Maintaining Configuration Tasks

The first step to setting up the Planful application is to complete configuration tasks. Configuration tasks allow you to set parameters by which you will build your application upon to create your personalized experience. Some tasks are required while others are optional and based on product.

How to Access the Configuration Tasks Page

Access the Configuration Task List page by navigating to Maintenance > Admin > Configuration Tasks.

General Financial Configuration - Required

Access and complete each task under General Financial Configuration. This configuration is required.

• Define Financial Segments - Define the name and number of financial business segments (also referred to as dimensions) for your Planful application. Segments are also referred to as dimensions and make up your Chart of Accounts. You must define at least two segments, but no more than eight apart from the system-defined segments (i.e. Time, Measure, Scenario). Out of the eight user-defined segments, one segment must represent a legal entity and the other segment must represent a natural account.

• Define Financial Budget Entity - The pane on the left is populated with the financial segments you defined. You don't have to use all financial dimensions for a financial budget entity. Select the segments you want to make up the Budget Entity definition and click the forward arrow so that those segments appear in the right pane. Your budget hierarchy entity selections will be populated based on the segments selected here.

• Define Fiscal YearSetup - Establish the start and end of your organization’s fiscal year, including the number of periods associated with the fiscal year. Define roll-up levels and quarter members. Roll-up levels allow for additional time frequencies in a calendar. The lowest level is month. You will not be able to edit the names of the levels unless the periods per fiscal year is great than 12.

• Define Budget Parameters - Define the number of years budgeted at one time and the number of compare scenarios accessible while entering a budget. Compare scenarios allow you to compare historical actuals, data from a prior period in the budget cycle, etc. This is used for the Planning module.

• Define Currency Parameters - Define common currency, conversion basis, and interim currency parameters.

Define Capital Budgeting Criteria - Optional

Required if you are performing Capital Budgeting.

Define attributes used when adding Capital templates. The attributes set up here will determine the input for the attribute columns on the Add Capital Template page.

See the Capital Planning Admin Guide for details.

Define Workforce Planning Budgeting Criteria - Optional

Complete this task if you are performing Workforce Budgeting.

This task tells the system how you want to budget for Human Resources. It directly correlates with the templates you'll set up. End-users will use these templates to input budgeting data.

Define Workforce Planning Budgeting criteria such as allocations, employee positions and salary calculations. The way you define the criteria on this page will impact the way you perform Workforce Budgeting.

See the Workforce Planning Admin Guide for additional details.

Data Integration Configuration

Now you've got to decide how you will load your data to the Planful structure. Under Data Integration Configuration, configure the appropriate task based on your data load plan. There are several options to load data to Planful in addition to Web and Cloud Services.

For information on all options available to load data to Planful, see Loading Data to Planful.

Web Service Access - Configure to import data from an external source into the Planful application.

Cloud Services - Configure to load data from Box (instructions available in Admin Guide to Loading Data to Planful), Google Drive (instructions available in Admin Guide to Loading Data to Planful), or NetSuite Connect (see the Data Integration Admin Guide for information on setup required in NetSuite and Planful).

Define Login Restrictions - Optional

Configure this task to limit users to a maximum number of parallel sessions per user ID. Exceeding the maximum number will result in a message indicating that the user has exceeded the maximum number of sessions and return the user to the login page.

Planful allows a user ID to be logged in from multiple locations and multiple devices. Administrators have the option to restrict the number of parallel sessions a user is logged into in order to comply with security policies.

Access the Configuration Task List page by navigating to Maintenance > Admin > Configuration Tasks. Select Define Login Restrictions - Configure IP Restrictions.

This configuration is optional and is applicable to login requests from a web browser only. By default, no restrictions are configured.

1. Select the Enable IP Restrictions checkbox.

2. For Add IP address, enter the address or address range you want to restrict. Enter an IP address (IP4 format), range of IP addresses, or CIDR (Classless Inter-Domain Routing) in which you want to restrict access to your Planful application.

3. Click the Add button to add the IP address, range of IP addresses, or CIDR to the Trusted IP addresses box. Users in this list logging in with a support IP address will be allowed to access Planful. If the IP address is not listed here, the user will be denied access. Select an IP address and click the Delete button to remove the address from the Trusted IP addresses box.

4. Select the Exempt All External User(s) checkbox so that external users are not required to meet IP address restrictions. For example, if you need a Planful Support employee to access your application, that person is considered an external user. For a list of external users, access the User Management page under Maintenance.

• Unmapped User/User Group – a list of all users and user groups. Select a user and click the forward arrow to provide that user or user group with exempted restriction.

• Mapped User/User Group - a list of all users and user groups that are exempt from the restriction. To remove a user, select the user and click the back arrow.

Collaboration Configuration - Optional

Complete this task if you plan to use the Collaboration feature.

With Collaboration, (Socialcast's integration into Planful) you will be able to communicate and collaborate on a particular artifact (Scenarios, Reports). User communications are enabled at a granular level.

To configure collaboration details:

1. Navigate to Maintenance >Admin > Configuration Tasks. The Configuration Task List page is displayed.

2. Click Collaboration Configuration. This opens the Collaboration Configuration page.

3. Click Enable Configuration. This fields below are enabled.

   Service Provider	Select the name of the community link provided from the drop down list.
   URL	Provide the community URL.
   User Name	Provide an administrator user name that you created in Socialcast. Ideally, use the same account that you created.

4. Click Authorize. You must authorize Socialcast to access your Planful account by proving user ID and password since this requires OAuth authentication

5. Click Save.

For detailed information on everything related to configuring, setting up and using Collaboration, click here.

Define Reporting Areas

Define the Reporting Areas (Reporting Cubes). Planful Reporting Cubes are multi-dimensional structures defined by a set of dimensions and measures used to analyze data for reporting purposes.

Consolidation

Retained Earnings Roll Forward

Click Retained Earnings Roll Forward to display the screen. Select Yes for Enable. Selecting Yes for Enable displays additional options in the Consolidation Setup screen allowing the admin user to setup the segment combination to which the financial entries will be posted. Selecting No for Enable hides the options in the Consolidation Setup screen.

If enabled, when you access the Consolidation Control Panel and click Consolidation Setup there will be Include in the Consolidation Process checkboxes displayed for Income Statement - Retained Earnings Account and Cumulative Retained Earnings sections.

Income Statement Retained Earnings Account

Select Yes for Enable to specify accounts on the Consolidation Setup page. This configuration is optional and is designed to ensure an accurate Trial Balance. If you select No, you will not be able to select accounts on the Consolidation Setup page as the entire section named Income Statement Retained Earnings Account will be hidden from view.

Consolidation Status Setup

Enable the Consolidation Status feature for your application. Once you enable Consolidation Status each consolidation unit will have an inherent life-cycle associated with it. This life-cycle includes several statuses to indicate where the consolidation unit is within the life-cycle. Consolidation Status offers several benefits, such as; providing the necessary information to complete the close process in a timely manner and allows consolidators to view the status by entity and time period they are responsible for.

Click here for detailed information on everything you need to know before enabling this feature.

1. Navigate to Maintenance > Admin > Configuration Tasks.

2. On the Configuration Tasks page, click the Consolidation Status Setup task shown below to enable this functionality.

   

3. The Consolidation Status Setup page is launched. Select the month and year in which you want to start Consolidation workflow and select the Enable Forward and Approve Status for Consolidation Process checkbox as shown below. Then, click Save.

   

4. Click Save & Complete. The message below displays. Click Continue.

   

Workflow Configuration

Workflow Setup

Admin users can configure this feature directly from the Planful application. Please note that once this functionality is enabled within your production environment, it cannot be disabled.

Enable Enhanced Workflow for scenarios from the Workflow Setup page. Once you enable workflow and Start the process, the automated tasks and multiple authorization functionalities are activated. If you do not enable Workflow Setup for a Scenario, the Planning Control Panel works as usual without automated tasks and multiple authorization functionalities. Irrespective of whether Workflow Setup is enabled for a Scenario or not, the New Workflow Actions for Templates are activated. This means that the Forward and Approve actions are available for templates.

1. Access the Configuration Tasks page via Maintenance > Admin.

2. Click the Workflow Setup task to enable this functionality, as shown in the image. The Workflow Setup page is displayed.

   

3. Select the Enable Workflow checkbox. The Enable Forward and Approve for Templates checkbox is automatically selected, as shown in the image.

   

4. Click the Save icon. A confirmation message is displayed.

   

5. Click Continue. The enhanced workflow is now enabled for scenarios.

6. Select the Enable Forward and Approve for Templates check box to enable workflow actions for templates to include Forward , Send Back and Approve. These actions work similar to the Forward, Send Back and Approve actions for budget entities. The ability to Forward and Approve templates is optional for existing customers. Existing customers can opt to enable this functionality directly from the Workflow Setup page. For all customers who are new to Planful as of the Spring19 release, this functionality is provided by default. If you are an existing customer and you choose not to have the Approve and Forward functionalities, you can mark templates as Mark Complete and Mark Not Complete after you input the data.