Managing Allocations

Manage Allocations allows you to create and delete allocations and edit the properties of existing allocations.

Note: The Manage Allocations app is a starter kit, which means the app and/or underlying data table that stores the allocation information could have been modified. This chapter assumes there are no changes to the Manage Allocations app or underlying data table, however the content of the Manage Allocations app can vary according to your implementation.

Accessing manage allocations

As the Manage Allocations is an example app, contact your system administrator for the location of the Manage Allocations app.

Process order

The process order is a loose way to ensure dependent allocations are processed in the correct order. A dependent allocation is an allocation that uses the target of another allocation for either its source or pattern. A process order of 0 indicates no dependencies.

When a dependent allocation exists, set the preceding allocation to a higher process order (lower non-zero value) than the dependent allocation. When allocations with different process orders are executed, the process will wait for the submission to complete before processing the next allocation.

Best practice for process order

In cases where dependent allocations exist, these allocations should be assigned to the same category to make it easier to select the dependent allocations within the run allocations process.

For further information, see Running Allocations.

Note: This may require additional categories to be configured within Manage Allocations. You can also configure categories of allocation to run in parallel. For more information, see the Implementer’s Guide and Running Allocations.

Assigning dependent allocations to the same category allows a user to easily find all the related allocations within Run Allocations by using the group by feature to group allocations by category.

Adding an Allocation

Click Add to add a new allocation.

Note: You can add a new allocation that has similar settings by selecting an existing row and clicking duplicate.

Adding an allocation will step you through the setup of an allocation via a series of forms.

Note: Selecting Cancel at any point during the add allocation wizard will cancel the creation of the allocation and no information will be written to the manage allocations view.

Once you click Add, the Manage Allocations dialog is displayed.

Allocation Properties

1. For each allocation being added, fill in the following fields:

   1. Category: Select a category for the allocation. The category is used to aid in grouping and sorting of allocations in the Manage Allocations app and can be used to configure parallel allocation execution.

   2. Description: Enter a description for the allocation.

   3. Transfer Pricing Method: Select a Transfer Pricing Method that applies to the allocation. This allows you to provide additional information about the allocation.

      Note: Transfer Pricing Method only applies to Longview Transfer Pricing deployments.

   4. Markup %: Enter the markup % for the allocation. This is the percentage by which the source value will be adjusted prior to being allocated. For example, if the source value needs to be increased by 5% prior to being allocated, a value of 5 would be entered for the markup %.

      Note: By default, the markup % is 0.00. Any changes to the markup % is rounded to two decimal places, but this can vary depending on your implementation.

   5. Allocation Type: Select the allocation type:

      • Pattern — Uses the values in the pattern to calculate the pattern ratio.

      • Rate — Assumes the pattern has already been input as a percentage.

      • Direct Charge — Allocates the amount from a single source to a single target without any pattern or rate. The source and target can be leaf symbols or the same parent symbol.

      Note: By default, the allocation types are Pattern, Rate, and Direct Charge, but this can vary depending on your implementation.

   6. Allocation %: Enter the allocation % for the allocation. This is the percentage of the source value that will be allocated to the target. For example, if you only want to allocate 50% of the source value to the target, a value of 50 would be entered for the allocation %.

      Note:

      • Only values greater than zero and less than 100 are allowed for allocation %, but this can vary depending on your implementation.
      • By default, the allocation % is 100.00. Any allocation % entered is rounded to two decimal places, but this can vary depending on your implementation.

   7. Processing Order: Enter a numeric value for processing order to define the order in which the allocations will be processed if multiple allocations are selected to run at the same time. Allocations will be processed in ascending order, ensuring each allocation has been submitted and rolled up before the next allocation is run.

      Note:

      • The process order should only be changed if an allocation is dependent on the results of a preceding allocation. When this is the case set the preceding allocation(s) to a lower number than the dependent allocation(s).
      • By default, the processing order is 0. Any changes to the processing order value must be entered as a whole number (no decimal places) and must be greater than 0, but this can vary depending on your implementation

   8. User Source Offset: Select this option if a source offset will be required for the allocation.

   9. Notes: Enter any additional notes for the allocation. This field is optional.

2. Click OK.

Source data area

1. Select a symbol for each required dimension to define the source intersection of the allocation.

   Note: Dimensions that have been defaulted to a leaf or single symbol (no specifications) will not be displayed in the source data area form. For more information on setting the default symbols for the source data area, see Implementing Allocations.

2. Click OK.

Source data area exceptions

1. Select any exceptions to the source data area. These are any symbols within the source data area that you do not want to allocate.

   Note:

   • Only dimensions for which the source data area symbol is a parent will be displayed on the source data area exceptions form.
   • Source data area exceptions are optional. Multiple symbols can be selected per dimension.
2. Click OK.

Target data area

1. Select a symbol for each required dimension to define the target intersection of the allocation.

   • For Longview Close deployments, the DATAVIEWS dimension for the target data area will include symbols from the CORP_Alloc hierarchy, but this can vary depending on your implementation.
   • For Longview Transfer Pricing deployments, the CONTROLS dimension for the target data area will include symbols from the LTP_Alloc hierarchy, but this can vary depending on your implementation.

   Note: Dimensions that have been defaulted to a leaf or single symbol (no specifications) will not be displayed in the target data area form. For more information on setting the default symbols for the target data area, see Implementing Allocations.

2. Click OK.

Target data area exceptions

1. Select any exceptions to the target data area. These are any symbols within the target data area that you do not want to allocate to.

   Note:

   • Only dimensions for which the target data area symbol is a parent will be displayed on the target data area exceptions form.
   • The target data area exceptions dialog will not be displayed for an allocation of type ‘Rate’ or ‘Direct Charge’.
   • Target data area exceptions are optional. Multiple symbols can be selected per dimension.
2. Click OK.

Pattern data area

1. Select a symbol for each required dimension in the pattern data area. The pattern data area will be used to define how the source will be allocated to the target.

   Note:

   • The pattern data area dialog will not be displayed for an allocation of type ‘Direct Charge’.
   • The pattern data area will default to symbols selected in the source data area, with the exception of the entities symbol which will default to the symbol selected for the target.
   • Any other symbols not selected in the source data area will be defaulted to the default symbols for patterns set in the manage allocations app. For more information on setting the default symbols for the pattern data area, see Implementing Allocations.
   • If the pattern account selected has been defined in the Manage Allocation Patterns app, a prompt will be displayed confirming if the pattern area associated with the selected pattern is to be pre-populated in the pattern area dialog. For more information on pre-defining allocation patterns, see Managing Allocation Patterns.
2. Click OK.

Source data area offset

1. Select a symbol for each required dimension to define the source data area offset for the allocation. The source offset is used to zero out the source value allocated so that allocated values to not change the original consolidated values.

   Note:

   • The source offset data area dialog will not be displayed if the “Use Source Offset” option was not checked. For more information, see Allocation Properties.
   • The source offset data area will default to symbols selected in the source data area, with the exception of the allocation symbol and currency symbol which will default to the symbol selected for the target.
   • Any other symbols not selected in the source data area will be defaulted to the default symbols for source offset set in the manage allocations app. For more information on setting the default symbols for the source offset data area, see Implementing Allocations.
2. Click OK.

Modifying allocation properties

You can change the properties of an existing allocation:

• Activate or deactivate an allocation by checking or un-checking the Active cell.

  Note: Any allocations that have been deactivated will not be available to be run.

• Change the category by selecting a different category value.
• Modify the description by editing the value in the Description cell.
• Modify the markup % by entering a different value in the Markup % cell.
• Change the allocation type by selecting a different allocation type value.
• Modify the allocation % by entering a different value in the Allocation % cell.
• Modify the processing order by entering a different value in the Processing Order cell.
• Change the allocation source symbols by clicking the ... icon in the Allocation Source cell. A form will display allowing you to modify any symbol selections in the source data area.
• Change the allocation source exception symbols by clicking the ... icon in the Allocation Source Exceptions cell. A form will display allowing you to modify any symbol selections in the source data area exceptions.
• Enable or disable the Use Source Offset check box to change whether a source offset is required for the allocation.
• Change the allocation source offset symbols by clicking the ... icon in the Allocation Source Offset cell. A form will display allowing you to modify any symbol selections in the source data area offset.

  Note: This field will be disabled if the Use Source Offset column is not checked.

• Change the allocation target symbols by clicking the ... icon in the Allocation Target cell. A form will display allowing you to modify any symbol selections in the target data area.
• Change the allocation target exception symbols by clicking the ... icon in the Allocation Target Exceptions cell. A form will display allowing you to modify any symbol selections in the target data area exceptions.

  Note: This field will be disabled if the Allocation Type column is set to 'Rate' or 'Direct Charge'.

• Change the allocation pattern symbols by clicking the ... icon in the Allocation Pattern cell. A form will display allowing you to modify any symbol selections in the pattern data area.

  Note: This field will be disabled if the Allocation Type column is set to 'Direct Charge'.

• Change the transfer pricing methodology by selecting a different transfer pricing methodology value.

No changes are applied until you click Submit.

Submitting an allocation

To submit any new allocations or changes to existing allocations, click Submit.

The following validations will be performed on the allocation data areas upon submission:

• Source offset data area cannot be the same as source data area.

  Note: This validation will not apply if Use Source Offset is unchecked.

• Source offset symbol must be the same parent symbol as source or be a leaf symbol.

  Note: This validation will not apply if Use Source Offset is unchecked.

• Source exceptions cannot include the entire source structure.
• Target exceptions cannot include the entire target structure.

  Note: This validation will not apply if the allocation type is set to 'Rate' or ‘Direct Charge’.

• Source exception symbols must exist within the source structure.
• Target exception symbols must exist within the target structure.

  Note: This validation will not apply if the allocation type is set to 'Rate' or 'Direct Charge'.

• Pattern symbol must be the same parent symbol as the target when source and target symbols are not the same.

  Note: This validation will not apply if the allocation type is set to 'Direct Charge'.

• Target symbol must be the same parent symbol as source or be a leaf symbol.

  Note: This validation will not apply if the allocation type is set to 'Pattern' or 'Rate'.

• Target symbol cannot be static

  Note: This validation will not apply if the allocation type is set to 'Pattern' or 'Rate'.

Refreshing the allocations

Click Refresh to refresh the list of allocations.

If there are any unapplied changes, you will be prompted to apply or discard any changes that have not yet been applied.

• Choose Apply Changes to apply any changes made, then refresh the list of allocations.
• Choose Discard Changes to discard any changes made, then refresh the list of allocations.
• Click Cancel to return to the table without refreshing the list of allocations.

Deleting an allocation

Delete an allocation by selecting the row and clicking delete. The allocation is not deleted from the database until you click Submit.

Testing an allocation

You can test an allocation by running the Allocation Proof application. For more information, see Allocation Proof.