Dimensions are always qualified as a specific type. This type qualification gives SAP Analytics Cloud information on how the dimension should function within the system. Depending on the type selected, you can configure various properties and possibly create hierarchies for the dimension.
When creating a public dimension, you can select the Generic, Organization, or Account type. There are two other dimension types required by planning models that the system creates automatically for every planning model: Version and Date.
Organization Dimension Type
The Organization dimension type represents an organizational structure, such as Cost Centers, Profit Centers, or Business Units.
Pertinent Information
- Properties: Currency and Person Responsible are system-generated, and more can be added
- Hierarchies: as many as needed
- Optional in a model
- Only one per model
Account Dimension Type
The Account dimension type typically conforms to financial-type accounts or accounting-related data such as utility costs or number of product returns.
Pertinent Information
- Properties: There are several system-generated properties, and more can be added
- Hierarchies: The default hierarchy is system generated, and more can be added
- Mandatory in an account-based model but optional in a measure-based model
- Only one per model
Version Dimension Type
The Version dimension type is system-generated for all planning models and defines the data versions for planning activities: Planning, Actual, Forecast, etc.
Pertinent Information
- Properties: added as needed
- Hierarchies: Not Applicable
- Mandatory (system-generated) in all planning models; not applicable for analytic models
- Only one per model
Date Dimension Type
The Date dimension type is a system-generated dimension that defines the start and end dates of the model's time frame and specifies the granularity of time used in the model (years, quarters, months, weeks, or days).
Pertinent Information
- Properties:
- Account-based model: system-generated only
- Measure-based model: added as needed, but only when user-managed
- Hierarchies:
- Account-based model: system-generated only based on calendar time but can be changed to fiscal time
- Measure-based model: added as needed, but only when user-managed
- Mandatory (system-generated) in all planning models; optional for analytic models
- More than one per model allowed, helpful if you need to compare dates for different scenarios, such as Order Date versus Shipping Date
- New model only:
- 4-4-5 | 4-5-4 | 5-4-4 | 13x4 week patterns available
- 53 week support
Generic Dimension Type
The Generic dimension type is used for any data that logically cannot be qualified as any other dimension type. You can also use the Generic dimension type if you need more than one of the other dimensions types in your model. For example, your model may need multiple dimensions related to an organizational structure, but since a model can have only one Organization dimension type, all the other organization-related dimensions can be qualified as Generic.
Pertinent Information
- Properties: added as needed
- Hierarchies: as many as needed
- Optional in a model
- More than one per model allowed