Scenarios is a dimension that is automatically included in your Cube by default. Create actuals, budgets, forecasts, or any other scenario you may need to plan and run variance analysis. Scenarios can be merged and write-protected to ensure they are always accurate. Find your Scenarios in your Workspace in a tab on your Dimensions page.
Add new Scenarios
To add a new Scenario, navigate to your Dimensions page in your Workspace, click the +Create button, then Dimension and Scenario.
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Required fields
- Name
- Parent for the new scenario to live under
- Rollup Type: determines how you'd like the data rolled up. Learn more.
- Write protection: determines if you'd like this data protected from being written over while publishing data from your spreadsheet back to Cube. Learn more.
Optional fields
- Account Number: Track the account number in your source data in Cube.
- Description: Add notes to your Scenario for colleagues to see or to reference later.
- Tags: Include a tag in your Scenario to add it to an alternative hierarchy.
Formula
You can create a Scenario dimension member using a formula:
For example, you might create a Variance Scenario dimension from a formula that compares Actuals to Budget to understand your current spending.
Learn more about formulas.
Maintain Scenarios
Scenarios can be updated, exported, reviewed, or archived anytime.
Export dimension members
You can download your scenario dimension member names from the Settings menu at the top right. This can be useful when updating your reports to ensure the dimension names in your spreadsheet match those in Cube.
Un/hide inactive or enable reordering
Disabled dimension members are automatically hidden. You can unhide or hide them using the Settings gear icon at the top right. You can also reorder your Scenario dimension members anytime using the Enable dimension reordering option.
Edit or disable
You can edit or disable your scenarios using the icons to the right.
Dimensions are never permanently deleted, but all associated data is cleared. When disabled, you can reactivate it anytime by unhiding inactive dimensions and clicking Enable. Keep in mind that data will have to be reuploaded.
Duplicate
Using the Copy icon in the dimension settings menu, you can duplicate your scenario to make quick changes and/or lock it with write protection to compare projections to actuals later.
View the source
Various sources can inform dimensions (a formula, a data source, or another scenario). To see the source of your Scenario dimension, click the name or the Edit icon.
Formulas
When a formula informs a Source Dimension, you'll be able to see the formula calculation.
Mappings
Some scenario dimension members hold actuals data directly from the source system. These dimension members will have information about their mapping.
Other scenarios
The scenario can be created by merging it with another scenario.
Merging scenarios
When performing analysis, copy data from one or more existing Scenarios into a new or existing Scenario using Merge Scenarios. There are many benefits to merging scenarios, including:
- Actualizing your forecast by merging your actuals data into your forecast scenario
- Update the data in your finalized planning and budget scenarios
- Use duplicate and merge together to build multiple versions of a similar scenario quickly
Learn more about when to merge and duplicate scenarios.
Destination scenario
The Destination Scenario is where the data is copied. A destination scenario cannot have write protection enabled, be sourced from a formula, or be a parent dimension member.
In the above image, greyed-out scenarios are write-protected or parent dimension members and, therefore, cannot be selected.
Source scenario
The Source Scenario is where the data is copied from. Source scenarios cannot be formulas or parent dimension members.
In the above image, greyed-out scenario dimensions that are based on a formula or parent dimensions cannot be selected.
Date range
Determine the date range to merge from the source to the destination, which can be a year, quarterly, month, or custom range.
You can add multiple date ranges or sources as needed.
Note: Merging larger volumes of data will take longer. If necessary, break multiple sources or longer date ranges into smaller merges for shorter merge times.
Cube will notify you by email when your merge is complete.
Learn how to merge scenarios.