To create a view, you define a top measure, top location, base series, and at least one comparison series. You can create multiple location structures that can be based on such criteria as geography and business lines. You may have very different measure structures or views for your various locations. For each view, you choose the top measure and the top location that displays in the view. In this way, you can tailor your views to best display the data across your organization. If you choose preferred location as the top location, a view is restricted to the user’s preferred location. No other location is visible.
For views to be meaningful, they must compare a base series, usually actual, with some kind of reference point, or benchmark, which is called a comparative. Previous year and target are two commonly used comparatives. You are not limited to the number of comparatives you can have in a view, but Actuate recommends no more than three per view to avoid display issues in charts.
When choosing a display range for the view, you are limiting access to data. Choosing This Year to Date allows users to see information from the beginning of the year to the completed period. Choosing Moving Year allows users to view a full year of information at any point in time. That is, they would always have access to 12 months of information in a monthly view.
Specifying the consolidation range determines how the view calculates performance for data and formula measures.
If you choose a commentary type for a view, it displays in the view and briefing book dashboard.
How to create a view
1 In the Navigation Pane, choose Setup➛Views➛Create.
2 In Setup Views: <New>—Properties:
In Name, provide a name for the view.
In Description, choose Edit. Provide a description. Then, choose OK.
In Categories, choose Edit. Provide a description. Then, choose OK.
3 In View, select a top measure for your view structure from the Top measure list, as shown in Figure 5‑1. This should correspond to the measure that you want to see at the highest point of the view tree. From the Top location list, select a top location for the view.
Figure 5‑1 Choosing a top location for a view
4 In Base series, select a series name from the list. Most views include Actual as the base series.
5 To define one or more comparison series for a view:
1 In Comparison series, choose Edit.
2 In Series, add one or more series names from Available. The example in Figure 5‑2 shows Last Year added as a comparison series.
Figure 5‑2 Adding a comparison series to a view
3 Choose OK
6 To set how time periods appear in a view, in Display, select a period range to display. In By, select a period type. Figure 5‑3 shows selections that set time periods in a view to appear as a moving year by month.
Figure 5‑3 Selecting time period settings for a view
7 In Consolidation range, to define the consolidation range for data and formula measures, perform one of the following tasks:
To specify one consolidation range for all measure in the view, select a consolidation range value. For example, select This Month. Specifying a value overrides the consolidation range defined in individual measures.
To specify the consolidation range defined in individual measures, select Default.
To displays unconsolidated data, select <None>.
Data is unconsolidated if a view and measure both define consolidation range as Default.
8 In Commentary type, select a commentary type that appears for this view in a section.
9 If necessary, choose Security. Then, assign access rights for the view to groups and users.
In Name, provide a name for the view.
