Validating Planning Data Input

Validation rules use case and features:

• Prevent data input for invalid combinations.
• Derive related members based on attribute values in the dimension.
• Warnings in the story help to guide planners.
• Use a combination of members: For example, only allow entry for cost center = Sales and account = advertising.
• Use dimension members referenced as attributes: For example, only allow entry for cost center = CC100_1000, Company 1000, and Profit Ctr PC100.

In planning models, you can define valid combinations of dimension members that control data entry and derivation.

Validation rules define allowed member combinations to prevent improper data entry. For the dimensions you define in a validation rule, only the member combinations that you specify as allowed combinations can pass validation.

Validation rules require dimensions with properties that refer to other dimensions in the model.

To use a validation rule:

1. Activate the feature in the model.
2. Map members from one dimension to the property values in a reference dimension.
3. Create a validation rule.
   • Create an attribute-based validation rule:
     • Select the reference dimension.
     • Map the reference dimension property to a matching dimension.
   • Create a member-based validation rule:
     • Select the dimensions to cross reference.
     • Map the allowed dimension members.
4. Test the validation rule in a story.

With dimension combination rules, you can match the existing attributes maintained for the reference dimension to the matched dimension and create dimension combination rules based on that.

To define multiple allowed members to match with the reference dimension attribute, enter the members and use a separator such as a comma (,) between the members.

To use validation rules, users must have the Planning Professional license and the Validation Rule permission.

• You can create three rules for one model.
• You can define up to three dimensions in one rule.
• You can use the same dimension in up to 10 different rules.
• You can't choose time or version dimensions in a dimension combination rule.
• You can't use system properties, only custom properties are supported.
• All values of the property are available as dimension members in the matched dimension. Otherwise, you'll receive an error or warning message asking you to check and maintain the dimension's master data.

There are two key settings in the story when using validation rules:

1. Enable Color Fill for Editable Cells in the Styling panel.
2. Enable the Reason for unplannable data message for invalid combinations.

It's important to exclude unassigned members in the data table so that when disaggregation occurs, only valid members are updated.

In the example below, you can see when validation rules are in effect and a property assignment is changed, existing postings will display a message in the story. In this scenario, a data action can be used to:

1. Copy the values to the valid combination.
2. Delete the invalid combination.

Bottom-up concept:

1. Enter data with only cost center in the layout.
2. Company code and profit center values are derived from the validation rules.

In the following example, you can see that when data is entered for Cost Center CC100_1000, then Company Code 1000 and Profit Center PC100 are derived based on the validation rule and posted to the model.

In the following example, you can see that the left side displays the input by cost center (bottom up) and the right side displays the input by company code (top down). When values are entered for the company code dimension, the values are distributed proportionately to posted members and evenly to unposted members.

In a layout with multiple dimensions in the rows, validation rules don't control the combinations of unbooked members. Therefore, when a value is entered for an invalid combination, a message will appear.

If the planners disaggregate the values in such a story, booked data has a higher priority than unbooked data:

• If the planners disaggregate a value to both valid and invalid booked data, the value will only be disaggregated to the valid booked cells.
• If the planners disaggregate a value to both valid and invalid unbooked data, the value will only be disaggregated to the valid unbooked cells.
• What happens if the planners disaggregate a value to invalid booked data and valid unbooked data? The value will be disaggregated to the booked invalid cells and an error message will inform you that the disaggregation failed.

When master data attributes are changed, there's a warning that users will see in the dimension, as you can see in the following example.

In the story, if a value is changed for the invalid combination, a warning icon appears with the message: "Data Changes not Allowed. Due to validation rules, any data changes in this cell except deleting data will be reverted when you publish data entries".

When using validation rules, any property value changes will be automatically updated and existing data with invalid combinations will have a warning in the stories.

To realign the existing transaction data, planning functions can be used to copy to the new valid combination and delete the invalid combination.

In the following example, you can see how the data is realigned.

1. Run a copy data action.
   • From company code US(1000) → CA(2000).
   • For cost center CC1000_1000.
2. Run a delete data action.
   • For company code US(1000).
   • For cost center CC1000_1000.