If an InfoCube contains a non-cumulative value, then a time-based reference characteristic for the exception aggregation of the non-cumulative value must exist. There can be several time characteristics per InfoCube, but only one time reference characteristic. This means that the time-based reference characteristic is the same for all the non-cumulative values of an InfoCube.

If you have characteristics for which you manage non-cumulatives and which refer to an object in different stages of editing, such as delivery stock, order quantity, and billing quantity, then these non-cumulative values all have differing time references. These non-cumulative values cannot be evaluated like this in a joint InfoCube.

You can map the different time references using a characteristic transaction.

You then have a key figure ‘non-cumulative’ with the most detailed time reference characteristic calendar day, and a characteristic ‘transaction’ with the characteristic values ‘delivery’, ‘order’, and ‘billing’. This means you can store the non-cumulative for the differing transactions in one, single InfoCube.

For evaluation in reporting, you can then use the calculated key figure ‘non-cumulative’ that is restricted to one of the characteristic values of the ‘transaction’ characteristic as a structure element in the query definition.

In this way, you can evaluate the ‘delivery stock’, the ‘order quantity’, and the ‘billing quantity’ using restricted, calculated key figures.

By doing this, you can minimize data transfer and storage, and reduce the number of key figures.