Implementing Data Locking

Objective

After completing this lesson, you will be able to configure and use data locking to control data access in a model.

Data Locking for a Model

Implementing data locking in a model allows you to apply set up locks on specific data intersections of a model. This prevents changes to the data by either data entry or by other planning operations in a story, such as allocations. There are some things to remember:

  • Data locking must be enabled in the model preferences.
  • You must have the proper permissions to configure data locking.
  • In a story, locked and restricted cells for public versions appear as read-only.
  • You can delegate ownership of the data locks to members of a dimension.
  • Data locking owners can change the state of the locks that they own.

1. Enable Data Locking in the Model Preferences

Go to Model Settings of the planning model and click Access and Privacy. Activate Data Locking and set the Default Lock State. The default lock state can be either Open or Locked.

Data locking enabled in the model preferences settings.

2. Maintain the Organization Type Dimension

In the following example, you can see that Data Locking Ownership is enabled, with the following columns:

  1. Hierarchy: A hierarchy is required so that statuses of parents can be inherited by children, for example. Children inherit the locks of parents.
  2. Person Responsible: The Person Responsible property is used to determine the owners. Users here can be inherited from the Owner property.
  3. Data Locking Owner: This property is created in the Organization dimension when data locking is enabled. The Owner property requires either teams or users, or both.
Data Locking Ownership enabled for the Entity (top) and the different columns that are explained above it.

3. Define Driving Dimensions

Version and Date are mandatory driving dimensions. The driving dimensions further define the specific intersection of data that will be locked.

For example, if you want to lock data for a specific member of an Organization dimension, you would need to include the Organization dimension as a driving dimension.

4. Select Data Region

Select the data region for the lock. In the following example, 2021, Midwest, Forecast version is selected.

5. Set Locks

Select Show Grid to display a grid of the driving dimensions where you can set the lock state of each intersection:

  • Open: Values are unlocked for this combination of members in table, and can be changed by any users who have permissions to enter values for the model.
  • Restricted: Values can be changed only by a user who has effective ownership of locks on this combination of members. Select the restricted cell and select Add Owner under a driving dimension and choose one or more owners for the selected member of that driving dimension.
  • Locked: Values cannot be changed for this combination of members in a table.

When you change the state for a parent member in a dimension, the same state is applied to its children as well. For example, if you lock North America, then the United States and Canada will also be locked.

Data locking grid.

6. Configure the Data Lock Dimensions

In the example below, you select the Configure the Data Lock icon to open the Data Locking dialog. Then, after adding Entity as a new driving dimension, you select the Enable Ownership option. This prompts the system to look up owners from the Entity dimension. The Organization Type dimension is Entity, however, this depends on the dimensionality of the model as to which dimension is the Organization Type. For example, in cost center planning, the Cost Center dimension would be the Organization Type dimension.

  • Data Locking Owner: Can contain one or more teams and users.
  • Person Responsible: Can contain only one user.
Data locking owners section highlighted in the Data Locking dialog.

Enable and Configure Data Locking in a Planning Model

Business Scenario: You've completed the forecast income statement and you need to block any changes to the data. To do this, you will implement data locking in your data model.

Task Flow: In this practice exercise, you will:

  • Access the Entity dimension in the model and configure the Person Responsible
  • Update the Access and Privacy settings to enable data locking
  • Configure the Data Locking for the model

Access Model-Based Data Locks in a Story

In a story, you can set and view data locks by cell.

The statuses include:

  • Open: Any user with the appropriate authorization can change the data.
  • Locked: No one can change the data.
  • Mixed State: A combination of open and locked statuses, for example, a parent will have a mixed state if one of its children has a different status.

Turn on the Data Lock Indicator

Turn the indicators on or off in a story by going to More ActionsShow/HideData Locks from the story table.

Turn the indicators on or off in a story by going to More Actions then Show/Hide, and select Data Locks from the story table

Note

Data locking can be used with advanced filtering.

Owner Access

If a user is logged on as the owner, they can change Restricted data.

If a user is logged on as a non-owner:

  • Assuming they have the Planner Reporter role, they can’t change the data lock status.
  • They can set the cell to ignore data locks and change the data but they can't publish it.

In order to use data locking, non-owners require a role that includes Read access to the Data Locking activity (in a role).

Data Lock Owner Access in stories

Additional Information

Visit the SAP Help Portal for more information on Permissions.

Use Data Locking

Task 1: View Data Locking as the Lock Owner

Business Scenario: You have a model that requires input from a colleague. You only want them to be able to edit certain cells, so you configured your data locking in the model. Because the model and story are not in a public folder, they are shared with your colleague.

Task Flow: In this practice exercise, you will:

  • View the story to see which cells are locked and unlocked
  • Share the story with another user

Task 2: Update Data in a Story as the Non-Lock Owner

Business Scenario: You have received a story from a colleague containing both locked and unlocked cells.

Task Flow: In this practice exercise, you will:

  • Update the table containing locked and unlocked cells
  • Turn on the Ignore Data Locks feature and update the data

Task 3: Unlock a Data Region in Preparation for the Upcoming Planning Cycle

Business Scenario: As the planning administrator, you need to unlock the data region in preparation for the upcoming planning cycle.

Task Flow: In this practice exercise, you will:

  • Configure the data lock
  • Set the data lock status to open