Understanding Data Seeding

What is Data Seeding?

The term "data seeding" refers to the concept of using the Planful templates and any data you load to the system to feed data while a new Budget, Forecast or Plan scenario. 

Users may need to transfer data from existing scenarios to new scenarios rather than generate new scenarios from scratch. In such cases, Data seeding allows you to quickly populate a new budget or forecast (target) scenario with data from another (source) scenario. 

Data seeding can be done based on the setup you perform on the Scenario Setup page. You control data seeding based on your business needs and the selections you make. 

Planful offers the following capabilities for seeding: 

• Seeding of data from any other scenario (including Actual). 
• Seeding of templates, notes, and template sub-lines from another scenario. 
• Seeding of overlapping periods and mismatched template structures.

A scenario can have many template types. The seed behavior varies based on the template type you are seeding from (source).

Subline Seeding Functionality

We support seeding of subline data entered in the subline template. For example, enter data in a subline for Template ABC, Entity 1, and Forecast 2022 Scenario. Now, seed everything from Forecast 2022 to Forecast 2023. Run Simulation Engine. The subline data is copied over to Template ABC, Entity 1, Forecast 2023 Scenario.

Seeding of subline data can be done from any source scenario; reference or varying scenario and period selections, and also overlapping scenario.

Seeding Formulas

The Data Seeding logic ensures that the formulas are automatically adjusted. For example, when there is a formula in the first period of 2022, that same formula will reflect in the first period of 2023.

When data is manually entered in a template and then the related scenario is seeded, the data is copied to the appropriate target scenario template. For example, if a user entered 10 dollars in the first period of 2023, the same 10 dollars reflects in the seeded target scenario in the first period of 2023. The same holds true for currency exchange rates and Workforce Planning data. This logic is shown below.

Simulation Engine must be executed on the templates seeded from the source to the target scenario so that the formulas and values are properly calculated. Optionally, you can just open and save each template, which works the same way.

Seeding of formulas can be done from any source scenario; Reference scenario, Varying Scenario and Period Selection, or Reference Scenario with Overlapping Periods.

Best Practices for Seeding of Formulas

• Execute/schedule a Simulation Engine process after the target scenario is saved (seeded) on the Add Scenario page.
• Use simple formulas in templates versus complex. An example of a complex formula is to perform a Get (i.e. Get 2022 data + 10% ). An example of a simple formula is to compute the previous year same period + 10%.

Seeding Non-Template Data

The data seeding logic supports the seeding of data entered via other sources. For example, enter data via Data Load Rules or Journals and it will be seeded.

Data Load Rules

Journals

Seeding of non template data can be done from any of the following source scenarios

• Reference scenario or 
• Reference scenario with overlapping periods.

Understanding Template Behavior When Seeded

The following table represents the template types where seeding is available and where you can seed templates and related data from the Reference scenario using the Varying Scenario and Period Selection approach.

To seed from Workforce Planning and Capital template types, you must remap them from the Default scenario to the new scenario. Keep in mind that only the template is seeded, not the associated data. For scenario seeding, Capital data can be seeded across the scenarios using the “Reference Scenario” functionality or by “Copying” the scenarios.

n/a means that Varying Scenario and Period Selection is not supported. For example, for the Capital module, if you do a data seed using the Varying Scenario and Period Selection option, the key driver is the account mapping. This means that the data at the asset level is not copied because assets have no mapping to the chart of accounts directly.

Seeding Time Sets When You Have Overlapping Periods

Seeding of data and the structure of templates with Time Sets of the same frequency (i.e. Quarterly, Yearly) when you have overlapping periods is supported. This functionality works for uniform Time Sets. For example, if a template has Time Sets as All Months, All Quarters or All Years then seeding will be allowed. Custom Time Sets (like - MM - QQ -YY or MM - QQ) will not be seeded.