Creating an Import Model

Typically, you will begin creating your import model by choosing the Model option and selecting the appropriate way to populate the model with data. If you choose to Start with an empty model, you will follow these basic steps:

1. Add existing public dimensions.
2. Create at least one measure. Currency related measures can either use a default currency or can be derived from a dimension with the currency property.

   When you add a measure to the model, the aggregation type will default to sum. The exception aggregation type can be used to manipulate aggregation. For example, a headcount measure could be set to an exception aggregation type of Last and an exception aggregation dimension of Date so that the model always reflects the headcount for a specific date, rather than the sum for all time.

   In the measure-based model, you can also create calculated measures based on the existing measures in your model. Measure values are stored in the model; however, calculated and converted measures are refreshed when used and are not stored.

For either an empty model or starting with data, you will:

1. Set the model preferences if needed, especially to define the model as Planning or not (Analytic). When you create a blank model, the default is the Planning model type, and Date and Version dimensions are included by the system. If you turn off the Planning preference to create an Analytic model, the Version dimension goes away, and the Date dimension becomes optional.
2. Select the time range. When creating a measure-based model, the default time range is from the current year to the current year plus one. For example, if the current year is 2024, the default time range will allow data for 2024 and 2025. But you can change the default range to meet your modeling requirements and match the data you will import into the model.
3. Save the model. The model is ready for data imports.

Completed model:

1. Model structure workspace: Where you can view the meta data
2. Measures: Where the measure values are stored in the model
3. Public dimensions: Represented by a globe icon

Watch this short video scenario on creating import models. Can you help Peter with his question?

General Settings

Select the model type, either Planning or not (Analytic).

Language

Request language translation.

Access and Privacy

Set data access and other controls.

Date Settings

Enable weekly based if needed and set the date to calendar year or fiscal year.

Planning

Set disaggregation behavior for planning models.

Currency

Enable currency conversion.

Structure Priority

Set the tie breaker for data intersections for account and measure formulas.

Data and Performance

Configure settings to optimize performance for analytics and planning.

When creating a model, you can view the structure of the model, the data in the model, or both. Simply use the Toggle Data Foundation View button in the View area of the ribbon to choose your preference.

The upper half is the model structure, listing the measures and dimensions in the model. The lower half is the data foundation view, showing the data values and members for the measures and dimensions.

In planning models, you can switch among the different public versions of your data in the data foundation view. For example, you may want to see if data exists for a specific version. The default version is Actual.