Frequently Asked Questions

There is no limit to the number of leaf-level members you can create. However, organizing them under appropriate roll-up levels is recommended for better structure and manageability.

How to unprotect a cell in template?

Cells within a template may be locked/protected based on the mode you are in and how the template is configured. The specific reasons cells might be locked in Template Setup or Planning Control Panel (PCP) Input/View Mode are given below:

A cell may be locked for the following reasons in Template Setup:

• Reference Account / Reference Cube – The cell pulls data from another source and is not editable.

• Closed Periods – If the scenario includes closed periods (as defined in the scenario setup), those columns will be locked and data is auto-pulled from the system.

• Spread Code Column – This column cannot be edited directly. Use the Methods option from the format bar to map spread methods.

• Header Row – Only columns M and N are editable, used to categorise or label sections. All other columns in the header row are locked and cannot be edited.

In PCP Input/View Mode, cells may be locked for the following reasons:

• Reference Account / Reference Cube / Subline – The cell pulls data from another source and is not editable.

• Closed Periods / Year Totals – If the scenario includes closed periods (as defined in the scenario setup), those columns will be locked and data is auto-pulled from the system.

• Header Row – Only columns M and N are editable, used to categorise or label sections. All other columns in the header row are locked and cannot be edited.

• Open in read only mode / View mode – The template is opened in read-only mode and cannot be edited.

• CALC (C) type row - Formula-Driven Cell – The cell contains a formula defined in Template Setup and cannot be edited manually.

You can export multiple reports simultaneously by utilizing the Report Collection feature with the Bursting functionality. This functionality allows you to group several reports and export them collectively in your preferred format.

You can incorporate data from one template into another by utilizing the Reference Account (RA) feature. This functionality allows a template to reference specific accounts or data points from another template. Select a line and open the Reference Account page in the Template Setup page to enable the look-up of data from another template. For example, payroll accounts may be looked up from the Workforce template.

You can adjust the reporting date by modifying the Time dimension, typically located on the Row or Column axis.

To change the date of a dynamic report, do the following:

1. Navigate to Reports.

2. Open the dynamic report in which you want to modify the date.

3. Expand the axis dropdown and click on the Time dimension.

4. Change the sequence of selected dimension members or remove them from the right side pane.

5. Select the checkboxes of dimension members from the left side pane that you want to add.

6. Click the Run icon. The report with the modified date appears.

7. Click Save or Save As to save changes in the same report or in a new report, respectively.

No, you cannot use formulas in the header in Reports. However, you can use substitution variables in the header.

To create a variance report in Planful, you can utilize the Dynamic Reports feature, which offers flexibility in designing customized financial reports. To create a variance report follow the steps below:

1. Navigate to the Reports.

2. Click Add and select Dynamic Report.

3. Choose the appropriate Reporting Area (e.g., Financial) and click OK.

4. Drag and drop dimensions such as Company, Scenario, and Time to the Page axis to set up filters for your report to the Page Axis

5. Drag and drop the Account dimension or a predefined Report Set to the Row axis to define the rows of your report to the Row Axis.

6. Drag and drop the Measures dimension or a relevant Report Set to the Column axis to define the columns of your report to the Column Axis.

   • For each dimension placed on the axes, select the specific members or groups.

   • Utilize Report Sets to group related dimension members for streamlined reporting.

   • To analyze variances, create calculated columns or rows that compute the difference between actuals and forecasts or prior periods.

   • Define formulas to calculate variances and, if needed, variance percentages.

7. Use the Format options to apply styles, alignments, borders, and number formats to enhance the report's readability. Apply conditional formatting to highlight significant variances.

8. Click Save.

9. Click Run to generate the report.

How to change the Time Dimension in Planful?

To modify your report to include data from prior months, you can adjust the report's time settings to encompass the desired period. To include prior months in the report, do the following:

1. Navigate to Reports.

2. Open the reports that you want to include prior months.

3. In the report setup, identify the Time dimension in any of the axes, which dictates the periods displayed in your report.

4. Choose the specific prior months you want to include in your report. Ensure that the selected time range aligns with your reporting requirements.

5. Click Save.

6. Click Run to generate the report.

You can export attributes by using the Export option. For example, Finance attributes. To export a finance attribute, do the following:

1. Navigate to Maintenance > Hierarchy Management.

2. Select the required options in the Hierarchy Selection section. Click Setup.

3. Click Attribute Setup and click Export as Excel or Print.

Data loaded via a Data Load Rule (DLR) can be removed using the Clear Data functionality. This allows you to delete data for a specific scenario, fiscal month, module, and segment combination, and then reload it as needed.

To see Planful (Beta) (Custom) as a data source in Power BI Desktop, complete the following steps:

1. Download the .pqx file from the Downloading .pqx file section in the Configuring Planful Connector for Power BI help article.

2. Place the downloaded .pqx file in the following folder on your local system.

   • Documents > Power BI Desktop > Custom Connectors.

You can find the amounts invoiced by using the Drill Through feature in Dynamic Reports. However, this is a transaction data type, which means it must be loaded into the application using Data Load Rules (DLR).

To learn more about using the Drill Through feature, click here.

To learn more about loading transaction data via DLR, click here.

Why do I currently only have help mode?

Please get in touch with your Account Manager for more information.

How can I learn about Dynamic Planning?How can I learn Dynamic Planning? Where can I find training materials? Where can I find Planful certifications training? How can I access training for SpotlightXL, Dynamic Planning, Structure Planning, Planning Templates, Budgeting, and Dashboards? Where can I watch webinar recordings? How can I learn about dashboards? Dynamic Planning training? Dashboard training, SpotlightXL training, Planful webinar recordings, Training with spotlightxl

1. In the top toolbar, click Help.

2. Under Self Service Options, click Training.

3. Browse or search for the training topic you’re interested in (e.g., SpotlightXL, Dynamic Planning, Structure Planning, Planning Templates, Budgeting, Dashboards, and so on).

   
   Alternatively,

   If you do not find the specific training you need, please contact your Account Manager for assistance.

You cannot manually reorder hierarchy members by account order, but you can sort them in ascending or descending order using the Sort option in Hierarchy Management. This allows you to organize members alphabetically by their Member Code.

Updating a translation table in Planful does not retroactively impact historical data for prior months by default. Any changes to the translation table will only take effect if the affected data is reloaded. To reflect updated exchange rates in past periods, you must manually trigger a retranslation or data reload for those specific periods.

Yes, you can assign access to a single GL account using one of the following methods:

1. Assign the single GL account template to the Scenario and Entity, and also grant access to the user via the Approval Role.

   • Assign the Approval Role with input or view access to that template for the selected scenario and budget entity.

   Or

2. Share the template with the user via Budget Manager Experience (BME).

   • Navigate to the Planning Control Panel, select the scenario and entity.

   • Share the template by selecting the user and assigning a View that displays only the required GL account.

   • Share it via Send Email or Copy Link to enable BME access.

To reference data from a Data Load Rule (DLR) in a Global Planning Template, ensure the DLR loads data into a segment mapped to the template. The template must be configured to pull from the correct scenario and dimension intersection.

Load the Data via a Data Load Rule

1. Go to Maintenance > Data Integration > Data Load Rules.

2. Create or run a DLR that loads data into the correct Scenario, Account, Time Period, and Entity.

   Ensure the data is successfully loaded into Planful.

Map the Line in the Template

1. Go to Maintenance > Template Setup.

2. Open the desired Template and add or edit a line item.

3. In the line setup, set the Destination Account Mapping to the same account used in the DLR.

Open the Template

1. Go to the Planning Control Panel.

2. Select the scenario, entity where data was loaded.

3. Open the template in Input or View mode.

   You’ll see the loaded data appear on the mapped line.

If a GL account is not pulling into your scenario template, here are several possible reasons to investigate:

• Template Mapping Issue: Ensure the missing GL account is included in the template’s line setup and destination account mapping. If it isn’t mapped, the account doesn’t appear for input or reporting.

• Account Permissions or Security: Check that the user role or group has permission to access the GL account. If dimension or scenario security is applied, the account may be restricted from view.

• Reference Account Configuration: When a GL account is used in a reference line that has pulling data, it may not appear directly unless specifically configured to do so.

• View Filters in Templates: The selected template View might have filters that exclude the account. Switch to the Default View to check whether the GL account is visible.

To know your Account Manager, do the following:

1. In the top toolbar, click Help.

2. Under Commercial Relationship section, you can see your Account Relationship Manager name.

3. Select the desired option in the Reach out to discuss section.

No, currently there is no option to hide member codes in Planning Templates account mappings. Member codes (e.g., for Account, Department, or other dimensions) are displayed by default alongside member names to ensure clarity in reporting alignment.

To manage and effectively extend a user’s access period in Planful, you should update the Deactivate user account after X number of day(s) without login setting under Security Administration. This setting ensures that a user's account will stay active longer, even without logging in, up to the number of days you specify.

To increase/extend user access end date, do the following:

1. Go to Maintenance > Administration > Security Administration.

2. Locate the setting Deactivate user account after X number of day(s) without login.

3. Increase the number of days (e.g., from 30 to 90) to extend the allowed inactivity window before automatic deactivation.

4. Click Save.

Note:

If you don’t have access to edit, contact Planful Support to request edit access to the Tenant Group Security Settings section and update security settings.

To get access to Planful AI Analyze Mode contact Account Manager.

To send improvement suggestions to Planful, you can do the following:

• If you're using Planful AI, click the Thumbs Down icon on any response to submit your feedback or suggestion.

• For product suggestions or feature requests, reach out to your Planful Account Manager through the Help menu in the application.

To view expense types:

1. Go to Maintenance > Administration > Hierarchy Management.

2. Select the Account hierarchy.

3. Click the More Actions icon and choose Export Leaf Level.

4. Open the downloaded file.

5. Filter the Accounts column with Expense to view all expense accounts (expense types).