Using Memo Accounts

Memo Accounts calculate and store data for formulas other accounts. There are 20 memo accounts in Strategic Finance—(300.00.000, 305.00.000... 395.00.000). You assign relationships between Memo Accounts and other accounts as needed—they initially have no account relationships.

For example, you could use two Memo Accounts to model annual sales based on a price vs. quantity relationship. You enter the price of the item in one Memo Account, and the quantity sold in the second. To see the result of this relationship, you create a Freeform Formula in the Sales Account (v1000) multiplying the two Memo Accounts.

Each of the 20 Memo Accounts can be subaccounted 999 times, for a total of 19,980 possible Memo Accounts containing additional account detail necessary to complete your analysis.

Memo Accounts and their subaccounts both enable:

You can turn the display of Memo Accounts on and off from Account Input Status. Memo accounts are not used in calculations on financial statements unless you reference them in a forecast method or historical formula.

  To use Memo Accounts:

  1. Select Accounts then User Defined Accounts.

  2. In Select Account, select Memo.

  3. Under the Select Account options, select an account.

    To add Memo Accounts or change their names, do so from the Accounts Spreadsheet or Subaccounts dialog.

  4. Under Value is, specify how you enter data values:

    • Input in history and forecast in the future. Default

    • Calculated by formula in all periods. If you select this option, you must input a formula into the Formula box.

  5. Specify the Calculate aggregate period value as option:

    • Last interim period value (i.e., Balance Sheet)

    • Sum of interim periods (i.e., Income Statement)

    • Weighted average based on the financial account you select from the account drop-down list. (i.e., discount rate)

    • None applies the formula in aggregate periods. (i.e., ratios)

      Note:

      These rules also apply to the calculation of dimensional parents.

  6. Select the Output Type:

    • Currency

    • Items

    • Percent

    • Ratio

      Note:

      If you select Calculated by formula, all Output Types are available. If you select Input in history, the Output Types are limited to Currency and Items.

  7. Optional: If the Output Type is Currency or Items, the account output values can be shown in a denomination other than the Default Currency Units.

    You override the default setting by selecting an Output Units option:

    • Ones

    • Tens

    • Thousands

    • Millions

    • Billions

    • Trillions

  8. Click OK.