Pasting Tasks ................................................................... 227
Reopening Tasks ......................................................................................... 228
Submitting Tasks ......................................................................................... 228
Approving or Rejecting Tasks ........................................................................... 229
Managing Task Reassignments ......................................................................... 229
Deleting Tasks ............................................................................................ 230
Aborting Tasks............................................................................................ 230

Tasks are the core units of action in a close process, such as data entry or data consolidation.
l

End-user tasks require actions by end users, such as answering questions or approving.
System-automated tasks run without user intervention, such as an overnight feed from a
general ledger. The success or failure of the task process is displayed in the task detail.
Event monitoring tasks are tasks which allow products to monitor processes within external
applications.

211

Each task has different parameters depending on the Task Type. If you have Service
Administrator or Power User security rights, you can create, edit, or delete tasks.

Creating Tasks
You can add tasks to templates or schedules. If you create a task in a template, you assign the
start and end date as days before or after Day Zero. If you create a task in a schedule, you select
calendar dates for the start and end dates.
You can group tasks under parent tasks to provide a simpler view of the close process. After
viewing upper-level parent tasks, you can then drill into the underlying tasks. Child tasks of
parent tasks may have different owners than the parent task.
You can create a task using any of these methods:
l

Drag and drop the Task Type onto a template or schedule in a view.

Right-click on a task and select New.

Right-click on a day/date and select New.

Then enter information in the task tabs:


l

Setting Task Properties on page 212

Setting Task Parameters on page 214

Specifying Task Instructions on page 214

Selecting the Workflow on page 215

Adding Task Questions on page 217

Setting Task Access on page 219

Setting Task Predecessors on page 219

Applying Task Attributes on page 221

Working With Task Rules on page 222

Viewing Task History on page 223

Setting Task Properties


The Properties tab enables you to set the task name, task ID, description, task type, priority, start
and end date or duration.
You also use the Properties tab to specify task Owners and Assignees. During the close cycle, if
an Owner or Assignee is not available to work on the task (due to sick time, vacation, has left
the company, or is simply too busy), you can reassign users associated with a task, template, or
schedule. Template, schedule, and task Owners, Assignees, and Approvers may also reassign
their tasks.

212

For end-user tasks, you can allow an Assignee to open a pending task prior to the scheduled
time, if all task predecessor conditions have been met.

To set task properties:


1

Open a New Task.

On the Properties tab, enter:


l

Enter a Task Name of 80 characters or less.


Enter a Task ID that can be used to identify the task (required). Task IDs must be unique
within the template or schedule.
Enter a Description of 1000 characters or less.
Note: You can use carriage returns and URLs in Descriptions, Questions, and

Instructions.
l

Organizational Unit
Represents a hierarchical entity-type structure that you can use to model your
organization. Define a separate organizational unit for each entity for which separate
reporting is required, or for entities that require different configurations for any of the
following: time zones, holidays, work days, or viewer or commentator assignments.
Organizational Units are defined in system settings.

For Event Monitoring tasks, enter the Source.

Task Type (required)


Click Browse and select a Task Type.

Priority
Select a priority for the task:

High

Medium

Low

Owner
Use the default owner or click Select Owner
Services group.

to select a user, team, or Shared

Select Active to include this task in schedules generated from the template.
Note: This option is not available for tasks created in schedules.

Click Save and Close

See also:
l

Setting Task Parameters on page 214

Specifying Task Instructions on page 214

213

Selecting the Workflow on page 215

Adding Task Questions on page 217

Setting Task Access on page 219

Setting Task Predecessors on page 219

Applying Task Attributes on page 221

Working With Task Rules on page 222

Viewing Task History on page 223

Setting Task Parameters


The Parameters tab only contains data for tasks that are associated with an Integration Type and
have parameters. Integration Types provide links to external applications. On the Parameters
tab, you can set specific information about the task and how it is run. The parameters are passed
to the external application. For example, if the task contains a link to a data grid, you might use
the Parameters tab to select a point of view for the grid.

To set task parameters:


1

From the New Task dialog box, select the Parameters tab.

If the parameter values are not entered by the task type, you may enter the required parameter values.
Note: If the parameters are not defined when the task is ready to start, an email is sent to

the task owner. The task waits to start until the values are provided.

See also:
l

Setting Task Properties on page 212

Specifying Task Instructions on page 214

Selecting the Workflow on page 215

Adding Task Questions on page 217

Setting Task Access on page 219

Setting Task Predecessors on page 219

Applying Task Attributes on page 221

Working With Task Rules on page 222

Viewing Task History on page 223

Specifying Task Instructions


Task owners can create a set of instructions for completing the task. All other users who have
access to the task are only able to read the instructions. If there are task instructions that are

214

inherited from the Task Type, template, or schedule, that instruction text is displayed above the
instruction text box and is read-only.
For template tasks, the Template and Task Types instructions are viewable but not editable.

To specify instructions:
1

From the New Task dialog box, select the Instructions tab.

Enter the Instructions which can have unlimited characters.

To add a reference:
1

In the References section, select Actions, and then Add, or select the Add icon.

From the Type list, select one of these types:


l

Local File
Enter a name, click Browse to select and attach the file, and click OK.

URL
Enter a URL name, then enter the URL, for example: Oracle, http://www.oracle.com.

See also:
l

Setting Task Properties on page 212

Setting Task Parameters on page 214

Selecting the Workflow on page 215

Adding Task Questions on page 217

Setting Task Access on page 219

Setting Task Predecessors on page 219

Applying Task Attributes on page 221

Working With Task Rules on page 222

Viewing Task History on page 223

Selecting the Workflow


To select the workflow:
1

From the New Task dialog box, select the Workflow tab.

The Workflow tab contains the Assignee and Approver assignments. Enter this information for the
Assignee:
l

AssigneeThe user names available for selection as preparer are only those users
authorized with the preparer role. To select to assign an Assignee to a named user or
Shared Services Group, click

215

For an End-User task, for Assignee, click Select Assignee

to find a user.

Note: The Assignee can be an individual user, group, or team. If you do not select an

Assignee, the owner becomes the default Assignee. Parent and automated tasks
have no Assignees.
l

BackupIf you assigned a user for the primary Assignee, you can assign a backup user
authorized as an Assignee:
a. Click Backup

b. Enter the First Name and Last Name or click Search to select a backup user.
c. Click OK.
l

Starts
Select a start date, then select the time of day, in increments of 15 minutes, for the task
to start.

Ends
Select an end date, then select the time of day, in increments of 15 minutes, for the task
to end.

Optional: For Minimum Duration, enter the minimum duration of a task in the form of
Days, Hours, and Minutes. An At Risk criteria is based on the condition if the Start date
was missed AND (the End_date minus the Current_date is less than the minimum task
duration OR the End_Date minus the Start_Date is less than the minimum duration).
The At Risk tasks display in the Needs Attention Graph in the Status Chart of the
Dashboard.
Optional: For an End-User task, select Allow Early Start to allow the Assignee to open
the task before the scheduled start time.

Enter this information for the Approver:

216

Level Name

Backup

End Date

See also:
l

Setting Task Properties on page 212

Setting Task Parameters on page 214

Selecting the Workflow on page 215

Adding Task Questions on page 217

Setting Task Access on page 219

Setting Task Predecessors on page 219

Applying Task Attributes on page 221

Working With Task Rules on page 222

Viewing Task History on page 223

Adding Task Questions


Note: The Questions tab is not displayed for automated tasks or parent tasks.

When you create a task, you may want the Assignee to answer questions about their actions
before they indicate a task is complete. For example, you may ask if a certain process was followed
when completing that task.
You can specify questions on the task. You can specify various types of questions, such as Text,
Number, or True/False, and indicate whether they are required. If a question is required, the
user must respond or they cannot submit the task for approval. You can also order the questions
by using the Move Up and Move Down buttons.
For schedule tasks, users can respond to the questions from the Task Actions page. If you are
creating or updating a task in a template, an additional column displays, showing whether the
row is locked or unlocked to indicate whether the user can remove or update the questions.
Rows that are locked cannot be edited or deleted because they are inherited from the Task Type.
In templates, the Task Type questions are displayed, but are not editable.

To add a question:
1

From the New Task dialog box, select the Questions tab.

Click Add.

Enter the Question with 4000 characters or less.

From the Type list, select a type:


l

Date

Date and Time

Integer

List
Enter a list of valid responses to the question.

Multi-Line Text
The maximum length should be less than 4,000 characters.
Select Multi-Line Text, and then enter the Number of Lines, from 3 to 50 lines. MultiLine Text determines how many lines of text are visible without scrolling, on the Actions
dialog boxes.
Select Include Attachments if you want to include an attachments section.

Number

217

If you select Number, select number formatting options:


m

For Decimal Places, enter a value for the number of decimal places to display.
Select the Thousands Separator option if you want numbers to display a thousands
separator (for example, 1,000.00)
From the Currency Symbol list, select a currency symbol, for example, Dollars ($).
From the Negative Number list, select how to display negative numbers, for
example, (123).
From the Scale list, select a scale value for numbers, for example, 1000.

Text

True or False

User

Yes or No

Assign a Role (Assignee, Approvers, Owner, Viewer) to the question. Access is based on responsibilities.

If the question is required, select Required.


Note: The Required checkbox is disabled for Questions assigned to Owner or Viewer roles.

Click OK.

Optional: To change the order of questions, select a question, then click Move to Top, Move Up, Move
Down, or Move to Bottom.
Tip: To edit a question, select the question and click Edit. To remove a question, select the

question and click Delete.

218

See also:
l

Setting Task Properties on page 212

Setting Task Parameters on page 214

Specifying Task Instructions on page 214

Adding Task Questions on page 217

Setting Task Access on page 219

Setting Task Predecessors on page 219

Applying Task Attributes on page 221

Working With Task Rules on page 222

Viewing Task History on page 223

Setting Task Access


The Access tab enables you to add or remove Viewers and Approvers for the current task. It also
enables you to specify the order of approvers. You can specify up to ten approvers and an
unlimited number of viewers.

To set task access:


1

From the New Task dialog box, select the Access tab.

Enter the first or last name of the user, then click Search.

To specifically identify a user, click Advance, then enter a User ID, Email address, or
Description.
Tip: For additional details about the user, such as groups and roles, click Details.

Optional: To change the order of approvers, select users, then click Move to Top, Move Up, Move
Down, or Move to Bottom.
Tip: To remove a user from the Approvers or Viewers list, select the user, then click Remove.

See also:
l

Setting Task Properties on page 212

Setting Task Parameters on page 214

Specifying Task Instructions on page 214

Selecting the Workflow on page 215

Adding Task Questions on page 217

Setting Task Predecessors on page 219

Applying Task Attributes on page 221

Working With Task Rules on page 222

Viewing Task History on page 223

Setting Task Predecessors


The Predecessors tab enables you to set predecessors for the current task. For template tasks,
you can choose a predecessor from another template, and for schedule tasks, you can choose a
predecessor from another schedule. You must assign a condition to the predecessor/successor
relationship.
A task does not need predecessor tasks as long as a start date and time is specified. If both are
specified, the task begins when the predecessor tasks are started or complete (for Finish-to-Start)
and the start date and time is reached.
You can set these conditions under which the predecessor relationship is established:

219

Note: Event Monitoring tasks can not have predecessors; however they can be predecessors to

other types of tasks.

Condition

Description

Finish to Start

Default. The task starts as soon as the predecessor task completes or finishes with warning.

Finish Error to Start

The task starts as soon as the predecessor task completes, even it is in error.

Finish Error to Finish

The task completes as soon as the predecessor task completes, even it is in error.

Finish to Finish

The task cannot be marked as Complete until the predecessor task is marked as complete. This is primarily used
for user tasks. For example, a user can start a document summary, but cannot mark it complete until the consolidated
data is final.

To set task predecessors:


1

From the New Task dialog box, select the Predecessors tab.

Click Add.

To search for a Predecessor:

a. Click Basic.
b. To refine the search, click Add Fields and select search fields; for example: Execution
Type, Start Date, End Date.
c. From each of the Condition lists, select a condition.
d. Click OK.

Select a predecessor task(s) and click OK.

See also:

220

Setting Task Properties on page 212

Setting Task Parameters on page 214

Specifying Task Instructions on page 214

Selecting the Workflow on page 215

Adding Task Questions on page 217

Setting Task Access on page 219

Applying Task Attributes on page 221

Working With Task Rules on page 222

Viewing Task History on page 223

Applying Task Attributes


To locate tasks in the system, you can apply attributes to the task. When you select an attribute,
you can set a value for the attribute based on the attribute type. You can later filter by the attribute
value.
For example, you may have a List attribute named Sales Region with the values of North, South,
East, and West. The current task applies only to the West Sales Region, so you can add the Sales
Region attribute and set it to West.

To apply task attributes:


1

From the Task dialog box, select the Attributes tab.

To add an attribute, select Actions, and then Add. Enter:


l

Attribute
Select an attribute from the list of defined attributes.

Type
This noneditable field is populated by the Attribute.

Value
Select a value associated with the type of attribute; for example: a numeric value for
Formatted Number attribute, a List for List attribute, multiple lines of displayed text
without scrolling for Multi-Line Text, a name of a person, User, or Yes or No for the
Yes/No attribute.

Access
All roles have view access unless otherwise specified in the table below.
To add an access, for each of the Text Box and Attachments tabs:
a. Click Add.
b. Select a role.
c. Select one of the Role access types:
m

Click OK.

See also:

Do Not DisplayDoes not see this attribute in any of the dashboards, list views,
or reports.
Allow EditsHas the ability to add, change, and remove values for the attribute,
but subject to the editability rules.
RequiredRequires a value for the attribute.

Setting Task Properties on page 212

Setting Task Parameters on page 214

Specifying Task Instructions on page 214

221

Selecting the Workflow on page 215

Adding Task Questions on page 217

Setting Task Access on page 219

Setting Task Predecessors on page 219

Working With Task Rules on page 222

Viewing Task History on page 223

Working With Task Rules


Task rules affect task behavior. These rules enable users to assign rules directly to tasks, especially
when, because a rule is unique to a task, assigning rules isnt appropriate at the Template,
Schedule, or Task Type level. These rules apply to the Tasks for which the rules were configured.
Available task rules:
l

Auto Approve TaskAutomatically completes specified approvals only if specified


conditions have been met.

Examples of conditions that could apply to this rule include:


l

Attributes have specified values (including calculated attributes)

Predecessor task contains an attribute with a specified value

When conditions are satisfied, the specified approver levels are marked as complete, thus
progressing workflow to the next approval level, or to Closed if no additional approval levels
exist.
This rule runs when the Task status changes to Open with Approver.
l

Auto Submit TaskAutomatically submits a task if specified conditions are met.

When conditions are satisfied, the assignee role is marked as complete, thus progressing
workflow to the first approval level, or to Closed if no approval levels exist.
This rule runs when the Task status changes from Pending to Open with Assignee.
l

Prevent Task ApprovalPrevents approval of a task based on attribute values, or other


characteristics. This rule runs when the Approver clicks Approve.
Prevent Task SubmissionPrevents submission of a task based on attribute values, or other
characteristics. This rule runs when the Assignee clicks Submit.

To work with task rules:


1

From the Task dialog box, double-click a task.

Select the Rules tab. You can view the following information:

222

OrderThe order of precedence.

RuleName of the Rule

ConditionsThe choice of what conditions must exist before running the rule

To edit a rule, on the Rules tab, click Edit and update:


l

RuleSelect a rule.

DescriptionOptional. Explain why you configured the rule and how should be used.

Approver LevelSelect the rule for all levels or select the Approver levels

Select Create Filter and populate the conditions section or select Use Saved Filter, and
then select a filter. The filter selected and configured for the rule determines the
conditions that trigger the rule to apply.
ConditionsSelect one:
m

Use Saved FilterThe Condition section displays a read-only version of the


conditions associated with the saved filter.
Create FilterThe Condition section is enabled.
Conjunction, Source, Attribute, Operand, and Value behave as they do for the
existing advanced filter feature.

Filter Task - Specify on which task the conditions should be selected: Current Task, Any
Predecessor, Specific Task (Provide the Task ID).

See also:
l

Setting Task Properties on page 212

Setting Task Parameters on page 214

Specifying Task Instructions on page 214

Selecting the Workflow on page 215

Adding Task Questions on page 217

Setting Task Access on page 219

Setting Task Predecessors on page 219

Applying Task Attributes on page 221

Viewing Task History on page 223

Viewing Task History


For each task, the system retains a history of the changes made to it; for example, a shift in dates
or change in ownership. Each change record includes the field, modification type such as added,
created, or changed, the old and new values, the user who made the change, and the date on
which the change was made. The information on this tab is read-only.

To view task history:


1

From the Task dialog box, select the History tab.

Select a task.

When you finish, click Save and Close.

223

Working with the Task Dialog Box


To view the Task dialog box:
1

On the Task List, double-click a task.

The Properties tab lists the following fields:


l

Task ID

Status

Schedule Name

Start and End Dates

Duration

Priority

Organizational Unit

Owner and Assignee

Task Type

Actual Start and End dates

Actual Duration

Parameters
Lists the Cluster, Application, Journal Name, and Journal Action Type.

Comments

Workflow

The Alerts and Related Tasks tabs display the current alerts and related tasks.

The History tab captures an audit trail of changes to the task.

To approve or reject a task, click Approve or Reject.

To create or delete a comment, click Actions, and then Create Comment or Delete Comment.

To abort, click Actions, and then Abort. The purpose of aborting a task (instead of performing a forced
close) is to prevent successors from continuing and to keep the process moving.

Click Close.

Importing and Exporting Tasks


To import tasks:
1

From a task, click Actions, and then Import.

Click Browse to find the import file.

Select an Import Type:

224

ReplaceReplaces the definition of a task with the definition in the import file. This
option replaces the task detail with the detail that is in the file that you are importing.
It does not affect other tasks in the schedule that are not specified in the import file.
UpdateUpdates partial information for tasks. For example, in the import file, you
might have made changes to task instructions, reassigned Owners, Assignees, and
Approvers, or removed some attributes and added new attributes. You might also have
made the same change to a large number of tasks, for example, adding a new attribute
to 100 of 400 tasks. The update option is not a full replacement of the task details. Only
details for the task properties specified in the file are updated. For example, if the import
file has only a column for a task instructions, the task name, Assignee, attributes, and
other properties are not affected.

Date Format

Select a Date Format from the drop-down list of allowed date formats. Date formats are not
translated. By default, the date format is set to the locale date format of the exported file
location.
For example:

MM/dd/yyyy

dd/MM/yyyy

dd-MMM-yy

MMM d, yyyy

Click Import.
Note: The system displays a warning that tasks in a schedule that match a task ID in the

import file will be modified. If you do not want to overwrite the task, click Cancel.

To export tasks:
1

From a task, click Actions, and then select Export.

Select export options:


l

For Rows: Select All Tasks or Selected Tasks


For Format: Select Formatted data (visible columns only) or Unformatted data for future
import

Click Export.

Select Open with Microsoft Office Excel (default) or select another program to open the file, or Save
File.

Click OK.

225

Editing Tasks
You can edit tasks depending on their status and your security rights. For example, you can edit
a task description, attributes, or end date.
For an Open task in a Task List, you cannot edit the start date, because the task has started. You
can only change the duration or the end date. You also cannot edit instructions, questions,
Assignee, or approver, and you cannot add, delete, or edit predecessors. You can reassign the
Assignee or approver from the Task Actions workflow.

To edit a task:
1

Select the task that you want to edit.

Right-click on the task and select Actions, and then Edit.

To edit task attributes:

Select the Attributes tab.


To add an attribute, select Actions, and then Add. Enter:
l

Attribute
Select an attribute from the list of defined attributes.

Type
This noneditable field is populated by the Attribute.

Value
Select a value associated with the type of attribute; for example: a numeric value for
Formatted Number attribute, a List for List attribute, multiple lines of displayed text
without scrolling for Multi-Line Text, a name of a person, User, or Yes or No for the
Yes/No attribute.

Click Save and Close.

Sorting Tasks
From the Task List, you can sort tasks by ascending or descending order. You can sort by Schedule
Name, Status, Owner, Start or End Date, or Duration.

To sort tasks:
1

Open a task list.

Hover over a column header until the Sort icons display, and then click Sort Ascending or Sort
Descending.

226

Searching for Tasks


You can use the Task Find feature to find specific tasks. For example, you might enter load to
find load tasks. You can search using full or partial words. You can scroll through the results
using the Previous and Next buttons.

To search for a task:


1

From the left pane, expand Task Find.

Enter a task name in the search field, and click Find Task.

Click Previous or Next to find the previous or next task that matches the search criteria.

Moving Tasks
You can use views to move tasks. For example, in the Calendar view, you can move tasks to a
different day.

To move a task:
1

Select a task.

Right-click on the task and drag it to a new location, or cut, copy, and paste the task.

Navigate to the target destination for the task and click OK.

Cutting, Copying, and Pasting Tasks


You can use views to cut and copy tasks in templates and schedules. For example, in the Calendar
view, you can copy a task from one day in the calendar and paste it to another. You can copy a
task from one schedule or template and paste it into another.
When you paste a task, the Task Details dialog box opens and enables you to modify the task
that you are pasting.
If you paste a task onto a parent task, the pasted task becomes a child of the parent task. If you
paste a task onto a child task, the pasted task becomes a sibling of the child task.
Note: Cut, Copy, and Paste features are not available for parent tasks. The Cut function is not

available for scheduled (open or closed) tasks.

To cut, copy, or paste a task:


1

Select a task.

Right-click on the task and select an action, or from the main toolbar, click a toolbar button:
l

Select Cut to cut the task and store it on the clipboard.

Select Copy to copy the task and store it on the clipboard.

227

Right-click on the task, then select Paste, or from the main menu toolbar, select Paste.

The Task Details dialog box opens and enables you to make changes to the task that you are
pasting.

Click OK to complete the paste operation.

The task is inserted and the views and filter views are refreshed to display the pasted task.

Reopening Tasks
You can reopen tasks and choose to reestablish the predecessor and successor relationships.

To reopen a task:
1

Select a closed task and double-click it.

On the Task Details dialog box, click Reopen. The Task Details dialog box is now editable.

On the Predecessors tab, add or delete predecessors and then click Save and Close.

The Confirmation dialog box is displayed.


Designate relationships:
l

Designate predecessor tasks. Choose one:


m

If there are predecessors, then you can choose this option: Re-establish predecessor
relationships - Tasks will open in original order.
Ignore predecessor relationships - All tasks will re-open immediately.

Designate successor tasks:


a. Select Re-Open Successor Tasks. The successor list is displayed.
b. Select the successor tasks.

Click OK to close. The task details dialog box closes and the task reopens based on your selections.
Click OK, otherwise, click Cancel.

Submitting Tasks
To submit tasks:
1

Select the tasks that you need to submit.

To multiselect, press Ctrl for random selection or press Shift while you click the first and last
row in a range.

228

Do one:
l

Right-click and select Submit.

Actions panel: From Set Status, select Submit from the Status list.

Actions menu: Click Submit.

Click Yes in the confirmation dialog box.

Review any errors, and click OK

Approving or Rejecting Tasks


To approve or reject tasks:
1

Select the tasks that you need to submit.

To multiselect, press Ctrl for random selection or press Shift while you click the first and last
row in a range.

Do one:
l

Right-click and select Approve or Reject.

Actions panel: From Set Status, select Approve or Reject.

Actions menu: Click Approve or Reject.

Click Yes in the confirmation dialog box.

Review any errors, and click OK

Managing Task Reassignments


You can use the Actions panel to work on multiple tasks simultaneously.
From the Task Actions dialog box, workflow users (Assignees and Approvers) can request
reassignment of their workflow role for a single task. These requests require approval.
Administrators and schedule/template Owners can reassign the task using the Edit Task dialog
box without requiring approval.

To request a reassignment:
1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Close Manager.

From Dashboards, select Task List.

Click on a task to open the Task Actions dialog box.

Click the Actions menu and select Request Reassignment.

Enter or click Search to find the reassignment.

Select what tasks to reassign:

Selected Tasks

Selected and Future Tasks

Enter a Justification for the reassignment.

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Click OK and then Close on Task Actions.

Deleting Tasks
You can delete tasks that you no longer need. To delete a task, you must have Service
Administrator or Power User security rights.
In schedules, you can delete only tasks that have a status of Pending. You cannot delete tasks
that have a status of Open or Closed. If you delete a parent task, you can choose to delete just
the parent, or the parent and its children.

To delete a task:
1

Select the task that you want to delete.

Right-click on the task and select Delete, or from the main toolbar, click the Delete button.

At the delete confirmation prompt, click Yes.

Aborting Tasks
The purpose of aborting a task (instead of performing a forced close) is to prevent successors
from continuing and to keep the process moving:
l

230

When a Finish-to-Start or Finish-Error-to-Start predecessor is aborted, its successors


remain as Pending. To keep the process moving, you must edit the successors to remove the
aborted predecessor and to start the successors.
When a Finish-to-Finish or Finish-Error-to-Finish predecessor is aborted, to keep the
process moving, the task owner/schedule owner/close administrator must force a close of
the successor.

14

Managing Close Schedules

In This Chapter
Manually Creating Schedules ........................................................................... 231
Setting Required Task Parameters ..................................................................... 237
Opening Schedules ...................................................................................... 237
Editing Schedules........................................................................................ 238
Adding Tasks to Schedules ............................................................................. 238
Importing Tasks into Schedules ........................................................................ 239
Updating Tasks in Schedules ........................................................................... 240
Reassigning Users ....................................................................................... 241
Authorizing System-Automated Tasks.................................................................. 242
Setting Schedule Status................................................................................. 243
Viewing Schedule History................................................................................ 244
Validating Schedules .................................................................................... 245
Locking Schedules ....................................................................................... 245
Viewing Schedules ....................................................................................... 245
Searching for Schedules ................................................................................ 246
Deleting Schedules ...................................................................................... 247

A schedule defines a chronologically ordered set of tasks that must be executed for a specific
close period, and is the application of a template into the calendar. For example, you can apply
the Quarterly Close template to the Calendar as Q116 Close Schedule for the first Quarter, then
apply the template again as Q216 Close for the second quarter.
Schedules have a status of Pending, Open, Closed, or Locked. You can change the status of a
schedule from Pending to Open, or from Open to Closed or Locked.
Note: After a schedule is set to Open, it cannot be reset to Pending.

After a schedule is set to Locked, its status cannot be changed.

Manually Creating Schedules


To create a schedule, you must be an Administrator or Power User. A Power User can run Create
Schedule on a template or select New from Manage Schedules. You can manually define a

231

schedule from the Manage Schedules page, or create a schedule from a template. When you
create a schedule from a template, all values are inherited from the template definition.

To manually create a schedule:


1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Close Manager.

Select Manage, and then select Schedules.

From the Manage Schedules page, click New.

Enter schedule information on the schedule tabs:

Setting Schedule Properties on page 232

Adding Instructions to Schedules on page 233

Assigning Schedule Viewers on page 234

Applying Schedule Attributes on page 234

Adding Day Labels on page 235

Working With Schedule Rules on page 235

Viewing Schedule History on page 237

Setting Schedule Properties


The Properties tab enables you to set the name, description, start and end dates, and owners for
schedules. The schedule owner must be an Administrator or Power User. The default owner is
the current user. The start and end dates specify the initial date range for the schedule, however,
after the schedule is created, you can add tasks with dates earlier or later and the properties are
updated to reflect the earliest and latest dates.

To set schedule properties:


1

232

Create a new schedule and select the Properties tab:


l

Name

Description

Organizational Unit

Start DateStarting date for the schedule

End DateEnding date for the schedule

Year

Period

Day Zero DateThe date to assign as day zero

For Owner, use the default owner or click Select Owner

Status
Note: The schedule status is initially set to Pending and is display only.

Template Name

To save and close, click OK or click the another tab; all entries are saved.

Enter schedule information on the schedule tabs:


l

Adding Instructions to Schedules on page 233

Assigning Schedule Viewers on page 234

Applying Schedule Attributes on page 234

Adding Day Labels on page 235

Working With Schedule Rules on page 235

Viewing Schedule History on page 237

Adding Instructions to Schedules


You can specify instructions and supporting documents for a schedule, which are then inherited
by all tasks in the schedule.

To add instructions to a schedule:


1

Create a new schedule and select the Instructions tab.

In Instructions, enter instructions for the schedule.

To add a reference:

a. In the References section, Click Add.


b. From the Type list, select one of these types:
l

Local File
Enter a name, click Browse to select and attach the file, and click OK.

URL
Enter a URL name, then enter the URL, for example: Oracle, http://
www.oracle.com, and click OK.

To save and close, click OK or click the Viewers tab; all entries are saved.

Enter schedule information on the schedule tabs:


l

Setting Schedule Properties on page 232

Assigning Schedule Viewers on page 234

Applying Schedule Attributes on page 234

Adding Day Labels on page 235

Working With Schedule Rules on page 235

233

Viewing Schedule History on page 237

Assigning Schedule Viewers


The Viewers tab enables you to assign viewer rights for schedules. A schedule can have multiple
viewers, however they must have the product security roles. Viewers receive read-only access to
all tasks in the schedule.

To assign viewer rights:


1

Create a new schedule and select the Viewers tab.

Click Add.

To search by users or groups, click the Search Users button, then select Users, Groups, or Teams.

Enter a user name, or part of the name, then click Search.

To identify a user, click Advanced, then enter a User ID, Email address, or Description.

From the Search Results list, select users.

For additional details about the user, such as groups and roles, click Details.

Click Add or Add All to move users to the Selected list.


Tip: To remove users, select users, then click Remove or Remove All.

To save and close, click OK or click the Attributes tab; all entries are saved.

10 Enter schedule information on the schedule tabs:


l

Setting Schedule Properties on page 232

Adding Instructions to Schedules on page 233

Applying Schedule Attributes on page 234

Adding Day Labels on page 235

Working With Schedule Rules on page 235

Viewing Schedule History on page 237

Applying Schedule Attributes


To locate schedules in the system, you can apply attributes to the schedule. When you select an
attribute, you can set a value for the attribute based on the attribute type. You can later filter by
the attribute value.
For example, you may have a List attribute named Sales Region with the values of North, South,
East, and West. The current schedule applies only to the West Sales Region, so you can add the
Sales Region attribute and set it to West.

234

To apply an attribute:
1

Create a new schedule and select the Attributes tab.

Click Add.

From the Attribute list, select an attribute.

For Value, depending on the attribute, select a value for the attribute from a drop-down list, or enter a
value.

To save and close, click OK or click the Day Labels tab; all entries are saved.

Enter schedule information on the schedule tabs:


l

Setting Schedule Properties on page 232

Adding Instructions to Schedules on page 233

Assigning Schedule Viewers on page 234

Adding Day Labels on page 235

Working With Schedule Rules on page 235

Viewing Schedule History on page 237

Adding Day Labels


You use business day labels in the closing activity for a calendar day. Labels can mark a milestone
day or specify the purpose of the day.
When you add Day Labels to a template, they are copied to schedules created from the template.

To add a day label to a schedule:


1

Create a new schedule and select the Day Labels tab.

Add a day label to a specific date.

To save and close, click OK or click the History tab; all entries are saved.

Enter schedule information on the schedule tabs:


l

Setting Schedule Properties on page 232

Adding Instructions to Schedules on page 233

Assigning Schedule Viewers on page 234

Applying Schedule Attributes on page 234

Working With Schedule Rules on page 235

Viewing Schedule History on page 237

Working With Schedule Rules


Schedule rules apply to all tasks in the schedule and thus apply rules to groups of tasks. Rules
configured in the Schedule dialog box are copied to new schedule tasks.

235

Available schedule rules:


l

Auto Approve TaskAutomatically completes specified approvals only if specified


conditions have been met.

Example of conditions that could apply to this rule include: Attributes have specified values
(including calculated attributes).
When conditions are satisfied, the specified approver levels are marked complete, and workflow
progresses to the next approval level, or closes if no additional approval levels exist.
l

Auto Submit TaskAutomatically submits a task if specified conditions are met.

When conditions are satisfied, the Assignee role is marked complete, and workflow progresses
to the first Approval level, or closes if no Approval levels exist.
l

Prevent Task ApprovalPrevents approval of a task based on attribute values, or other


characteristics.
Prevent Task SubmissionPrevents submission of a task based on attribute values, or other
characteristics.

To view schedule rules:


1

Select Manage, and then select Schedules.

Double-click a schedule.

Select the Rules tab. You can view the following information:

OrderThe order of precedence.

RuleName of the Rule

ConditionsThe choice of what conditions must exist before running the rule

To edit a rule, on the Rules tab, click Edit and update:


l

RuleSelect a rule.

DescriptionOptional. Explain why you configured the rule and how should be used.

Approver LevelSelect the rule for all levels or select the Approver levels.

Select Create Filter and populate the conditions section, or select Use Saved Filter, and
then select a filter. The filter selected and configured for the rule determines the
conditions that trigger the rule to apply.
ConditionsSelect one:
m

Use Saved FilterThe Condition section displays a read-only version of the


conditions associated with the saved file.
Create FilterThe Condition section is enabled.
Conjunction, Source, Attribute, Operand, and Value behave as they do for the
existing advanced filter feature.

236

Filter TaskSpecify on which task the conditions should be selected: Current Task, Any
Predecessor, Specific Task (Provide the Task ID).

Enter schedule information on the schedule tabs:


l

Setting Schedule Properties on page 232

Adding Instructions to Schedules on page 233

Assigning Schedule Viewers on page 234

Applying Schedule Attributes on page 234

Adding Day Labels on page 235

Viewing Schedule History on page 237

Viewing Schedule History


The History tab captures an audit trail of changes to schedules.

To view schedule history:


1

Select Manage, and then select Schedules.

Double-click a schedule.

Select the History tab. You can view these fields:

FieldLists the field involved

Modification TypeIndicates the type of change: Created, Changed, Added, Removed

Modified OnDate of the modification

Modified ByUser name who modified the field

Old Value

New Value

Click OK.

Setting Required Task Parameters


The task is in a pending state until the required parameters are filled in. If they are not filled in
before the specified start date, then an email notification is sent to the task owner and to all
members of the group or team. In addition, the task shows up in views under Needs Attention.
After the required parameters are filled in, the task starts.

Opening Schedules
You open schedules to add, edit, or work on tasks. You open schedules from the Manage
Schedules dialog box.

To open a schedule:
1

Click the Navigator icon

.
237

Under Administer, click Close Manager.

From Manage Schedules, select a schedule.

Use one of these methods:


l

Select Actions, and then Open.

Click the Open icon.

Right-click and select Open.

Editing Schedules
You can edit schedules to change the properties, such as the name or the schedule or the start
and end dates. You cannot change the start date to a date later than the first task in the schedule,
or the end date to a date earlier than the last task in the schedule. You can make changes to an
Open or Pending schedule to modify pending tasks. You cannot add, change, or delete tasks in
a Closed or Locked schedule. To edit a schedule, you must be the schedule owner or an
Administrator.

To edit a schedule:
1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Close Manager.

Select Manage, and then select Schedules.

Select a schedule to edit.

Select Actions, and then Edit, or select the Edit icon.

Edit the schedule.

Click OK.

Adding Tasks to Schedules


You can add tasks to a schedule if it is Pending or Open. You cannot add tasks to a Closed or
Locked schedule.

To add a task to a schedule:


1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Close Manager.

Select Manage, and then select Schedules.

Open a schedule in a view, such as Calendar-Month.

Add tasks.

238

Importing Tasks into Schedules


You can import tasks, or partial task data, from text files into a schedule with a status of Pending
or Open. For example, if you have a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet with task definitions, you can
save the file as a CSV file, then import it into a schedule. You can also use the Import feature to
quickly add many repetitive tasks by editing the fields in a CSV file and importing it, rather than
creating individual new tasks.
You cannot import tasks into schedules that have a Closed or Locked status.
Note: Before you import a file to a schedule using the Update option for a closed task, remove

the Owner, Assignee, Approver, and Start Date and Time fields from the import file, or
an error occurs.
If you import information on an End-User task that has started running, it is reset to Open with
Assignee status, and the answers to questions are cleared.

To import tasks into a schedule:


1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Close Manager.

Select Manage, and then select Schedules.

Click Import Tasks.

Enter the name of the file to import, or click Browse to find the file.

Select an import option:


l

ReplaceReplaces the definition of a task with the definition in the import file. This
option replaces the task detail with the detail that is in the file that you are importing.
It does not affect other tasks in the schedule that are not specified in the import file.
UpdateUpdates partial information for tasks. For example, in the import file, you
might have made changes to task instructions, reassigned Owners, Assignees, and
Approvers, or removed some attributes and added new attributes. You might also have
made the same change to a large number of tasks, for example, adding a new attribute
to 100 of 400 tasks. The update option is not a full replacement of the task details. Only
details for the task properties specified in the file are updated. For example, if the import
file has only a column for a task instructions, the task name, Assignee, attributes, and
other properties are not affected.

Note: The system displays a warning that tasks in the schedule that match a task ID in the

import file will be modified. If you do not want to overwrite the task, click Cancel.

Date Format

Select a Date Format from the drop-down list of allowed date formats. Date formats are not
translated. By default, the date format is set to the local date format of the exported file
location.

239

For example:

MM/dd/yyyy

dd/MM/yyyy

dd-MMM-yy

MMM d, yyyy

Click Import.
l

If the import is successful, the Import Success dialog box is displayed, indicating the
schedule name, the name of the file containing the tasks, and the total number of tasks
imported. Click OK.
If errors are found, the import process is not run, and the Import Errors dialog box
displays the errors. View the errors, then click OK to return to Manage Schedules.

Updating Tasks in Schedules


You may need to periodically manually update information on a task that is running, and in this
case, you can reopen it. When you reopen a task, it is reset to Open with Assignee status, and
you can edit the information. For example, you can change the instructions and references,
attributes, and questions. If you make changes, previous answers to questions are cleared.
Reopening a series of tasks does not reestablish the predecessor relationships. All end-user tasks
are reset to Open with Assignee. No tasks are reverted to Pending status.
You may also need to restart System-Automated tasks if they end in error. You can reopen the
tasks to rerun the process.
You can reopen tasks under these conditions:
Table 42

Conditions for Reopening Tasks

Task Status

End-User

System-Automated

With Assignee/
Running

You can edit or import data into the Instruction, Attribute, or


Question sections. When you save the task, it is reset to the
Assignee, and the answers to questions are cleared.

No updates are allowed to running system-automated


tasks.

With Approver

You can edit or import data in to the Instruction, Attribute, or


Question sections. When you save the task, it is reset to the
Assignee, and the answers to questions are cleared.

Approver must reject the task, which sets it to Error


status. From Task Details, the task owner can click
Reopen to reopen the task and make changes. When
you save the task, the web service runs again.

Closed/Error

From Task Details, the task owner can click Reopen to reopen
the task and make changes. When you save the task, it is reset
to the Assignee.

From Task Details, the task owner can click Reopen


to reopen the task and make changes. When you save
the task, the web service runs again.

To update tasks in a schedule:


1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Close Manager.

240

Select Manage, and then Schedules.

Open a schedule.

Select a task with a Closed or Error status, right-click, and then select View.

The View Task dialog box is displayed.

Click Reopen.

Edit the task.

If the system displays a warning that the Assignee must complete the task again, or that the service will
be executed again, click Yes to continue or No to cancel.

Perform an action:
l

For a Closed task, click Close.

For an Error task, click Save and Close.

Reassigning Users
You may periodically need to reassign users to different schedules. For example, you may create
a schedule and assign a user to certain rights; however, later that employee leaves the company
and another employee assumes those schedules. You can use the Reassign feature in the Manage
Schedules dialog box to automatically change assignments instead of manually searching for,
opening, and editing individual schedules. The Reassign feature enables you to quickly find the
schedules associated with one user and reassign them to another.

To reassign users:
1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Close Manager.

Select Manage, and then select Schedules.

Select a schedules in which you want to reassign users.

Select Actions, and then Reassign User.

For Find User, click Find User and enter search criteria for the user that you want to replace:

a. From the Select User dialog box, enter the first or last name for the user, and click
Search.
b. Select the user from the results, then click OK.

For Replace with, click Find User and enter search criteria for the user to whom you want to reassign
tasks:

a. From the Select User dialog box, enter the first or last name for the user, and click
Search.
b. Select the user from the results, then click OK.

Select the Ending Between dates.

241

Select roles for the user that must be reassigned:


l

Owner

Assignee

Approver

Viewer

10 Click Reassign.
When the process ends, the system displays a Reassign Users - Success message that
indicates that the user reassignment is complete, and displays the schedule name and total
number of user reassignments made.

Authorizing System-Automated Tasks


When you create tasks or Task Types for System-Automated tasks, for security purposes, you
specify a user account under which the task is run. To preserve security, you may require
authorization to perform the task if any of these conditions occurs:
l

If you add a System-Automated task with an alternate runtime user known as the RunAs ID
to a schedule, from a template or by manually adding the task
When you set a schedule to Open status, the system automatically issues a request for
authorization if it has not been completed.
If the parameters of a task are modified by a user other than the Assignee (or task owner if
the owner is also the Assignee), the authorization is reset to unauthorized and must be
obtained by entering a password.

Authorization ensures that the user performing the System-Automated task has security
privileges for the application and data for which the task runs. An administrator who knows the
credentials of the runtime user can perform the authorization or issue a request to the user to
obtain authorization.
When the System-Automated task is scheduled to run, if authorization is not provided, the task
is not run, and its status changes to Needs Attention. If an owner or Assignee edits the task, the
task details indicate that authorization is required. In this case, only the RunAs ID can authorize
the task.
A user who receives a request for authorization can access the Authorization dialog box from a
link in the email or by logging on to the application.

To authorize a task:
1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Close Manager.

Select Manage, and then select Schedules.

Select a schedule.

242

Select Actions, and then Authorize Tasks, or select the Authorize Tasks icon.

The system displays a Users selection list and a table of unauthorized tasks for the selected
schedule. The user selection list is populated with users that have pending SystemAutomated tasks assigned to them that require authorization.

From the user selection list, select a user.

The system displays a list of unauthorized tasks for that user. Your user name displays first
on the list in bold by default. If you have no unauthorized tasks, the list is blank.

Select a task that needs authorization.

To view task details, click a task name and review the task parameters.
Tip: To contact the task owner by email, click the Owner name next to the task and view

the user details.

If you select a user other than yourself, the system prompts you for the user password.

a. If you know the user password, enter it. The list of unauthorized tasks is displayed. Select
tasks and click Authorize to authorize them, which removes them from the list.
b. If you do not know the user password and must request authorization from the user,
click Send Authorization Request, which sends an email to that user.

Setting Schedule Status


You manage the schedule lifecycle by setting the schedule status. You can set the status of a
schedule to Open, Closed, or Locked, depending on its current status. To set schedule status,
you must the schedule owner or Service Administrator.
These are the available statuses:
l

PendingThe schedule is not yet active. This is the default status of the schedule when it
is created.
OpenThe schedule is open for work to be performed. Tasks in the schedule can be run.
ClosedThe schedule is no longer active but follow-up work may be required. Tasks in the
schedule continue to proceed based on their definitions, but you cannot add tasks to the
schedule. Schedule owners or administrators can reopen a Closed schedule, which changes
its status to Open.
LockedThe schedule is locked and cannot be modified. A locked schedule cannot be set
back to Open status and cannot be edited. It can be viewed and deleted.

When you create a schedule, it has a status of Pending by default so that you can make final
adjustments to it, and add, edit, or delete tasks.
To run a schedule, you change the status from Pending to Open. When the schedule is opened,
tasks begin to execute according to their definition. Status for tasks that have met their starting
condition are set to Open, and task notifications are sent to their Assignees.

243

Note: If a schedule task start time is reached and authorization has not been provided for a

system-automated task, the task remains in the Pending status and requires authorization.
When work on the schedule has reached a stage when follow-up work is all that is required, you
set the status to Closed. You cannot add new tasks to a Closed schedule, however users can
continue to work on tasks that are not complete. You can reopen a closed schedule, which
changes its status to Open.
When all close tasks are completed, you set the status to Locked. You cannot edit a Locked
schedule, or set it back to Open.

To set schedule status:


1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Close Manager.

Select Manage, and then select Schedules.

Select a schedule for which to set status.

Select Actions, and then Set Status, or select the Set Status dropdown.

Click one of these status options, depending on the current status:


l

Open

Closed

Locked

Viewing Schedule History


The system maintains a history of schedule actions, which you can view from the Manage
Schedules dialog box. The History tab displays the components that were updated, the
modification type, the old and new values, the user who made the modification, and the change
date. The information on this tab is read-only.

To view a schedule history:


1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Close Manager.

Select Manage, and then select Schedules.

Select a schedule.

Perform one of these actions:

244

If the schedule status is Pending or Open, select Actions, and then Edit.

If the schedule status is Closed or Locked, select Actions, and then Properties.

Select the History tab and review the schedule history.

When you finish, click OK.

Validating Schedules
You can validate schedules with a status of Pending or Open. Validating a schedule checks for
problems with start and end dates, predecessor relationships, parent-child relationships, and
missing task parameters for product integrations. You cannot change a schedule status from
Pending to Open until all validation errors are resolved. To validate schedules, you must the
schedule owner or Service Administrator.

To validate a schedule:
1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Close Manager.

Select Manage, and then select Schedules.

Select a schedule to validate.

Select Actions, and then Validate, or select the Validate icon.

If there are no errors, the system displays a Schedule Valid success message.

If errors exist, the system displays a list.

Locking Schedules
You can lock a schedule to prevent users from making further changes.

To lock a schedule:
1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Close Manager.

Select Manage, and then select Schedules.

From the list of schedules, select a schedule.

Select Actions, and then Set Status, or from the Set Status dropdown, select Locked.

Click Close.

Viewing Schedules
In Manage Schedules, you can specify which columns to display for the list of schedules, or show
all. You can also reorder columns, sort columns by ascending or descending order, or change
the column widths.

245

To display columns:
1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Close Manager.

Select Manage, and then select Schedules.

Do one or more of the following tasks:


l

To display all columns, select View, then Columns, and then select Show All.
To display specific columns, select View, then Columns, and select or deselect the column
names.
To reorder columns, select View, and then Reorder Columns, select columns and use the
Up or Down arrows or drag them to change the order.
To sort columns, hover over a column header until the Sort icons are displayed, and
then click Sort Ascending or Sort Descending.
To change column widths, hover over the column header dividers until the arrows
display, and drag the columns to the desired width.

Searching for Schedules


You can use the Manage Schedules dialog box to quickly find schedules. You can enter full or
partial names on which to search. You can search on additional fields such as Start Date and
Owner.

To search for a schedule:


1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Close Manager.

Select Manage, and then select Schedules.

Click the > sign to expand the Search box.

Enter full or partial search criteria for the schedule.

Optional: For additional search operators (such as Contains, Starts with, Ends with), click Advanced,
and enter search criteria.

Tip: Click Add Fields to select additional fields for search criteria.

Click Search.
Tip: To reset the list to display all schedules, click Reset.

246

Deleting Schedules
You can delete a schedule that you no longer need. To delete a schedule, you must be the schedule
owner or Service Administrator. Deleting a schedule removes it and all references to it from the
system.

To delete a schedule:
1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Close Manager.

Select Manage, and then select Schedules.

From Manage Schedules, select the schedule that you want to delete.

Click Delete.

At the confirmation prompt, click Yes.

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248

15

Managing Supplemental Data

In This Chapter
Process Overview......................................................................................... 249
Supplemental Data Views............................................................................... 250
Managing Dimension Attributes in Supplemental Data Manager ................................... 252
Working with Data Sets.................................................................................. 255
Creating Data Sets....................................................................................... 255
Adding Data Set Attributes.............................................................................. 256
Importing List Attributes ................................................................................. 261
Viewing Data Set History ................................................................................ 262
Deleting Data Set Attributes ............................................................................ 262
Editing Data Sets ........................................................................................ 262
Deleting Data Sets ....................................................................................... 263
Creating Supplemental Data Manager Form Templates.............................................. 263
Deleting Form Templates ................................................................................ 270
Duplicating Form Templates ............................................................................ 271
Deploying a Form Template to a Data Collection Period ............................................. 271
Un-Deploying a Form Template to a Data Collection Period ......................................... 272
Managing Data Collection Workflow ................................................................... 273

Process Overview
Data management requires these steps:
1. The Administrator or Power User completes the required setup procedures:
l

Sets up users.
Sets up metadata information referenced in a data set; for example, dimension definition
and members.

2. The Power User defines the data set:


l

Creates data sets, attributes, and calculation and validation rules for the attributes.
Note: Users can input or calculate an attribute.

Creates additional Data Form Templates.

Assigns workflow and access for each data form template.


249

Deploys the form template to a specific data collection period to be ready for the
collection process.
m

If the period is not open, then the form instances are in pending status.

If the period is open, then the form instance is active and available for data entry.

Sends email alerts to assigned users for their related data forms.

3. The Preparer loads the data:


l

Loads data manually or uses a CSV file for each form data or web UI.

Performs validation and ensure correctness of data.

Submits data for approval.

4. The Approver reviews and approves or rejects the data (may have multiple levels of
approval).
5. The Administrator opens the Period after dimensions, data sets, and forms are created in
the system, and opens a Period to start the data collection process.
6. The Administrator or Power User sends email alerts to assigned users for their related data
forms.
7. The Preparer or Approver groups and filters data to focus on certain data segments.
8. The User views the summarized data after data is approved (depends on workflow option)
and posts data.
9. The Administrator closes and locks the period for the data collection:
l

Closes Period for Data Collection (prevent additional form instances to start)

Locks Period for Data Collection (no more changes)

Supplemental Data Views


Subtopics
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Supplemental Data Dashboard Views


Available View Actions
Displaying Column Attributes in Supplemental Data Views

Use dashboards and views to present records for onscreen viewing, to provide drill-down
capabilities to record details, and to print or export to Excel for ad-hoc reporting.

Supplemental Data Dashboard Views


You can focus on key statistics and record sets by configuring dashboards.
l

Data Set
Contains the details of the selected data set, making it easy to view and filter the information.

250

Workflow

The Workflow contains all the forms to which the user has access.

Working with Supplemental Data Dashboards


To select a dashboard:
1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Supplemental Data.

From Quick Links, select Data Set Dashboard, or Workflow Dashboard.

On an empty space, right-click and select a dashboard.

To view or hide column attributes, click View and select the attributes. To open the Attribute Selection
dialog where you can select and move the attributes order, click Show More...

Change the portlet state:


l

Minimize, Maximize, Close are on the upper right corner.


m

MinimizeMinimized portlets are represented by buttons in the minimized area.


MaximizeMaximized portlets are expanded to fill the portlet region and all other
portlets are minimized, represented by buttons in the minimized area.
Close.

RestoreRight-click on the buttons in the minimized area, and then select Restore to
resize.

MoveDrag a portlet to another portlet area. The portlets are swapped.

RefreshRight-click and select Refresh to update the portlet data.

Available View Actions


From the dashboard, you can perform these actions:
l

Left-click: Highlights the record. The Information Panel at the bottom of the screen updates
to display the record details.
Right-click: Displays a context-sensitive menu that enables you to perform certain actions.
Menu contents depend on the status and security role.

Change View: Click a toolbar button to change the view type.

View: Show, hide, and reorder parts of the view.

Columns: Sort columns by ascending or descending order. Change widths by dragging.

Displaying Column Attributes in Supplemental Data Views


You can specify which attributes to display in a view. You can also reorder and sort attributes,
and change attribute widths.

251

To display columns:
1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Supplemental Data.

From Quick Links, select Data Set Dashboard, or Workflow Dashboard.

Click Attributes.

Do one or more of the following tasks:


l

To display all columns, select View, then Columns, and then select Show All.
To display specific columns, select View, then Columns, and select or deselect the column
names.
To reorder columns, select View, and then Reorder Columns, select columns and use the
Up or Down arrows or drag them to change the order.
To sort columns, hover over a column header until the Sort icons are displayed, and
then click Sort Ascending or Sort Descending.
To change column widths, hover over the column header dividers until the arrows
display, and drag the columns to the desired width.

Managing Dimension Attributes in Supplemental Data


Manager
Subtopics
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Adding Dimension Attributes


Editing Dimension Attributes
Deleting Dimension Attributes

Adding Dimension Attributes


To add dimension attributes:
1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Supplemental Data.

From Quick Links, select Dimensions.

Select a dimension, then click Actions, and then Edit.

On the Attributes tab, click Actions, then New, and then Add Attribute.

Enter the following:

252

Name

Description

Key Attribute
Select Key Attribute if this attribute is the key attribute.

Data Type
Select one:
m

Date

Date and Time

Integer

List
Select a method:

Click Add, and then enter values for the attribute.

To import or export list items from a CSV file, click Import or Export.

Number
If you select Number, select formatting options (The defaults are set in the
Preferences section of the System Settings).
o

For Decimal Places, enter a value for the number of decimal places to be
displayed.
Select Display as Percentage to display a percent sign.
Select Thousands Separator to display a thousands separator (for example,
1,000.00). The system displays the thousands separator symbol for the user
locale.
In Negative Number, select how to display negative numbers; for example, (123).

Text (255 characters maximum)

True or False

Yes or No

Default Value
The attribute is populated with this value by default, which you can override.

Click OK.

In Update Dimension, to select the new attribute as a Key Attribute for the dimension, select Key
Attribute.
Note: The system allows multiple attributes as key for a dimension.

253

Editing Dimension Attributes


To edit dimension attributes:
1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Supplemental Data.

From Quick Links, select Dimensions.

Select a Local dimension, then click Actions, and then Edit.

On the Attributes tab, select an attribute, and then click Edit.

Edit the following:


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Name

Description

Data Type
Note: You can't change the data type if a member already exists for the dimension or if

the attribute is referenced in a data set.


Select an option:
m

Date

DateTime

List
Click Add and enter values for the attribute.

Integer

Number
If you select Number, select formatting options (Defaults are set in the Preferences
section of the System Settings).
o

In Decimal Places, enter the number of decimal places to be displayed.

Select Display as Percentage to display a percent sign.

254

Select Thousands Separator to display a thousands separator (for example,


1,000.00). The system displays the thousands separator symbol for the user
locale.
In Negative Number, select how to display negative numbers, for example, (123).

Text (255 characters maximum)

True or False

Yes or No

Default Value

The attribute is populated with this value by default, which you can override.

Click OK.

In Update Dimension, to select the new attribute as a Key Attribute for the dimension, select Key
Attribute.
Note: The system allows multiple attributes as key for a dimension.

Deleting Dimension Attributes


To delete dimension attributes:
1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Supplemental Data.

From Quick Links, select Dimensions.

Select a Local dimension, then click Actions, and then Edit

On the Attribute tab, select an attribute, and then click Delete.

Note: You can't delete an attribute if it is referenced in a data set.

From the confirmation prompt, click Yes.

Working with Data Sets


Data sets contain definitions of data tables. A data set consists of attributes of information for
any data record. Data sets can contain attributes from Dimension, and you can enter attributes.
Only Administrators or Power Users can create and update the data set definition.
Manage Data window sections:
l

A master section displays a listing of Data Sets with columns: Name, Description, Last
Updated on, and Last Updated By
An Attributes section with columns: Name, Data Type, and Assign Workflow
Associated Form Templates with columns: Name, Description, Scenario, and Last Update.
You can add, edit, and remove form templates from the selected data set

Creating Data Sets


A new data set always contains the entity attribute and is always displayed to show that you can
assign this entity to a workflow.
Note: The Entity key identifier and Assign Workflow options are selected by default.

255

To create data sets:


1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Supplemental Data.

From Quick Links, select Data Sets.

Select Actions, and then New.

On the Properties tab, enter the data set information:

NameEnter a unique name.

Description

Add or view information on the following Data Set tabs:


l

Adding Data Set Attributes on page 256

Viewing Data Set History on page 262

Adding Data Set Attributes


To add data set attributes:
1

From Quick Links, select Data Sets.

Select a data set, and then click Edit.

Select the Attributes tab, which has the following columns:


l

Key Identifier
If no data exists for this data set, you can modify the Key Identifier and attributes of the
data set.
Note: The Key Identifier and Assign Workflow check box option for Entity is selected

by default. As you add attributes, you can select one or more as the Key Identifier.
l

Assign Workflow
Only attributes with Key Identifier ON can be assigned workflow. Assign workflow ON
means that you want to select members from this dimension to assign workflow to each
preparer. To assign workflow, the attribute must be a dimension, because you assign a
workflow from a predefined list.

Name

Dimension Name

Data TypeDate, Date and Time, Integer, List, Number, Text, True or False, Yes or No

TotalEnables you to specify the totaling method for the attribute:


m

256

Sum: Additive total


Average: The average of the rows with data. Rows without data are not counted in
the denominator

Count: The count of the rows with data

None: No total is calculated

Click Actions, then New, and then select:


l

Add Attribute:.

Add Attribute from Dimension:


a. Select a Dimension.
b. Select attributes from the Available Attributes list and Move them to the Selected
Attribute list.
Note: The system includes the key attribute of the dimension as a Selected Attribute.

You cannot clear the key attribute.


c. Click OK and then Save or Save and Close.

If you selected Add Attribute, on Create New Attribute, enter the Properties tab information:
l

Name

Description

Specify the Attribute Type:


m

Input: Input is the default, and the Validations tab is enabled.


Note: For periods that have been opened and form instances created, the modified

validation rule does not apply. Changes made apply only to new form
instances.
m

Calculated: If type is Calculated, then the Calculated tab is enabled.

Changing the attribute type overrides previously specified Validations or Calculations.


You cannot change this setting after the Attribute is created.
l

Data Type
Select one:
m

Date

Date and Time

Integer

List
Click Add and enter values for the attribute. List is local to the Data Set and can't be
shared among other Data Sets.

Number
If you select Number, select formatting options to override the defaults set in the
Preferences section of System Settings.
o

For Decimal Places, enter the number of decimal places to display.

257

Select Display as Percentage to display a percent sign.


Select Thousands Separator to display a thousands separator (for example,
1,000.00). The system displays the thousands separator symbol for the user
locale.

In Currency, select the currency, for example, (INR)

In Negative Number, select how to display negative numbers; for example, (123).

To scale a number, in Scale, select from 1000 to 1000000000000

Text (255 characters maximum)

True or False

Yes or No

Required
If the attribute is required, you must enter a value in this field during data entry.

Use Value
If Use Value is populated, the system applies the value entered by the designer for any
record created by the user.
Note: You can change the default value during data entry.

Click OK to save the attribute.


Note: You must save the attribute before including it in a calculation.

Do one of these tasks:


l

If you selected Input for the Attribute Type, then select the Validations tab.
To add a conditional expression:
You can create a special validation rule for the value entered by the user.
a. Click Add.
b. Select an Operand and enter Value1 and Value2.
c. If you need a second condition, select from the following lists:
m

Conjunction; for example, And, Or


Operand; for example, Equals, Between, Does not Equal, Greater than, Is blank,
Is not blank, Less than, Not between
Value1 and Value2

d. Click OK.
l

258

If you selected Calculated for the Attribute Type, then select the Calculations tab.

To add a calculation expression:

a. Table 43 Select a data type and the calculation type:


Data Type
selected on
Properties Tab

Calculation Type

Description

For all data types

Assign Value to List, and then


select the Attribute value.

Return an attribute value based on the assignment to a List member.

Note: You must have saved the


List attribute values.
For all data types

Conditional

For a given attribute, return attribute value A if specified conditions have


been met. If the conditions have not been met, return attribute value
B.

List

Assign List To Value

Based on the value of an attribute, return the related member from the
list.

Numeric, Integer

Formula

Calculate an attribute using common mathematical expressions.


Example: (A+B)/C

Numeric, Integer

Round

Round attribute to the specified number of digits. The default is 2.

Text

Concatenate

Paste together text attributes. This includes literal strings and


automatically converting non-text attributes to strings.
Example: First_Name++Last_Name+:+Birth_Date

Integer, Number,
Text

Scripted

A free-form scripted calculation. Scripted is available for attributes of


type Integer, Multi-line Text, Number, or Text.

b. Click OK.

Scripted functions with examples:


l

Average Prior: Averages a numeric amount over the prior X periods.


AVERAGE_PRIOR(<Value>, <Number of Periods>, <To Currency*>, <Rate Type*>,
<Rate Period*>
Example: AVERAGE_PRIOR( {Balance (Reporting)}, '2', 'EUR', 'REC')

Date Difference: Returns the difference in days, hours minutes, or seconds between two
dates. For DATE 1 and DATE 2, the values TODAY and NOW can be used, which denote
the current date (with no time component) and date-time, respectively.
DATE_DIFF(<Date1>, <Date2>, <Type>)
Example: DATE_DIFF('TODAY', {Preparer End Date}, 'DAYS') or
DATE_DIFF({Preparer End Date}, 'NOW', 'HOURS')

Extract Text: Returns the substring within the value, from the positions specified.
SUBSTRING(<Value>, <Location>, <Length>)
Example: SUBSTRING( {Name} , 5, 10)

259

If Then Else: Allows the user to insert a conditional calculation into the scripted
calculation. IF_THEN_ELSE calculations can also be nested to support ELSE IF type
calculations.
IF_THEN_ELSE(<Condition>, <Value1>, <Value2>)
Example:
IF_THEN_ELSE( {Risk Rating} = 'Low', 'Good',
IF_THEN_ELSE( {Risk Rating} = 'Medium', 'Better',
IF_THEN_ELSE({Risk Rating} = 'High', 'Best','Bad')))

Lowercase: Returns the value in lower case.


LOWERCASE(<Value>)
Example: LOWERCASE( {Description} )

Maximum: Returns the maximum value from a list of attributes. There can be any
number of parameters.
MAX(<Value1>, <Value2>,<ValueN>)
Example: MAX( TRANSLATE( {Source System Balance (Entered)}, 'USD',
'Accounting'), TRANSLATE( {Source System Balance (Functional)}, 'USD',
'Accounting'), TRANSLATE( {Source System Balance (Reporting)}, 'USD',
'Accounting') )

Maximum Prior: Returns the maximum value over the prior X periods.
MAX_PRIOR (<Value>, <Number of Periods>, <To Currency*>, <Rate Type*>,
<Rate Period*>)
Example: MAX_PRIOR( {Balance (Functional)}, '6', 'CAD', 'REC')

Minimum: Returns the minimum value from a list of attributes. There can be any
number of parameters.
MIN(<Value1>, <Value2>,<ValueN>)
Example: MIN( TRANSLATE( { Balance (Entered)}, 'CAD', 'REC'),
TRANSLATE( {Balance (Functional)}, 'CAD', 'REC'), TRANSLATE( {Balance
(Reporting)}, 'CAD', 'REC') )

Minimum Prior: Returns the minimum value over the prior X periods.
MIN_PRIOR (<Value>, <Number of Periods>, <To Currency*>, <Rate Type*>, <Rate
Period*>)
Example: MIN_PRIOR( {Source System Balance (Functional)}, '6', 'EUR', 'Simplified')

Prior: Returns the value of the specified prior period.


PRIOR(<Value>, <Number of Periods Prior*>, <To Currency*>, <Rate Type*>, <Rate
Period*>)
Example: PRIOR( {Source System Balance (Entered)}, '1', 'EUR', 'rec', 'prior')

Round: Returns the value rounded to the decimal places specified.


ROUND(<Value>, <Decimal Places>)

260

Example: ROUND( ({Scripted Translate} /7), 4)


l

Sum Prior: Returns the sum of a value over the prior X periods.
SUM_PRIOR(<Value>, <Number of Periods>, <To Currency*>, <Rate Type*>, <Rate
Period*>)
Example: SUM_PRIOR( {Balance (Reporting)}, '3', 'EUR', 'REC')

Text Location: Returns the location of the substring within the attribute value, starting
at 1 as the first position.
INSTRING(<Value>, <Value To Search>)
Example: INSTRING( UPPERCASE( {Name} ), 'TAX' )

Translate: Translates a currency attribute to a numeric attribute using a specified rate


type.
TRANSLATE(<Value>, <To Currency>, <Rate Type>)
Example: TRANSLATE( {Balance (Entered)}, 'EUR', 'Acct')

Uppercase: Returns the value in upper case.


UPPERCASE(<Value>)
Example: UPPERCASE( {Name} )

10 Click Save, Save and Close, or Close.


Note: Changes to data set attributes apply only to subsequent data collection periods.

Importing List Attributes


To import attributes of type List:
1

Create an import file of type List in a TXT file format, with each value on a separate line.

For example:
Blue
Yellow
Red
Green

The import option is always Replace All.

From Quick Links, select Data Sets.

Create or select an attribute of type List, and then click Edit.

Click Import.

Browse to a TXT import file.

Click Import. Import List Values displays the values: Total List Values, Completed, Errored, List Values
Created, and List Values Updated.

261

If Completed Successfully, click OK.


If Completed with Errors, the errors are listed. To export the error list, click Export to Excel .

Viewing Data Set History


To view Data Set history:
1

From Quick Links, select Data Sets.

Select a data set and then click Edit.

View the following fields:


l

Field

Modification Type

Supporting Object

Modified By

Modified On

Old Value

New Value

Deleting Data Set Attributes


To delete data set attributes:
1

From Quick Links, select Data Sets.

Select a data set, and then click Edit.

Select the Attributes tab, then an attribute, then Actions, and then Delete:
l

If data exists, you cannot delete the attribute.


If no data exists, but the attribute is referenced in a form template, you cannot delete
the attribute without first removing the attribute from the form template.

From the confirmation prompt, click Yes.

Editing Data Sets


To edit data sets:
1

From Quick Links, select Data Sets.

Select a data set, then click Actions, and then Edit.

262

Note: You cannot edit attributes referenced from Dimensions.

Assign Workflow is read-only.

Properties tab:

Modify the Name and Description.

Attributes tab:

If data exists for this data set, you can modify the Key Identifier and attributes of the data set.

Deleting Data Sets


To delete data sets:
1

From Quick Links, select Data Sets.

Select a data set, then Actions, and then Delete.


l

If data exists, you cannot delete the data set.


If no data exists, however, form instances are created, and you cannot delete the data
set.

From the confirmation prompt, click Yes.

Creating Supplemental Data Manager Form Templates


Administrators and Power Users can manage Form Templates.

To create form templates:


1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Supplemental Data.

From Quick Links, select Form Templates.

Click New.

On the Properties tab, provide information:


l

Name
Enter a unique form template name.

Description

Scenario
The Scenario dimension is created as part of the application.
Select the form template for a particular scenario; for example: Actual or Budget.

Access these tabs on the Create Form template:

263

Sections

Instructions

Workflow

Questions

Access

History

Specifying Form Template Instructions


Administrators provide instructions on how to use the form. Instructions can include text,
attached files, and links to files in document repositories.

To specify form template instructions:


1

In New Form Template or Edit Form Template, select the Instructions tab.

In Instructions, enter instruction text.

To add a reference to a file:


1

In the References section, click Add.


Tip: To delete a reference, select the reference, and then click Delete.

Select a reference type:


l

Local FileBrowse the local file system and select a file. You must specify a Name. Click
OK to upload the file to the system and store it with the form template.
URLEnter an external URL reference and give it a descriptive Name. Click OK to store
the URL in the application.

Working with Supplemental Data Manager Form Sections


Subtopics
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l
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Form Template Sections: Columns Tab


Form Template Sections: Group By Tab
Form Template Sections: History Tab

Each section of a data entry form can collect data from different data sets or attribute
combinations. Sections can have overlapping data sets or attributes ; only one attribute per data
set can be writable.

To create or edit sections:


1

264

In New Form Template or Edit Form Template, select the Sections tab.

Click New or select a section and click Edit. The Edit Form Template Section is displayed.

On the Properties tab, enter:


l

Name

Data Set

Data Records
Select one:
m

RowsThe attributes of the form are displayed as a table; you make entries in the
row. The system always displays the attribute name as the header.
ColumnsThe attributes of the form are displayed in the row and columns where
the user enters the value for each attribute of the form. The fields include one data
entry record per attribute. The system displays the attribute description as the row
header of the form.

Enter information or view the following Section tabs:


l

Columns: Form Template Sections: Columns Tab on page 265

Group by: Form Template Sections: Group By Tab on page 266

History: Form Template Sections: History Tab on page 267

To save your updates and go back to the Form Template Sections tab, click OK.

Form Template Sections: Columns Tab


On the Columns tab, select the columns for the form. The system displays all columns of the
Data Set that are not workflow columns.

To update the Columns tab:


1

In New Form Template or Edit Form Template, select the Section tab.

Click New, or select a section and click Edit.

In the Edit Form Template Section, click the Columns tab, and select or view the following columns:
l

Include
Select other attributes to be included in the form.

Name
The name of the Data Set attribute

Dimension
The column from an attribute of a specific dimension. This is read-only.

Data Type
The corresponding data type for the column (read-only).

Total
Total method for the attribute as specified in the Data Set. It is always read-only.

265

View Only
The column is for view only. If multiple forms are created for the same Data Set, then
only one form can contain the column for input, including key columns.

Total Row:

How the total row should be displayed:

Top: Total row is displayed at the top of the table

Bottom: Total row is displayed at the bottom of the table

None: Total row is not displayed

Enter information on the following tabs:


l

Columns tab: Form Template Sections: Columns Tab on page 265

Group by tab: Form Template Sections: Group By Tab on page 266

History tab: Form Template Sections: History Tab on page 267

To save your updates and go back to the Form Template Sections tab, click OK.

Form Template Sections: Group By Tab


To update the Group By tab:
1

In New Form Template or Edit Form Template, select the Section tab.

Click New, or select a section and click Edit.

In the Edit Form Template Section, click the Group By tab.

Click the Columns, and then select or view the following columns:
l

Include
Select other columns to be included in the Group By.

Group By
Data in the main table should be grouped by the selected columns.

Name
The name of the Data Set

Dimension
The column from an attribute of a specific dimension (read-only).

Data Type
The corresponding data type for the column (read-only).

Total
Total method for the attribute as specified in the Data Set (read-only).

Total Row:

Indicates how the total row should be displayed:


266

Top: Total row is displayed at the top of the table

Bottom: Total row is displayed at the bottom of the table

None: Total row is not displayed

Enter information on the following tabs:


l

Columns tab:Form Template Sections: Columns Tab on page 265

History tab: Form Template Sections: History Tab on page 267

To save your updates and go back to the Form Template Sections tab, click OK.

Form Template Sections: History Tab


The History tab logs changes to the form template sections.

To view the History tab:


1

In New Form Template or Edit Form Template, select the Section tab.

Click New, or select a section and click Edit.

In the Edit Form Template Section, click the History tab.

Click View to select the columns to display from the list, or select More Columns to manage the visible
columns and the order in which they display.

You can view the following information:

Field

Modification Type

Supporting Object

Modified By

Modified On

Old Value

New Value

Enter information on the following tabs:


l

Columns tab: Form Template Sections: Columns Tab on page 265

Group by tab: Form Template Sections: Group By Tab on page 266

To save your updates and go back to the Form Template Sections tab, click OK.

Assigning the Workflow


Use the Workflow tab to assign the workflow for the form.

To assign the workflow for the form:


1

In New Form or Edit Form, click the Workflow tab.

267

In When to Start, enter the following:


l

FrequencyHow often the data is collected for this form.

Schedule fromThe collection date:

End DateThe end date of the period.

Close DateThe closing date specified for the period.

Start day OffsetThe start date for the data collection of this form. It must be a positive
number and determines the number of days after the End date or Close Date that the
collection date is authorized to begin.

In Workflow, enter the following:


l

Workflow optionSelect an option:


m

Prepare

Prepare and then Approve

Prepare, then Approve, and then Post

Prepare and then Post

Post

Level of ApprovalSelect up to 10 levels of approvers.

Duration forThe maximum number of days allowed for a specific action per user:
m

PreparerThe maximum number of days allowed for data entry (submission)

ApproverThe maximum number of days allowed for each level of approval

IntegratorThe number of days allowed for posting

This data determines the scheduled completion date for submission, approval, and
posting depending on the workflow option.
If the preparer is late for submission, the approver's due date remains the same.
When the approver rejects the submission, regardless of during which level of approval
it was rejected, the form always returns to the preparer. Only the preparer can make
changes to the data and resubmit. The process starts over upon resubmission.

In the Users section, add or delete users in the enabled fields:


l

To import or export users from a CSV file, click Import or Export.


To import a CSV file, create a file with each entry on a separate line per Entity. For
example:
Entity1, Preparer User, Approver User, Integrator User
Entity2, Preparer User, Approver User, Integrator User

268

To add a user, click Actions, then New. Enter each field: select the Entity and each of the
users that are assigned to the form template; for example: Preparer, Approver 1(up to
the maximum assigned), Integrator.
To delete a user, select a user, then click Actions, and then Delete.

Specifying Form Template Questions


Questions are automatically grouped with roles. Within a role, the individual questions are
ordered. The order indicates the questions order within the role.

To create questions:
1

In New Form or Edit Form, click the Questions tab.

Click New or Edit.

Enter the following:


l

Question
Enter a question that prompts the user of the form's response.

Data Type
Select a question type:
m

Date

Date and Time

List
Click Add and enter values for the attribute.

Integer

Number
If you select Number, select formatting options:
o

For Decimal Places, enter the number of decimal places to display. The default
value is defined in System Preferences.
Select Thousands Separator to display a thousands separator (for example,
1,000.00). The system displays the thousands separator symbol for the user
locale.
From Currency, select the currency, for example, (INR)
If no currency is selected, the amount is not translated.

From Negative Number, select how to display negative numbers; for example,
(123).

Text (255 characters maximum)

True or False

Yes or No

RoleThe question is for: Preparer, Approver, or Integrator. For example, a question with
the role of Preparer may only be answered by Preparers. It will, however, be visible to
all other roles.
RequiredDetermines whether the question is mandatory or optional.

269

To delete questions:
1

In New Form or Edit Form, select the Questions tab.

Select a question and click Delete.

Setting Form Template Access


On the Access tab, you determine which users are authorized and what function they perform
on the form:
l

The top panel shows the list of users with View access.

The bottom panel displays the entity's form data that the user has access to.

To add access:
1

In New Form or Edit Form, click the Access tab.

Click New, or select a user and click Edit.

In Viewers Access, select a User; for example: Administrator, Analyst, Approver, Integrator, or Preparer.

In Entities, by default, all the form data for a specific entity is selected. You select or clear data
individually using the check box next to each. Select or clear all by clicking the check box in the title
area.

Select a View Option:


l

AlwaysYou can view the data anytime even if the data entry is not complete or has not
been submitted for approval.
After SubmissionYou can view the data as soon as the preparer submits the data, even
before it has been approved.
After ApprovalYou can't view the data until after all levels of approvals are granted.

Viewing Form Template History


The History tab logs changes to this form template.

To view form template history:


1

In New Form or Edit Form, click the History tab.

View the history, and then click Save, Save and Close, or Close.

Deleting Form Templates


To delete form templates:
1

270

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Supplemental Data.

From Quick Links, select Form Templates.

Select a form template, then Actions, and then Delete.

Click Yes to confirm.

Duplicating Form Templates


To duplicate form templates:
1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Supplemental Data.

From Quick Links, select Form Templates.

Select a form template, then Actions, and then Duplicate.

Clicking on this will create an immediate copy with a copy suffix on the name. In addition,
all attributes are read-only to prevent multiple form templates having write access to the
same Data Set.

Deploying a Form Template to a Data Collection Period


To deploy a form template to a data collection period:
1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Supplemental Data.

From Quick Links, select Form Templates.

Click Deploy

The Deploy Form Template displays Pending Period and Open Period Data Collection Periods
to choose from.

To select another data collection period:

a. Click Search.
b. In Select Data Collection Period, select Year and Scenario.
c. Click Search to refresh the periods.
d. Select a period.
e. Click OK.

Select the form templates for that data collection period.

Click Deploy.

271

If the form template already was deployed, a warning message says that all existing form
instances and data for that form template will be removed and new form instances will
be generated.
If additional Form Templates that are not part of the original selection must be deployed
based on their data set relationships, Additional Form Templates is displayed. Click OK.

After deployment is completed, a confirmation dialog box indicates the following information:
l

Form Templates Selected: Total number of checked Form Templates from the Deploy
dialog box, plus those added from data set relationships.
Form Template and Period frequency do not match: Number of Form Templates that do
not match the DCP frequency. If nonzero, then click View Details to display the form
template missing the frequency.
Total Forms to deploy: Total number of forms specified on each of the form templates.
Errors: Total number of forms with errors. If non-zero, then click View Details to display
the forms and the reason for the errors. No copying is done.

Un-Deploying a Form Template to a Data Collection


Period
To un-deploy a form template to a data collection period:
1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Supplemental Data.

From Quick Links, select Form Templates.

Click Un-Deploy

The Un-Deploy Form Template is displayed.

To select another data collection period:

a. Click Search .
The Select Data Collection Period is displayed.
b. Select Year and Scenario.
c. Click Search to refresh the Periods.
d. Select a Period.
e. Click OK.

Select the form template for that data collection period.

Click Un-Deploy.

A warning message displays: As a result of un-deployment, all the existing data for this
period and also all forms will be deleted permanently.

8
272

Select the form templates, and then click Un-Deploy.

Managing Data Collection Workflow


The data collection workflow follows this order:
1. Select a Data Collection period by Year, Period, Scenario. Defined in System Settings.
2. Deploy the Form Template.
3. Open the period to start the data collection process.
4. The system activates Form Instances based on Start Day offset. Applicable Form instances
are in Open status.
5. Email notifications are sent to preparers.
6. Start data entry.
7. The Prepare, Approve, and Post workflow process continues.
8. Close Period starts; no new form instances are generated. No new data entry is allowed.
9. Data collection that is in progress continues.
10. Lock Period starts; no changes can be made.
11. Data Collection is done for the period.

273

274

16

Managing Settings

In This Chapter
Specifying Application Settings......................................................................... 275
Viewing User Variables .................................................................................. 279
Customizing Your Application Appearance ............................................................ 279
Making Announcements................................................................................. 280
Modifying the Navigation Flow .......................................................................... 280
Specifying Artifact Strings ............................................................................... 281
Selecting Notification Preferences...................................................................... 282
Setting Application Defaults ............................................................................ 283
Specifying System Settings ............................................................................. 283
Limiting Use of an Application During Maintenance.................................................. 284

Specifying Application Settings


Subtopics
l
l
l
l
l
l

Specifying Number Formatting Preferences


Setting Approvals Options and Out-of-Office Settings
Setting Up Email for Approvals and Notifications
Specifying the Date Time Display
Specifying a Default Alias Table, and Setting Member and Alias Display Options
Specifying Refresh Database Options

You use the Application Settings page to set preferences for your Oracle Financial Consolidation
and Close Cloud application.

Specifying Number Formatting Preferences


You can change the number formatting in Application Settings. Your selections apply to all
currencies, in all forms that you have access to in the current application. These choices override
the settings for individual currencies set by the Service Administrator.
You can set these options:
l

The thousands separator (none, comma, dot, or space)

275

The decimal separator (dot or comma)


The display of negative numbers (a minus sign before or after the number, or the number
surrounded by parentheses)
The displayed color for negative numbers (black or red)

To change the formatting of displayed numbers:


1

On the Home page, click Settings.

On the left, click Application Settings

From the Application Settings page, under Number Formatting, select format options:
Option

Example

Thousands Separator

None: 1000

Comma: 1,000
Dot: 1.000
Space: 1 000
You can enter values with or without a thousands separator.
Decimal Separator

Dot: 1000.00
Comma: 1000,00
You can enter values with or without a decimal separator.

Negative Sign

Prefixed Minus: -1000


Suffixed Minus: 1000Parentheses: (1000)

Negative Color

Black: Negative numbers are black


Red: Negative numbers are red

Click Save.
Note: Formatting selections take effect when you click outside the cell. If you select a setting

other than Use Application Defaults for the thousands separator or the decimal
separator, you must change both separators. You cannot select the same option for
the thousands and decimal separators.

Setting Approvals Options and Out-of-Office Settings


For Approvals tasks, you can specify a reviewer to replace a reviewer who is out of the office.
You can also choose to display member name aliases, and approval units that are not started.

276

To set Approvals options:


1

On the Home page, click Settings.

On the left, click Application Settings

From the Application Settings page, under Approvals, select options:


l

Display Alias - select to display member aliases instead of their names on Approvals pages
Show Not Started Approval Units - select to display approval process units that are not
started
I am currently out of the office - select an alternate reviewer while the current reviewer
is out of the office, then select an option for each review action.

Click Save.

Setting Up Email for Approvals and Notifications


When email is set up and notification is enabled, the system notifies users when they become
the approval units owner or are named as a user to notify for a review action.

To set up and enable email notification:


1

On the Home page, click Settings.

On the left, click Application Settings

From the Application Settings page, under Notifications, select options:


l

Approvals - select this option if you want to be notified by email when you need to
perform actions on Approvals.
Job Console - select this option if you want to be notified by email when a job that you
launch is completed or generates an error.

In Email Address, enter your email address.

Click Save.

Specifying the Date Time Display


Date Format sets how dates display. Service Administrators can set the date format, and users
can change the setting to determine how dates display when they work in forms and task lists.

To set the date format:


1

On the Home page, click Settings.

277

On the left, click Application Settings

From the Application Settings page, under Date Time Display, select options:

From Time Zone, select the time zone to use for the application.

For Date Format, select a format:


m

MM-DD-YYYY

DD-MM-YYYY

YYYY-MM-DD

Automatically Detect (to use your systems locale settings)

Click Save.

Specifying a Default Alias Table, and Setting Member and


Alias Display Options
If you create alias tables with aliases for dimensions and members, you can select a default alias
table for the application. You can set preferences for which set of aliases (stored in an alias table)
to use for displaying member and dimension names.

To select the applications default alias table:


1

On the Home page, click Settings.

On the left, click Application Settings

From Alias Table, select a default alias table.

In Member Name/Alias Display, select the option that enables the type of member data to be displayed
on the Member Selector throughout your application:

DefaultThe data determined by the form, grid, or dimension settings

Member nameOnly member names

AliasOnly member aliases, if defined

Member name : AliasNames followed by aliases, if defined

Alias:Member nameAlias, if defined, followed by the names

Click Save.

Specifying Refresh Database Options


To specify Refresh Database options:
1
278

On the Home page, click Settings.

On the left, click Application Settings

From Refresh Database Options, click the check box next to Shared Members to include Shared
Members in the refresh operation.

Click Save.

Viewing User Variables


You can set user variables to limit the number of members displayed on a form, helping users
focus on certain members. For example, if you create a user variable called Division for the Entity
dimension, users can select a member for their own division.
The User Variables page lists the user variables that are defined for the application, with their
name and dimension members.
To set up user variables, see Working with User Variables on page 140.

To view user variables:


1

On the Home page, click Settings.

On the left, click User Variables

To change members for a user variable, click the Member Selector, select a member, and click OK.

To save changes for a user variable, click Save, or to reset members to their original values, click
Reset.

Customizing Your Application Appearance


You can use Appearance to customize the appearance of pages, to change the theme, or for
example, to add your company logo to the Home page.
Note: To customize your application appearance, you must be a Service Administrator.

To customize the appearance of your display:


1

On the Home page, click Settings.

On the left, click Appearance

From the Theme drop-down, select a theme.

Enter a Logo URL and Theme URL.

From Shape, select the shape of the logo.

279

Click Save.

To see your updates, sign out of the application, and then sign in again.

Making Announcements
Administrators can use Announcements to display a Home page message to all Oracle Financial
Consolidation and Close Cloud users. For example, you can alert users about upcoming system
maintenance.
When you create an announcement, you can specify formatting and style options for the content,
and also add a link to a URL.

To create an announcement:
1

On the Home page, click Settings.

On the left, click Announcements

Click Create.

In Create Announcement, enter the Subject, Start Date, and Content of your announcement.

Note the following guidelines:


l

The End Date is optional.


You may need to select an editing mode (rich text or source code) before entering text
in the Content field.

To save the announcement, click Save and Close.

Modifying the Navigation Flow


A navigation flow controls what users see on the Home page. The Navigation Flow page displays
the navigation flows that are set up for the application. You can see the status (Active or Inactive)
of existing navigation flows, and also create a new one. You can modify the landing page and
configure the features to display by user group. You can copy a navigation flow to create a new
one, and you can delete an existing one.
Note: To modify the navigation flow, you must be a Service Administrator.

To modify the navigation flow:


1

On the Home page, click Settings.

On the left, click Navigation Flow

From the list, select a navigation flow or use Default.

280

Optional: To copy a navigation flow:

a. From the Actions menu, click Create Copy.


b. In Create Structure, enter a name for the new navigation flow and then click OK.
Tip: To delete a navigation flow, select the name, then from the drop-down arrow, click

Delete.

Specifying Artifact Strings


The Artifact Strings page defines artifact strings per locale. You can import and export artifact
strings from other files.
Note: To work with Artifact Strings, you must be a Service Administrator.

To specify artifact strings:


1

On the Home page, click Settings.

On the left, click Artifact Strings

Optional: To filter the list of artifact strings:

a. Click Filter

b. In the Filter dialog box, select filters for Artifact and Property, and then click Apply.

To add a language for an artifact, select the artifact, and from the Add Language drop-down, select a
language.

Click Save.

To import artifact strings:


1

From the Artifact Strings page, click the Actions icon and select Import.

On the Import Artifact Strings page, select the location of the import file:

LocalImports the file from a location on your computer.

InboxImports the import file from the server.

Enter or select the source file:


l

If you selected Local, click Browse to navigate to the file.

If you selected Inbox, enter the name of the file in Source File.

Click Import.

281

To export artifact strings:


1

From the Artifact Strings page, click the Actions icon and select Export.

On the Export Artifact Strings page, select the target location of the export file:

LocalSaves the export file to a location on your local computer.

OutboxSaves the export file to the server.

Click Export, and then specify where to save the file.

Selecting Notification Preferences


The Notifications page is used to display Close task notifications. Notifications are sent to users
as a batch the day after the event that triggers the notification.
Notifications are sent in these circumstances:
l

Late NotificationsA late notification is sent to users the day after the due date of the task.
Status Change NotificationsA notification that the task is ready to be worked on is sent
when the task status changes.
Due Date RemindersA reminder is sent to users a specified number of days before the
due date of the task.

To enable notifications, see Setting Up Email for Approvals and Notifications on page 277.

To select notification preferences:


1

On the Home page, click Settings.

On the left, click Notifications

Select an Email Start Time and End Time.

For a Notification Type, select an option for Notify Me:

282

Once a day

Every 2 hours

Every 3 hours

Every 4 hours

Every 6 hours

Click Save.

Setting Application Defaults


Administrators can specify defaults for the current application. Although users can override
these application defaults by setting preferences, they can restore application defaults by selecting
Use Application Default where available.

To set application defaults:


1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Application Settings.

Select Current Application Defaults.

Perform one action:


l

Select Application Settings to specify defaults for:


m

Email notifications for approvals, and job console

The alias table used

The type of member and alias data to display, such as both name and alias, on the
Member Selector dialog box

Show approval units as aliases

Show approval units that are not started

The attribute dimension date format

Select Display Options to specify defaults for:


m

Number formatting

Remember selected page members

Allow search when pages exceed a certain number

Member indentation

The number of grid rows and columns fetched to populate forms

Date formats

Click Save.

To reset default settings to their original values, click Reset.

Specifying System Settings


Only Administrators can specify system-wide settings.

To specify system settings:


1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Application Settings.

Select Advanced Settings.

283

Select System Settings.

Set options:
Table 44

System Settings

Option

Description

Email Character Set

The character set for email messages:


l

UTF-8

Regional Setting

Business Rules Notification

Set to Yes to notify users or groups when rules are completed or encounter errors.

Notify These Users

If Business Rules Notification is enabled, select one user or one group to notify.

Enable Use of the Application


for

Determine whether users can access the application in maintenance mode, such as during backups.
See Limiting Use of an Application During Maintenance on page 284.

Enable the Display of


Substitution Variables

Set how substitution variables display in the Member Selection dialog box when users respond to
runtime prompts in business rules:
l

Display All: Display all substitution variables

Display None: Do not display substitution variables

Enable Filtering: Display only substitution variables that are valid for the runtime prompt

bug
Select User

Assign ownership of the application to another administrator.

Display Users Full Names

Yes: Show full user names.


No: Do not display full names. Only user IDs will be shown.

To save the system settings, click Save.

To reset system settings to their default values, click Reset.

Limiting Use of an Application During Maintenance


Administrators can withdraw and grant access to an application during maintenance. If users
are logged on to the application and administrators withdraw their access, users are forced off
the system.

To limit use of an application:


1

On the Home page, click the Navigator icon

Under Administer, click Application Settings.

Select Advanced Settings.

Select System Settings.

For Application Maintenance Mode, select an option for Enable Use of the Application for:

284

All users: All users who have access to the application can log on or continue working
with the application.
Administrators: Only administrators can log on. Other users are forced off and prevented
from logging on until the option is reset to All Users.

If your selection is more restrictive than the current setting, click OK.

Click Save.

285

286

17

Managing the Approval Process

In This Chapter
Approval Process Overview.............................................................................. 287
Managing Periods for the Approval Process ........................................................... 288
Starting the Approval Process .......................................................................... 288
Creating Approval Unit Hierarchies ..................................................................... 289
Editing Approval Unit Hierarchies....................................................................... 293
Viewing Approval Unit Hierarchy Usage ................................................................ 293
Deleting and Renaming Approval Unit Hierarchies ................................................... 294
Locking and Unlocking Entities ......................................................................... 294

Approval Process Overview


Administrators can set up an approval process to transfer ownership of data, provide review
control, and ensure data privacy.
For the purpose of review, data is organized into approval units. An approval unit is the
combination of data for a specific Scenario, Year, Period, and Entity. For example:
l

Actual/FY15/Jan/Massachusetts

Budget/FY16/Feb/New York

The approval process generally follows these steps:


l

The administrator sets up the approval unit hierarchy and opens a period for the approval
process.
The administrator assigns the approval unit hierarchy to a Scenario, Year and Period
combination.
The administrator starts the approval process. When the approval process is started, the
approval unit is locked for other users and only the current owner can modify the data in
it.
Owners and Reviewers promote approval units.
The last reviewer in the approval hierarchy approves the approval unit. It changes to
Approved status. After an approval unit is Approved, no more changes can be made to it.
The administrator can optionally lock entities before closing the period.

287

Managing Periods for the Approval Process


Before you start the approval process, you must open the period for the process. By default, all
periods have an initial status of Unopened.
When the approval process is complete, you close the period.
To manage periods, you must be the Service Administrator.

To open or close periods:


1

From the Console, select Manage Periods

Select the periods to open or close.

To open the selected periods, from the Actions drop-down, select Open, or to close them, click Close.

Starting the Approval Process


Only an Administrator can start the approval process. After the process is started, the approval
unit moves from one reviewer to another until the process is complete.

To start the approval process:


1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Workflow, click Manage Approvals.

From Scenario, Year, and Period, select a valid scenario, year, and period.

Click Go.

If no approval units are started, a message displays that you have not assigned an approval
unit hierarchy.

Select Tree View and click Start to begin the approval process.

Optional: Select Exclude to remove an approval unit from the process.


Caution!

288

After you exclude an approval unit, all associated annotations and history are
discarded. Data values are retained.

Creating Approval Unit Hierarchies


Subtopics
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Setting Up the Approval Unit Hierarchy


Selecting Approval Unit Hierarchy Members
Assigning Approval Unit Owners and Reviewers
Assigning Approval Unit Hierarchies to Scenarios

An approval unit hierarchy contains approval units and entities that are part of the review
process. The Entity is the primary dimension for each approval unit hierarchy. As members are
added to the Entity dimension, the inclusion rules that you create determine whether a new
member is part of the approval process.

To create an approval unit hierarchy:


1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Workflow, click Approval Unit.

Click Create.

Set up the hierarchy with an approval name, approval options, and template.

See Setting Up the Approval Unit Hierarchy on page 289.

Select the primary and subhierarchy members to include in the approval process.

See Selecting Approval Unit Hierarchy Members on page 290.

Assign owners and reviewers for each stage of the approval process and create the approval unit
promotional path.

See Assigning Approval Unit Owners and Reviewers on page 291.

Click Save.

Setting Up the Approval Unit Hierarchy


When you set up an approval unit hierarchy, you can select an approval template:
l

Bottom Up approval process templateIn the Bottom Up approval process, the entities that
you select participate in the approval process. The administrator starts the approval process,
then reviewers promote approval units starting at the leaf-member level. For example,
children of the Eastern Region (New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts) would promote
approval units to the Eastern Region, then the reviewer at the Eastern Region would promote
the approval units to U.S. The last reviewer in the approval hierarchy, in this case the U.S.,
performs the final Approve action.
Consolidation templateWhen you use the Consolidation template, the selected entities do
no participate in the approval process, but can be locked or unlocked from the Approvals
page. See Locking and Unlocking Entities on page 294.

289

To set up an approval unit hierarchy:


1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Workflow, click Approval Unit.

Take an action:

To create a new hierarchy, click Create.

To edit an existing hierarchy, select a hierarchy and click Edit.

Select Approvals Dimension.

In Hierarchy Name, specify the approval unit hierarchy name.

Optional: Specify a description.

In Enable Approvals, select:


l

All to add all entities to the approval process


Custom to define the parent and relative generation. Based upon the selection, the
required entities are added to the hierarchy.

In Approvals Template, select Bottom Up.

For Cube, select the cube from which the approval unit values are derived.

10 Take an action:
l

Click Next or select Primary and Subhierarchy Selection to select the approval unit members
(see Selecting Approval Unit Hierarchy Members on page 290.
Click Save and then Finish to save changes and close the approval unit hierarchy.

Selecting Approval Unit Hierarchy Members


To select approval unit hierarchy members:
1

Take an action:
l

From Approvals Dimension, click Next or select Primary and Subhierarchy Selection to
continue defining an approval unit hierarchy.
Select Workflow, and then Approval Unit to edit an approval unit hierarchy.

Notes:
l

290

At any time during approval unit hierarchy member selection, you can click Reset to
Default Hierarchy to reset it to its default membership defined in the Approvals
Dimension page.
Shared members are not displayed in the approval unit hierarchy.

Define how to display the approval unit hierarchy:


l

Right-click and select Expand to expand the display.

Right-click and select Collapse to expand the display.

Select All Entities to display all potential approval units.

Select Approval Units to display only enabled approval units.

For Search, select Name, Alias, or Both. Enter any part or all of a name in Search to locate
an entity, then click Search Up or Down in the hierarchy.
To move from page to page in a multipage approval unit hierarchy, enter a page number
in Page and click Go, or click Start (first page), Prev (previous page), Next, or End (last
page).

Optional: For approval units not included in the default settings for the approval process, check the box
to the left of the approval unit name to include it in the approval process.

Optional: Right-click an approval unit name to define subhierarchy members for the approval process,
and then select one Include/Exclude option:
l

Include Children to include the children of the approval unit.

Include Member to include only the approval unit, but none of its descendants.

Include All Descendants to include all descendants of the approval unit.

Exclude Children to exclude the children of the approval unit.

Exclude Member to exclude only the approval unit, but none of its descendants.

Exclude All Descendants to exclude all descendants of the approval unit.

Include Generation to include one or more approval unit generations. Specify the
generations to include when prompted.

Exclude Generation to exclude approval unit generations. Specify the generations to


exclude when prompted.

Take an action:
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Click Next or select Assign Owners to specify approval unit ownership.

Click Save and then Finish to save changes and close the approval unit hierarchy.

Assigning Approval Unit Owners and Reviewers


Approval unit ownership is inherited from the approval unit parents. Approval unit reviewers
are also inherited. You can specify different approval unit owners and reviewers other than those
inherited by the approval units.
For approval unit Owners, you can assign individual users or a group. For Reviewers, you can
assign individual users, a group, or multiple groups.
Only one user or one group can be assigned as an Owner of an approval unit. Within a group,
any user can become the Owner, but only one user can be the Owner at a time.
If you select individual users as Reviewers, all users must perform the Approve action, and the
approvals must follow the order in which the users are entered. If you select a group (or groups)
as a Reviewer, any user within the group can be the Reviewer and can promote to the next level.

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To assign approval unit owners and reviewers:


1

Take an action:
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From Primary and Subhierarchy Selection, click Next or select Assign Owners to continue
defining an approval unit hierarchy.
Select Workflow, and then Approval Unit to edit an approval unit hierarchy.

Select an approval unit, then under Owner, click Search to select an owner.

An approval unit can have only one owner. Either a user or a group can be the owner. Select
the Users tab to assign an individual user as the owner. Select the Groups tab to assign a group
as the owner.

Under Reviewer, click Search and select approval unit reviewers.

Reviewers can be individual users, a single group, or multiple groups. Select the Users tab
to assign individual users as reviewers. Select the Groups tab to assign a single group or
multiple groups as reviewers.
Note: If the reviewers are individual users, select the reviewers in the order that you want

them to review the approval unit. The first reviewer in the list is the first user to work
on the approval unit. When the first reviewer promotes the approval unit, the second
reviewer selected becomes the approval unit owner, and so on through the list of
reviewers that you create.

to display the approval unit promotional path, verify that it is


Under Promotional Path, click
correct, and then correct any errors.

Under Notify These Users, click Search to select the users to notify for each move of the approval unit
from one user to another.

Optional: Repeat these steps for other approval units to assign owners and reviewers.

Click Save to save your work and continue, or click Finish to save your work and close the approval unit
hierarchy.

Assigning Approval Unit Hierarchies to Scenarios


During the approval process, calculations are run for various scenarios, such as Q1 or FY16.
Before beginning the approval process, you assign approval unit hierarchies to the Scenario,
Year, and Period combinations included in the approval process.

To assign approval unit hierarchy Scenario, Year, and Period combinations:


1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Workflow, click Approval Unit Assignment.

Add a Scenario, Year and Period assignment:

a. Click

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in the Actions column for the approval unit.

b. From the Scenario column drop-down, select the scenario to associate with the approval
unit hierarchy.
c. From the Year column drop-down, select the year to associate with the approval unit
hierarchy.
d. From the Period column drop-down, select the period to associate with the approval
unit hierarchy.
e. Click OK.
A new assignment row is displayed.
Tip: To remove an assignment, click Delete

Click Save to save the assignments and continue.

Editing Approval Unit Hierarchies


To edit an approval hierarchy:
1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Workflow, click Approval Unit.

Select an approval unit hierarchy, and click Edit.

Select the appropriate tab for the changes that you want to make:
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Approvals Dimension
See Setting Up the Approval Unit Hierarchy on page 289.

Primary and Subhierarchy Selection


See Selecting Approval Unit Hierarchy Members on page 290.

Assign Owners
See Assigning Approval Unit Owners and Reviewers on page 291.

Usage
See Viewing Approval Unit Hierarchy Usage on page 293.

Click Save when done.

Viewing Approval Unit Hierarchy Usage


Approval unit hierarchies might have dependencies such as Scenario, Year and Period
assignments or data validation rules which are defined in forms. If dependencies exist for an
approval unit hierarchy, the hierarchy cannot be deleted until the dependencies are removed.
The Usage tab enables you to view approval unit hierarchies so that you can see and remove the
dependencies if needed.

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To view approval unit hierarchy usage:


1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Workflow, click Approval Unit.

Select an approval unit hierarchy, click Edit, and then select Usage to view approval unit hierarchy
dependencies.

Select Forms to view associated data validation rules in forms, or select Scenario to view associated
scenario assignments.
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If data validation rules are associated, they are listed by form. Click the link to display
the form in edit mode in a new tab. You can then update or delete the rule to disassociate
it from the hierarchy.
If a Scenario, Year and Period combination is associated, they are listed by scenario.
Click the link to display the assignment in a new tab. You can then remove the
assignment to disassociate it from the hierarchy.

If you remove dependencies, click Refresh on the Usage tab to refresh the list.

If you are deleting an approval unit hierarchy, repeat these steps until all dependencies are removed.

Deleting and Renaming Approval Unit Hierarchies


You can delete an approval unit hierarchy if it is not referenced by data validation rules or
scenario assignments. The Usage tab displays objects that reference the hierarchy so that you
can disassociate them from the hierarchy if needed.
You can also change the name of an approval unit hierarchy. Renaming an approval unit
hierarchy does not affect the objects that reference it.

To delete or rename approval unit hierarchies:


1

Click the Navigator icon

Under Workflow, click Approval Unit.

Take an action:
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To delete, select the approval unit hierarchy to delete, and then click Delete.
To rename, select the approval unit hierarchy to rename, click Rename, and enter a new
name.

Click OK.

Locking and Unlocking Entities


After you receive approval for an approval unit, you can lock the data to prevent further
modification. Locking prevents any changes to the entity for a selected scenario, year and period.
You can view the lock status and lock and unlock entities on the Approvals page. You can also
view the lock status and calculation status on the Data Status form.

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During the data load process, the system does not load locked entities. If an entity is locked, you
cannot submit, post, unpost a journal, or modify a data form that contains that entity.
To lock entities, you must be the Service Administrator.
You can lock data only if these conditions are met:
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The entitys calculation status must be OK, No Data, or System Change. You cannot lock
an entity with Impacted calculation status.
The prior period data must be locked. For example, you can only lock an entity in the
February period if it is locked in January.

You can only unlock data for a period if the next period is unlocked. For example, you can only
unlock an entity in February if the entity is unlocked in March.
If you select the Unlock action on a parent entity, the system unlocks the parent entity and all
its children. If you select the Unlock Single action on a parent entity, the system unlocks only
the parent entity, but not its children.

To lock entities:
1

On the Home page, click Approvals.

Click Filter

, and from the Filter dialog box, select filters to display approval units:

Scenario

Year

Period

Approvals Status

Approval Unit

Click More to display and select from additional filter options.

Click Apply to apply the filter criteria.

Click an unlocked approval unit.

On the Change Status page, click Change Status to change the status to Locked.

Click Done.

To unlock entities:
1

From the Approvals page, click a locked approval unit.

On the Change Status page, from the Actions drop-down, select Unlock or Unlock Single.

Click Done.

If an error occurs during the locking or unlocking process, the Approvals page displays a Failed
status next to the approval unit. Click the link to view a detailed validation report and resolve
the error.

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