Spotlight Web

Spotlight is a Web HTML5 front-end that provides functionality for Analyze, Report, and Model Manager. Spotlight is available for native and single sign-on (SSO) users, and can be used in a web browser or on an iPad. Spotlight provides three tasks: Analyze, Report, and Model. 

For a list of How To topics, see our list of Dynamic Planning: How To Tasks.

To launch Spotlight from the Planful application

Click the Dynamic Planning icon from the Planful application as shown below, then click Analyze, Report, or Model.

How to launch Spotlight From a Web Browser?

1. Launch your web browser.
2. Enter the URL provided by your Power user.
3. Enter your username and password.
4. Option : Select Change Password to change your password, entering a new password in the New Password and Confirm Password fields, then clicking Login
5. Option : Select Remember Me to retain your username for future logins.
6. Click Login.
7. Select an application then click Select.
8. By default, you first see the Analyze screen. Click Analyze to see options for Report and Model.

Analyze

The Analyze task provides functionality to perform speed-of-thought analytics. With Analyze, you can:

• Select a model and associated view

• Refresh the data in the model

• Zoom in and out of models

• Keep or remove only certain aspects of a model

• Pivot models

Available Tasks and Sub Tasks

When you select the Analyze task, the Data and Design View sub-tasks are available. Open View is also available on the menu.

A description of tasks is provided below:

Data

Select models and associated views.

Explore model data.

Design

Create a new view of a selected model view.

View or modify properties of a model group or user group.

Open View

Browse through each of the views associated with each model by expanding and collapsing the model and associated folders.

The following icon represents a model:

The following icon represents a folder:

The following icon represents a view:

To Rename or Delete a folder, right-click as shown below:

Use Favorites and Recent folders to quickly access your favorite Views or recently accessed Views.

Favorites and Recent folders are user specific. The Recent folder displays 10 recently accessed Views by user across all Models. The Favorites folder displays 10 items. If you add more than 10 items, the most recent 10 are displayed.

Open the folder structure (as shown below) and scroll to the Favorites and Recent folders.

To move a view from one folder to the next or to a folder, drag and drop.

Ribbon Actions Available When a View is Open

Zoom In

• Children - This is the default action if you just click Zoom In or if you double-click. Select a dimension and then click Zoom In, and select Children. When Zoom In, Children is selected for the Time dimension, only the highest-level parent for each year is displayed.

• Leaves - Select a dimension and then click Zoom In, and select Leaves. When Zoom In, Leaves is selected, leaf-level members associated with the selected dimension member are displayed, and all parent members in the dimension are removed from the view. For example, if you select Scenario and click Zoom In, Leaves, the children are displayed and the parent member is removed.

• All Children - Select a dimension and then click Zoom In, and select All Children. When Zoom In, All Children is selected for the Time dimension, yearly, quarterly, and monthly data for all years are displayed. Use caution when selecting the All Children option. Using this option on dimensions with an enormous amount of members may impact performance.

• Data Leaves - Select a dimension on the row axis and then click Zoom In, and select Data Leaves. When Zoom In, Data Leaves is selected, leaf-level members associated with all the dimensions on the row axis are displayed, but only if they contain data. All parent members in the dimension are removed from the view.

• Zoom In, More Options - To perform a Zoom In action with a combination of options, select how far you want to Zoom in the upper section of the Zoom Options box, and what to do with the parent member in the lower section of the Zoom Options box. You can keep the parent members above their children, move the parent members below the children, or remove the parent. Placing parent members below the children offers the ability to have subtotals and totals below the details in your views and subsequent reports.

  

Zoom Out

• Select a dimension member and click the magnifying glass with a minus symbol to zoom out from one level to the next.

• Parent - Zoom out to the parent member of the selected member. This is the default action if you just click Zoom Out. When Zoom Out, Parent is selected for a month in the Time dimension, only the next-highest-level parent for the month is displayed.

• Top Level - Select a dimension member and then click Zoom Out, and select Top Level. When Zoom Out, Top Level is selected for a month in the Time dimension, the view changes to go all the way back to the Top Level (the top or root of the dimension, or the topmost member in the dimension that you have access to).

Pivot

• Pivot - Swap row and column dimensions. For example, in the model below Scenario, Actual, and Forecast are column headers and 2014 is a row header. Click Pivot and 2013 becomes a column header and Actual and 2013 Budget become row headers.

• Pivot to Page - Pivot dimensions to the page level, pivot a dimension from a row to a column, or pivot dimension from a column to a row.

• Pivot to Row - With Pivot to Row, you can select a single dimension and pivot it from the column to the row. Dimensions not selected remain on the column.

• Pivot to Column - With Pivot to Column, you can select a single dimension and pivot it from a row to a column. Dimensions not selected remain on the row.

Keep Only

Keep selected members, removing all other members from the spreadsheet.

Remove Only

Remove selected members, leaving all other members on the spreadsheet.

Drill Through

This Drill Through action captures detail data for Master models loaded to Dynamic Planning through Planful Structured Planning, Consolidation, and Reporting applications or from an external data source. All users, regardless of access privileges, can drill through detail data exposing read-only detailed information.

When you perform a drill through from a model view, you can interact with the resulting Drill Through report in the following ways:

• Drag and drop a single column, a range of columns, or multiple columns to reorder them

• Adjust the width of a single column, a range of columns, or multiple columns

• Turn filters on or off

• Sort column data in ascending or descending order

• Select the code, name and label display for members

An example Drill Through report is shown below.

For information on Doc Ref, Lines, and Sublines, see Dynamic Reports: Enhanced Drilling on Dynamic Report Output

Important Details:

• Data is displayed in the same currency and formatted as loaded or upon input into the application for QTD and YTD or multi-currency calculations in Drill Through reports,

• Subline amounts are stored in local currency and currency conversions do not exist.

• Calculated members, calculations, and Excel formulas, are not supported in Drill Through reports.

• All template types are supported except for Actual Data Template, and Initiative templates.

• Drill Through is not supported with Multiple POV on a cell.

Get Data

The Get Data action updates data in the spreadsheet after selections are made.

Save

If you do not see Save Data on the menu, then the view does not have Save enabled. See Enabling Menu Items in Views and Reports: Save Data and Breakback.

This action saves modified data to the view, provided that Enable Save is set to Yes in the View Properties. Users can save changes only to leaf-level data.

If a user tries to save data changes to rollup members in the view, a message appears informing them that the changes have not been saved. The change they made remains on the screen but has not be committed to the model.

When the rollup notification appears, if the Save action was set to also a run a calculation, the calculation will not be run.

If the view consists of combination of leaf-level and rollup-level cells, then the validation is not run. The leaf-level cells will be saved and the rollup level cells will not be saved.

Breakback

If you do not see Breakback on the menu, then the view does not have Save enabled. See Enabling Menu Items in Views and Reports: Save Data and Breakback.

This action opens the Breakback box where you can select a spreading method and allocate changes in numeric data from the top down.

For details, see Breakback from View or Report.

Actions Available in the Spreadsheet

There are several features and functions available within the body of the spreadsheet, each of which is described below.

Dimension Drag and Drop

To move dimensions between the axes of your analysis (for example, page, row, or column), drag and drop the dimension. For example, you have a Product dimension and you want that dimension data displayed in the row to see product lines. Select the Product Main cell by clicking on and holding the drop-down arrow and dragging to the row then dropping on top of the Time dimension. You can then zoom in to reveal detailed levels within the Product Main hierarchy. Dimensions can be dragged and dropped between any of the axes, but there must be at least one dimension on both the row and column axes. No dimensions are required on the page axis.

Copy/Paste (Ctrl+C/Ctrl+V)

You can copy and paste cells, including underlying data or dimension members, within the spreadsheet.

Direct Cell Entry

Enter dimension data directly in a cell. For example, you have Actual and 2019 Budget scenarios. Now, you want to add the Variance scenario in the column next to 2019 Budget. To do so, select the cell and enter the word Variance. Then, click Get Data to update the spreadsheet data with variance data.

Ability to Have Multiple Views Opened at Once

In Spotlight, you can have multiple tabs opened with different views in each tab (just like SpotlightXL). Each tab will have the view name preceded by the model name. In the example shown below, 3 views are opened each displayed on a different tab.

How to Open Multiple Views in Spotlight Web?

1. Navigate to the Dynamic Planning > Analyze.

2. Open a view by navigating to Analyze > Data and selecting the view from the Open View list box.

3. Open another tab to display a second view by clicking the Add button (shown below).

   

4. In the new tab, select a view for display.

How to Close Tabs in Views?

1. Right click on the tab.

2. Click Close Tab to close the selected tab. Or, click Close Other Tabs to close all other tabs except for the selected / active tab.

   

Support for Multiple POV Selections in Spotlight for Direct Connect Models

You can select multiple members of page filters for views and reports built on Direct Connect Models. A Direct Connect model is one created with Direct Access to PCR enabled.

For detailed information on Direct Connect models, click here.

This feature is available for all main, alternate, attribute and attribute hierarchies added to page filters. There is no restriction on the level or number or combination of members selected on each dimension.

If you decide to move the dimensions from the page to a row or column, the dimension tree is updated intuitively to display the dimensions.

Once you move the dimensions selected from the page to a row or column, you can save the view as a report and run it.

Here is a page shot from Spotlight (web version) showing the ability to select multiple members for the Product Main dimension. Select checkboxes next to members.

Standardized Font in Spotlight Views

The font used to display Views is standardized as Arial 9-point. However, you can change the font of headings and other text items in your view designs and save them.

Quick Math Functions

The View window includes a formula bar and quick functions such as Sum, Average, Count, Min, and Max. When you select a range of cells, the values in the quick functions update automatically.

View Formula Used for Calculation

You can view how a value at a particular cell intersection is being calculated by viewing the formula in the formula bar. For example, for all cell values that are derived using a calculation, you can view the formula associated with the calculation directly in the formula bar, while all cell values that do not have any calculation associated with them, you will see the respective cell values in the formula bar.

How does the functionality work

Now, while you are working on any Report or View, the application constantly validates each cell intersection and verifies if any formula is defined within the calculation that is mapped to the artifact. For example, if your calculation contains formula, aggregation, map, or some other step, the application validates all these steps, finds the exact dimension intersection based on the scope, and then retrieves the formula and displays it in the formula bar

How to Show Formulas in the Formula Bar?

1. In Spotlight Web, Navigate to the Dynamic Planning > Analyze. 

2. Select a View and navigate to any cell intersection that has a calculation associated with it.

3. View the formula in the formula bar.
   
   

Limitations

1. If the Enable Save property is set to Yes and the Calculation on Save property is configured with a calculation, then the formula configured in the calculation will be displayed in the formula bar. For any other calculation where the Enable Save property is not set to Yes, then the formula will not be displayed.

2. If the Enable Save property is set to Yes and the Calculation on Save property is configured with a calculation. Still, if the application runs a different calculation, then the formula displayed in the formula bar and the formula configured in the calculation will not match.

3. If multiple formulas are configured for any intersection, then the application will display only one formula in the formula bar.

Dynamic Commentary

What Is It and How Does It Work

Dynamic Commentary allows you to collaborate within Dynamic Reports, Spotlight Web (Views and Reports), SpotlightXL (Views and Reports), and Excel Based Reports. For more details on how to edit, add, and highlight the comment, click here.

How to Add a Task

The assignees and admin will have access to the assigned tasks. You can view the detail information on Task Manager here.

How to Email Notifications for Dynamic Commentary

You can configure email notifications for the Dynamic Commentary functionality from the My Setting page. This functionality helps you track actions in the Dynamic Commentary functionality and keeps you up to date by providing email notifications for the selected action based on your requirement.You will receive email notifications with hyperlinks to directly navigate to the respective product area. This helps you access reports and tasks quickly from emails.

The email hyperlink redirects you to the corresponding artifact (for example, a Dynamic Report, a SpotlightXL View, or a SpotlightXL Report) from which the comment was posted and also opens the corresponding Comment pop-up window.

If the email notification is regarding an assigned task, the email hyperlink redirects you to the corresponding task in the Task Manager page.

In Practice

To configure email notifications for Dynamic Commentary, click your Profile Name , navigate to My Settings > General tab and then select or deselect the required check box under the Enable Email Notification for the Dynamic Commentary section.

The following actions are available for which you can enable email notifications:

• All Actions - Select this check box to enable email notifications for all actions available in Dynamic Commentary. By default, this check box is selected.

• Replied to My Comment - Select this check box if you want to receive email notification only when someone replies to your comment.

• Mentioned on Comment - Select this check box if you want to receive email notification only when someone mentioned you in any comment.

• Marked Task As Complete -Select this check box if you want to mark the task as completed.

• Resolve Comment - Select this check box if you want to resolve the comment.

• Assigned Task - Select this check box if you want to receive email notification only when someone assigned you any task.

  

You will receive email notifications only for the selected actions. By default, all check boxes are selected.

How to Edit a Task in Task Manager

The tasks created from a comment are editable from Task Manager. This is applicable to the information mentioned in the Comment pop-up window. If you edit any of the task information from Task Manager, the updated information will be reflected in the Comments pop-up window.

If a task is completed, then a tick mark is visible on the Comments pop-up window against the respective task name.

If you change the assignee from Task Manager, the assignee details in the Comment pop-up window is not updated. If a task is deleted from Task Manager, it is removed from the Comment pop-up window, however, the user mentioned in the comment is retained.

Report

With Report, you can view static reports and share reports with users in your organization for collaboration and review by operational employees and strategic approvers. For the Report task, the only subtask available in Spotlight is Run. Run a report by selecting the Report task and the Run subtask. Select a report from the Report list box.

Additional Information:

• To design a report, use SpotlightXL (Excel) for more extensive options.

• Reports that include Excel formulas are supported.

• Reports that include Suppress Empty Rows or Columns are supported.

• The limit on cells in the reports is 100K.

• Basic cell editing features such as Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V, and drag and drop are supported.

Ribbon Options Available for Spotlight Web Reporting

When you run a report, different menu options are available based on the report. In the example below, Refresh, Save Data and Breakback options are available.

A description of all ribbon options is provided below.

Refresh

This action updates data in the report after selections are made. For example, after selecting a different dimension member from a POV drop-down, click Refresh to display the data for that dimension member.

Save Data

If you do not see this icon on the menu, then the report does not have Save enabled. See Enabling Menu Items in Views and Reports: Save Data and Breakback.

Saves modified data back to the model. You must have write access to the model and dimensionality for the cells you have modified on the report in order for the data to be saved. If you do not have access or if you have tried to save data for a rollup member, you can submit changes, but they will not be saved.

Breakback

If you do not see the Breakback icon on the menu, then the report does not have Save enabled. See Enabling Menu Items in Views and Reports: Save Data and Breakback.

This action opens the Breakback box where you can select a spreading method and allocate changes in numeric data from the top down.

For details, see Breakback from View or Report.

Export

User can use the following options to export or print the artifacts:

• Export to PDF - Allows you to download a report in PDF format.

• Export to Excel - Allows you to download a report in Excel format.

  Note:

  Users can also export any view, including ESMs, to Excel by clicking the Export to Excel option on the toolbar.
  

• Print - Allows you to print a report in the PDF format. All charts are printed at the end of the PDF file. Only one chart per page is displayed.

• Print Setup - Allows you to customize print settings. You can select the required options based on your requirement and print the report. The selected print settings are applicable only to the corresponding report. Additionally, the settings are retained when you export the report to PDF.

Substitution Variables

If you do not see this icon on the menu, then the report does not have substitution variables defined in the report.

This action opens the Substitution Variables box, where users can select a value for a variable. For example, a report may show data for a certain month or department. Using Substitution Variables, the user can select a different month or different department to view.

Drill Through

If you do not see this icon on the menu, then the report does not have drill-through data available.

When you perform a drill through from a model view, you can interact with the resulting Drill Through report in the following ways:

• Drag and drop a single column, a range of columns, or multiple columns to reorder them

• Adjust the width of a single column, a range of columns, or multiple columns

• Turn filters on or off

• Sort column data in ascending or descending order

• Select the code, name and label display for members

For information on Doc Ref, Lines, and Sublines, see Dynamic Reports: Enhanced Drilling on Dynamic Report Output

Report Collection in Dynamic Planning

Report collection is a feature that allows you to efficiently create a library of reports that can be scheduled or distributed to specific users or user groups regularly. This feature streamlines the process of running and sharing multiple reports as email attachments.

Using the report Scheduler, you can efficiently distribute reports daily, weekly, or monthly, based on specific user or user group requirements, without the need for time-consuming manual work. Furthermore, this feature ensures that users can access the latest report data via Excel Output.

Prerequisites     

The following conditions must be met to add, edit, or view a report in the reports collection:

1. The tenant must be unified. For more information, please refer to Unified Tenant.
2. The Enable Report Distribution flag should be set to Yes. Contact Planful Support to enable this flag.
3. The user must be a Power User.

Actions

You can perform the following actions on the Dynamic Planning Report collection landing page:

• Refresh - Click this icon to refresh the page to get the updated list of Report Collections.
• New - Select the Dynamic Planning Report Collection folder and then select this icon to add a new report collection. 
  • ReportCollection - Select this to add a collection of Dynamic Reports.
• Delete - Select this icon to delete the selected reports.
• Run - Select this icon to run the selected Dynamic Planning Report Collection.
• Apply Filter - Select this to apply a filter on the grid.
• Search - Enter criteria to search for specific artifacts or click the gray arrow to expand a search pane where you can select specific search criteria.

Charts Supported in Spotlight Web Reporting

Charts are supported in both Excel and the Web. See Supported Chart Types and Formatting for a list of supported chart formats.

Formula Support in Spotlight Web Reporting

The user interface includes a formula bar above each report, which will display the formula for the selected cell.

You can view both excel type formulas and custom formulas in the bar.

For long formulas, the formula bar is expandable.

Suppress Rows and Columns Support in Spotlight Web Reporting

When designing a report in SpotlightXL, you can set report properties to suppress rows or columns that have only zeros, blanks, or either zeros or blanks.

Here is a look at a report without suppression.

Now the properties are set and saved.

When viewing the report in Spotlight Web Reporting, these properties are honored; blank rows are omitted.

Support for Multiple POV Selections in Spotlight for Direct Connect Models

You can select multiple members of page filters for views and reports built on Direct Connect Models. A Direct Connect model is one created with Direct Access to PCR enabled.

For detailed information on Direct Connect models, click here.

This feature is available for all main, alternate, attribute and attribute hierarchies added to page filters. There is no restriction on the level or number or combination of members selected on each dimension.

If you decide to move the dimensions from the page to a row or column, the dimension tree is updated intuitively to display the dimensions.

Once you move the dimensions selected from the page to a row or column, you can save the view as a report and run it.

Cell Limitation in Spotlight Web Reporting

The limit on cells in the reports is 100K. If the report has more than 100K cells, then you will see an alert message. We recommend to design the report with less than 100K cells. If you need more than 100K cells, please contact Planful Support.

Cell Editing in Spotlight Web Reporting

In reports enabled with Save, you can copy and paste the contents of data cells using Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V. A dotted box appears around the copied cell.

You can copy and paste within the formula bar, and drag and drop within the formula bar.

You can drag one cell to another location by selecting a cell and dragging the border to move the cell.

Multiple Tabs Support in Spotlight Web Reporting

You can run multiple reports in Spotlight by adding tabs. You can easily switch back and forth between tabs to compare and analyze data from different reports simultaneously. You can run up to 10 reports at a time.

Click + to add a new tab, then select a report from the toolbar to open it.

To close the report, right-click on the tab and select Close Tab.

You can also drag and drop to re-order the tabs, and use the arrow buttons to navigate through the tabs.

You can close all other tabs except for the one that is active in Spotlight reports at once.

Standardized Font in Spotlight Web Reporting

The font used to display Spotlight Web Reports is standardized as Arial 9-point. However, you can modify the font of headings and other text items in your report designs and save them.

Quick Math Functions Support in Spotlight Web Reporting

The Web Reporting window includes quick functions such as Sum, Average, Count, Min, and Max. When you select a range of cells, the values in the quick functions update automatically.

Grouping Functionality in Spotlight Web Reporting

Rows and columns can be grouped and saved for a report from SpotlightXL. When the reports defined in SpotlightXL are accessed from Spotlight (web version), the grouping defined on the report in SpotlightXL is retained. This functionality is available for all reports created for any models.

1. In SpotlightXL, navigate to the Report > Design.

2. Highlight the rows or columns you want to group as shown below.

3. Click the Data tab and select Group.
   
   

4. Return to the SpotlightXL tab and click Save.
   
   

5. Run the report. Notice the grouping is applied.
   
   

6. Login to Spotlight. When you run the same report, the grouping is applied.

   

Model

The Model Manager is a visual user interface on the Web for creating, viewing, and maintaining the models and associated artifacts in your application.

• Model Manager is an alternative user interface for building and managing models using a Web browser.

• Model Manager provides enhanced model management capabilities.

• Model Manager visually represents models and all associated model artifacts (dimensions, maps, formulas, calculations, scopes, views, reports, and attributes).

• Model Manager provides a visual representation of how the models are connected, from which model the source data is coming and to which model the data is being moved.

• Model Manager provides the ability to create models and sub-models by leveraging existing model dimensions.

The Model Manager functionality is available in the Web version of Spotlight.

Purpose of the Model Manager

The Model Manager is a visual user interface on the Web for creating, viewing, and maintaining the models and associated artifacts in your application. What you see in Model Manager is dependent on your user access. Power users have access to everything. Contributer User access is based on model access, navigation access, and dimension security setup. Reviewer Users will see only views and reports.
With Model Manager, you can:

• Select a model and run the views or reports associated with it (all users)

• See the model's structure, such as dimensions, members, and attributes (Power and Contributor users with access to the model)

• See what calculations, formulas, and scopes are associated with the model (Power and Contributor users with access to the model)

• See how data flows into and out of the model and the associated maps (Power and Contributor users with access to the model)

• See the statistics associated with the model (Power and Contributor users with access to Model Setup)

How to Enable the Model Menu in Planful Applications?

1. Start Planful Structured Planning, Consolidation, and Reporting applications.

2. Navigate to the Maintenance > Overview.

3. Under Administration, select User Management.

4. Click the Navigation Role tab.

5. Click Navigation Access.

6. Select the Navigation Role for which you want to enable the Model menu.

7. Check the Dynamic Planning box.
   
   

8. Click Save.

9. Repeat steps 6-9 for all other Navigation Roles you want access to the Model Manager. A Power user can enable the Model menu.

The model is available on the modeling menu when you run Structured Planning, Consolidation, and Reporting applications.

Users accessing the Dynamic Planning application directly from their Web browser will automatically see the Model menu item.

Creating and Editing Models

Creating a Model

Power and Contributor users can create a model from the Grid or List layouts. Reviewer users cannot create a model.

Click the + Circle icon from the Grid or List layouts to create a new model.

A model is a repository of analytic information about your organization. Data in the model is described by its dimensions and dimension members. A model requires a minimum of the following:

• Model name

• Model type

• At least two dimensions, one of type Key and one of type Value

How to Create a Model in the Spotlight Web?

1. In Spotlight Web, navigate to the Dynamic Planning > Model.

2. Click the + Circle icon.
   
   

3. Click the cube icon to indicate that you want to create a model. (The tabular icon creates an External Source Model.)

   
   

   The Create New Model panel appears.

   
   

4. Type the model name.

5. Select the model type: Analytic or Master. An Analytic model will get all of its data from users. A Master model is populated with data from another data source, such as Structured Planning, Consolidation, and Reporting applications. If you plan to create a model with Direct Access to PCR, select Master.

6. Specify if you want to turn on Change Data Tracking. By default, it is Off. This option optimizes running full Aggregations. We recommend to turn it on when your model is ready to be populated with data. If you are creating a model with Direct Access to PCR, this option does not apply.

   See How to Use Change Data Tracking for details.

7. Specify if this will be a Direct Access to PCR model. By default, it is Off. This option connects the model to Planful Structured Planning, Consolidation, and Reporting (PCR) applications data and no further setup is needed. If you turn this option On, continue with step 6 then skip to step 11.

   See Using Direct Access to PCR Financial Reporting for details.

8. Optionally enter a description for the model.

9. Click Add Dimension. Dimensions are categories of data, such as Department, Account, Month, or Scenario.

   
   
   

10. Type the Dimension name.

11. Select Key or Value from the drop-down. Models must have at least one Key and one Value dimension. Key corresponds to dimensions that will most likely change over time (such as Customer and Account), whereas Value corresponds to dimensions that do not change often (such as Scenario or Year).

12. Click Add Dimension to enter another dimension, and continue until you have created all the dimensions. If you make a mistake click the X to delete.

    The following example creates a simple 4-dimension Analytic model named Basic Budget.

    
    

13. When you are done, scroll down to the Cancel or Save buttons. Click Save.

    A notification appears on screen if it was successful and you are returned to Grid or List layout.

    
    

14. Click the Grid or List layouts icons to refresh the screen.

    You see the new model listed with an incomplete circle icon, indicating that the model is ungenerated. The model's only artifacts, so far, are its dimensions. Now you can proceed with adding members and hierarchies to the dimensions, adding calculations, and so on. See Using the Dimension Browser and Using the Dimension Attribute Browser.

    
    

    Once a model has been saved, you can edit the model's description or Change Data Tracking option by clicking on the creation date to open the Model Properties Browser.

    

Creating a Model by Copying from an Existing Model

Power and Contributor users can create a model from the Grid or List layouts. Reviewer users cannot create a model.

A model is a repository of analytic information about your organization. Data in the model is described by its dimensions and dimension members. A model requires a minimum of the following:

• Model name

• Model type

• At least two dimensions, one of type Key and one of type Value

Many models have dimensions that are common or similar to a dimension you want to create. You can copy dimensions from existing models to make it faster to create the new model.

How to Create a Model by Copying an Existing Model in Spotlight Web?

1. In Spotlight Web, navigate to the Dynamic Planning > Model.

2. Click the + Circle icon.

   
   

   The Create New Model panel appears.

   
   

3. Type the model name.

4. Select the model type: Analytic or Master. An Analytic model will get all of its data from users. A Master model is populated with data from another data source, such as Structured Planning, Consolidation, and Reporting applications.

5. Specify if you want to turn on Change Data Tracking. By default, it is Off. This option optimizes running full Aggregations. We recommend to turn it on when your model is ready to be populated with data.

   See How to Use Change Data Tracking for details.

6. Optionally enter a description for the model.

   Now you will add the dimensions. You may want to enter some of the simpler ones by clicking Add Dimension while others come from other existing models.

   Note:

   Do not click Save for your model until you are done creating the dimensions. The option to Copy from Existing is only available from the Create New Model panel. Once you click Save, you cannot return to this panel.

7. Click Copy from Existing. This opens the Copy from Existing Browser. The models you can copy from are along the left side, and you can drag and drop dimensions to the work area on the right side.

   
   

8. Hover the mouse over the dimension you want to copy. Then click and drag it to the work area.

   
   

   Note:

   You cannot copy Attributes from existing models.

9. Optionally select the dimension type. Select Key or Value from the drop-down. Models must have at least one Key and one Value dimension. Key corresponds to dimensions that will most likely change over time, whereas Value corresponds to dimensions that do not change often.

10. In the work area, click the Account dimension. The work area expands to show the dimension hierarchy and members for the Account dimension that you have copied.

    Now you will choose members or hierarchies under Edit Members, and move them to the Selected Members panel. You can copy a single member using Select Fixed Member or a whole hierarchy with Select Member & Below.

    
    

11. Click in the dimension hierarchy, expanding and collapsing as you go, or by entering the member name under Search to find the parent or member that you want to copy.

    
    

12. Select the member or parent then click Select Fixed Member or Select Member & Below to move the member to the Selected Members panel. Once the member appears in the Selected Members panel, it is saved as part of the dimension definition.

    

    Note:

    If you make a mistake, click the X to remove the member from the Selected Members area. Do not click the Discard button unless you want to start over.

13. When your work area correctly reflects the dimensions you want in your model, click Continue.
    
    

14. When you are done, scroll down to the Cancel or Save buttons. Click Save. A notification appears on screen if it was successful and you are returned to Grid or List layout.

    

15. Click the Grid or List layouts icons to refresh the screen.

    You see the new model listed with an incomplete circle icon, indicating that the model is ungenerated. The model's only artifacts, so far, are its dimensions.

    Now you can fine tune the members and hierarchies in the dimensions, add attributes, and so on. See Using the Dimension Browser and Using the Dimension Attribute Browser.

    
    

    Once a model has been saved, you can edit the model's description or Change Data Tracking option by clicking on the creation date to open the Model Properties Browser. You cannot enable Direct Access to PCR after the model has already been saved; this option is available only when you are first creating the model.

    

Creating an External Source Model

Power and Contributor users can create an External Source Model from the Grid or List layouts. Reviewer users cannot create an ESM model.

How to Create an External Source Model?

1. In Spotlight web, navigate to the Dynamic Planning > Model.

2. Click the + Circle icon from the Grid or List layouts to create a new model.

   
   

3. Click the tabular icon to indicate that you want to create an External Source Model.

   
   

4. Give the new model a name and an optional description.

   

5. Click the Save button.

6. Proceed with adding fields. See Creating New ESM Fields Using Model Manager.

7. Click the Save button again when done.

Model Manager Layouts

Model Manager offers three layouts: Grid, List, and Model Relationship.

You can select which layout you prefer by clicking the corresponding icon.

• Grid: shows models in boxes

• List: shows models in a detailed list, including model size

• Model Relationship (not available for Reviewer users): shows the relationship between Master models, Source models, and Target models

When you start Model Manager, the first screen you see is the Grid layout. The grid contains one or more Model boxes.

You can sort how you see the models by name, creation date, model size, or last modified date. By default, models are listed in alphabetical order by model name.

You can return to Views or Reports using the task menu.

You can search for models by using the magnifying glass icon. Type a few letters in the name of the model to quickly find it.

You can use the Help, Account, or Log off buttons.

Using the Model Boxes

The Grid and Model Relationship layouts display the models in Model boxes. All users have access to the Grid layout, and it is the default layout when you start Model Manager.

The Model Box includes:

• Model name

• Creation date

• More menu

• List of artifacts

• Locked or Ungenerated icons

The models you can see are the models you have been given access to.

Not all models include all types of artifacts.

When you click on an artifact, the last 5 items used are shown in a list box. Click one to open it, or click More... to see all artifacts of that type.

If you have a report that includes data from multiple models, that report is listed under the Report artifact for both models.

If you click on a model name in a model box, the layout goes to the Model Relationship layout.

When a model is in a Locked state, you see a Locked icon next to the model name.

When a model is in an Ungenerated state, you see an Incomplete circle icon next to the model name.

When a model is an External Source Model, you see a different icon.

The More menu changes based on the model's status: generated or ungenerated.

More menu options for Generated models:

• Add, Map (not available for Reviewer users)

• Clear Model (not available for Reviewer users)

• Lock Model (not available for Reviewer users)

• Model Backup (not available for Contributor or Reviewer users)

• Model Statistics (not available for Reviewer users)

• Model Activity (not available for Reviewer users)

• Model Artifacts

More menu options for Ungenerated models:

• Add, Map (not available for Reviewer users)

• Generate Model (not available for Reviewer users)

• Delete Model (not available for Reviewer users)

• Model Backup (not available for Contributor or Reviewer users)

• Model Statistics (not available for Reviewer users)

• Model Activity (not available for Reviewer users)

• Model Artifacts

More menu items for External Source Models :

• Clear Model (not available for Reviewer users)

• Delete Model (not available for Reviewer users)

• Model Backup (not available for Contributor or Reviewer users)

• Model Statistics (not available for Reviewer users)

• Model Activity (not available for Reviewer users)

• Model Artifacts

The Model box is a launchpad to more information about the model. You can click on artifacts of a Model box to see additional information.

• Reports and Views artifacts run the Report or View selected.

• Dimension and Attribute artifacts open the Dimension Browser or Attribute Browser.

• Maps, Calculations, Formulas, and Scopes artifacts open the Model Artifacts Browser.

• When you click the Creation Date, the Model Properties panel appears.

Model Properties

In the Grid or List layouts, when you click the Creation Date, the Model Properties panel appears.

The only items you can change are turning Change Data Tracking on or off, and adding or editing the Model description. At the bottom of the Properties panel, you can click Save or Cancel.

Using the Grid Layout

To use the Grid layout, click the Grid icon on the Model Manager ribbon.

All users have access to the Grid layout, and it is the default layout when you start Model Manager.

The grid contains one or more Model boxes for all the models you have access to.

If you click on a model name in a model box, the layout goes to the Model Relationship layout. To return to the Grid layout, click the Grid icon.

You can sort the models shown in the grid using the Sort menu.

Using the List Layout

To use the List layout, click the List icon on the Model Manager ribbon.

All users have access to the List layout.

The list contains details for all the models you have access to.

If you click on a model name in a model box, the layout goes to the Model Relationship layout. To return to the List layout, click the List icon.

There is no Sort menu in List layout because you can simply click a column heading to sort by that column. For example, click Created On to sort by Creation Date.

When a model is in a Locked state, you see a Locked icon next to the model name.

When a model is in an Ungenerated state, you see an Incomplete circle icon next to the model name.

To the right of each model is its More menu. The menu changes based on the model's status: generated or ungenerated.

The Model listing is a launchpad to more information about the model. You can click on artifacts or even in the blank space of the list to see additional information.

Using the Model Relationship Layout

This layout helps you to clearly visualize the data dependencies across the different models.

• It gives a clear representation of how the models are connected, from which model the source data is coming, and to which model the data is being moved.

• The Source section on the left displays the Models from where the data is being loaded and the Target section to the right displays the Models to where the data is being moved.

You can see the dimensionality of the Model along with the Maps which are used to load the data from source models to target models.

• The relationships are built based on the how the maps are defined.

• If you make any changes to the map, the same will be reflected in the model relationship view.

To use the Model Relationship layout, click the Model Relationship icon on the Model Manager ribbon, or click the Model name in the Grid layout.

Only Power and Contributor users have access to the Model Relationship layout.

The Model Relationship layout displays one or more Model boxes vertically for all the models you have access to. The layout shows the Source models (to the left) and Target models (to the right) associated with each Master model.

In the following example, HACPM_Financial provides the source data for the model Base Model. Base Model is also a source for Expenses Model. Additionally, Sales Rep is a source for Bookings, and Marketing Spend gets its data from Bookings.

Sources and Targets are connected to a model with a Map. You can click the Map to launch the Model Artifacts Browser.

Model Manager Security

For details on how to assign or restrict access, click here.

Contributor Access in Model Manager

In Dynamic Planning, Contributors have always had access to the Model menu in Excel and they now have access to the Model Manager on the Web.

• Contributors can only see the models they have access to. On the models for which they have access, they can see all the artifacts.

• In Model Relationship layout, Contributors can see the models they have access to and also the source and target models regardless of whether they have access to the source and target models.

  • For example, if the Contributor has access to Model A which is being sourced by Model S and loading the data to Model T and the Contributor only has access to Model A, in the Model Relationship layout, he will still see all three of the models as that gives a clear relationship and dependency view to the Contributor.

• Contributors cannot perform any action on models for which they do not have access but can see them in Model Relationship layout.

• On Dimension hierarchy management, if a Contributor has access to all dimension members for a given dimension in a given model, then he will have the option to update, add, delete, or modify properties for that dimension. If the Contributor does not have access to all dimension members for a given dimension in a given model then he cannot make any changes to the dimension hierarchy.

  • For example, if a Contributor has access only to Q1 2015 on Time dimension in Model A, then he cannot make any changes to Time dimension on Model A. However, he can see all dimension members for the Time dimension. If a Power user wants to enable Contributors to make changes to the dimension, then Contributors should not be assigned with any dimension security on the dimensions in the Model Permissions setup.

• If Manage, Navigation Access says Yes for Contributor access to Model Dimension:

  • Contributors can use the Dimension Browser to view, edit, delete, and save dimension members they have access to within the Model.

• If Manage, Navigation Access says Yes for Contributor access to Model Attribute:

  • Contributors can use the Dimension Browser to view, edit, delete, map and save attributes with dimension members they have access to within the Model.

• If Manage, Navigation Access says Yes for Contributor access to Model Setup:

  • Contributors can use the More menu to view model activity, model statistics, and model artifacts on models the Contributor has access to.

  • Contributors can edit models they have access to.

  • Contributors can add new models.

Reviewer Access in Model Manager

In Dynamic Planning, Reviewers have not traditionally had access to the Model menu. Now they have limited access to see models in the Model Manager.

• Reviewers can only see the models they have access to.

• Reviewers cannot perform any model activities (such as clear model, lock model, generate model, update the hierarchy, see model statistics, or see model activity).

• Reviewers can see the models and the views and reports associated with them so long as the Reviewer has been granted access to those models, views, and reports.

• Reviewers do not have access to the Data Relationship view.

Model Permissions

Any user having the User Role set to Power User will have a Model Permissions tab to map User Groups and define security permissions.

From the Model Permissions tab, you can associate other users or user groups to different models and their related dimensions and members if you are a Power User. The Model Permissions page lists all the Dynamic Planning related models. There are three types of models which are as follows:

• Analytical Models and Direct Access to PCR (DAP) models are indicated with a Cube icon.

• External Source Models (ESM) are indicated with the Rows and Columns icon.

You can only associate user groups with any models. The user groups that appear on the Model Permissions page are the same as those available in Dynamic Planning.

To define the user permissions related to any model, click the Edit option available on the required model.

The Edit Model Permissions screen appears, and you can do the following from here:

1. In the User Groups section, click Map. The Map User Groups page is displayed.

2. Select the required user groups. If the list is extensive, you can use the search option to find the user group you need. Once the user group is added to the model, all the related users within the user groups are associated with the model.

3. When a user group is mapped with the model, you can do the following from the contextual menu:

   • Copy Permissions: Use this option to copy the permissions set of the respective user group to other user groups. Suppose you copy the permissions to a new user group that is not mapped with the model. In that case, the new user group will be automatically mapped to the model, and the permissions will be applied simultaneously.

   • If you copy the permissions to any group which already has a set of defined permissions, then these copied permissions will override the old permissions.

   • Remove Permissions: Use this option to un-map the related user group.

4. Click Save. At this stage, the selected user groups will have full permissions of all the dimensions related to the model.

5. Once you click Save , the Configure Security section is displayed.

6. If required, you can select the dimension you need from the Secure a Dimension list, and the related members are displayed below the list.

7. If you select any members here, the user groups added to the model will have access to only those members in the dimension.

8. If you have selected any member, you can also view the member selection option available adjacent to the members selected in the Selected Members section.

9. Select the required Members Selection option for each member.

10. After you are done adding and configuring groups, click Save on the top right corner. The Model Permissions are updated.

    Note:

    For ESM and DAP models, you cannot define member-level security. The user groups added to ESM will have full permissions on all dimensions in the model. The user groups added to the DAP model will honor the dimension security from the financial model defined in Structured Planning.

Preview Permissions

You can use the Preview Permissions option to have a quick overview of the model permissions related to the models that you can access. Click Preview Permissions and choose the required model about which you want to view the permission details from the Select Model list.

When you select a model, the associated user groups are displayed in a list. You can select any user group to view the level of permissions the group has to each dimension available in the model.

There are two levels of permissions:

• Full permissions : The user group has access to all the members of the dimension.

• Secure Permissions : The user group has access to limited members of the dimension. When you select such a dimension, you can view the list of members to which the user group has access in the Members section.

Modeling Model Manager, Global Model Actions with the More Menu

The More menu is primarily for Power and Contributor. Reviewers only have one option on the More menu: Model Artifacts.
Click the 3-dot icon from the Grid or List layouts to open the More menu.  

How to Add a Map in Spotlight Web?

1. Navigate to Dynamic Planning > Model.

2. In the required model select Add > Map. The Mappings screen appears.
   

3. The left pane of the screen lets you specify the following basic information about the map:

   1. Map name (required)

   2. Map description

   3. Target model (required)

   4. Source model (required)

   5. Map type (Data, Metadata, or Both) (required)

   6. Transfer type (All data, or Leaf data) (required)

   7. Write Back ID (used only when data is flowing back to the original data source)

   8. Access Token (used only when automating data integration with APIs)

2. The right pane of the screen is where you specify the mapping details:

   1. Source Dimension

   2. Member (Source Value)

   3. Filter (Source Filter)

   4. Target Dimension

   5. Member (Target Value)

   6. Filter (Target Filter)

   7. Match Criteria

3. Use the drop-down arrows to select different options.

4. Use the open icon to view the Member Selection box.

5. To delete a row, click the checkbox next to the row and click the trashcan icon.

6. To discard your changes, click the Refresh icon.

7. To add a new row, click the + icon.

   Note:

   You can expand the Mappings pane by clicking the left arrow between the two panes. It looks slightly different depending on your browser.

   

   
   

8. When done with your changes, click Save.

For details about using maps to load data from Planful Structured Planning, Consolidation, or Reporting applications, see Setting up the Target/Master Model using a Map.

Clearing a Model

For multidimensional models, when you select Clear Model, all data in the model is deleted, and the model moves from a Generated state to an Ungenerated state. Dimensions and other artifacts are retained. An ungenerated model can be modified or deleted.

When you are in the process of designing and testing a new model, you will likely Clear Model and Generate Model frequently. However, once a model is in production, these actions will be used rarely.

When the model is cleared, you see the Ungenerated icon (incomplete circle) next to the model name.

For external source models, when you select Clear Model, all data in the model is deleted. All field definitions, expressions, and formulas are retained.

When you are in the process of designing and testing an External Source Model, you will likely Clear Model and run Data Loads frequently.

Deleting a Model

For multidimensional models, when you select Delete Model, the entire model is deleted, including all data, dimensions, formulas, calculations, maps, and reports, and other artifacts. You cannot delete a generated model. You can only delete ungenerated models. To delete a generated model, select Clear Model to return the model to a state of ungenerated and then select Delete Model.

For external source models, you select Delete Model, the entire model is deleted, including all data, fields, formulas, calculations, maps, views, reports, and other artifacts.

This action is permanent and cannot be undone. Considering making a backup of the model before you delete it. Select Model Backup from the More menu.

Generating a Model

When you select Generate Model, the model moves from an Ungenerated state to a Generated state, which completes the setup of the model.

If the Model is a Master model, the model is populated with data using the Map that indicates that Data should be included, either by selecting Data or Both in the map Type setting.

If the Model is an Analytic model, the model is not populated with any data but is ready for data input.

Once generated, you cannot edit the model structure unless you clear the model first. Generated models are available for analyzing and reporting. Ungenerated models are not available for analyzing or reporting.

Ungenerated - for designing or editing a model.

Generated - the model is ready for consumption by users (Analyze, Report).

Locking a Model

When you select Lock Model, the model is blocked from modification or clearing. Only Analytic and Master models can be locked. Models must be in a Generated state to be locked. Ungenerated models cannot be locked.

While locking a model ensures data integrity and prevents clearing the data, it also means that data changes cannot be saved or updated from Views, Reports, Data Load, API Library, Calculation, and Maps.

Use Lock Model to freeze the data in the model. This is helpful prior to making backups or preparing to perform other maintenance or changes to the model.

When the model is locked, you see the Locked icon next to the model name.

Functionality that can be Used on Locked Models:

• Append Dimension Member

• Set Display Label

• Set Dimension Based Properties

• Attribute

• Set Attribute Mapping

Lock Effects on Calculations

When a calculation runs, it checks whether the model is locked or not before executing each line item. If the model is locked and the calculation has a step that modifies data, the calculation is terminated and you are notified.

Saving Report Data to Locked Models

• If a report is associated with a locked model and the Enable Save property is set to All Models, users cannot save data from that report.

• If a report is associated with multiple models, one of the models is locked, and Enable Save is set to All Models, users cannot save data from that report.

• If a report is associated with a locked model, Enable Save is set to Calculation Model and Calculation on Save is based on the model that is locked as shown below, users cannot save data from that report.

• If a report is associated with multiple models (some that are) locked, Enable Save is set to Calculation Model, and Calculation on Save is not based on the model that is locked, users can save data from that report to the model that is not locked.

Saving View Data to Locked Models

• If Enable Save is set to Yes in a View on a model that is locked, users cannot save data from that view.

Unlocking a Model

When you select Unlock Model, the model is returned to normal status, available for updates to data. Only locked models can be unlocked.

Running a Model Backup

The Model Backup menu item is available only to Power users and can be found on the More menu of the models listed in Model Manager.
If the model is in an Ungenerated state, you can backup the model but there are no other choices available because there is no data in the model.
If the model is in a Generated state, either Locked or Unlocked, you have three choices for your Model Backup:

• Backup Without Data

• Backup with Leaf Level Data only (this option is recommended; it is helpful when moving large models across environments)

• Backup with All Data

After you select Model Backup (and select a data option), the model is immediately backed up as a .ZIP file. Some browsers may ask you if you wish to open or save the .ZIP file. Otherwise the resulting .ZIP file is stored in the Downloads folder associated with your browser.

The maximum size of a model backup and/or restore is defaulted to 200 MB.

As a best practice, use Leaf Level for Data when exporting big models, and do not exceed the limit of 500 MB.

The following items are not backed up currently with this functionality:

• Model Permissions – these would need to be recreated in the target application. The default behavior is that the Power users in the target application will have access to the newly added model, but no other users will be able to access.

• Users, Groups, User Groups are not backed up as they are application specific, not model specific.

• Additional Data Sources – data sources other than Planful Structured Planning, Consolidation, or Reporting applications that are not backed up currently.

Running a Model Restore

Model Restore functionality is available on the ribbon of Model Manager in Spotlight.

Only users with Power privilege can see this icon on the ribbon and run Model Restore.

How to Restore a Model in the Spotlight Web?

1. In Spotlight Web, navigate to the Dynamic Planning > Model.

2. Click the Model Restore icon. A panel appears on the right side of the window. You need to find the model backup file that was saved previously and that you want to restore from. The model backup file is a .ZIP file.

   
   

3. Click Browse to open a file section box. Or drag and drop the .ZIP file into the Model Restore panel. The .ZIP file then appears in the dotted line box.

   
   
   

4. By default, the model will be restored with its original name. If you want to restore the file with a different name, click on the model name next to "Restore As" and change it.

   
   
   

5. Scroll down, if necessary, and click Restore.

   
   
   

   The .ZIP file is processed and, if successful, you see a notification.

   
   
   

   The restored model then appears as one of the models in the Grid or List layout in Model Manager.

Viewing Model Activity

When you select Model Activity, you see the Model Activity Browser. This browser displays the status of activities performed using the Model Manager. Previously, information like this was limited only to Power users, but Contributors also have access to this browser. Power users also have a more comprehensive way in SpotlightXL to view actions on models using Manage, Model Administration, Audit Log.

Model Activity provides an ongoing log of activities happening on each model. For example, if someone edits a dimension, it is logged. If someone runs a calculation, it is logged.

Power and Contributor can view model activity by user, component, action, date, and success or failure.

• Username : select the username whose activity you want to view.

• Component : optionally select the area of functionality in Modeling that you want to view, such as Calculation or User Login.

• Action : optionally select the type of action that you want to view, such as Save, Run, or Breakback.

• Date Range : defaults to today; optionally select a different date range.

• Status: default to show both Successful and Failed activities; optionally uncheck either Success or Failure.

After making your selections, click View Logs.

Activity Panel:

The right side of the Model Activity Browser contains information about the actions performed by users.

• Username: who performed the activity

• Component: what area of Model Manager was used

• Action: type of operation performed

• Name: the name of the Component used, if applicable

• Status: Success or Failure

• Details: any messages generated by the activity

• Date: the date and time the activity was performed

Working with Model Artifacts

When you click Model Artifacts, you see the Model Artifacts Browser.

You can also open the Model Artifacts Browser by clicking on a calculation, formula, scope, or map in a Model Box.

The Model Artifacts Browser is a dynamic viewer window that displays the following artifacts, if they exist, for the selected model:

• Attributes: see Using the Dimension Attribute Browser

• Dimensions: see Using the Dimension Browser

• Maps: see Creating, Editing, and Filtering Maps

• Calculations: Running and Filtering Calculations

• Formulas: see Filtering Formulas

• Scopes: see Filtering Scopes

• Views: see Running and Filtering Views

• Reports: see Running and Filtering Reports

• Fields (for External Source Models): see Filtering External Source Model Fields

• Formulas (for External Source Models): Creating, Editing, and Filtering External Source Model Formulas

• Maps (for External Source Models): see Filtering External Source Maps

The right side of the Model Artifacts Browser contains details of the artifact selected.

Icons are available to perform actions on the artifact, such as Refresh, Filter, and Run.

For more information, see Using Model Artifacts.

Viewing Model Statistics

When you click Model Statistics, you see the Model Statistics Browser. These statistics have previously been available only to Power users (with Manage, Application Administration, Application Statistics). Now Contributors can view them also.

Everything in this browser is read-only. You can click the column headings to sort them in different ways.

Statistics:

• Model Size in megabytes; the model is stored in the cloud.

• # of Dimensions; the dimensions are listed in the panel to the right.

• # of Attributes; you can view the attributes in the Model Artifacts Browser.

• # of Key Members; the member counts of each key dimension multiplied together. This is also known as the Key Block Size.

• # of Value Members; the member counts of each value dimension multiplied together. This is also known as the Value Block Size.

• # of Records; the number of data records in the model.

Dimension Panel:
The right side of the Model Statistics Browser contains information about the dimensions. You can click on a column heading to sort the dimensions in the order of that column, ascending or descending.

• Dimension Name: listed in the order they were created

• Dimension Type: Key or Value; Key corresponds to dimensions that will most likely change over time (such as Customer and Account), whereas Value corresponds to dimensions that do not change often (such as Scenario or Year).

• Member Count: number of members in that dimension

• Hierarchy Levels: number of levels of parents and children

Calculation Scheduler

The Calculation Scheduler option in Spotlight Web allows users to manage all their scheduled calculations in one place. This feature eliminates the inconvenience of adjusting scheduled calculation settings.

Users can schedule calculations to run at specific intervals using the Calculation Scheduler and receive notifications upon completion or failure. With this, users have greater flexibility in managing calculation schedules, including the ability to pause and resume individual or bulk scheduled calculations, as well as toggle the execution status to optimize calculations with ease.

How to Schedule a Calculation Scheduler in Spotlight Web?

1. Navigate to Model > Calculation Scheduler.
   
2. Select the required calculation, and click the edit icon.
   
3. In the Update Scheduler window, select the appropriate options for the following:
   • Time frame: At, Begins, Ends
   • Frequency: Daily, Weekly, or Monthly
   • Run on the following days
   • Notification to the user when the process succeeds or fails
4. Click UPDATE.