Creating an Allocation Step

Create an allocation step to distribute values from a source dimension to one or more target dimensions.

Context

You have created a planning-enabled model and want to create allocation steps to add to an allocation process or a data action.

Procedure

  1. From the Main Menu (), select Start of the navigation path Browse Next navigation step Processes Next navigation step  AllocationsEnd of the navigation path.

    All the allocation processes for planning-enabled models are listed in the Allocation Processes window. Each model can have multiple processes. The Allocation Steps tab also shows all of the steps that have been created.

  2. Open a new step.
    • To create a step in an allocation process, open the appropriate process and select Create Step in the Overview page or select Start of the navigation path Next navigation step Create StepEnd of the navigation path in the toolbar.
    • If you want to create a step without adding it to an allocation process yet, select the Allocation Steps tab and choose (Create New Step). In this case, you must specify the corresponding model in the Create Step dialog. You can add the step to an allocation process when you are finished working with it.
  3. In the Create Step dialog, enter a name and optional description for the step. If necessary, specify the model for the step.
  4. In the Source section, select a Source Dimension from the list.
  5. If you want to add an overwrite dimension, choose (Add a new source dimension), and then select a dimension from the Overwrite Dimension list. Multiple overwrite dimensions can be added.

    When adding rules to this step, you can specify rules that apply only to a single member of an overwrite dimension. For more information, see Creating Allocation Rules.

  6. In the Target section, select a Target Dimension from the list.

    If you set Date as a target dimension, you must also select it as the source dimension or overwrite dimension, because it does not have an Unassigned member from which to allocate values.

  7. If you want to add multiple target dimensions, choose (Add a new target dimension), and then select a dimension from the additional Target Dimension list. Repeat this step until you have added the required number of targets.
  8. If you selected the same dimension as a source or overwrite and as a target, specify the number of Repetitions for the step. This allows you to run the step multiple times in the allocation process, which can be useful when allocating values across members of the same dimension.

    For example, if you are allocating costs from support departments to all departments based on support hours, some cost will be allocated back to the support departments due to their own use of support hours. Repeating this allocation step multiple times will reduce the amount allocated back to support departments until it is negligible. This process is known as the reciprocal method of cost allocation.

  9. To keep the values of the source cells, select Keep Source. The source values will be copied and allocated to the targets, instead of being reduced.

    Note that the Keep Source setting doesn’t lock the source cells. A source cell’s value might increase with this setting, for example, if it’s also included as a target of the allocation step, or if there are no driver values at all for the source member.

  10. To reduce the value of the target members to zero at the start of the step, select Overwrite Target. For allocation steps with multiple repetitions, the target values are only overwritten at the beginning of the step, not during each repetition.
    Note

    When you select both Keep Source and Overwrite Target, you can execute the step repeatedly without depleting the source values or accumulating extra value in the target cells. For example, you can run the allocation process, and then change the values of the source cells and run it again to get a new result.

  11. If you need to specify an account filter, a reference dimension, or a booking account, select Options. For more information about these settings, see Allocation Processes, Steps, and Rules.

    • Filter the accounts that the step applies to by selecting Set Filter under Filter by Account. Then, select the members of the account dimension that you want to include in the allocation step.

    • To add a reference dimension, choose a dimension from the Reference Dimension list. Select (Add a new reference dimension) next to the list to add another reference dimension.

      Note

      • Your step will also use the Date dimension as a reference dimension, unless you specify it as a target dimension for the step.

      • Breaking down an allocation process by many reference members can slow it down or prevent it from completing successfully, especially when you're using multiple reference dimensions. In this case, try filtering the reference dimensions when you run the allocation so that there are fewer combinations of members to process.

    • If necessary, select a single leaf account as the target Booking Account. You can use this setting to move data to a specific account. It won't change how the step calculates the values to allocate to source and target members, but the booking account will receive all of these values.

  12. Filter the accounts that the step applies to by selecting Show Options and choosing Set Filter. Then, select the members of the account dimension that you want to include in the allocation step.
  13. Choose Create.

    If you created the step in an allocation process, the new step opens on its own tab in the window for the allocation process. The tab is arranged in columns that display the source, overwrite, driver, and targets for the rules.

    If you created the step from the Allocation Steps page, you can open an allocation process to load the step and then configure rules for it.

Related Information