Return to the Financial Consolidation Model Overview
In the Financial Consolidation model, version management allows users to handle different reporting and planning scenarios within the same application. Although the model primarily provides group-level consolidated figures, it can also support planning, forecasting, and comparative analysis alongside financial consolidation.
You can create and maintain multiple versions—for example, Actual, Budget, Forecast (3+9, 6+6, 9+3), Previous Year, and Midterm Plan. These versions enable comparison between actual financial results and planned or forecasted data, helping to align consolidation outcomes with organizational planning.
The Version dimension uses a flat structure (without hierarchies), where each version represents an independent data set. This structure makes it easy to manage different reporting periods or planning scenarios and, if desired, use consolidated results as a top-down planning approach that feeds back into local accounting systems.
Key Rules and Requirements
To ensure version consistency and proper functionality in the Financial Consolidation model, the following rules must be observed:
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Do not delete the key versions: Actual, Previous Year, Mid-Term Budget Planning, and Budget.
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At least two Forecast versions must exist, each linked to a Financial Consolidation stylesheet.
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The Previous Year version is rule-based and calculated automatically by the system.
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You may freely create and maintain additional custom versions to support specific reporting or planning needs.
Attributes of Version Elements
The following attributes are needed for the Version dimension. .
| Attribute | Description |
| Name | Full name displayed in reports (can be localized). This is for user reference only. |
| Label | Short display name, for example, a column header (which can also be localized); this has no functional impact. |
| Calculation Schema | Defines logic within fact cubes (e.g., A = Actuals, P = Planning); empty signifies no special calculation. |
| Stylesheet | Controls the styling and behavior in reports: AC = Actual, BU = Budget, FC = Forecast, PY = Previous Year. |
| Symbol | An optional single character or icon that can be used in business charts. |
| Actual Months | This is used in version blending to specify the number of months (ranging from 1 to 12) that should be blended into the forecast. |
| Previous Version | Refers to the version that reflects the most recent data prior to planning, such as actuals used for forecasting. |
Updated March 12, 2026