Data Management - loading data by multiple periods and years

December 19, 2016, 12:26 am

≫ Next: Top 10 Blog Posts of 2016

≪ Previous: A deep dive and demo of the coming Essbase Cloud Service

Over the past six months there have been a number of changes in the way and the type of data you can load through Data Management in EPM Cloud, I am only referring to the cloud as these enhancements have not yet made it down to on-premise FDMEE but if you believe what Oracle has to say then they will be there one day.

In the PBCS 16.07 update document there was the following new feature:
“Data Management added a new All Data Types Data Load method which enables you to load numbers, text, Smart lists, and date.”

In the 16.09 release there was:
“The text-based data load feature enables users to load text data, dates, and smart lists to applications that support these data types.”

You tell me what the difference is between 16.07 and 16.09 because they look the same to me :)

In the 16.10 release there was:
“Data Management now supports a multi-column load of numeric data for any dimension. Prior to this update, Data Management supported only the loading of multi-period column data. In addition, a multi-period load using the header record is now available.”

Basically I have covered the above functionality in a previous blog which you can read all about here

The previous post was aimed at loading text data but the same logic can be applied for numeric data, the only difference would be the file type selection in the import format.

If you look at the import format in the 16.07 release you will see that the “All Data Type” was introduced for fixed, delimited and multi column source files.

At that point there was “Multi Period” available for numeric data where you could only specify period columns in the import format mapping, fast forward to the 16.10 release and you will see that it was replaced with “Multi Column – Numeric Data”.

Currently in the on-premise 11.1.2.4.200 FDMEE version you only have the following file type options:

I am sure this will be change in the future, maybe when .210 patch finally lands.

Moving on, there is now another new way of loading data which arrived in the 16.12 cloud release:

“Data Management now supports Oracle Financial Consolidation and Close Cloud “Period” dimensions as columns in a data file. If you have data for multiple periods in a single file, then you can include the year and period on each row of the data file that gets loaded to the target application.”

Notice that the functionality is only specified for FCCS, how about PBCS? Well I will get on to that later.

So now it should be possible to specify the period and year in the rows of a source data file, to test out this new piece of functionality I will go through a simple data loading example.

I am going to start out with the following source file which has a column for period/year and multiple periods in the rows.

The objective is to load this file to Data Management, map the data to valid members and then load the data to a target FCCS application.

I have created a form to verify whether the data has been correctly loaded.

In order to map the period/year in the source file to the target application I have created source period mappings and assigned them to a calendar which will be selected in the data load rule.

On to the import format and before the 12.16 release there were the following options available when selecting the Add button.

Now there is a new drop-down option of “Source Period Row” where Year, Period or Period Number can be added.

These will then be added to the import format grid and the field number can be mapped to the source file.

In the data load rule the import format was select, the source file was uploaded and selected, the period mapping type was set to explicit and the calendar that was created earlier selected.

I am not going into the data load mappings as they were straight forward explicit mappings for account and entity members contained in the source file.

To load the data, you execute the rule from the data load rule screen as the workbench is currently fixed by the period/year that is set in the POV.

Even though my source file has data from January to December 2017 I am only going to select to load from January to June 2017.

Once the rule has been executed process details confirms the load from source to target was successful.

In the process steps I have no idea why the months are all out of order because if you take a look in the process log you will see they are processed in the correct order.

In the log you can also see that the rows that are not in between the start and end period are rejected in the data load.

In the target options of the data load rule I had selected not to purge the data file that is created by Data Management and then loaded into the target FCCS application.

It is possible to download the file from the outbox to view the format of the file that is loaded to the target application.

If you have ever been involved with on-premise planning, then you will see that the file is in the outline load utility format and viewing the process log that it is using the utility to load the data.

The form I created earlier is now correctly displaying the data that was loaded.

Using this new method certainly makes life much easier to load data across multiple periods and years.

In the 16.12 cloud update document, it was stated that this new functionality was only available for FCCS but I was interested to know if it is available in PBCS.

I created an import format against a PBCS application and the “Source Period Row” option was available.

As the option is available then this would suggest it is possible to load from a source file containing periods and years in the rows.

I had to test out whether the process would be successfully against a PBCS application.

Once again I started out with a simple source file spanning multiple periods and years.

The period/year were added and mapped in the import format.

I am not going to show them but I created source period mappings, a location and data load mappings.

The data load rule was set up in the same as the previous example.

The rule was executed against with a start and end period to match the source file contents.

The full process of importing, mapping and exporting to the target was successful.

For demonstration purposes I created a form to show that the data was correctly loaded to the target PBCS application.

So even though PBCS was not mentioned in the update documentation the functionality is there and it is possible to load from a source file where the periods and years are defined in the rows.

Maybe it is not yet supported for PBCS or the documentation will be updated in the next release, I will update this post if anything changes.

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FCCS Dimensions: You Look Familiar (for the Most Part)

December 19, 2016, 3:30 pm

≫ Next: Boston meetup is go!

≪ Previous: Top 10 Blog Posts of 2016

#10

As part of our Top 10 Blog posts of 2016 series, TopDown’s experts are weighing in on how each of these topics fits in with the maturing of EPM in the cloud. The 10th most popular post of 2016 was, Adding Custom Dimensions to HFM. Below, Brian Willson discusses dimensionality in the context of Oracle Financial Close and Consolidation Service (FCCS).

With the release of FCCS, Oracle has shifted focus from its on premise-based consolidation solution, HFM, to a cloud-focused solution. FCCS isn’t quite “HFM in the cloud”, however, it is a great option for organizations looking for a cloud-focused consolidation solution. Almost all the tried and true features of HFM are present in FCCS. One of the attributes of FCCS that bears a striking resemblance to HFM is the dimensionality offered. This parallel in dimensions provides a comfort for long-time users of HFM when transitioning to FCCS.

At first glance, FCCS would seem substantially different from HFM. When taking a closer look, however, especially when considering the design of the dimensionality, you’ll see that FCCS is a very close relative of HFM.

Similarities

FCCS comes with eleven standard dimensions and up to two custom dimensions (more on that in a moment). These dimensions are, in order:

Account

Period

Data Source

Consolidation

Currency

Entity

Intercompany

Customs (2)*

Movement

Scenario

Year

View

Multi-GAAP*

As you can see, many of the dimensions in HFM are also present in FCCS. Account, Period, Entity, Intercompany, Customs, Scenario, Year, and View are all familiar faces to HFM users. Upon closer inspection, even the dimensions that appear to be different aren’t truly that different. The Value Dimension that resides in HFM is now broken out and represented by the Currency and Consolidation dimensions in FCCS. Initially it would seem that we are “limited” to two custom dimensions, however, in a great majority of HFM applications, Data Source, Movement, and sometimes even Multi-GAAP, are fairly common custom dimensions. Essentially, Oracle has taken a best practice approach to HFM custom dimensions and made them standard dimensions in FCCS.

One important thing to note about the design of FCCS dimensions: Multi-GAAP is considered a custom dimension. The dimensions in FCCS are treated as features selected during the creation of an FCCS application. If you select Multi-GAAP as a feature of FCCS while creating your application, you will have the option to create one custom dimension rather than two.

Differences

The design of FCCS lends itself to a more standardized approach to consolidations and as a result, there are some differences when it comes to FCCS dimensions versus HFM. The most glaring difference is the fact that FCCS comes pre-seeded with members for each dimension, prefixed by “FCCS_”. These pre-seeded members cannot be renamed or removed, however the alias (description) can be changed. This pre-seeding allows for FCCS to leverage standard calc scripts to perform consolidations and translations. Additionally, the design allows for the use of a standard cash flow statement without the need for additional calculations.

The maintenance of FCCS dimensions is likewise a departure from HFM. There is no Windows Client as we’ve had with HFM. You can maintain FCCS dimensionality either using the web interface or via Smart View in a manner similar to the Excel EPMA file generator.

The order of the dimensions in FCCS is configurable, which represents another departure from HFM. The order of the dimensions as listed above is the recommended order by Oracle. The order of the dimensions has an impact on the performance of the consolidation and any change to the dimension order should first be carefully evaluated for performance impacts.

Final Thoughts

At first glance, FCCS would seem substantially different from HFM. The Simplified interface looks nothing like the traditional HFM workspace interface. When taking a closer look, however, especially when considering the design of the dimensionality, you’ll see that FCCS is a very close relative of HFM. As Oracle continues to increase the features and functions of FCCS, the two seemingly different applications will move closer and closer in comparison.

The post FCCS Dimensions: You Look Familiar (for the Most Part) appeared first on TopDown Consulting Blog.

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Boston meetup is go!

December 19, 2016, 9:23 pm

≫ Next: Why EPM Theory is Backwards: Start with the Budget!

≪ Previous: FCCS Dimensions: You Look Familiar (for the Most Part)

EPM in Massachusetts

Another EPM meetup, another success. Monotonous, isn’t it?

Here’s Mark Rinaldi and Norman Williams kicking off the meetup. We had almost 20 people attending. I (and others) think if it hadn’t been 6 Fahrenheit/-6 Celsius we may have had more. No matter, those who attended had a fantastic time.

Here we are, we happy few:

$C:\Tempdir\Conferences\Meetups\Boston meetup\IMG_0013.JPG$

As promised, if you weren’t there you missed:

Lunch (always important)
An EPM game. Yes, really. And it was awesome. We’re sad.
Presentations

Oracle’s Mark Rinaldi: “EPM Product Roadmap & Strategy”
Yr. most hmbl. & obt. svt.’s“Hybrid: Theoretical promise, real world success”
TopDown Consulting’s Ron Moore: “Delivering Business Transformation with PBCS”

Information about What Must Be The Very Best Oracle User Group In The World aka WMBTVBOUGITW aka much more sensibly ODTUG’s Kscope17 early bird specials and deadlines as well as cool ODTUG swag.

Dine well

The food was pretty good. If I were in charge of things we’d be eating The Elvis. Good thing I’m not in charge.

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Let the games begin

The room was split into groups of three. We were given a single sheet of requirements – just about on par for real world requirements documents (I kid, I kid), given 15 minutes to come up with a single page design so just about on par with most design documents (I’m not totally sure I’m kidding), and then had to present our design.

Here’s one of the teams figuring out their plan for world domination a fantastic solution.

$C:\Tempdir\Conferences\Meetups\Boston meetup\IMG_0015.JPG$

Then a lucky chap got to present his team’s solution. One thing I can say about EPM geeks is that we’re not afraid of speaking in front of others.

Even when we’re mostly wrong.

$C:\Tempdir\Conferences\Meetups\Boston meetup\IMG_0010.JPG$

With the icebreaker out of the way, the true knowledge sharing began.

All present and correct

Here’s Mark Rinaldi explaining Oracle’s EPM roadmap. It’s exciting stuff, particularly for on-premises customers who have been waiting, waiting, waiting for good news. It is almost upon us.

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What does work? Not me.

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Here’s a picture of Steve Liebermensch graciously not correcting me on my Hybrid Essbase presentation. Could I have been that boring or that wrong? Could be.

$C:\Tempdir\Conferences\Meetups\Boston meetup\IMG_0040.JPG$

And finally Ron Moore telling us about a functional (gasp) view of PBCS. It was a refreshing change of pace. I’ve known Ron for literally decades (just two or so) and as always he delivers excellent work. Seriously, you need to hear Ron present on this – visionary is the way I view it.

$C:\Tempdir\Conferences\Meetups\Boston meetup\IMG_0016.JPG$

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

One of the many joys of business travel is the ever-present risk of flights being cancelled. Shall I mention the airline that left me stranded at Logan? Why yes, here they are. Bastards.

Instead I got to sample All Aboard With Amtrak’s service from Providence to (almost) home. Would you believe that the train doesn’t leave till 10 pm? And yet arrive at o’dark thirty? Not that I was awake for it, but apparently there’s a two hour layover in Penn Station.

Rhode Island is Famous for You

Steve was nice enough to drive me to the Providence, RI Amtrak train station. Thus another state is crossed off my bucket list of visiting every one of the lower 48. I can’t tell you much about the state other than its train station is pretty small.

At the same time, OMG taking the train is nicer than a plane. I think next time, I’ll take the train.

And then I was in beautiful Trenton, New Jersey, my home state. To be fair, there are some fantastic places in NJ, e.g. Baldpate Mountain. However, I was not there but pondering how something could be “anytime” and yet be closed at 4:30 am. A mere $40 cab fare home (Who at 4:30 am is going to complain about cost? Not me.) and I was home.

And so to bed for 40 winks before my 9 am development touch point meeting.

So what do we have?

Beyond my whining? What we have is yet again a fantastic manifestation of the passion for learning and sharing that defines ODTUG. It’s just a fantastic group of enthusiasts about all things Oracle.

Your EPM community…

http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/71860000/gif/_71860994_kithcener_10507531.gif

ODTUG is here to help you get that meetup off the ground. Why wait?

Be seeing you.

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Why EPM Theory is Backwards: Start with the Budget!

December 20, 2016, 2:20 am

≫ Next: Selected to Present at KScope17!

≪ Previous: Boston meetup is go!

Author: Kirby Lunger, Performance Architects

Many of us are familiar with the “Holy Grail” of enterprise performance management (EPM) solutions: state your organization’s mission and vision; develop a strategy based on these items; develop strategic objectives with measures, targets, initiatives, milestones and owners related to this strategy; and then allocate resources according to the prioritization of these objectives. The linkage between strategy and operations is, therefore, the planning process because this is how most organizations end up allocating resources:

Based on this logic, starting an EPM project means starting with…mission, vision and strategy. Most organizations already have done some work in this area and when we start talking with their team, they feel like it’s “good enough.” The next logical place to go is setting objectives, measures, targets, initiatives and owners. This is often where the “rubber hits the road” and organizations don’t have a well-defined process for tying day-to-day work to the mission and vision. So what happens? The primary focus for an organization’s first EPM initiative becomes the planning process.

When I think about the planning process, there are three discrete types of planning every organization performs (albeit using many different formal and informal methodologies): budgeting, forecasting, and long-range planning. As the diagram below depicts, there are two axes that clearly delineate the differences in types of planning: planning perspective and planning duration (timeframe).

Planning perspective relates to the organizational focus of the planner. A more strategic focus includes “big picture thinking” around mission, vision, strategy, objectives, etc., while operational planning focuses on the tactics used to achieve those strategic goals and objectives. Planning duration really means the time horizon of the planning activity. The budget generally is <12-18 months; the forecast is usually ~3-5 years; and the long-range plan (LRP) is often 5+ years:

This chart depicts how this ties back to the “textbook” EPM process:

When revamping the planning process and solution, most teams start with the need that is closest to their near-term, operational pain points: the budgeting process. Budgeting generally impacts a large audience, since many organizations are stuck in a situation where they are disseminating and collecting spreadsheets for departments, groups, etc. to budget. This graphic depicts the first stage we see in most planning initiatives…to fix the broken budgeting process, and to provide basic financial and managerial reporting:

Once the budgeting process is stabilized and automated, the next step is to focus on enhancing planning and reporting capabilities:

Most organizations then focus on explicitly linking long-range strategy and day-to-day operations, generally looking at non-financial drivers that could influence plan outcomes…and along the way, question the assumptions in the “good enough” mission, vision, and strategy statements/plans they ignored during the first few stages of their planning (EPM) initiatives:

What does this mean? It means that organizations usually start at the opposite end of where they’re supposed to start from a “textbook” EPM approach. In theory, this is not a good idea, because if you’re budgeting spend against a mission, vision or strategy that hasn’t been correctly vetted, this means that you may be spending precious resources on the wrong focus areas! That said, in practice, unless you have an automated and integrated solution for the planning process, it is not efficient or effective…so starting at the wrong end of theoretical “best practice” is generally necessary. This is one case where “starting small and thinking big” definitely applies.

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Selected to Present at KScope17!

December 20, 2016, 9:46 am

≫ Next: Working with Data Types in PBCS and EPBCS

≪ Previous: Why EPM Theory is Backwards: Start with the Budget!

I am honored to be selected as a speaker-presenter at KScope17!

KScope will once again be back in San Antonio Texas this year! Yee-Haw!
Last time Kscope was in there was back in 2012 ... wow, has it been that long ago?!?!

According to the ODTUG communication, there were more than 1,100 abstracts submitted!

This is my presentation title and can't wait to attend and be a speaker at the conference next year in 2017!!

Presentation Title: Data Train, ALL ABOARD! -- Essbase Drill, OBI & Big Data

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Working with Data Types in PBCS and EPBCS

December 20, 2016, 11:08 am

≫ Next: Get a Taste of Kscope17 in San Antonio!

≪ Previous: Selected to Present at KScope17!

As part of our Top 10 Blog posts of 2016 series, TopDown’s experts are weighing in on how each of these topics fits in with the maturing of EPM in the cloud. Coming in at number 9 was Enhancing Hyperion Planning with Text Data Type Members. Below, Ludovic De Paz offers a step-by-step guide to show you how to take advantage of data type features in PBCS and EPBCS.

The cloud versions of Hyperion Planning—PBCS and EPBCS—offer the same data type features as in the On-Premise versions. The configuration is slightly different and this post will show you how to enhance your Planning cloud application with non-Financial data such as Text or Dates. Data types also make forms more impactful with nice percentages and SmartLists.

The cloud versions of Hyperion Planning—PBCS and EPBCS—offer the same data type features as in the On-Premise versions.

Basics: the different data types available in PBCS and EPBCS

Planning Cloud offers the following data types:

Currency: Stores and displays in the default currency

Non-currency: Stores and displays as a numeric value

Percentage: Stores a numeric value and displays as a percent

Date: Displays as a date (stores a reference number in Essbase)

Text: Displays as text (stores a reference number in Essbase)

Selecting a data type

Data types can be assigned to any member of any dimension. The main dimension where you want to use different data types is Account but you can also have applications for the Period dimension if you want to add a Period to store Comments (use the data type Text) or if you want to use a Datatype dimension to store different stages of allocations or if you need to store Adjustment. In the case of a Datatype dimension, use the Percentage data type for the member you want to use to store variations in percentages.

In my example, I am going to show you how to use the Percentage data type in a dimension to store all variations in percentages.

Our target member is the BS_Override_%:

In the Member Properties, Select data type / Percentage:

But that is not enough, we need to play with the Evaluation order:

In our case, we need to have the Datatype dimension evaluated first in order to have the member BS_Override_% data type to override the data type of the other dimensions such as Account.

Now, as you can see, the line for BS_Override_% is shown as a percentage, no matter what account Is selected:

The post Working with Data Types in PBCS and EPBCS appeared first on TopDown Consulting Blog.

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Get a Taste of Kscope17 in San Antonio!

December 20, 2016, 12:54 pm

≫ Next: Using FDMEE to Add a Cloud Application as a Target

≪ Previous: Working with Data Types in PBCS and EPBCS

Join the ODTUG Board of Directors and local ODTUG members for a meetup at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country, the location of Kscope17. We're excited to share a sample of what you'll experience if you attend Kscope17, which is all about great content and having fun with some of the smartest pe

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Using FDMEE to Add a Cloud Application as a Target

December 21, 2016, 8:02 am

≫ Next: Automate Smart View in Your Cloud Applications

≪ Previous: Get a Taste of Kscope17 in San Antonio!

td_top-ten-2016

As part of our Top 10 Blog posts of 2016 series, TopDown’s experts are weighing in on how each of these topics fits in with the maturing of EPM in the cloud. The 8th most popular post of 2016 was, FDMEE / FDM – Map One Source Account to Multiple Target Accounts. This post was the third in a three-part series on FDM.

Thomas Thuresson, a specialist in data integration using FDM/FDMEE, has expanded on the series to include mapping to PBCS.

FDMEE (11.1.2.4 PSU 200) introduced some exciting new features, including the ability to add a Cloud application as a target application.

On-Premise to Cloud FDMEE integration

At a recent engagement, we needed to load Actuals from a Hyperion Financial Management (HFM) application to a new Oracle Planning and Budgeting Cloud Service (PBCS) application. Oracle had recently released a new PSU for FDMEE (11.1.2.4 PSU 200), which introduced some exciting new features, including the ability to add a Cloud application as a target application. Perfect timing for us since we otherwise would have to go with a file based approach. To read the full post, click here.

The post Using FDMEE to Add a Cloud Application as a Target appeared first on TopDown Consulting Blog.

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Automate Smart View in Your Cloud Applications

December 22, 2016, 8:00 am

≫ Next: Take a Look at HFM Architecture

≪ Previous: Using FDMEE to Add a Cloud Application as a Target

td_top-ten-2016

As part of our Top 10 Blog posts of 2016 series, TopDown’s experts are weighing in on how each of these topics fits in with the maturing of EPM in the cloud. Paul Hoch has provided an update on the 7th most popular post of 2016, Automate Smart View in 2 Steps.

The good news is Smart View is fully available and supported with Cloud applications.

We are seeing a push towards cloud solutions in the industry in general and with Oracle rolling out many new cloud products in the last few years something that our customers have often expressed concern over is, “How are my existing Spreadsheets, Reports, and processes going to work once we migrate to the cloud?”

Oracle has made migrating existing Planning applications relatively straight forward using LCM and importing applications. How about your Spreadsheets? The good news is Smart View is fully available and supported with Cloud applications. The only major difference you will encounter is that the log-in is slightly different. You will see a secondary pop-up that asks for your authentication information. Once you have logged in however, you will have virtually the same experience navigating against your cloud applications that you have in an on-premise world.

One thing that you might need to take into account is that if your on-premise solution includes “Full Use Essbase” and you have users connecting to Planning databases with an Essbase connection, that is NOT available in (E)PBCS so you will need to get used to the Planning Ad-Hoc connection instead of a native Essbase connection.

With that one caveat, you might be curious about using VBA to automate your spreadsheets or perhaps you have existing VBA automation in your on-premise applications and you want to be sure that they are supported in PBCS. The answer is, for the most part, yes VBA is supported in PBCS. The best source of information is to review the Oracle Smart View for Office Developer’s Guide. For each VBA function, the supported provider type is listed. For instance, in the examples below we set certain options. If we review the Developer’s Guide we will see the following:

And from this help document we can see that the HypSetGlobalOption is supported for the Oracle Planning and Budgeting Cloud provider.

The current version of this document is available here: http://docs.oracle.com/applications/smartview/610/SVDDD/ and you should evaluate your current spreadsheets and code against the supported features listed in this document to make sure your transition to the cloud goes smoothly.

The post Automate Smart View in Your Cloud Applications appeared first on TopDown Consulting Blog.

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Take a Look at HFM Architecture

December 23, 2016, 7:35 am

≫ Next: A Holiday Season Patch! HFR Web Studio 704

≪ Previous: Automate Smart View in Your Cloud Applications

td_top-ten-2016

Hyperion Financial Management Architecture was the sixth most popular in our Top 10 Blog posts of 2016 series, by Brian Willson.

Whether you are in the process of selecting a tool for your organization’s consolidation and reporting needs, conceptualizing the application design for an in-progress implementation, or familiarizing yourself with an application already in place, there are some key things you need to know about Oracle Hyperion Financial Management (HFM).

HFM is a consolidation tool that has the capability for currency translations, intercompany balance eliminations, cost allocations and multiple consolidation methods. It also allows users to view additional detail behind balances but it does not store transaction level detail. I will talk about additional detail under the “fifth thing.”

To continue reading this post, click here.

The post Take a Look at HFM Architecture appeared first on TopDown Consulting Blog.

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A Holiday Season Patch! HFR Web Studio 704

December 23, 2016, 8:57 am

≫ Next: Another Holiday Season Patch! FDMEE 210

≪ Previous: Take a Look at HFM Architecture

Oracle is so nice and giving for this holiday season and heading into the New Year!

Patches! Patches!

Patch Set Update for Oracle Hyperion Financial Reporting 11.1.2.4.704 is Available- Patch 24466619

This is an interesting read for the 'new features' added to the Web Studio to get to parity with the Windows client version and a little note-suggestion to move over to the Web Studio sooner than later.. as Oracle is NOT going to distribute the desktop client planned sometime mid-2017!

New Features in 11.1.2.4.704:Financial Reporting Web Studio enhancements to achieve more parity with the Windows Studio functionality:

Conditional formatting and suppression
Auto-Calculation
Ability to Save Objects
Related Content
Row/Column templates

Removal of Support for Financial Reporting Studio Desktop Client:
Oracle is committed to providing a simple and intuitive experience to the users of the service. To achieve this goal, Financial Reporting Web Studio, a component available since the 11.1.2.4.701 release, will be established as the only tool for designing and building reports. As a result, Financial Reporting Studio desktop client support will be fully transitioned to Financial Reporting Web Studio, tentatively in mid-2017. With a planned mid-2017 update, Financial Reporting Studio desktop client is planned to no longer be distributed.

Starting with the 11.1.2.4.704 release, Financial Reporting Web Studio will achieve functional parity with most of the capabilities provided with Financial Reporting Studio desktop client. You will be able to create new reports and modify existing reports using Financial Reporting Web Studio.

Oracle recommends that you transition to using Financial Reporting Web Studio at the earliest opportunity.

Another word to point out, 'most'. Why most? Why not all? I guess that is why it is being stated as 'functional parity' and not 'full parity' or even 'parity plus lots of other fun stuff that never existed and you always wished was there or thought would be great to add, etc. etc. etc.'

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Another Holiday Season Patch! FDMEE 210

December 23, 2016, 9:29 am

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Oh yes, Another Holiday Season Patch! FDMEE 210

Oracle, again, so nice, and giving to all of us for this holiday season and heading into the New Year!

This time with,

Patch Set Update for Oracle Hyperion Financial Data Quality Management, Enterprise Edition (FDMEE) 11.1.2.4.210 is Available - Patch Number 23041471
I have to say that now in my recent new role, and being a part of Data Integration, this one is now sparc'ing my interest a little more these days.. my head is a little in the clouds (see what I did there?) :) SPARC, Cloud. If you are not sure, just ask me, and I will tell you all about it!

Well, onto the fun stuff. What is New!?!?

- This is according to the Read Me -
New Features:

Text-Based Data Load (All Data Types)
Loading Multi-Column Numeric Data
Loading Multi-Period in a Single File
Hybrid Support for Financial Consolidation and Close Cloud and Fusion GL Cloud Balances
Limit Number of Parallel Jobs
Executing FDMEE Custom Scripts from a Command Line
POV Lock/Unlock Enhancement
Support Skip Rows for Delimited Files
Using a ~ (Tilde) As a Delimiter
Support for Selecting Delimiter for Mapping Export
Integrating SAP HANA Based Data Warehouse

So all of those sound exciting. And here is the long list of defects fixed with this patch.. hang on as there are only 59

25191503: An error occurs in the validation step when mappings are missing.

25086656: Support the Skip Row feature for delimited files.

25073281: Uploading the mapping file in merge mode takes 7 hours.

25070982: Locking all (POV) locations, periods and categories is required; documentation shows step as optional.

25058979: The journal description is not loaded correctly in Hyperion Financial Management.

24831061: Intersection Check Report jobs fail.

24790410: Write-back to PeopleSoft Commitment Control fails with an ORA-00904: "GLI"."LOADID": INVALID IDENTIFIER.

24719210: Multi-period loads between EPM sources fail when the archive mode is set to "Move."

24704033: Target application properties are not created for Public Sector Planning.

24696709: Add a method to drill back to EBS using data synchronization.

24660228: The file extension is missing from an Open Source Document in the Data Load Workbench.

24615582: The application takes a long time to export maps to Excel resulting in a time-out error.

24581883: EBS write-back produces multiple lines for a multi-period load.

24581817: Open batch replace load tag in export mode for Essbase does not work.

24507793: The open batch process does not complete before another process starts in serial mode.

24481231: Unable to export data from FDMEE in an Oracle Managed Cloud Service to Planning in an Oracle Public Cloud.

24409145: Unable to save source filters in the data load rule for data synchronization.

24398268: After Batch script executes before batch has completed in parallel mode.

24346113: The name and type of the source system do not show in Chinese.

24334010: Cannot restrict number of batch loads.

23749615: (Mapping) Member Selector screen does refresh properly when dimensions are changed.

23741243: Multi-dimension mapping import removes [ ] (open/closed square brackets) from the dimension value.

23712261: A data synchronization import format error occurs when you add a second source column to the target dimension.

23704903: Batch jobs are deleted when "Maintain Process Tables" job is launched.

23608036: JDE adapter hangs the FDMEE database.

23601294: Data protection does not work correctly when entities have the same string in the entity name.

23570299: Users without access privileges are able to fix mappings.

23570139: Map Monitor reports do not save all changes that are made in a single session.

23569307: Increase length of dimension members to 80 characters when loading data.

23534813: Target member with trailing spaces fails during validation but loads correctly.

23521228: Duplicate data import and export steps occur in an open batch when Archive Mode is enabled.

23332225: Export mode always defaults to “Replace” regardless of the target option setting.

23299982: Unable to unlock periods when selecting the POV.

23244868: FDMEE uses a batch file and not the shell script for the Data Relationship Management (DRM)/FDMEE integration on LINUX.

23236688: Check report fails when a “-1” parameter is used to return the prior year.

23153744: When exporting mappings into Excel, the export works correctly, but no output is written to the Excel file.

23100637: Support Replace by Security with open batch.

23094407: When the Global POV is set to “yes,” users receive an ADF error when executing the data load rule.

23031907: In LifeCycle Management, when the import format has concatenated fields, then the sorted order of the concatenated fields is incorrect in the target environment.

23003251: Users can duplicate explicit data load mappings.

22996594: Data file generated by FDMEE custom application does not have correct order.

22975695: Import from EBS fails with a SQLSYNTAXERROREXCEPTION: INVALID COLUMN NAME 'SEGMENT1' error.

22747940: Check report shows wrong results.

22685686: When concatenating JDE accounts and the sub-account is null, no data is displayed for the source account.

22588695: Import script does not execute the last field when the field is blank.

22219833: Variance reports show zero regardless of the selected time period.

21968085: Unable to change column delimiter in import and export mapping tables.

21928674: Add support for Data View metadata tag (DV) in the Excel Trial Balance.

21910911: The Hyperion Financial Management (HFM) export file shows data for multiple periods in alphabetic order instead of period order.

21746465: Unable to load the date field into FDMEE.

21683139: Need to export string data to Planning application using FDMEE.

21622537: An intermittent failure to show goldfish occurs after the Import, Validate, or Export steps have been executed successfully in the Data Load Workbench.

21611707: In some cases "Recalculate" does not run when the data load rule is executed as scheduled.

20969139: When viewing validation errors in the Data Load Workbench, the full set of errors are not displayed in some cases.

20892186: Validation errors tab shows one dimension at a time.

20583965: Alternate hierarchies for local dimensions are not marked as shared.

20512084: In multi-dimensional mapping, square brackets are removed for special account values such as [ICP NONE] and [None].

19304596: Add ability to move the source system information in FDMEE using LifeCycle Management.

18550239: The text box for the target value in member mappings does not expand when the column width is increased.

Wow, that is fun!

And onto other news, the Known Issues in this patch :(

25264060 -- On the Source Mapping screen in Period Mapping, the Source Application dropdown does not show EPMA applications when the source is EPM.
25261166 -- Process Details shows an incorrect timestamp when running the import task.
25213479 -- In LifeCycle Management, the concatenation character for an import format is imported as "Y" INSTEAD OF "_".
25204666 -- Check Report returns “LookUp Error” for every rule when the amount format is set to European in Hyperion Financial Management. For example, when the decimal separator is a comma (,) and thousands separator is a decimal/point (.).
25205450 -- Removing the timeout period of an open batch rule run in parallel mode causes a null point exception error (NPE).
Workaround: If you need to change the timeout period for an open batch rule run in parallel mode, first change it to serial mode and then save the change.

25176762 -- Data load to hybrid Planning application fails when the load method to the on-premise application is SQL.
Workaround: In a Hybrid deployment, SQL is not a valid load method.

25172218 -- Multi-period load Check Reports fail. When run separately; they are successful.
Workaround: A Check Report runs for a single period whether it passes or fails. When run for multi-period loads, they all run if they all pass. If one fails, the subsequent check reports do not run.

25165162 -- Oracle Financial Consolidation and Close Cloud (FCCS) application artifacts show under the Application\data folder for Planning applications.
24827903 -- FDMEE extracts duplicate values from Planning when the data load is for multiple years.
24697455 -- Adding a global mapping in FDMEE returns an ADF_FACES-60097 error.
24508223 -- Validation Errors screen shows inconsistent results after validating data.
24299055 -- When adding a logic group to a location, user receives an ORA-01790 error.

23717925 -- When importing data using the open interface or the Universal Data Adapter (UDA), the space around member name is not trimmed.
Workaround: Create a view and then trim the column in the view definition.

23565292 -- When target members have trailing white spaces, and the check process is run, it fails because the dimension member from FDMEE uses trailing spaces, and the dimension member in the target application does not.
Workaround: Trim any trailing spaces from the dimension member before performing the check process.

23484375 - Entering multiple calculation scripts in the target application returns a null point exception.
23339351 -- Validate should run on entire data in the POV, and not just for data imported from the current file.
22569856 -- You cannot load metadata from Peoplesoft to Data Relationship Management using the loadmetadata batch script.
22903056 -- Concatenation of Peoplesoft chartfields is not supported when exporting to Data Relationship Management.

21936206 -- Extracting a journal from Hyperion Financial Management for multiple periods fails.
Workaround: Only a single period journal extract is supported.

20320597 -- After write-back, export fails and the Check Report displays an error message.
Workaround: When the Check Rule is assigned to a location before upgrading, then after the write-back, the location is assigned to the check rule incorrectly. This causes the check step to fail.

20320474 -- Write-back fails for a Peoplesoft application using period mappings.

20310919 -- Refresh members for a Financial Management application fail when intercompany partner (ICP) transactions have been enabled.
Workaround: First, run the refresh members feature before enabling ICP transactions for the application. Then, if ICP transactions have been enabled, run refresh members for individual dimensions in Data Load Mapping.

20235842 -- When you specify metadata for Hyperion Financial Management, the currency attribute is not updated in member properties when you deselect the Use System Default feature and enter the currency manually.
20205391 -- Data synchronization and write-back fail when multiple periods are loaded to Hyperion Financial Management and one period has no data.
20013531 -- French and French-Canadian translations of some messages may show missing apostrophes (').

19986647 -- Write-back only recognizes the underscore (_) character as a concatenation operator in segment mapping.
Workaround: Segment operators only work when the separator is an underscore (_). If the separator is not an underscore, then the separator acts like * and brings over the entire field contents.

19769234 -- Error occurs when exporting TDATASEG table to Excel interface.
Workaround: When exporting large tables, use Reports.

19681915 -- Concatenating ledger segment during metadata load fails.
19625362 -- Target option LOVs for write-back do not show filtered values.
19453738 -- Running a Check Report fails for Oracle Hyperion Profitability and Cost Management applications.

Getting back to the New Features. There are a few that I will be VERY interested in trying out to see how they work. One specifically being the Hybrid support for Fusion GL Cloud Balances!

This is the detail to the feature: Hybrid Support for Financial Consolidation and Close Cloud and Fusion GL Cloud Balances

FDMEE can be used as a primary gateway to integrate data between on-premise and the cloud based Financial Consolidation and Close Cloud (FCCS) and the Fusion GL Cloud Balances applications. This feature allows EPM customers to adapt FCCS and Fusion GL Cloud Balances deployments into their existing EPM portfolio. You might use the integration to import data from existing on-premise ERP applications, or synchronize data between FCCS applications or Fusion GL Cloud Balances and on-premise applications.

One last note, when will there be another update to my little friend Smart View?
Curious what new MAJOR features will be added for the next version?!?!?

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EPM Cloud Quick Tip: Opening Simultaneous Instances

December 23, 2016, 9:36 am

≫ Next: Tim and Cameron's Most Excellent Farewell!

≪ Previous: Another Holiday Season Patch! FDMEE 210

Earlier this year when working with EPM Cloud, I noticed that I couldn’t open up multiple instances of EPM Cloud at the same time without issue. This would either be multiple instances within the same domain (Test and Production, for example), or different instances completely (PBCS & FCCS, for example). Whenever I tried to open up two simultaneous instances, they would both merge into a single instance (Test would convert to Production or vice versa), one screen would go to an error, or the browser would just get confused. Opening multiple instances at the same time has both its pros and cons, but as a developer I find that this makes my work life so much more efficient, especially when checking migrations.

Over time, I noticed that this functionality became better. I don’t know if this is due to efforts on Oracle’s side, Mozilla Firefox (the recommended browser for Windows PC’s), or both, but there is so much more you can do today. However, let me pause and explain the different ways that one might attempt to open simultaneous instances of EPM Cloud on a single computer:

Open up the EPM Cloud instances within multiple tabs of the same browser
Open up the EPM Cloud instances within separate browser windows
Open up the EPM Cloud instances within separate browser windows using private browsing

Option #1 is definitely not recommended and does not offer any kind of workable result, from my experience. I get this awesome message when attempting to connect to a different instance in a second tab of the same Firefox window:

opening-multiple-instances-06

Option #2 is workable. You take do many things within the application and the browser windows seem to work independently without issue. However, if you log out of one of the Firefox windows, all instances seem to log out.

Option #3 is by far my favorite. I’ve encountered no issues with this option so far. But what is private browsing? Here is the overview of this feature, in Firefox’s words:

opening-multiple-instances-04

How I do this is first open one EPM Cloud instance in a normal Firefox window, then open all successive instances in separate “private browsing” Firefox windows (note that tabs are not an option here – private browsing must occur within new windows for this to work properly). Alternatively, you could start with a private browsing Firefox window and then open all new EPM Cloud instances in separate private browsing windows.

To open a private browsing window, you can right-click Firefox from your task bar and choose “New private window”.

opening-multiple-instances-01

You can also open the Firefox menu (three-line icon) in the upper right-hand corner of the browser and select “New Private Window”.

opening-multiple-instances-02

As you can see below, I have a normal Firefox window opened with Test EPBCS and a private browsing window (indicated by the purple icon in the upper right-hand part of the screen) opened with Prod EPBCS.

opening-multiple-instances-03

In case you’re curious about which version of Firefox I’m on, I always try to stay on the latest. Here is the version I tested this with:

opening-multiple-instances-05

Filed under: EPM Cloud Quick Tips Tagged: EPM Cloud, Firefox, private browsing

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Tim and Cameron's Most Excellent Farewell!

December 23, 2016, 10:45 am

≫ Next: Hyperion Financial Reporting - PSU 704 and Desktop Client News

≪ Previous: EPM Cloud Quick Tip: Opening Simultaneous Instances

Tim Tow and Cameron Lackpour have served the ODTUG community as Board Directors for the past six years, but it is time (due to term limits) to say farewell to them as Directors, but never as influential ODTUG members. They have worked as Executive Committee members and Community liaisons and...

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Hyperion Financial Reporting - PSU 704 and Desktop Client News

December 23, 2016, 1:31 pm

≫ Next: Getting started with Calculations in PBCS

≪ Previous: Tim and Cameron's Most Excellent Farewell!

With Hyperion Financial Reporting PSU 11.1.2.4.704, which was released on December 20, 2016, came multiple updates for the web studio:

New Features in 11.1.2.4.704

Financial Reporting Web Studio enhancements to achievemore parity with the Windows Studio functionality:

• Conditional formatting and suppression

• Auto-Calculation

• Ability to Save Objects

• Related Content

• Row/Column templates

Also, Oracle announced in the patch the planned date for parity with the Windows desktop client and its subsequent removal from the suite.

Removal of Support for Financial Reporting Studio Desktop Client

Oracle is committed to providing a simple and intuitive experience to the users of the service. To achieve this goal, Financial Reporting Web Studio, a component available since the 11.1.2.4.701 release, will be established as the only tool for designing and building reports. As a result, Financial Reporting Studio desktop client support will be fully transitioned to Financial Reporting Web Studio, tentatively in mid-2017. With a planned mid-2017 update, Financial Reporting Studio desktop client is planned to no longer be distributed.

Starting with the 11.1.2.4.704 release, Financial Reporting Web Studio will achieve functional parity with most of the capabilities provided with Financial Reporting Studio desktop client. You will be able to create new reports and modify existing reports using Financial Reporting Web Studio.

Oracle recommends that you transition to using Financial Reporting Web Studio at the earliest opportunity.

I've been using the web studio for a while now and for the most part it is familiar to those used to the desktop client. The key thing when working with it is to open the report, and then on the left panel click the object (grid, image, text, chart) on which you wish to work. The additions in the 704 PSU address some of the missing items. There are a few more to go.

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Getting started with Calculations in PBCS

December 26, 2016, 7:52 am

≫ Next: Extracting UDAs from the Outline

≪ Previous: Hyperion Financial Reporting - PSU 704 and Desktop Client News

Should we move our Hyperion Planning environment to PBCS? We are moving to PBCS – what is going to change? We know we are moving to PBCS eventually – when is the best time? There is a good chance you have asked or been asked one of these questions recently.

Like most other components of PBCS, calculations are pretty much the same whether it’s on-premise or in the cloud. But there are a few differences. Here are a few things you need to know.

New PBCS versions are applied every month. This writing assumes the December 2016 release.

What’s different?

The good news is that if you are already doing most or all your calculation work in Calc Manager there is very little difference. Writing and executing Calc Manager business rules looks and works nearly the same in PBCS and on-premise.

There are a few significant differences including:

Eventually you will have to start CM from the Simplified Interface (SI)
EAS is absent from PBCS so you can’t rely on it for database information, to view log files or to manage sessions
You can’t change caches or Essbase.cfg file settings.
You need EPM Automate too automate rule execution.

Starting Calc Manager from the Simplified Interface

As of this writing you can still use Workspace to start Calc Manager. But the Simplified Interface is the way of the future.

After launching PBCS click Simplified Interface

Click the “Hamburger” icon next to the Oracle masthead.
Under “Create and Manage”, click Rules.

Calculation Manager is started and you are ready to work on your calcs.

Getting Database Information

For the die-hards (like me) who still find Essbase Admin Services (EAS) useful – it’s gone in PBCS so there are a few things you will need to know to find the features in CM to fully replace EAS. The good news is that cutting the cord isn’t hard and there are many features in CM that are far superior to EAS. Yes, it’s a much more complex interface with a lot more you need to learn – but IMHO that investment pays significant dividends.

Since writing and executing business rules is, for the most part the same, the biggest issues are on the administrative and debugging side.

Database Statistics

How do you view Database Properties, such as block statistics and dimension statistics?

Click System View
Click the green Database Properties icon

Choose the application
Choose the database

You will see five tabs. Notably, the Caches tab is missing because PBCS does not allow you to change caches. There are some minor differences on these tabs but nothing significant for most applications.

Starting and Stopping Applications and Session Management

How do you stop and restart an application? How do you kill jobs or log off users?

Click System View
Click the green Database Properties icon

Right click the Application name

Clicking Sessions will open the Session Management dialog where you can view active sessions and terminate sessions if you need to. You can also start and stop applications and/or all the databases within an application.

Calculation Logs and Messages

At some point, you will want to review the calculation log messages. It’s actually a little easier in Calc Manager than in EAS. In EAS you had to open the application log and search for the relevant messages. In CM once you open a rule and execute it the relevant messages will appear in the Log Messages pane at the bottom of the rule window.

While we are on the subject of log files, Calc Manager includes some script diagnostics.

With the rule open, on the Error and Warnings tab click the green button to launch the diagnostics.

CM gives you a list of potential issues. Interpreting these messages is another story. Even perfectly good scripts may have many messages but there is also good information here. For example, this script makes two passes through the database which probably means it could be rewritten to run faster.

Automating Calc Rule execution with EPM Automate

EPM Automate is a utility used to automate administrative tasks such as uploading and downloading files, loading data and metadata and executing calc rules. To use it you must download it and install it on your local computer.

Click the down arrow next to your username
Click Downloads.

Then download the version for your local computer operating system.

Run the installer. The default install location is C:\Oracle\EPM Automate\bin.

Users with Service Admin privileges can use start EPM Automate and execute individual commands from the command line or write a batch file that includes EPM Automate commands. Here is a link to the EPM Automate documentation and here are some examples specific to PBCS.

The post Getting started with Calculations in PBCS appeared first on TopDown Consulting Blog.

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Extracting UDAs from the Outline

December 27, 2016, 10:30 am

≫ Next: Oracle DRM on the Ground and in the Cloud

≪ Previous: Getting started with Calculations in PBCS

First, hope everyone had a wonderful holiday weekend. Now it's back to real life...

I have been doing quite a bit with DRM for a while now and am currently migrating a Planning application to DRM. One of my most recent tasks was to load the UDA's into DRM. Now I am sure I probably could have saved myself a few minutes by using the Outline Extractor but I didn't remember my login and enjoy working with Python and XML.

One thing to note here is I used Python not Jython for this. Jython is great for a lot of things but there are some things where Python just easier and far faster. With the help of lxml, XML is one of those things.

So first things first, I exported a dimension from the outline in XML format. To do this I used my Jython implementation of Celvin's Essbase Member Operations Utility in which I have included a method for exporting the outline. This could have also been done via MaxL either through command line or EAS.

Next, I loaded the exported file into lxml.

from lxml import etree

root = etree.parse("outline-export1.xml")

lxml makes it really easy to look for things in a xml file so I used the xpath method to grab all the members in the xml file and looped through them. While looping I used the findall command to grab any UDA's assigned.

members = root.xpath("//Member")  
for member in members:  
    udas = member.findall("UDA")

Finally, I looped through the UDA's and printed them to the console for easy copy and paste into Excel where I could turn the result into an action script.

if udas is not None:  
    for uda in udas:
        print("%(member)s\t%(uda)s" % { "member" : member.attrib["name"], "uda" : uda.text } )

The complete result is below.

I could have gone a step further and had Python create the actionscript by setting the content of the print command to something like what's below but I got lazy. ;) (Also if you haven't noticed I prefer tabs in my actionscripts.)

"ChangeProp\tCurrent\tEntity\t%(member)s\tCOR.UDA\t%(uda)s" % { "member" : member.attrib["name"], "uda" : uda.text }

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Oracle DRM on the Ground and in the Cloud

December 28, 2016, 6:42 am

≫ Next: Creating Intercompany Matching Reports via Script

≪ Previous: Extracting UDAs from the Outline

td_top-ten-2016

As part of our Top 10 Blog posts of 2016 series, TopDown’s experts are weighing in on how each of these topics fits in with the maturing of EPM in the cloud. Oracle Hyperion Data Relationship Management is an evergreen and ever popular topic. An oldie but goodie—What is Oracle Hyperion’s Data Relationship Management (DRM) Tool? once again made the list, this time in the number 4 spot. In this new blog post, Mark Eklund discusses EPM, on-premise and in the cloud, and how DRM ties it all together.

The beauty of DRM is that it integrates with any and all applications.

The unique thing about EPM and our business is the opportunity to work with clients of all sizes and industries. This helps insulate our practice from the ups and downs of a particular industry but more importantly gives us a unique perspective on broad themes and patterns that affect all organizations today. Each company has different requirements, and the maturity of technology solutions can widely vary, but a common goal for everyone is having repeatable and accurate control over its financial and management reporting. Whether reporting externally to the street, or internally for management and operational metrics, business leaders must be able to trust the information provided in order to make effective decisions.

Both on premise and cloud-based applications today have a myriad of features and functions that can assist with those business decisions. The complexity for companies today lies with maintaining a level of control and consistency amongst the various platforms and applications spread throughout the enterprise. This applies to corporate systems supporting large groups to departmental systems fulfilling specific needs. How can a company EXTEND that CONTROL throughout systems both big and small? The answer is a combination of governance, technology, and process which can be facilitated through Oracle’s Data Relationship Manager (“DRM”).

DRM is a platform for organizing, governing, and maintaining financial hierarchies and definitions that are critical to all company reporting. This information is the building block of which all information is consumed and business decisions are founded. In Finance, hierarchies such as Chart of Accounts, Legal Entity, Cost Center should be consistent throughout all corporate systems. They way revenue and costs are governed, both at a transactional and consolidated level should be consistent. Outside of Finance, there are many other master data definitions that apply. Some examples can be Products, Projects, and Sales Territories that different departments rely on for reporting and analyzing their piece of the business.

The beauty of DRM is that it integrates with any and all applications. Being application agnostic allows a Company to centrally manage their hierarchies and definitions, then publish the “source of truth” out to all downstream subscribing systems. This applies to both on premise and cloud-based applications.

Cloud is a major focus for many companies today, and developing a roadmap to transform and replace corporate systems is both complex and expensive. This has brought forth a new chapter in DRM value, having an ability to manage metadata and hierarchies for all systems, regardless of location and vendor. Corporate IT can feel more comfortable with departments and subsidiaries building their own applications or making cloud investments because DRM can govern the master data that feeds those systems and any changes or additions are visible from a centralized location.

DRM also helps facilitate a data governance process through a council made up of both technical and functional stakeholders. Through Data Relationship Governance (“DRG”), a workflow utility built into DRM, companies can build a process that ensures any changes, additions, or deletions made to a critical reporting hierarchy are socialized and updated for all subscribing systems.

Business requirements will continue to evolve, and new cloud systems will continue to grow, so having DRM as a foundation to scale with change is a decision that most every company should make.

The post Oracle DRM on the Ground and in the Cloud appeared first on TopDown Consulting Blog.

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Creating Intercompany Matching Reports via Script

December 6, 2016, 3:20 pm

≫ Next: FDMEE Mapping Principles, Including PBCS

≪ Previous: Oracle DRM on the Ground and in the Cloud

One of the features that has been in HFM since almost day 1 is intercompany matching reports. HFM's predecessor, Hyperion Enterprise (which was originally called Hyperion) had intercompany matching reports. Enterprise's predecessor, IMRS MicroControl, a DOS product developed in the 1980s, had intercompany matching reports.

In the beginning of HFM, intercompany matching reports were developed in script (using KEdit or Notepad or other text editor), uploaded, and then you ran it to see if it worked, anything need changing, etc. Later on the graphical interface came along and nowadays no one really sees the script anymore.

But, it is still there.

Where working with script comes in handy is the initial build of the matching reports. Just built 45 matching reports today using script. Here are the steps.

Build one report through the graphical interface like normal and then extract it from the Documents screen.

Open the file in Notepad and copy the script into Excel.

In this screenshot, the script is in column L. Cells L2 and L3 and the last cell (AccountPlug) have been edited to use cell level formulas to point to I1 and I2. Column I is fed from a list in column E and F with all of the plug accounts that need a report.

Paste the script into Excel and save the file. Then move on to the next item in columns E and F. If you have a huge amount, you could write a macro that cycles through the list and writes out the text files.

Last, go into HFM to the Documents screen and load in the script files. Make sure to set the options at the top to the desired folder, document type, and security class before selecting the files.

Having to create the reports via script has gone the way of the green home page, but the utility of working with the script is still there.

Enjoy!

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