Template Types

The first step in  creating a template is to decide what type of template you need. There are several template types available based on what type of planning you are doing.  Depending on whether you're planning for assets, employees, sales, or other areas, different templates may be more suitable. Read about template types below.

Line Item Template

Line Item Category provides flexibility to tailor templates according to specific needs. Unlike traditional templates where they are predefined and users are limited to inputting data into templates from the Planning Control Panel, the Line Item Category allows users to build and customize their own templates. Administrators identify the line items that can be selected in the template, but the specific lines planned in the template are mostly user-driven.

For example, a company might have a general account called "5600 - Professional Services," but the actual expenses could vary widely, including costs for "Audit," "Legal Fees," "Outside Consultant," and more. With Line Item Categories, admin users can create subcategories that qualify these expenses, allowing for more precise planning.

HR Template

This template type is used for planning detailed payroll related expenses at the desired level. Human Resource (HR) expenses are part of an organization's operational plan. HR Budgets allow a detailed level of organization for all budgets related to human resources.

For example, an HR Template with compensation lines for employees, with compensation lines divided by compensation type such as FTE salaries, 401k, e-Demedical insurance costs, and so on.

HR-Workforce Planning

Unlike traditional templates where the individual rows, columns, etc. are defined in the Template Setup, the HR - Workforce Planning template operates differently. You will not be adding it as a traditional template, instead, the system automatically adapts the template design in response to updates made to the workforce components.

However, mapping the HR - Workforce Planning template to the entity and scenario happens in the Template Setup > Template List > Mappings area under the Planning Templates section. This is the same area where traditional template mapping is also done.

Click here for more information on setting up Workforce Planning.

Once the setup is complete, users with the appropriate access and roles will be able to access the HR - Workforce Planning template via the Planning Control Panel.

Capital Template

This template type is used for entities with new assets, along with depreciation and accumulated amortization on existing assets. Capital Planning allows you to plan for capital assets and expenditures, including the total costs and maintenance fees for your company's fixed assets. Details on template setup, including assets, asset categories, and finance modes, are provided in the Capital Planning Overview. 

Initiative Template

An initiative template is a predefined framework for capturing key attributes related to specific initiatives, such as launching a sales campaign. For instance, users can define a campaign's start and end dates, and select a category for expenses (e.g., "Digital Advertising"). These attributes, including the date range and expense category, help structure the initiative, ensuring all relevant data is captured consistently for reporting, budgeting, and forecasting purposes. The template simplifies input and maintains uniformity across planning activities.

For detailed information on setting up and deploying Initiative Planning, see the Initiative Planning.

Block Template

This template type is used for planning against a “repeating block of lines” for a selected dimension member. The block template can be used against all budget entities created based on chart of account segments as well as attribute-based budget entities. 

See: Block Template Examples

Global Template Single Copy

The Global Template - Single Copy type template is the most flexible and most often used template. This template type allows any changes made to the template by an admin user to be automatically updated for all entities mapped to that template.

See: Global Template Single Copy Template Example

Global Template Entity Copy

This is a sub-type of Global Template that is used as a starting point to build templates for each budget entity through global processing of the templates. This template type allows administrative users to modify the template for a selected entity in an isolated manner without impacting the templates of other entities that use the same template.

Allocation Template

This template type distributes or allocates amounts to other budget entities. For example, you might select an even allocation, which distributes $100 dollars from a specified account to designated entities or children. Allocations can be performed for all entities and currencies. For Non-USD entities, the local currency is calculated using exchange rates when the allocation template is saved.

Subline Template

Template sublines are very useful for allowing users to add additional information regarding the specifics of their data inputs within their templates. Template sublines allow for further itemization of the line type data. The total/aggregate of all sublines is posted to the line total within the template.

When end-users access a template via the Planning Control Panel and click the L, the Sub Lines Template is launched as shown below. Now, end users can add lines, formulas, and perform more detailed planning for that line item.

Once data is saved in sublines (against a template line), the L appears with a green background as shown below.