During Cube implementation, your source data is integrated into an OLAP (Online Analytical Processing) cube framework organized into dimensions. The dimensions page of the Web portal provides a clear overview of this structure. It's an essential location for understanding your data model so you can work with your data more effectively and make changes to your dimensions or hierarchy.
To dive deeper into Cube's data architecture, read our article on OLAP cube dimensions and hierarchies, and if you are new to Cube, refer to our glossary to learn more about the terms we use in this article.
Maintaining a healthy data model involves routinely reviewing data mapping, formulas, and dimension hierarchies using the Web portal to ensure your data is clean, accurate, and ready to use.
Learn more about data hygiene and best practices for managing your dimensions.
Cube data structure view
The dimension and hierarchy structure you see when you visit the Cube web portal is custom to how you would like to slice and dice your data. Top-level dimensions contain a hierarchy of subcategories or parent and child dimensions.
Top-level dimensions
By default, each Cube is set up with four top-level dimensions.
Note: There is some level of customization here, too; your top-level dimensions may vary.
Accounts
The Accounts top-level dimension type can refer to:
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- Traditional General Ledger accounts such as “Sales Revenue”
- Formula or calculation accounts such as Gross Profit (Revenue - COGS)
- Operational accounts such as “Sales per Rep”
Be sure to set the time rollup type.
Department
The Department top-level dimension type can refer to organizational departments, such as Sales, Marketing, or Finance.
Scenario
The Scenario top-level dimension is where your planning and variance analysis data is stored:
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- Actuals
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Budget
- Base Budget
- Best Case Budget, etc.
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Forecast
- January Forecast
- February Forecast, etc
Learn more about creating, managing, and merging scenarios.
Use Write Protection with Scenario dimensions to ensure data isn't overwritten.
Learn more about write protection.
Time
The Time top-level dimension refers to your company's custom time ranges, such as Month, Quarter, or Year. Within the Time top-level dimension, there is the option for users to add their "Cube Opening Balance" or an individual year.
Your date ranges are set during your Cube implementation and cannot be edited directly. If you need to edit your Time top-level dimension, please contact your Customer Success Manager (CSM).
Custom top-level dimensions
In addition to your default top-level dimensions, you can add up to four custom top-level dimensions—for example, Product, Vendor, Branch, Region, etc.
To add or change your top-level dimensions, contact your Customer Success Manager.
Top-level dimension hierarchy
Each top-level dimension contains subcategories or child dimensions, allowing for a more detailed view of that dataset. The organization of these subcategories into parent and child dimensions is the hierarchy.
Dimensions page
See how your data is organized in Cube by navigating to your Dimensions page in the Web portal.
The dimensions page is made up of the following:
- Top-level dimension tabs: Top-level dimensions are the foundational structure of your data with Cube and all the different ways you can slice and dice your data!
- Dimension hierarchy: Each top-level dimension contains a hierarchy of subcategories or parent and child dimensions. Click on a new top-level dimension tab to view a different hierarchy. To view or change a dimension's details, click on it to open the dimension drawer.
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+Create:
- +Dimension to add a new child dimension or add dimensions in bulk.
- Scenario Merge to begin moving data from one scenario to another.
- Smart Forecast will create a new forecast using your historical data to predict future outcomes.
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Settings:
- Enable dimension reordering dimensions within the same parent dimension only. If you want to move a child dimension to another parent, see this article about re-parenting a dimension.
- Show disabled dimensions to view any previously deactivated dimensions. This is useful if you wish to enable them again.
- Download all will download your chart of accounts to a CSV file. This is useful if you are updating your workbook to include a Drivers tab.
Making Changes to a Hierarchy
Changing child dimensions in most of your top-level dimension hierarchies is easy. You can edit, disable, re-order the layout, add dimensions, and see the mapping of dimensions anytime.
Note: Changes to existing dimension placements in your hierarchy can impact how values roll up to parent dimensions and calculations involved in formulas. Update impacted formulas and dimensions accordingly.
Edit or Disable
Editing Dimensions
Click Edit to the right of the dimension name to edit a dimension.
- Name: Update the name of your dimension anytime.
- Parent: Every dimension must have a parent, whether that is the top-level dimension or another dimension. Parents can be changed at any time.
- Time Rollup Type: Determines how individual months' values are summarized at Quarter- and Year-end. Explore your options.
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Optional fields:
- Account Number: Optional field for mimicking the account number structure of your source system.
- Description: Add any notes or descriptions to your dimensions.
- Tags: Create alternate rollups without updating your main hierarchy by adding tags.
- Formulas: Dimension values may come from your source system, published values from spreadsheets, or calculated from formulas. Create or edit formulas here in your dimension hierarchy or from the formulas area of the Cube web portal. Learn more about formula dimensions.
- Mappings: If source dimensions are mapped, they'll be visible here. Learn more about mapping source dimensions to Cube dimensions.
- In the Scenario top-level dimension hierarchy only, write protection can be set up to protect your date from being written over via publishes. Learn more about using write protection.
Disable Dimensions
Disabling a dimension clears all values associated with that dimension and any formulas referencing it. Any associated tags will automatically update and remove the disabled dimension.
To disable a dimension, click the three dots and then select Disable Dimension.
You'll be prompted with a final message confirming you want to disable and clear associated values.
Note: Parent dimensions cannot be disabled with child dimensions beneath them. To disable a parent dimension, remove its children first.
By default, all disabled dimensions become inactive and hidden but cannot be deleted. However, you can view and re-enable dimensions anytime.
Re-Order Dimensions
Suppose you're looking to restructure your dimension layout. You can drag and drop to re-order the child dimensions beneath a parent and change the order of parent dimensions by turning on Enable dimension reordering from the Settings menu.
- Select the gear icon in the right-hand corner of your dimensions page.
- Check Enable dimension reordering
- Drag and drop