Establishing Activities and Activity Groups

This section provides overviews of activities and activity groups, activity relationships, dimension mapping, and the planning center and discusses how to:

Define activities.
Define activity groups.
Assign dimension hierarchies.
Define dimension member options that are used by each activity.
Select dimension members.
Define activity relationships for the activity group.

Pages Used to Establish Activities and Activity Groups

Page Name	Definition Name	Navigation	Usage
Activity	BP_ACTIVITY	select Planning and Budgeting, then select Planning and Budgeting Setup, then select Define Parameters, then select Activity	Define line item, asset, and position activities as well as select the activity dimensions and the planning dimension.
Activity Group	BP_ACTIVITY_GRP	select Planning and Budgeting, then select Planning and Budgeting Setup, then select Define Parameters, then select Activity Groups, then select Activity Group	Define a collection of activities and their relationships to be used by a planning model.
Planning Method Group	BP_MTHD_GROUP	Click the Details link on the Activity Group page.	Review the method group's details.
Hierarchies	BP_ACTV_GRP_HIER	select Planning and Budgeting, then select Planning and Budgeting Setup, then select Define Parameters, then select Activity Groups, then select Hierarchies	Work with the dimensions that are selected in the associated activity.
Dimension Member Mapping	BP_DATA_MAP	Click the Dimension Member Mapping link on the Hierarchies page.	Enter the range of dimension member values that you want to convert for the selected activity group as well as enter the target dimension member to which you are mapping data.
Members	BP_ACTV_DIM_MEM	select Planning and Budgeting, then select Planning and Budgeting Setup, then select Define Parameters, then select Activity Groups, then select Members	Define dimension member options to be used by each activity in the group.
Dimension Member Selection	BP_DIM_MEMSET	Select `Multiple Members` from the Selection Options drop-down list box on the Members page, and then click the Selected Members link.	Select dimension members by tree or value.
Relationships	BP_ACTV_DEPEND	select Planning and Budgeting, then select Planning and Budgeting Setup, then select Define Parameters, then select Activity Groups, then select Relationships	Define activity relationships within the specified activity group.

Understanding Activities and Activity Groups

Activities are user-definable planning components such as revenue, expenses, and balance sheet that, combined with scenarios within a model, form the basic planning unit of work that is known as the activity scenario. Activity groups specify a collection of activities and the dimension setIDs and hierarchies to apply across all dimensions of the activities that are contained therein. They also frame dimension member mappings, dimension member selection, and activity relationships. Activity groups are associated with models. You can share a single activity group across multiple models.

Activity properties include dimensions, activity type, and the planning center dimension. Dimensions are the ChartFields across which you want to budget or plan. Activity type dictates whether the activity facilitates line item, position, or asset planning or budgeting. The planning center dimension is a special dimension that controls how the system slices the plan or budget for preparation (such as by department), and it dictates how the system secures the plan or budget.

If the activity or group is staged, you cannot modify it or its properties or delete attributes (such as the activities in an activity group). You can, however, add new attributes and, if the same entity is needed as a starting point for a new entity, you can copy functionality.

See Dimension Member Selection Page.

Understanding Activity Relationships

Three types of relationships exist: one is workflow-based, and the other two are data relationships. The collection of activities within the activity group, and the relationships defined, are applied to all activity scenario combinations within your planning model. The following paragraphs explain the three activity relationships.

Activities that are defined as Approval Includes represent a workflow relationship between activities. You can define this relationship type only between line item activities and assets, and line item activities and positions, as the related activities. You cannot define an Approval Includes workflow relationship between two line item activities. When you are associating asset and position activity types as related activities to a line item activity, they must also share the same planning center dimension and level. When budget preparers work on these activities, they can submit them only through the parent line-item activity.

An Includes Data From relationship indicates that the related activity contains data that the system includes or aggregates into the corresponding (or parent) activity. The system uses the following three specific methods to extract data from the related activity: POSBUD (from position budgeting), ASSETS (from asset budgeting), and LINEITEM (from line item) methods. Indicating this relationship means that the parent activity contains some of the same dimensions and possibly members of the child (or related) activity that the system can directly insert or aggregate into the parent activity. Activities that are defined with only the Includes Data From relationship do not need to share the same planning center dimension.

You use a References Data From relationship typically in conjunction with the flexible formula (FLEX) method. Note that you define this relationship only between line item activity types. In this case, the system does not insert or aggregate data into a parent activity, so no need exists for the related activities to contain the same dimensions, same members, or both the same dimensions and members. This relationship merely indicates that the system needs the data in the related activity to derive an amount in another activity. This relationship is defined only between line-item activity types.

See Considerations When Creating Activities.

Understanding Dimension Mapping

The system uses the dimension conversion table that you define here during the data staging process. Define dimension member mappings to ensure that the system locates the appropriate data in the staging tables. You can achieve various results, including:

Retaining discontinued dimension members (ChartFields) by mapping them to valid members.
Keeping historical data synchronized with current situations.

Modifications to accounting practices as well as reorganizations often result in changes to an organization's chart of accounts. For example, suppose that your organization reorganized the Administrative Division (DeptID 30310) of the History Department since the last budget cycle. In addition, the Administrative Division merged with the Central Administrative Office (DeptID 31000) of the Liberal Arts School. For the Department dimension, define the From Dimension Member as 30310 and the target or To Dimension Member as 31000. When you map 30310 to 31000, the system transfers historical data that is contained in 30310 to 31000 so that you do not lose the data that is related to the History Department's Administrative Division.

Understanding the Planning Center

Planning centers define the roll up and approval structure for a planning or budgeting development process. You can view a planning center as a cost center that has authority, responsibility, and access to data that is required in developing the plan or budget for specific entities (or activities) that you define in your organization. As you define a planning center, consider what drives the budgeting process within the organization, whether it is department, product, project, or operating unit. You can have only one planning center per activity, and those activities that have an Approval Includes relationship also share the same planning center dimension and tree level.

The dimensions that are available as the planning center depend upon the integration source (established on the Budgeting Installation Options page), and the active dimensions (established on the Dimension Configuration page). Available dimensions can include:

Department
Fund
Operating Unit
Product
Program
Class
Project
ChartField 1
ChartField 2
ChartField 3

Note: You cannot change planning centers after you stage activities in the planning model. This means that before defining planning centers, you should carefully evaluate your organization's business processes around each activity and any required workflow relationships.

Activity Page

Use the Activity page (BP_ACTIVITY) to define line item, asset, and position activities as well as select the activity dimensions and the planning dimension.

Navigation

select Planning and Budgeting, then select Planning and Budgeting Setup, then select Define Parameters, then select Activity

Image: Activity page

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

Planning Center Dimension

Enter the planning center dimension.

The value that you enter appears in the Dimension list with its check box selected; however, you are unable to clear it. If you change the planning center dimension, its previous value appears in the Dimension list with its check box cleared; however, you can select it.

Note: If the activity is staged, the value in this field cannot change.

Activity Type

Select the type of activity to use. Values are Asset, Line Item, and Position.

The activity type determines functionality. That is, data sources are different depending on activity type.

Secondary Security Dimension

Enter the optional secondary dimension that you want to secure for this activity.

Include Balance Sheet Planning

Indicates whether the line item activity supports balance sheet planning. This indicates whether the rules that apply to the starting balance will be used throughout the activity. This option is set by the coordinator. When the activity is staged, this option is disabled.

Note: Do not use the Include Balance Sheet Planning option if you are creating an activity for a Commitment Control budget type.

Export to GL

A Y/N option that indicates whether the budget data is to be exported out of the planning model to the General Ledger database. The extract, transform, and load (ETL) map that exports data from the Planning and Budgeting source table (PS_BP_LEDGER_BDEXP) to the General Ledger target table with the same name, filters for the option (BP_EXPORT_TO_GL='Y'). If the option is set to Y, then the activity data is exported to the General Ledger staging tables and EPM Warehouse. If the option is set to N, then the activity data is exported only to the EPM Warehouse when selected for export on the run control page.

Select

Select to include the associated dimension in the staging and budget development process.

Dimension

Displays available dimensions, which are defined at the model level.

Account is a required dimension that you cannot select as the approval dimension.

After staging, you cannot clear check boxes that are associated with dimensions included in the staging process.

Copy Activity

Click to copy the displayed activity definition so that you can create a new, similar activity.

Activity Group Page

Use the Activity Group page (BP_ACTIVITY_GRP) to define a collection of activities and their relationships to be used by a planning model.

Navigation

select Planning and Budgeting, then select Planning and Budgeting Setup, then select Define Parameters, then select Activity Groups, then select Activity Group

Image: Activity Group page

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

As Of Date

Enter the most appropriate as of date to select the desired dimension members and trees.

Effective-dated dimension members and trees are based on the as of date. Because member and tree selection occurs at the activity group/activity and activity group/dimension levels, activity group must be as of dated so that you can select the correct members and trees. Only those members and tree versions that are active and for which effective dates are prior or equal to the as of date are available for selection.

Activity

Enter the activity that you want to include in the activity group.

You cannot change or remove a group's staged activity. Adding an activity automatically draws in that activity's dimension information and creates, but does not select, activity scenarios in any models that use the activity group. Removing an activity from a group referenced in an unstaged model deletes any activity scenarios in any models that use the activity group.

If an activity group is associated with a staged model, you can add new activities; however, you cannot delete staged activities and their properties (such as method groups, dimension trees, and dimension members).

Description

Click the Create Activity link (if you haven't yet selected an activity for a row) to access the Activity page and define a new activity that the system automatically adds to the activity group.

If you already selected an activity, click its associated link to access the Activity page to search for and display the activity's details.

Method Group

Enter a planning method group for each line item activity.

You cannot enter a method group for position or asset activity types.

Method Group Details

Click the Details link to access the Planning Method Groups page to search for and display the method group's details.

Copy Activity Group

Click to create another activity group based on the current activity group.

For example, to use the same set of activities with the same dimensions and activity dependencies for two models with different dimension hierarchies, click Copy Activity Group, change the hierarchy information, and then select the new activity group in the model.

Hierarchies Page

Use the Hierarchies page (BP_ACTV_GRP_HIER) to work with the dimensions that are selected in the associated activity.

Navigation

select Planning and Budgeting, then select Planning and Budgeting Setup, then select Define Parameters, then select Activity Groups, then select Hierarchies

Image: Hierarchies page

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

Dimension

Displays the dimensions that are selected in the associated activity.

The rows in the Dimensions grid display the union of the dimensions that are selected in each of the activities, including the approval dimension.

Dimension SetID

Enter the desired dimension set identifier that the system uses to filter the trees that you can select as well as to filter the dimensions on the Members page.

The value that you enter overrides normal setID indirection for this page; therefore, verify that the setIDs that you select here by dimension match those that are established for the business units in which you use this activity group. Establish this setID indirection using the TableSet Controls page by selecting select PeopleTools, then select Utilities, then select Administration.

Note: A model validator error occurs if the setID that is associated with a model (for each dimension) using this activity group does not match the dimension setID that is defined on this page.

The source table for a dimension comes from the BP_CF_DEFN system data table. You cannot update this table; however, you can access the Dimension Configuration page within Maintain System Options to display the valid dimensions, but it does not display the source table.

Tree Name (optional)

Enter the tree name that you want.

The system filters the list of available trees by the dimension setID that is specified for the same dimension.

To ensure comparability, each dimension must use the same hierarchy and tree across all activities.

Export to GL

Select to export the specified dimension to the general ledger.

The system automatically exports to the general ledger the account dimension and any dimensions that are used as approval dimensions. Their associated check boxes appear selected and you are unable to clear them.

Map Rules

Click the Dimension Member Mapping link to access the Dimension Member Mapping page and enter the range of dimension member values that you want to convert for the selected activity group as well as enter the target dimension member to which you are mapping data. Your entries are applicable to all scenarios that are associated with the activity. If you are summarizing data, enter a value in the Target Dimension Member field that is the same for both source members. In this case, the system aggregates all data that exists for the specified dimension member.

For example, you could map departments 100 through 200 to 300 by entering 100 in the From Dimension Member field, 200 in the To Dimension Member field, and 300 in the Target Dimension Member field.

Members Page

Use the Members page (BP_ACTV_DIM_MEM) to define dimension member options to be used by each activity in the group.

Navigation

select Planning and Budgeting, then select Planning and Budgeting Setup, then select Define Parameters, then select Activity Groups, then select Members

Image: Members page

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

Dimension

Displays the dimensions that are selected for each activity within the activity group.

Selection Options

Select the member criteria that you want to use to filter the dimension members to the most relevant ones. Values are:

All Members: Indicates that the system automatically includes all members for the dimension for the activity, based on the defined setID. When you define a tree on the Hierarchies page, the system includes all the tree values. However, if you do not define a tree, this value represents all members that are located in the dimension table for the defined setID.

Multiple Members: Displays the Select Members link that opens the Dimension Member Selection page so that you can select members either using a tree or a range.

Single Member: Displays a Value field that enables you to select a single dimension member.

Note: For asset and position activity types, the Account dimension will become All Members by default because the account defaults are set by category under Asset Budgeting Defaults and Position Budgeting Account, respectively.

Selected Members

Click to access the Dimension Member Selection page to select members by tree or value.

For example, in most instances, it may be more relevant for the revenue activity to be associated with a different set of account values than the expense activity; therefore, accessing the Dimension Member Selection page to select the revenue node on the account tree is more reasonable.

Note: This link appears when you select Multiple Members from the Selection Options drop-down list box.

See Dimension Member Selection Page.

Value

Enter the specific dimension member.

Note: This field appears when you select Single Member from the Selection Options drop-down list box.

Dimension Member Selection Page

Use the Dimension Member Selection page (BP_DIM_MEMSET) to select dimension members by tree or value.

Navigation

Select Multiple Members from the Selection Options drop-down list box on the Members page, and then click the Selected Members link.

Image: Dimension Member Selection page (select members by tree)

This example illustrates the fields and controls on the Dimension Member Selection page (select members by tree). You can find definitions for the fields and controls later on this page.

The fields on the page vary based on your selection in the Select Members group box.

See Understanding Dimension Mapping.

Select Members by Tree

Select the By Tree option to view and select dimension members by tree node.

Note: If no tree is associated with the dimension, the By Tree option is unavailable.

Dimension member relationships to one another (for example, node only, node and siblings, node and descendants, descendants, and siblings) are readily apparent. Click a node to add it to the Selected Nodes group box on the right. Click a folder icon to expand or collapse the tree node. The staging process uses selected nodes to select dimension members in the following way:

If the specified tree level for the staged data is the same level as the tree node that is selected here, then the system selects dimension members that correspond to the tree node.
If the specified tree level for the staged data is below the level of the tree node that is selected here, then the system selects dimension members that correspond to the children tree nodes (at the specified level) of the tree node that is selected here.
If the specified tree level for the staged data is above the level of the tree node that is selected here, then the system selects dimension members that correspond to the parent tree nodes (at the specified level) of the tree node that is selected here.

First, Previous, Next, Last, Left, and Right

Click to move between the various tree nodes.

Note: These buttons are available when you select members by tree.

Tree Node

Enter the tree node that you want.

The highlighted node in the tree appears in this field; you can instead type one or select one from a list.

To remove the selected tree node, click Delete.

Note: This field is available when you select members by tree.

Select Members by Value

Select the By Value option to enter one or more dimension value ranges for the staging process to use in selecting dimension members for inclusion in the budget or plan.

Ranges that are entered here are alphanumeric, so the system includes any members with a value that is greater than or equal to the from value and less than or equal to the to value.

From Member and To Member

Enter the beginning and ending range of the dimension members that you want to select.

Note: These fields are available when you select members by value. The system filters these values according to the dimension setID that is specified on the Hierarchy page for the dimension.

Relationships Page

Use the Relationships page (BP_ACTV_DEPEND) to define activity relationships within the specified activity group.

Navigation

select Planning and Budgeting, then select Planning and Budgeting Setup, then select Define Parameters, then select Activity Groups, then select Relationships

Image: Relationships page

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

Activity

Select the line item activity to which you want to establish a relationship.

You may refer to this activity as the parent activity, and regard the related activities as children activities. The activity cannot be a position or asset type activity, because these can only be related activities.

If the activity is staged in any model, you cannot change or remove relationships. You can, however, add new relationships, which triggers changes in the models that use the activity by automatically selecting activity scenarios involving the related activities. You may need to run a model recalculation to populate interface tables between activities with new relationships.

Includes Data From

Select to include data from another activity.

In addition to integrating position and asset budgets into a line item budget as special lines in the line item budget that are associated with POSBUD and ASSET method IDs respectively, line item budgets can also feed into other line item budgets that are associated with a LINEITEM method ID to indicate that the system copied the line from a different activity. The system pulls plan or budget amounts from the child activity into the parent activity during the staging process as separate line items if the child activity dimension members correspond to the parent activity's dimension members, and the parent activity uses LINEITEM method.

References Data From

Select to reference data from another source.

You can refer to data from different line item activities as flexible formula sources in a flexible formula expression; however, the source activity data must be stored in an interface table so that Analytical Calculation Engine (ACE) can reference it when it determines that the source is coming from a separate activity. Establishing this type of relationship ensures the availability of this data in the interface for use in flexible formulas.

Approval Includes

Select to let the target (parent) activity control the workflow and working versions of the source (child) activities.

The child activity cannot submit, reject, or copy versions, because the versions of the parent and children activities must match up with each other. Creating a new working version in the parent creates a working version in the child activity. A child can have only one parent activity controlling its workflow.

Related Activity

Select an activity that may be considered the child activity in the relationship.

Click to access the dynamically generated Activity Dependency page, which describes the defined relationships and their impact on the model.