Calendars and Global Values

Objectives

After completing this lesson, you will be able to:
  • Describe the purpose of the calendar
  • Present a scenario in which multiple calendars are used
  • List global values and their purposes

Calendars

The calendar is a critical foundation piece to the design and build of your environment. When configuring a new implementation, the first step is to ensure that the calendar is customized to meet the needs of the organization. This means ensuring that the fiscal periods in which calculation is compensated are accurately reflected in the calendar.

Calendars are used to structure the fiscal pay periods. Each calendar is composed of a hierarchy of periods, called the period tree. The period tree represents units of time for which your company manages compensation.

The smallest or lowest level period in the hierarchy is called the leaf level period, which is usually a month or two weeks.

The most common calendar structure uses a month as the leaf level period, three months as a quarter, and twelve months or four quarters as a year. In this case, the quarters and years are the higher-level periods.

Multiple Calendars

Organizations can use multiple calendars to manage different payment schedules or pay periods. Each object can only be assigned to one calendar at a time.

Let’s look at an example of a scenario in which two calendars are required. GlobeTech pays its independent dealers on a weekly basis, and pays the internal sales team on a monthly basis. Since weeks don’t fit neatly within a calendar month, GlobeTech maintains two calendars: one with the week as a leaf level period for the dealers, and one with the month as the leaf level period for the sales team. Both the dealers and the sales team would be assigned to different plans and rules.

Best practices for calendars

  • Ensure your calendar structure is complete before you begin any plan development.
  • Ensure you have set your default period to the correct period, with the correct calendar (if there are more than one), before you begin rule development. Once a plan element is built to a specific calendar, you cannot alter it.
  • Object names must be unique, despite the calendar they are associated with. For example, you cannot have two rules with the same name, with two different calendars.
  • The sequence used to build your calendar periods is critical. Use the UI template to ensure it is created in the appropriate order.
  • Make sure your calendar is finalized before anything is run. Changing the dates of a period, after a single pipeline has been run, can cause a disconnect in the results. You will not be able to delete a period once a pipeline is run, even if you have no plans set.
  • Leaf level periods cannot overlap or contain gaps. If you need a weekly leaf level period, create a new calendar that uses weeks instead of months.
  • You will only see results for a plan associated with a calendar if you are in a default period of that same calendar.

Global Values

Global Values are used throughout the system to allow manual settings of specific plan, rules, elements, and values data types.

Watch the video on 'Creating Position Groups'.

Best Practices for Global Values

  • Once pipelines are run, do not delete the existing Global Values.
  • Avoid "recycling" Global Values. If the business model changes and the data needs change, create new Global Values instead of renaming deprecated Global Values.
  • Define all Event Types during the initial Global Values setup.

Exercise: Create Global Values and Set Preferences

Business Example

In this exercise, you will ensure that all incoming transactions have a corresponding Business Unit and Event Type. Since the Product Sales Event Type has not been created, we will set it up now. We will also create the BikesInMotion Business Unit and set it as the default, and set up two Position Groups.

ExerciseStart Exercise

Steps

  1. Create a new Business Unit called BikesInMotion.

    1. Select the Security icon in the Manage Setup tile.

    2. Select Business Units.

    3. Select Create.

    4. Type BikesInMotion in the name field.

    5. Select Save.

  2. Create an Event Type called Product Sales.

    1. Return to the Home Page.

    2. Select Global Values in the Manage Setup tile.

    3. Select Event Types.

    4. Select Create.

    5. In the ID field, type Product Sales for the name.

    6. Click the Create icon.

  3. Repeat step 2 to create a second event type called Services Sales.

  4. Create two Position Groups called Americas and EMEA.

    1. Return to the Home Page.

    2. Select Global Values in the Manage Setup tile.

    3. Select Position Groups.

    4. Select the Create.

    5. In the name field, enter Americas.

    6. Select Create.

    7. Repeat step 4 to add a second position group called EMEA.

  5. Set BikesInMotion as your default business unit.

    1. From the Preference menu, select User Preferences.

    2. Set the default business unit to BikesInMotion.

    3. Select Save.

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