1. Administering and Working with Enterprise Profitability and Cost Management
  2. Building and Calculating Models
  3. Creating and Managing Rules
  4. Creating Multiple Rules

Creating Multiple Rules

Use the Rules page to create multiple rules at once. This is useful when you need to create a large number of rules in a rule set. You can create the initial outline of the rules, and then come back later and fill in the details for each rule. This can save you time and help you manage your models more efficiently.

To create multiple rules:

  1. From the Home page, select Modeling, and then Designer.

  2. On the Waterfall Setup tab, click the Model drop-down, and select a model.

  3. Select the rule set to which you want to add the rules.

  4. Click plus icon, and then select Multiple Rules.

  5. On the Rules page, click plus icon to add a new rule, and then enter the following information:

    • Name: Enter a name for the rule.

      For example, the "Occupancy Expense Allocations" rule set in the the BksML50 sample application provided with Enterprise Profitability and Cost Management, contains an allocation rule called "Rent and Utilities Reassignment" .

      Rule names have the same restrictions as the member names in Oracle Essbase. See Naming Restrictions for Dimensions, Members, and Aliases.

    • Rule Type: Select Allocation or Custom Calculation.

      Allocation rules define the source and destination of allocated data, which drivers are used to allocate the data, and where offsets are placed to balance accounts. See About Creating Allocation Rules.

      Custom Calculation rules contain formulas in an Essbase MDX format and are primarily used for adjusting data or creating driver values used in subsequent allocation rules. See About Creating Custom Calculation Rules.

    • Sequence: Enter a number to determine the order in which the rule will run in the rule set. The sequence also determines the order in which the rule is displayed under the rule set on the Waterfall Setup tab.

      The Sequence can be any whole number from 1 to 9999.

      Rules with the same sequence number will run at the same time if parallel calculation is enabled for the parent rule set, and the number specified for Calculation Threads in the Applications Settings. (See "Step 5: Select a Rule Set Calculation Option" in Creating a Rule Set, and "Calculation Threads" in About Managing Application and System Settings.)

    • Enabled: If selected, the rule will be active when the calculation is performed.

    • Use Rule Set Context: If selected, the member selections done when the rule set was created will apply to this rule. If a Model Context has been enabled for the rule set, it will also be applied. See Understanding Model and Rule Set Context.

    • Description: Enter a description for the rule.

      Enter a description that will make the information about the allocation rule informative for anyone reviewing the model logic in the future.

      For example, you could say something like; "Rent and Utility expenses are reassigned from the Corporate cost center to the business function cost centers. A driver based on the square feet of each building used by each cost center is used to apportion the expenses."

      The description you enter here will appear in the Model Documentation report. See Generating a Model Documentation Report.

  6. Add as many rules as desired, and then click Save.

  7. Click OK in the Express Edit Rules Status dialog box to return to the Rule Designer.

After you add rules, they are displayed under the rule set in the Rule Designer. You can then select each individual rule and click Edit Rule button (Edit) to add detailed information about the rule.

Note:

If you reopen the Rules page to add additional rules or to make changes to rule information, you cannot edit the selections for Rule Type or Rule Set Context on previously-created rules.