Spreadkeys
The objective of time spreadkeys is to allocate revenues and cost over time in input forms. For example, if the end-user enters 10,000 in an input summary column for the total period (spread value SPVAL), the whole year, full quarter, etc., Bizview can then allocate this total amount over the underlying periods using a time spreadkey that the end-user selects for that specific row.
This topic contains the following sections:
Create a Spreadkey
Create a new Spreadkey by clicking on the + icon to the right of the Search field in Client Data. Or, by clicking on the + icon in Spreadkey Settings in the right panel.
A Create New Object dialog displays. Enter the ID, description, and Time Unit. Click Create.
The Spreadkey will be created and you can add time values and weights in the grid, as well as additional Settings in the Right panel.
Weights
A time spreadkey can use two type of data as the base for the allocation:
Manually entered weights registered in association with the spreadkey.
"Dynamic" weights calculated based on other columns in the input form (e.g. Last Year LY).
Manual Weights
The manual method is easy to use and understand. In the below example there are three time spread-keys, Even, S1, and S2, that all allocate according to wights for ISOMONTH. Any row in any input form that uses these time spreadkeys will get the related total amount allocated to ISOMONTH according to the "weights" defined in the system. The base for the allocation is stored within the Bizview application database in a table and retrieved to the input form when needed.
The formula used by Bizview to allocate according to these weights: Individual period cell value = Spread value * (Per Weight / Sum Weight)
Dynamic Weights
The "Dynamic" method is smarter, but a bit more complex to understand. If, for example, you want each account in a result budget to be allocated over the next year periods, based on the actual cost allocation this last year, you can use a dynamic spread key. The data used to calculate the individual period weights are not stored in the database. Instead, these columns need to be available in the input form as extra, or help value columns. The columns that should be used for calculating the spread weights are then linked using the same Spread group (SPGROUP).
In the above example, we have SPGROUP 'SP1' defined for columns Jan - March year 2017 (actuals from last year). The same SPGROUP is used in our SPVAL, SPKEY and Jan - Mar 2018 budgeting columns. We have entered the same total as actuals for last year, just to visualize that the individual periods Jan - Mar will get the same amount (calculated weight).
Note: In HTML, a spreadkey cannot be deleted. Instead, the user should make the value inactive.
The spreadkeys themselves are not used directly in the template design when designing input forms. To enable the end-user to work with them, you need to set them up first. This functionality, however, is very much related to the SPKEY and SPVAL columns and the SPGROUP row parameters when working with form design.