By default, Essbase bases the calculation of a parent of the time dimension on the consolidation properties and formulas of the children of the parent. For example, in the Year dimension, the Qtr1 member is, by default, the sum of the children January, February, and March. If, instead of a sum, you need a beginning, an ending, or an average value for a time period, you can select the appropriate time balance property for the appropriate member of the accounts dimension. When you set a time balance property on a member of the accounts dimension, the property affects how the accounts member is calculated across the time dimension.
For example, if you want Opening Inventory for Qtr1 to reflect the beginning inventory value for Qtr1, set a time balance property of first on the accounts member Opening Inventory. When Opening Inventory is calculated across the Year dimension, Qtr1 becomes equal to Jan (the first child in the Qtr1 hierarchy).