Month to date

Owned by Helen Gosper
Last updated: Dec 06, 2023 by Denise McGettigan
4 min read

If you have the Month to Date user permission, you can use the Month To Date option to compare data for the current month with the corresponding number of days in a comparison month.

The Month to Date option is available:

  • For defined periods that are based on the Month period type. Typically, Month to Date is used when your period range (both current and previous) is set to a single month. This option is also available if your period range spans several months, however, the range must not exceed 12 months, and the range must not project into the future.

  • In the following circumstances:

The Month to Date option has the following impacts on the grid:

  • When it is turned OFF (default*; checkbox is clear), the data in the current calendar month (Current column) is based on the transactions so far, up to today. Whereas, the data in the corresponding month in the previous year (Previous column) is based on the transactions for the whole of that month. In this case, a like-for-like comparison is difficult.

*Administrators might set the Month to date option to be turned on by default.

  • When it is turned ON (checkbox is selected), the data in the corresponding month in the previous year (Previous column) updates; only the transactions up to the same day of the current month are included. In this case, a like-for-like comparison is easy.

For example, if today is the 7th of the month, the data in the Current column would typically include transactions from the 1st to 6th of the month. In the first image below, the Month To Date option is turned off, so the data in the Previous column is based on the full month of transactions. Whereas, in the second image below, the Month To Date option is turned on, so the data in the Previous column includes only the transactions from the 1st to 6th of the month. The values in the two columns are now more comparable.

Depending on what time your overnight database updates occur, Month To Date might use the day prior to yesterday as its reference point.

Example: Compare data for part of a month 

Use the Month To Date option to compare data for the first few weeks of February with the same part of the month in the previous year. Assume today's date is 16 February 2017. You want a like-for-like comparison with the first 15 days in February last year (2016).

  1. Set your date range to display data from this February and last February: Click Period > Custom, then set the Current Period to start and end in February 2017. The Previous Period automatically changes to start and end in February 2016. Click Apply. 

  2. Click the Customer dimension.

  3. Click Mode > Variance. The grid displays results for the entire month of February 2016, and the first 15 days of February 2017. The image below highlights the disparity in these results.

  4. Click Options > Month To Date.

    The Previous column updates to display data for the first 15 days of February 2016, as illustrated in the image below. These results are much closer in range than in the image above, where Month To Date was not applied.

  5.  (Optional) Save this view as a favorite or dashboard widget.

Troubleshooting: You can’t see the Month to Date option

If you cannot see the Month to Date option in the Options menu:

  • Check with your administrator that you have permission to use this feature.

  • Ensure you are using a period that is based on the Month period type:

    • Administrators can check this via the database’s page > Defined Periods tab in Administration, where the period type is specified in the Type column.

    • Other users can check it themselves, if they have permission to apply custom periods. When the period is applied to the grid, click the Period menu and select Custom. The Custom Period window displays the period type in the top left corner. Click Close to return to your analysis.