Reporting Groups - Using Reporting Groups on SPWs (Video)

This feature is part of the Standard Plus, Plus, and Premium subscription levels. 

Reporting Groups are used to define combinations of accounts and dimensions. Reporting groups can be used within a Global SPW to calculate budget amounts based on the amounts currently budgeted for those combinations of accounts and dimensions. Like an account category is a group of accounts, a reporting group is a group of lines (dimensions and accounts) that can be referenced in SPWs, and in ReportBuilder, too!

Reporting Group totals are shown in the SPW as positive amounts, unless the Reporting Group contains both income and expense accounts, and the budgeted expenses exceed the budgeted income; in that case, the amount shown in the Global SPW will be negative. 

Here are three examples of situations in which you would want to use reporting groups.

1. A fee based on the total of specific income accounts is paid by some satellite locations to a central location. You want to be able to automatically compute an expense for the fee in the satellite location, along with income for the fee in the central location. Define a reporting group for each location and the specific income accounts on which the fee is to be based, then use that reporting group (which identifies the budgeted totals for those accounts) as the basis for calculations within a global SPW in order to budget the fee as an expense to the satellite locations and as income to the central location.
   
   
2. Rent and utilities costs are budgeted to the Facilities department but are to be allocated to other departments within the organization, using an “allocations” account to reduce the total expenses for the Facilities department and increase the expenses for the other departments within the organization. Define a reporting group for the Facilities department and the rent and utilities accounts. Use that reporting group as the basis for calculations with a global SPW to budget an expense for this allocation to each other department and budget the credit for the total allocation to the Facilities department.
   
   
3. The HR department expenses are budgeted to that department within one entity but are to be shared by a separate entity (a school), using an “allocations” account to reduce the total expenses for the HR department in the first entity and increase the expenses for the other entity. To set this up, define a reporting group for the HR department expenses to be allocated, then use that reporting group as the basis for calculations with a global SPW to budget an expense for this allocation to the second entity and credit the amount of that allocation to the original entity.

Setting Up Reporting Groups

Go to Setup > Reporting Groups to add and edit reporting groups.

There are two methods for assigning combinations of dimensions and accounts to a reporting group.  You can use either method, or both, to set up each reporting group.

Method 1. This is the flexible method. Use the filters in the Manage Reporting Group Items section of the screen to add combinations individually and make use of the “All” wildcard selection. Use this method if you anticipate making changes to the referenced budget worksheets that you will want to automatically include in the reporting group.  

Method 2. The second method is to select each worksheet line. This is the best method to use if you know exactly which budget lines are to be included in the reporting group, and you do not anticipate that this will change frequently. 

Start by clicking Select Worksheet Lines to get a list of all dimension/account combinations on all your budget worksheets. 

• Use the filters to limit this list by dimension, account number, and/or account category. 
• Use the checkboxes on the left to pick the lines to add to the Reporting Group.
• Click Add Selected Worksheet Lines to Reporting Group at the very bottom of the list.

Verify the Reporting Group

The Show Matches feature of the Reporting Groups page is useful to see what budget lines are in play for your reporting group.

Setting Up Global SPWs to Use Reporting Groups

Reporting groups can be used in Global SPWs only.

• Click Update Reporting Group Values to update the values for all the reporting groups on this SPW. This also performs all the calculations on the SPW and updates the totals in the Summary section. This button does not post anything to the worksheets identified on the SPW.
• Click Post to Worksheets to post the summary lines to the worksheets as needed. When a Global SPW is posted, any reporting group values on the SPW are updated and all calculations are recalculated before the SPW is posted.
  
  

Below is an example Reporting Group and how it is used in the GSPW.

Notes

• Generally, it is a best practice to use a single global SPW for all of the same kind of allocations. 
• It is important to be sure that you are not allocating to the same account and dimension combination on more than one global SPW. If you do that, the “last one wins” and only the most-recently-posted SPW will be reflected on that account and dimension combination. 
• A reporting group cannot be used to update an account that is referenced within the reporting group. If this is attempted, you’ll get a "Circularity" error when the SPW is posted. This error must be corrected before the global SPW can be posted.
• The reporting group values are always updated and any related calculations are recomputed whenever a global SPW is posted. Remember, all SPWs are always posted whenever a budget is copied. 
• When defining a reporting group, picking a parent dimension value does not include any of its child dimensions. If you want to include the child dimensions in the reporting group, you must add them specifically to that reporting group.