Working with Planning Applications

You can create applications for planning business data.

These planning applications support both manual and automated data entry and changes to data. You can enter the planning data manually in the table (in cells or rows) or use data actions to enter data automatically.

What You Should Know
For planning data, you have to use a planning model for the table in the application. If you use a planning model for the table, the table property Planning enabled is active in the Builder panel. This property controls whether the table is input-enabled or not. Unlike the story, the table is only input-enabled during runtime.
Note

At design time you cannot enter values in the table.

Entering Data

You can enter data by clicking in the cell and entering values. After you have entered data, the changed cells are highlighted in the table. For more information, see Entering Values in a Table.

Using the Table's Quick Actions Menu for Planning
The table's quick action menu lets you use planning-related functions. They are only displayed if the table has a planning model assigned. And some of them are only shown at runtime:

  • Ignore /Enforce Data Locks

    This menu entry is displayed at runtime. It is only shown if the table is based on a planning model that supports backend data locks.

    If you click the entry, the button toggles between the two states. By default the data locks are enforced, so Ignore Data Locks will be shown.

  • Data Locks

    This menu entry is used to display data locks if there are any. It is displayed at design time and runtime and only if the table is based on a planning model that supports backend data locks. At design time you find the data locks clicking Show/Hide.

  • Mass Data Entry

    This menu entry is only displayed at runtime. It is used to enter data to multiple cells, without causing a round trip. For more information, see Entering Multiple Values in a Table.

  • Distribute Value

    This menu entry is only displayed at runtime. Distribute operations can help when you need to assign a value to a group of cells, or distribute a value from a source cell to a group of cells. also reach this function in the view time toolbar clicking the Allocate button. For more information, see Assign and Distribute Values with the Planning Panel.

Note

The Value Lock Management function can be found in the context menu of the table. Use this option to create value locks so that data in the selected cell can't be changed or edited. This option is only displayed if the table is based on a planning model that supports frontend value locks. For more information, see About Value Lock Management.

Using the Data Action Trigger Widget and Data Actions Technical Object

You can use the Data Action Trigger widget from the Insert section of the toolbar to automate planning functions for local planning models. In the toolbar, click Start of the navigation path Add Next navigation step Data Action TriggerEnd of the navigation path to open the Data Action Trigger dialog box.

The Data Action Trigger cannot be executed at design time, only at runtime. For more information, see the following chapters:

Get to Know Data Actions for Planning

Run Data Actions, Multi Actions, and Allocations

Besides the Data Action Trigger widget you can also use the technical object Data Actions and the relating script APIs to run short running data actions via scripts as well as set and read parameter values. For more information, please see Using Data Actions Technical Object.

Using the Multi Action Trigger Widget

You can use the Multi Action Trigger widget from the Insert section of the toolbar to automate a sequence of operations including data actions and version management steps on one or more versions and planning models.

In the toolbar, click  Start of the navigation path Add Next navigation step  Multi Action TriggerEnd of the navigation path to open the Multi Action Trigger dialog box.

The Multi Action Trigger cannot be executed at design time, only at runtime. For more information, refer to the following chapters:

Automate a Planning Workflow Using Multi Actions

Set Up Planning Triggers

Run Data Actions, Multi Actions, and Allocations

Using the BPC Planning Sequence (Widget)

You can use the BPC Planning Sequence widget to run planning sequences for BPC live data connection models. This way the application user can run a planning sequence, which can contain one or more planning functions, as defined in the BPC system.

You can add the BPC Planning Sequence from the Insert section of the toolbar: In the toolbar, click Start of the navigation path Add Next navigation step More Widgets Next navigation step BPC Planning SequenceEnd of the navigation path to open the SAP BPC Planning Sequence Trigger dialog box. In the dialog box select an existing SAP BPC model and a planning sequence.

After having added the BPC Planning Sequence, also add a table with the same model as the BPC Planning Sequence to the application. The planning sequence is applied to the table when the application user clicks on the BPC Planning Sequence widget at runtime.

The BPC Planning Sequence widget cannot be executed at design time, only at runtime. For more information, see the following chapter:

Run Planning Sequences from BPC

Using the Value Driver Tree (Widget)

You can add the Value Driver Tree widget from the Insert section of the toolbar to visualize the value chain of your business and carry out driver-based planning.

In the toolbar, click Start of the navigation path Add Next navigation step More Widgets Next navigation step Value Driver TreeEnd of the navigation path to pick a data source and add the widget to your analytic application.

For detailed steps to set up and use value driver trees, see Set Up Value Driver Trees for Planning.

Note

If you want to add a legacy value driver tree to your analytic application, you’ll need to transform it first. See Transforming Legacy Value Driver Trees for details.

Using the View Time Toolbar Functions for Planning at Runtime
If you run your analytic or planning application in view time mode, the application is displayed with a fixed toolbar in its full version depending on the application's context. This toolbar makes it easier for you to work also with planning model data as common functions like Version Management and Allocate are prominently displayed, and the new Publish Data button lets you quickly publish or revert your edits to public versions.
Note

Your choice of menu options in the toolbar changes depending on the type of application (analytic or planning application) and the data it contains. The most important functions can be reached by quick access buttons.

You can find the following planning related functions in the toolbar, if there is a planning-enabled table available in the application. If not, the functions are hidden.

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