Convert Currencies in a Data Action

If you need to copy data across base measures with different currencies in SAP Analytics Cloud, you can add a conversion step to your data action.

A conversion step has one or more conversion rules. Each rule copies data from a source measure, converts it, and writes the values to a target measure.

Each measure can have a fixed currency, or currencies set by a dimension.

For example, if your model only has values in a measure with local currencies, it's difficult to plan across different regions. You can use a conversion step to copy it to a blank base measure with a fixed currency to do planning. (Another option is creating a currency conversion measure.)

For details about currency conversion, see Work with Currencies in a Model with Measures.

Other data action step types don’t include currency conversion, so they can give unexpected results when they copy data across different source and target currencies. See Plan with Currency Conversion for details.

Adding a Currency Conversion Step

Prerequisites

  • Your data action needs to be based on a planning model with currency conversion and measures. (Conversion steps don’t apply to classic account models.)

  • Create your data action before adding a currency conversion step. For details, see Create a Data Action.

Context

Note
When setting filters, source measures, and target measures, you can use parameters instead of fixed members or measures. Parameters let you run the data action with different values. Hover over or select Parameter in the member selector to see which ones are available. To learn more, see Add Parameters to Your Data Actions and Multi Actions.

Procedure

  1. Open your data action and select (Add Currency Conversion Step).
  2. Type a name and description for your step.
  3. In the Context area, filter the source data as required.
    1. Select Add Filter and choose the dimension to filter.
    2. Select the members whose data you want to include, or select Parameters and choose a parameter. Select OK.
    Note
    You can filter the version dimension to set a fixed source version, for example, if you want to copy data from the forecast version to the target version. Otherwise, data will be copied within the target version only. (The TargetVersion parameter sets this version.)
  4. Add your conversion rules.
    1. Select +Add Conversion Rule.
    2. Set your source measure in the From column and your target measure in the To column.

      You can set fixed measures, or use parameters. Conversion measures and calculated measures aren't available.

    3. Specify the conversion settings: Date and Category.

      The conversion step uses these settings to pick conversion rates from the model’s currency table. For details, see Learn About Currency Conversion Tables.

      Date Setting Details
      Booking Date Convert each value with the rate that applies to the value's date.
      Booking Date + 1 or Booking Date - 1 Convert each value with a rate that is offset from the booking date by the specified period. For example, convert a value for March 5 with the rate for April 5.
      Fixed Date Convert all values with rates from a specific date.
      Category Setting Details
      Dynamic Use rates that apply to the target version's category or rate version.
      Fixed category (for example, Actuals or Forecast) Use rates that apply to the category that you choose.
      Specific Use rates set up for a specific rate version in the currency table.
      Your currency conversion table will need to have rates for the currencies, dates, categories, and rate versions involved, as well as the rate types set in the model.
    4. Select (Finish editing) to finish your rule.
    5. If you need to copy across other source and target measures with different currencies, continue adding conversion rules. You can copy, edit, duplicate, and delete existing rules as needed.
  5. Set whether to overwrite values in the target measure, or to append the copied data to the existing target values.
  6. Save your data action.

Results

The conversion step is added to the data action. You can continue to add, manage, and reorder steps as required.