Summary:
This article describes the function and operation of the User Save columns in the BFA workbook (with default names of User Save Text 1, User Save Text 2, User Save Amount 1, User Save Amount 2 and User Save Amount 3).
Objective of the Columns
These columns allow users to enter either text or a numeric amount and have these values returned in subsequent revisions. These values remain constant until changed by the user. The values can be edited in either the Budget or Forecast mode, depending on setup (see below).
Attributes of the Columns
These columns have the same attribute options as standard columns and can be configured by location, visibility and size. They can appear on the Data worksheet, auxiliary worksheets and supplemental workbooks.
Uniqueness of Data
The default edit, save, and display functionality, as shipped by Spitfire, ensures that the values for each BFA row for these columns remain discrete to the BFA mode in which they were entered. This means that the Budget mode can have different values from the Forecast mode. For example, a value entered in Budget mode for a Cost Code and/or Account Category will propagate to each subsequent Budget revision, but the change will not alter an existing value in the Forecast mode. The same is true in reverse: Forecast entries will propagate to each subsequent Forecast but will not affect values in the Budget mode.
BudgetConfig | UDSSourceMode Rule
Alternate edit, save and display functionality relies on the BudgetConfig | UDSSourceMode rule to modify the edit, save and display behavior. This rule allows you to provide consistency in the column values across all modes. The result value for this rule can be set to Budget or Forecast. When the rule is set to Budget, the editing of these columns is disabled in Forecast mode and, therefore, the Forecast mode displays the last approved Budget values in these columns. The opposite is true if the rule is set to Forecast.
There are some exceptions:
- Regardless of the UDSSourceMode rule, these User Save columns are edit-enabled in the Initial Budget mode.
- Even if the rule is set to Forecast, the initial Forecast will inherit the Budget mode values, if they exist.
Note: at the time of BFA cell selection, the code will verify that edits are permitted in this mode and change the color of the cell to ‘edit allowed‘ if appropriate. This may cause confusion if you do not understand why you can edit the cell in one mode but not the other. If you cannot edit the cell because of the rule, a column comment indicates that edits are allowed in the opposite mode only.
UDSSourceMode Impact on Project Analysis Mode
Project Analysis assembles data from the last approved Budget and Forecast along with the most current actual project costs.
If the UDSSourceMode rule has not been set and:
- If the Budget mode values in the columns match the Forecast mode values, then the values are displayed in Project Analysis mode.
- If the values do not match, then nothing is displayed in Project Analysis mode.
Note: values in these columns are evaluated on a row-by-row basis; therefore, some values may appear and others not.
If the UDSSourceMode rule has been set:
- The result value dictates the source for the values displayed in the Project Analysis mode, thus providing a consistent result for all modes.
Additional Comments:
KBA-01524; Last updated: September 18, 2017 at 14:00 pm
Keywords: user defined, budget, forecast, analysis