Inventory Analysis by Dimensions

Purpose of this document

The purpose of this document is to examine the setup and capabilities of Inventory Analysis by Dimensions in Ceres.

Ceres Object release 6.00.00 is required for the functionality described in this document.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Accessing Inventory Analysis by Dimensions
• The Analysis View
  • General FastTab
  • Filters FastTab
  • Options FastTab
  • Matrix Options FastTab
• Viewing the Matrix

Accessing Inventory Analysis by Dimensions

1. Inventory Analysis Views can be accessed by selecting “Search” from the Dynamics 365 Business Central Banner and entering “Inventory Analysis Views” in “Tell me what you want to do” then selecting “Inventory Analysis Views” from the results in the Go to Reports and Analysis section OR by selecting the “Inventory Analysis Views” menu action (if present) from your Role Center home page.

2. This will open the Analysis View List as shown below. You may define as many views as you wish. On any view you can specify up to 3 dimensions to be analyzed within the view and whether to include budgets for comparison.

3. You may edit and existing view by clicking on Edit Analysis View. To create a new view, click on New. Editing an existing View or creating a new View will launch the Analysis View Card.

4. There are several fields on the Analysis View Card that control the information available in the view. The following sections describe these fields and how they are used.

General FastTab

Code – This field contains a code for the analysis view. The code can reflect the purpose of the analysis view or who will use it.

Name – Use this field to describe the analysis view.

Item Filter – This field contains a filter to specify the items that will be included in an analysis view. By setting filters, you also specify that only entries posted to the filter items will be included when an analysis view is updated. You must use the standard filter expressions.

Location Filter – This field contains a location filter to specify that only entries posted to a particular location are to be included in an analysis view. You must use the standard filter expressions.

Date Compression – This field contains the period that Ceres will combine entries to create a single entry for that period. By using date compression, you specify the level of detail for an analysis view. For example, if you want to analyze item information for an analysis view monthly, you can use date compression to sum all entries in each month and create one single entry for the entire month. This parameter should be set to the smallest size you wish to analyze on a normal basis, otherwise you will use database space unnecessarily. Remember, if you most always need to only look at the analysis on a week basis, this should be set to week, because you can always change it to “Day” if needed and update manually to isolate a one-time potential problem and set the view back after determining the cause of the problem.

Starting Date – This field contains the date from which item ledger entries will be included in an analysis view. All entries posted on or after this date will be compressed to the level you select in the Date Compression field and included in the analysis view. Ceres will compress all item ledger entries posted prior to the date in this field into one entry and give them the date immediately before the starting date. This function can be used for database management to keep views from growing exceptionally large with old data.

Last Date Updated – This field is maintained by Ceres and indicates the day the analysis view was last updated.

Last Entry No. – This field contains the number of the last item ledger entry you posted prior to updating the analysis view. If you have posted item ledger entries since you last updated the analysis view, the analysis view will not include these entries.

Last Budget Entry No. – This field contains the number of the last item budget entry you entered prior to updating the analysis view. If you have entered additional item budget entries since you last updated the analysis view, the analysis view will not be up to date.

Update On Posting – When toggled on, Ceres automatically updates the analysis view every time you post an item ledger entry, for example from an agency invoice. Ceres will only update the analysis view with item ledger entries. To update with item budget entries, you must click Update in the Analysis View Card window or use the Update Analysis View batch job. If you have “Update On Posting” turned on for many views, you will experience a performance when posting daily transactions. To determine the best method of updating analysis views you need to determine how often and when the views are viewed. In general, if you only work with analysis views a few times a month and at month end, it would be best to update the views manually on with the batch job. If users are using the views daily, then it would be best to have the update on posting option turned on. You may determine this on each individual view. Be sure to check the last updated date to determine if manual updating is required before accessing the view.

Blocked – When toggled on indicates that the analysis view is blocked so that it cannot be updated. Neither the Update on Posting function nor the Update Analysis View batch job can be used to update an analysis view while it is blocked.

Dimensions FastTab

Dimension 1, 2 & 3 Code – This field contains one of the three dimensions that you can include in an analysis view. The dimension allows you to filter entries in the Analysis by Dimensions window, which will allow you to investigate and monitor relationships between entries and the dimension information attached to them. The order in which the three analysis view dimensions are entered does not affect their characteristics or the way they are used.

The Analysis View

1. Once the Analysis View has been defined, we can work with the view and begin our analysis. For new views or any view that is updated manually, we can instantly update the view by clicking on Update.

2. If you modify the Analysis, such as add Dimension Codes, etc., a message will display indicating what action will be taken.

3. Clicking on the Yes button will start the process. The time necessary to complete the update will depend on the complexity and volume of data to be analyzed. A progress meter will show the status of the calculation. The “Last Date Updated” will automatically be filled in when the update is done.

4. To view the Analysis View entries, click on Home à Edit Analysis View. Choose how you would like to present the information. You may change the presentation as often as you like without updating the view. For example, you may choose to analyze quantities or weight. You may wish to show the columns as time periods or as a particular dimension. The Invt Analysis by Dim Page is shown here followed by an explanation of the fields.

General FastTab

Analysis View Code: Select the view you wish to use.

Show as Lines: Here you can select the dimensions and dimension values you want to show as lines in the Analysis by Dimensions window. This gives you the ability to see the same dimension information from various perspectives, especially when you use the Show as Lines field together with the Show as Columns field.

You can select the dimension that should be shown as lines from the following:

• Up to three dimensions from the analysis view selected in the Analysis View Code field.
• Item.
• Location.
• Period.

Show as Columns: Here you can select the dimensions and dimension values you want to show as columns in the Analysis by Dimensions window. This gives you the ability to see the same dimension information from various perspectives, especially when you use the Show as Columns field together with the Show as Lines field.

You can select the dimension that should be shown as lines from the following:

• Up to three dimensions from the analysis view selected in the Analysis View Code field.
• Item.
• Location.
• Period.

Show Value As: Click the AssistButton to the right of the field to select the value you want to analyze. This is the metric you wish to measure. You can switch between them to view different metrics within the matrix, but you can only view one at a time:

• Sales Amount.
• Inventory Value.
• Quantity.
• Ext. Gross Weight.

Filters FastTab

Date Filter: In this field, you can set a filter-to-filter amount fields by date. If this field contains starting and ending dates for a period, the values in the quantity and amount fields will display the net change during that period. You can enter a date or a time interval.

Item Filter: In this field, you can set a filter to specify the values that will be shown in an Analysis by Dimensions window. By setting filters, you can define that only entries posted to the specified items will be shown in the matrix window.

Note: The filter you set up in this field will only influence values in the matrix window. If you have chosen Items in the Show as Lines field or in the Show as Columns field, the Item Filter will have no effect on the lines/columns shown – only the values.

Location Filter: In this field, you can set a location filter to specify the values that will be shown in an Analysis by Dimensions window. By setting filters, you can define that only entries posted to the specified location will be shown in the matrix window.

Budget Filter: In this field, you can set a budget filter so that the values in the amount and quantity fields will be based on the selected budgets only. You can enter budget names and you can use the standard filter expressions.

Dimension 1, 2 & 3: In this field, you can set a filter for dimension values within a dimension. The filter uses the dimension you have defined as Dimension 1, 2 or 3 for the Analysis View selected in the Analysis View Code field. If you have not defined a Dimension 1, 2 or 3 for an analysis view, this undefined dimension fields will be disabled.

Options FastTab

Show: In this field, you can select the kind of amounts that Ceres will present in the matrix window Amounts can be presented based on the following:

Actual Amounts - The matrix window will display actual amounts based on Item Analysis View Entry.

Budgeted Amounts - The matrix window will display budgeted amounts based on Item Analysis Budget View Entry.

Variance – The matrix window will display the variance between actual amounts and budgeted amounts. A negative figure means that actual amounts are less than the budgeted amounts.

Variance % - The matrix window will display the variance between actual amounts and budgeted amounts as a percentage. A negative percentage means that actual amounts are less than the budgeted amounts.

Index % - The matrix window will display the variance between actual amounts and budgeted amounts as an index. An index percentage of 100 means that actual amounts are equal to budgeted amounts. An index percentage of over 100 means that actual amounts are greater than budgeted amounts. An index percentage of under 100 means that actual amounts are less than budgeted amounts.

Rounding Factor: Here you can select a rounding factor Ceres will use to round the amounts in the matrix window. For example, if you select 1000, then all amounts will be shown in thousands.

Show Column Name: Here you can select how columns descriptions are displayed. By toggling on, the descriptive name for the field will be displayed instead of the column code.

Show Opposite Sign: Toggle on if you want the matrix data to be shown multiplied times (-1). Sales quantities are normally stored as negative numbers because they deduct from inventory. When analyzing such data, you can reverse the sign and show them as positive numbers by toggling this option on.

Matrix Options FastTab

View By: Here you can select the period to be viewed. Choose from day, week, month, quarter, year and accounting period.

Column Set: This field shows the range that will be viewed. It can only be altered by using the functions “Previous Set and “Next Set” in the page ribbon.

Viewing the Matrix

1. Click Show Matrix to display the data for the option selected.

2. The data will then be displayed in the matrix form.

3. You can drill down to see the supporting transactions for the amounts shown by double-clicking on the amount shown.

4. To view the prior periods or next periods, close the matrix form and then select either Next Set or Previous Set form the Edit – Invt Analysis by Dimensions Form. Click “Show Matrix” again to view the new periods.