Release Updates

With this release, we have introduced Conditional Formatting for numeric measures in SpotlightXL reports, enabling users to create visually rich reports by applying Excel-style formatting rules. These visual cues seamlessly transfer from SpotlightXL to Spotlight Web, providing consistent data highlights across platforms.

Key capabilities

• Design Mode Support: Users can now define conditional formatting rules for numeric measures directly within SpotlightXL in the Design Mode, using Excel's native conditional formatting tools.

• Automatic Visual Sync with Spotlight Web: The defined formatting is automatically applied in the Run Mode and is fully reflected in the Spotlight Web interface, ensuring a consistent reporting experience.

• Customizable Conditions & Appearance: Users can apply conditional formats based on various rules and select whether the color is applied to cell text or cell background.

• Supported Comparison Operators:

  • between

  • not Between

  • equal to

  • not equal to

  • greater than or equal to

  • less than or equal to
    
    

Key Benefits

Conditional Formatting enables:

• Instant identification of data patterns, trends, and outliers.

• Enhanced readability for reports used in financial and operational decision-making.

• Faster insight extraction by leveraging visual cues without manual analysis.

Current Limitations

• Conditional Formatting cannot be used in Cascaded Reports.

• Can only be applied to numeric measures.

• Conditional Formatting will not be reflected in:

  • Exports to Excel or PDF

  • Report Distributions
    

With this release, we have introduced a powerful new feature in Dynamic Planning Report Commands to streamline report design in SpotlightXL using intuitive, text-based directives. This update allows report editors to embed commands directly into the grid, eliminating the need to navigate menus for common tasks like hiding or locking cells.

You can now define report behaviour using text commands, directly within the first row or column of your SpotlightXL report in Design Mode. These commands begin with / and execute automatically when the report switches to Run Mode, improving report readability and design efficiency.

Reports designed using Report Commands in SpotlightXL will retain the same behaviour when rendered in Spotlight Web, ensuring consistent report output across platforms.

Available Commands

Commands can also be inserted via formulas, allowing for dynamic, data-driven logic.

You can also apply commands conditionally using Excel-like formulas. Both outcomes (TRUE and FALSE) must return a valid command:

=Lock actuals and allow forecasts to remain editable:

=IF([Scenario]="Actual", "/lockcolumn", "/unlockcolumn")

This ensures forecast periods stay open for planning while actuals are protected.

Key Benefits

• Empowers report designers with intuitive, keyboard-driven control

• Reduces dependency on formatting menus or IT support

• Enables logic-based report behaviour for dynamic planning needs

• Improves consistency and security in report execution

Current Limitations

• Report Commands cannot be used by row in Cascaded Reports.

• Report Commands will not be reflected in:

  • Exports to Excel or PDF

  • Report Distributions

With this release, we have introduced a new Aliases field in the Default Properties of Hierarchy Management. This enhancement allows administrators to assign business or organization-friendly names (aliases) to hierarchy members, enabling users to use familiar, non-technical terms when asking data-related questions in Planful AI.

Previously, Planful AI matched user queries only to exact or similar Member Names or Member Codes. When no match was found, users often saw a list of similar names to choose from, which can be confusing for business users if they are not sure of the exact name.

Now, Aliases can be added to dimension members, allowing Planful AI to prioritize the defined names during query interpretation. This helps AI narrow down the specific dimension member (for example, Account) and deliver faster, contextually correct responses without needing further clarification from users.

How It Works

• Aliases are configured in Hierarchy Management under the Default Properties pane for the desired members.

• One or more aliases can be added. Multiple Aliases must be comma-separated.

  • Example: For a member named NET_INC_001, aliases can include: Net Income, Net Profit, etc.

• Alias must be unique within each dimension.

  • For example, in the Account dimension, you can assign the alias Travel Expense to one member. The same alias can also be used for a member in another dimension, such as Company or Department.

• Supported Hierarchy Type and Dimensions

  • Type: Finance Hierarchies

  • Dimensions: All Dimensions are supported (except system-defined dimensions

  • Supported Hierarchy Types: Main Hierarchy and Alternate Hierarchies

How to Add Aliases to a Hierarchy Member

1. Navigate to Maintenance > Hierarchy Management.

2. Under Hierarchy Selection:

   1. Select Type as Finance Hierarchies.

   2. Choose the Dimension.

   3. Select the Main Hierarchy or Alternate Hierarchies.

3. Click Apply Selection.

4. In the hierarchy tree, select the desired member.

5. In the Default Properties pane, enter the Aliases in the aliases field.

   

6. Click OK, then Save.

   Once saved, Planful AI will automatically use these aliases when interpreting user queries.

Examples

Use Case 1

• Member Name: NET_INC_001

• Aliases: Net Income

• User Query: Show me Net Income for Q3

• Result: Planful AI retrieves data for NET_INC_001, even though the member name was not used.

Use Case 2

• Available Members:

  • Operating Expenses – Total

  • Operating Expenses – Sales

  • Operating Expenses – Marketing

  • Operating Expenses – Corporate

• User Query: Show me Operating Expenses for Q2

• Result (Before adding aliases): Planful AI shows all four members and asks the user to pick one.

• Add Aliases: Add Operating Expenses as an Alias to the member Operating Expenses – Total.

• Result (After adding Aliases): Planful AI directly returns data for Operating Expenses – Total without showing other options.

Business Value

• Allows users to use familiar terminology in AI queries.

• Improves response accuracy without requiring additional clarification from the user.

• Enhances adoption of Planful AI across finance and non-finance stakeholders.

With this release, we have introduced User Group support for approval roles, significantly improving how administrators manage access across Budget Entities. Previously, approval roles could only be assigned to individual users. Now, admins can assign roles at the user group level, streamlining access control and ensuring consistency across large teams or dynamic organizational structures.

Key Capabilities

• User Group-Based Access Assignment: Assign roles to groups instead of individuals.

• Dynamic Access Inheritance: All users in the group inherit the assigned approval role and associated permissions.

• Permissions for group-level configuration:

  • Edit Scenario

  • Enable Workforce User Access Tab

• Inherited Access View: A new Inherited Security tab in the User level screen shows role assignments inherited from user groups, including the group that granted the access.

• Union Role Resolution: When a user has both individual and group-based access, the system applies a union of permissions across both sources.

To Assign or Edit Approval Role for a User Group

1. Navigate to Maintenance > Administration > User & Role Management.

2. Go to the User Group tab and click the Shield icon next to the desired user group to open their Security Configurations.

3. Select Approval Role Setup.

4. Turn permission checkboxes on/off for:

   1. Edit Scenario

   2. Enable Workforce User Access Tab.

5. Choose the Budget Entity levels and assign Role.

6. Click Save to apply changes.

To learn more about Setting Up Approval Roles, click here.

Use Case 1

Group-Level Access Only: A user without any direct (user-level) approval roles is added to a group that has access to a Budget Entity.

• The user now inherits the group’s access automatically.

• The new Inherited Security tab displays the exact group(s) from which the access is derived.

• The Edit Scenario and Enable Workforce User Access Tab checkboxes are disabled (as they are set at the group level).

Use Case 2

Mixed Access (User + Group): When a user receives approval role assignments, both individually and via a user group:

• The system applies a union of permissions, combining the most permissive access from both sources.

• For example, if the group provides access to the Budget Entity "USD" and the user is assigned to "Non-USD", both entities become accessible.

• Similarly, consider the following scenario:

  • User Group role includes:

    • Template Actions: View, Forward

    • Approval Actions: Forward

  • User role adds:

    • Template Actions: Input, Approval

    • Approval Actions: Workflow History, Final Approve, Approve

  The user inherits all four Template Actions (View, Forward, Input, Approval) and all Approval Actions (Forward, Workflow History, Final Approve, Approve) combined.

Limitations

• Group-inherited permissions cannot be edited at the user level; modify them from the User Group scope instead.

• The User Group dropdown does not include an option to select Everyone. Users must be assigned to specific user groups individually.

• Admins cannot assign the following permissions within the User Group context:

  • Enable Template Snapshot

  • Create and Manage Views

  • Edit Subline Summary Line