Using Breakback

Breakback is a spreading method where you provide data at a parent level and then Dynamic Planning allocates it down to leaf levels. It is an alternate way of inputting data by entering a total amount at a consolidated level and allowing Dynamic Planning to allocate that amount back to all the participating cells related to the consolidated cell.

Since Dynamic Planning does not allow data to be entered at a parent level and saved, without Breakback, you would have to enter each leaf-level data item and then run an aggregation. Breakback lets you start with the top level and provide the desired target data or percentage change in the current data, then it allocates the data down, saves the changes, and optionally runs a calculation.

You can also run Breakback at a leaf level. Only the leaf member that is selected is changed, but if there is a parent level on one of the other axis of the view or report, the data is spread throughout that hierarchy.

Breakback Types

Breakback provides three spread methods, along with the ability to hold (or exclude) some members from changing.

• Current: This method uses existing values to create new values proportionally. For example, you can allocate updated sales targets out to regions. The Current method is limited to 500,000 leaf combinations per Breakback operation from views and reports
• Even: This method distributes a value evenly. Use this method when you have no historical values and nothing similar. For even distributions, you can allocate only a value, you cannot use a percentage increase or decrease. For example, your company is expanding to a new product line and you have no other products to base the values on. Or you have a new department and want to allocate some funds to the department. Use the Even method sparingly as it is limited to 1500 leaf combinations per Breakback operation
• Reference: This method distributes a value based on one or more referenced dimension members. Use this method when you have no exact history but you have a dimension member that is similar or that provides a good starting point for portioning the data. When using this method, the referenced member must be visible in the view or report

Referenced members should have the same levels and leaf members similar to the members that you are running breakback on. For example, if you want to reference the 2016 Plan for running the breakback on the 2017 Forecast, the 2016 fiscal year should have the same levels and exact count of leaf members as the 2017 fiscal year.

• Examples of Reference Breakbacks:
  • View last year’s budget and then create a current year forecast based on those historical values
  • Base the budgeted equipment expense on the FTE count in the departments
  • Breakback from a new product based on the distribution of an existing product

The Reference method is limited to 500,000 leaf combinations per Breakback operation from views and reports.

• Hold: prevents the values in some cells from being changed by the Breakback operation. For example, increase sales in all regions but Hold the East region steady. Hold is available within all 3 spread methods

Breakback and Data Locking

If your application is enabled with Data Locking, Breakback will treat Data Locks as Holds in the following circumstances:

• Breakback runs manually from a View honors the Application Setting, View Property, and Data Locking
• Breakback run manually from a Report honors the Application Setting, Report Property, and Data Locking
• Breakback run from a calculation honors the Application Setting, Model Property, and Data Locking

In these cases, if Data Locking is set to Application Level, then Breakback will not modify data in member intersections that are designed as locked. If Data Locking is set to None, then Breakback will proceed without regard for data locking.

Breakback applies a Hold for locked members and member combinations. For more information, see How to Lock Dimension Members.

Running Breakback from a Calculation

You can run Breakback operations from a Calculation, thus automating your top-down allocations and making them easier to maintain.

Use SpotlightXL to define Breakback operations in a calculation. Once defined, you can run the calculation from SpotlightXL or Spotlight.

Breakback Scalability in a Calculation