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Flexible Variance mode has similar features and functionality to the other modes. This page provides links to related documentation pages, but please keep in mind that there might be some differences there. Where there are significant differences, we’ve created new pages to document them (tagged with Flexible Variance mode).

While Flexible Variance mode might look slightly different from the other modes at first glance, its basic layout is the same: the toolbar along the top, dimensions on the left, and the grid in the center. It has many of the features you're familiar with in the other Analytics modes, along with some of its own.

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1. Toolbar

The toolbar at the top has menus you use to change your view of the data, as well as some function buttons.

Menus

  • Mode: This standard menu allows you to change the mode, which is a pre-defined view of data that displays particular columns in the grid. Currently, Other modes is the only option in the menu, and it takes you back to the previous mode you were on.

  • Properties: This standard menu allows you to change the properties (information stored about a dimension) displayed in the grid.

  • Stream: This standard menu allows you to change the stream (series of data in the underlying database) displayed in the grid.

  • Measure: This standard menu allows you to change the measures (numerical data) displayed in the grid.

  • Period 1, Period 2, and Period (breakdown): Similar to the standard menu that allows you to change the period (timeframe) that applies to the data in the grid, these menus are the foundation of Flexible Variance mode. Firstly, select any two periods to compare and calculate the variance in the grid. You are note restricted to a current and previous period. Then select one of those periods (or another period) to add the applicable period columns to the grid , breaking and get a break down the data for detailed analysis and get see if it’s trending in the right direction.

  • Sparklines:Sparklines display the data in the breakdown period columns in graphical format, letting you see trends over the period. For example, a sharp decrease in the sparkline might signal a drop in sales, something worth investigating. Sparklines are available for these repeated columns, as they have the same structure (stream, measure, and period). If you don't want to see the sparklines, click Sparklines > Off to remove that column from the grid.

Function buttons

  • Undo and redo: Undo and redo actions related to calculation columns you added. For example, if you delete a calculation column, you can undo that action. Similarly you can undo and redo changes you make to its formula.

  • Chart view: Click the Chart button to switch from the default grid view to the chart view, where you can visualize your data in a chart.

2. Filter and focus tools

The filter box above the grid is unique to Flexible Variance mode. This is where you perform a quick keyword filter, or access the Focus and Advanced filter features.

  • Filter box: Enter a search term to quickly filter the grid.

  • Advanced filter: Click the Advanced filter button to view chips for any focusing or filtering you have done on the grid. This feature is still in development. Soon you'll be able to perform more advanced filtering based on a condition and using groups.

  • Focus: The Focus tool displays a subset of your data in the grid. While the Focus button looks different from the other modes and is in a slightly different location, it works similarly. Select one or more rows in the grid and click Focus to filter out all the other data. Your filter displays as a chip on the right side of the filter box.

See Filter and focus data.

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See Filter data in Flexible Variance mode.

3. Dimensions and nest

feature

view

The left panel displays the list of dimensions, as in other modes. However, however, there are two additional features:

Filter dimensions:

. The filter above the dimension list lets you quickly find a particular dimension, which is useful when there are many in the list.

Start typing the name of a dimension you're interested in, and the list is instantly filtered to show only the dimensions containing those letters.image-20240812-215734.pngImage RemovedNest view:

The Nest view feature sits right above the dimensions, making it easy to drag and drop at least two dimensions into the box to get a nested grid view (with levels you can expand and collapse)

. You can change the order in which the dimensions are displayed and remove dimensions as required. The Nest view box and its contents behave just like any other dimension, so you can quickly switch between a dimension view or the nest view. InfoThis feature is similar to the Nest feature in the other modes but it’s in a different location and behaves slightly differently, as you don’t select the base level dimension before adding the levels

.

See Add levels to the grid in Flexible Variance mode.

4. Grid and formula bar

The grid contains the following elements:

Columns

  • Code and Name: These property columns display the Code and Name of the entities in the selected dimension. You can add other properties as required using the Properties menu. For example, if you select the Customer dimension, you might want to add the Country and Region properties to see more details about each customer.

  • Comparison group:This column group displays data (selected stream and measure) for the periods selected in the Period 1 and Period 2 menus. This data comes from your ERP. From this data, the variance is calculated:

    • Variance (Period 1 - Period 2): This is a calculated calculation column showing the results of the variance calculation .

    • % Variance ((Period 1 - Period 2) / Previous) *100): This is a calculated calculation column showing the results of the variance percentage calculation.

  • Breakdown group: This column group displays data (selected stream and measure) for the period selected in the Period (breakdown) menu. For example, if you select the Last three months, you’ll see three columns, one for each of the three preceding months. The Sparkline column displays a summary of that data in graphical format.

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Tip

You can add

columns to the grid, as outlined below

take some actions with these columns and add your own custom columns. See Manage columns in Flexible Variance mode.

fx (formula) bar

The fx bar directly above the grid makes it easy to identify and understand the formulas used to calculate the values in the grid. When values in a column are based on a formula, the column header has a grey fx icon. Click any cell in that column to view the underlying formula in the fx bar. The formulas include a description of the referenced columns rather than just a reference to a cell number or coordinate, so you can easily see how the values are calculated.

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If you add a calculated calculation column, the fx bar changes to edit mode and you can enter your own formulas, either from scratch or using a range of inbuilt functions. Learn how to add custom columns and /wiki/spaces/userdoc/pages/3304096786.

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Right-click filter

Some columns in the grid have a context menu that displays when you right-click a cell in the column. This is a handy way to do an advanced filter based on a condition directly from the grid. See Filter data in Flexible Variance mode.

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