Lead Column Display 

Use

In the Lead Columns tab page, you can organize the characteristics into a sequence to produce a clearer overview. For example, you can first display just the totals at the highest level, allowing the planner to expand the structure to see the single values if required. This is useful with time characteristics and characteristics involving hierarchical relationships (such as product group and product).

Integration

One way of enhancing the standard planning layout in BW-BPS is to change the display settings for the lead columns (see Enhancing the Planning Layout).

Prerequisites

·        The planning layout taken as the basis for the enhanced planning layout needs to contain characteristics in the lead columns.

·        The time characteristics in this original planning layout are only contained in the lead columns in specific combinations.

The time characteristics have to be in an hierarchical relationship. For example, fiscal year and fiscal year/period can occur together in the lead columns but not fiscal year and calendar month. The following combinations are not permitted in the key columns:

¡        Characteristics relating to the fiscal year and characteristics relating to the calendar year

¡        Weeks and months

¡        The same period, once including the year and once without the year (such as calendar year/month and calendar month)

Features

Sequence of the InfoObjects

You can change how a planning layout is displayed by making specific settings for the InfoObjects in the lead columns.

·        Filter

For each InfoObject with the symbol , the values can be accessed in the input screen from within a dropdown list box. This setting is not possible for Key Figures: General.

·        Display in Columns

The individual values for each InfoObject in the lead column with the symbol  are displayed in the columns. When several InfoObjects have this symbol, the values are multiplied together.

·        Display in Lines

The individual values for each InfoObject in the lead column with the symbol  are displayed in the lines of the layout. When several InfoObjects have this symbol, the values are multiplied together. If you select the symbol  in addition to the symbol , the values are arranged hierarchically in a tree structure without being multiplied together.

·        Display Collapsed in Lines/Columns

If InfoObjects have the symbol  or , only the total is displayed and the single values are at first hidden. The single values can then be displayed in the columns (for symbol ) or lines (for symbol ) by expanding the node. If the single values can be expanded in the lines, you can use an indicator to specify that an additional column is added to the layout to display the proportion of the total that the single values represent.

·        Display as Block

When you select an InfoObject in the lead column to be displayed as a block (by activating the symbol ), separate, smaller layouts are created for all of the values of this InfoObject. If you select several InfoObjects as a block, one block is displayed for each combination of characteristic values. By choosing this display type, you can include a third dimension in what is actually just a two-dimensional entry screen.

The lead column contains the characteristics year, month, and product. You specify that the year is displayed using the block format whereas the months are displayed in the columns and the products in the lines. The layout would then be displayed as follows:

Year 2004	Month 1	Month 2	Month 3
Product 1
Product 2

 

Year 2005	Month 1	Month 2	Month 3
Product 1
Product 2

The block display is not permitted for Time Characteristics: General, just for specific time characteristics that have been transferred individually (see the section “Transferring Time Characteristics”below).

A block layout is particularly useful for planning objects that consist of one header and several items (such as a CRM opportunity with several products). The system always places the aggregated information in the first block, which automatically becomes the header. Here, aggregated information is contained in data records that are not assigned at item level. In the Key Figure Scheme tab page, you can use the block layout to specify for each key figure whether it is to be displayed just in the header, just in the item, or on both levels. For an example, see Example: Block Layout for Opportunity Planning.

To improve performance during plan data entry, we recommend using the following settings:

·         Use the filter to reduce the size of the entry screen.

·         Avoid using hierarchies with large numbers of levels.

·         If you need to use such hierarchies, it is preferable to use Display Collapsed in Lines as opposed to Display in Lines in the lowest level for trees that are expanded by default.

Transferring Time Characteristics

You can make settings for the lead column display so that they apply to all the time characteristics or just to individual time characteristics:

·        You make the settings to be applied for all time characteristics under Sequence of the InfoObjects in the line Time Characteristics: General.

·        To make settings to be applied to one or more specific time characteristics, select the characteristics concerned under Transfer of Time Characteristics. This causes the system to enter the transferred time characteristics under Sequence of the InfoObjects, replacing the line Time Characteristics: General. This allows you to display, for example, the year as a block and the months in the columns.

Distribution

You can specify which reference should be used for the top-down distribution:

·        Equal distribution across all fields

·        Proportional distribution on the basis of the previous values in a field

·        Distribution on the basis of a key figure in the key figure scheme. You release a key figure for distribution by setting the Reference for Distribution in Layout indicator in the key figure scheme under the enhanced settings for a row.

An indicator in the Lead Columns tab page allows you to specify whether the planner, when performing planning, is authorized to change the reference that you set.