Setting Up Drivers

To set up drivers, complete the following steps:

(Optional) Define driver attributes.
Set up drivers.
Set up driver rates.
Specify source model objects for drivers.
Specify target model objects for drivers.

Pages Used to Set Up Drivers

Page Name	Definition Name	Navigation	Usage
Driver Attribute	DRIVER_ATTR_TBL1	select Activity Based Management, then select Setup, then select Drivers, then select Driver Attributes	Define driver attributes to group drivers with similar characteristics.
Driver	DRIVER_TBL1	select Activity Based Management, then select Setup, then select Drivers, then select Driver, then select Driver	Create the driver and define its most important characteristics.
Driver Description Long	DRIVER_TBL5S	Click the Information button on the Driver page.	Enter a long description for the driver.
Driver - Rates	DRIVER_TBL2	select Activity Based Management, then select Setup, then select Drivers, then select Driver, then select Rates	Define the location of the capacity volume and the excess capacity cost object for the model to use and set up driver rates for capacity and frozen rate models.
Driver - Source	DRIVER_TBL3	select Activity Based Management, then select Setup, then select Drivers, then select Driver, then select Source	Specify the source model cost object for the driver.
Driver - Target	DRIVER_TBL4	select Activity Based Management, then select Setup, then select Drivers, then select Driver, then select Target	Specify the target model objects for the driver.

Driver Attribute Page

Use the Driver Attribute page (DRIVER_ATTR_TBL1) to define driver attributes to group drivers with similar characteristics.

Navigation

select Activity Based Management, then select Setup, then select Drivers, then select Driver Attributes

To define driver attributes, enter a description for the attribute.

Driver Page

Use the Driver page (DRIVER_TBL1) to create the driver and define its most important characteristics.

Navigation

select Activity Based Management, then select Setup, then select Drivers, then select Driver, then select Driver

Image: Driver page

This example illustrates the fields and controls on the Driver page. You can find definitions for the fields and controls later on this page.

Driver Quantities Override for this Driver

Select if you defined driver quantities for the driver.

Define quantities for drivers using the Driver Quantities pages. If you define quantities on these pages, the Activity-Based Management engine overrides and does not use the quantities defined in the driver.

Driver Attribute

Select a driver attribute for this driver, if applicable.

Note: This is a report grouping only and has no effect on the calculations. You should have already set up any driver attributes using the Driver Attribute page.

Driver Class

Select a driver class. Values are: Unit, Batch, and Sustain driver. This definition should be the same as the consumption pattern that you defined using the Activities page. Sustain class drivers relate to activities such as administrative functions, customers, and products.

Note: A warning message displays if the consumption pattern does not correspond, but processing is unaffected.

Driver Category

Select the driver category. Values are:

Duration Drivers: Represent an estimate of the amount of time required to perform a given activity.

Intensity Drivers: Let you use a complexity factor for a weighted index approach. Intensity drivers also take into account the complexity of actions; you can use them instead of duration drivers. In such cases, the complexity factor becomes an estimate of time.

Transactional Drivers: Let you specify frozen rates and are based on the occurrence of a particular event. For example, you could categorize a Number of Cases driver as a transactional driver because each case is treated the same—Case 1 is treated the same as Case 100.

Other: Lets you define a driver method category. Click Refresh to activate the Method field.

Note: The first three values automatically assign the Amount driver method and activate the Drivers - Rates page.

Method

Select a method to define the type of driver that you are creating. Values are:

Amount: Specifies a driver based on a quantity of resources or activities consumed.

Note: This is the only method available if you select a driver category of Duration Drivers, Intensity Drivers, or Transactional Drivers.

Direct: Specifies that an object is assigned entirely to another object.

Percentage: Specifies a driver based on the percentage of an object that is consumed. For example, employees might spend 20 percent of their work time performing an activity such as painting a wall, another 40 percent performing a second activity such as installing windows, and the remaining 40 percent performing a third activity such as building stairs.

Residual based on prior alloc (residual based on prior allocation): Specifies that the system allocates any residual cost objects generated by drivers using capacity or frozen rates to the specified target model objects.

Spread Even: Assigns the resource or activity evenly over the targets to which this driver is linked.

Source

Select the source from which costs are derived.

Target

Select the target to which costs are assigned.

Target Definition

Select to specify how the system retrieves and presents the driver quantities. Values are:

Defined: If you select this method, you must enter driver targets using the Target page. Depending on the combination that you select, you may also have to enter actual pointers, budgeted pointers, or both to use a table to define the driver quantities. For example, if you select a spread even method, it is not necessary to define pointers.

Empl Surv (employee survey): Select to create the driver with the Employee Profile feature.

Impl Drv (implicit driver): Select if you use a table to define the driver quantities and use an implicit pointer to point at a particular table.

Rout Info (routing information): Select to automatically create the driver using the Routing engine. You do not need to set up this type of driver.

Driver - Rates Page

Use the Driver - Rates page (DRIVER_TBL2) to define the location of the capacity volume and the excess capacity cost object for the model to use and set up driver rates for capacity and frozen rate models.

Navigation

select Activity Based Management, then select Setup, then select Drivers, then select Driver, then select Rates

Capacity Pointer ID and Rate Pointer ID

Specify either a capacity pointer ID or a rate pointer ID from the Pointer table for duration, intensity, or transactional drivers. If you specify both, the model type that you are running determines which one the system picks up.

View Related Links

Click to add or update pointers.

Residual Object

Select the cost object that contains the excess capacity. This cost object must be attributed to the department dimension.

View Related Links

Click to add or update cost objects.

Duration Capacity

Select to indicate that the source is a fungible object that can be reused for other purposes.

Note: On the Drivers - Target page, you can enter a Complexity Factor representing time weighting of the driver.

Note: If you populate the two rates on this page after running the model, your results contain three rates because the model calculates an actual and budgeted rate (assuming budgeted data exists) by default, and population of this page adds a capacity or frozen rate. You then have an option of running the model for a second time using whichever rate you choose.

Driver - Source Page

Use the Driver - Source page (DRIVER_TBL3) to specify the source model cost object for the driver.

Navigation

select Activity Based Management, then select Setup, then select Drivers, then select Driver, then select Source

Source

Displays the source selected using the Drivers - General page.

Object ID

Depending on the source selected using the Drivers - General page, select the available object ID. Values are: Resource ID, Cost Object ID, or Activity ID.

Note: A driver can be related to more than one source model object, but the source model objects must be of the same type.

Driver - Target Page

Use the Driver - Target page (DRIVER_TBL4) to specify the target model objects for the driver.

Navigation

select Activity Based Management, then select Setup, then select Drivers, then select Driver, then select Target

Image: Driver - Target page

This example illustrates the fields and controls on the Driver - Target page. You can find definitions for the fields and controls later on this page.

Note: The appearance of this page and its fields varies depending on the target definition setting on the Drivers - General page. It is only active if you select a target definition of Defined or Impl Drv (implicit driver).

Target

Displays the target selected using the Drivers - General page.

Object ID

If you specified a Defined target definition using the Drivers - General page, add one or more object IDs—resource ID, cost object ID, or activity ID. For each object ID that you add, you can specify:

Actuals Pointer ID: Identifies the location of actuals information.

Unit of Measure: Specifies the type of measure for the actuals or budgeted pointer. You can also add or update a unit of measure directly from this page by clicking the View Related Links button next to Unit of Measure. This automatically transfers you to the Unit of Measure page (UNITS_TBL1) in add or update mode.

Budgeted Pointer ID: Identifies the location of the budgeted information.

Complexity Factor: Enter a complexity factor for a weighted index approach. If you select Duration Capacity using the Drivers - Rates page, this field displays with a driver category of Duration Drivers or Intensity Drivers. Define the driver category using the Drivers - General page.

In cases where the driver has a Defined target definition, the driver can have multiple target model objects. You must define each target model object as either a resource, activity, or cost object that conforms to the rules governing these assignments.

If you selected Residual based on prior alloc in the Method field on the Drivers - General page, select the object IDs for the target model objects to which the system assigns any residual costs.

Implicit Actuals Pointer ID and Budget Implicit Pointer ID

If you specified a target definition of Implicit Driver using the Drivers - General page, for each target model object that you added, you can select an implicit actuals pointer ID or a budget implicit pointer ID.