Scenarios

The summary panel displays important information such as fiscal year and create date. It also displays total revenue and total expense amounts.

Note: The total expense amount displays the total for all expenses associated with an account. The amount doesn't update specifically for the scenario. It also doesn't changed if you apply filters in the action bar or if you have limited permissions to accounts, projects, and grants.

• To add a note for the scenario, select Add note. For example, you may want to add a note for other users to review such as "Numbers expected to change."

  Tip: In the database view, these notes are called annotations.

• To enter a note for a row, select Note (this appears when you hover over the row's column). In the field that appears, enter your note. When you're done, select Save and then select Close. For example, you may want to specify that an amount in a row excludes an unforeseen expense.

To upload or link to files you want attached to the scenario, such as images, PDFs, Word documents, or Excel spreadsheets, select Attach file. For more information about attachments, see Attachments.

To quickly view totals and distributions for an account, project, or grant (or a combination that uses two of them) you can apply groups in the scenario list.

• One group — To group the list based on account, project, or grant, access and open the scenario from the list of budgets. On the action bar, select Group by, and then select how to group the list in the drop down field.

  After you save, the list displays one row for each group based on your selection. For example, when you group by account, one row appears for each account in the list and scenario totals calculate automatically for your review. You can also select the drop down in the row to view distributions for the account.

• Two groups — Under Then by, select Add another grouping to add a secondary group. After you save, the list displays one row for each primary group that is associated with the same secondary group. For example, one row appears for account 01-1000-05 that uses project 0310 for distributions. A second row appears for account 01-1000-05 that uses project 0330 for other distributions. Each row calculates totals automatically and includes a drop down to view the applicable distributions.

• Three groups — To add a third group in the list, select the last Add another grouping. After you save, the list displays one row for each primary group that is associated with the same second and third groups. Using the above example, one row appears for account 01-1000-05 that uses project 0310 and grant 2000_02 for distributions. Additional rows appear for account 01-1000-05 when using a different project or grant.

To edit a scenario, access and open the scenario from the list of budgets. For more information, see Edit Scenario.

To display list data that is most valuable to you and your daily workflow, select More, View options (or View options) on the action bar.

• Spacing — By default, the data in a scenario list uses the same standard font size and row spacing as other lists in Financial Edge NXT. To reduce font size and minimize row space, select Compact. After you save the options, the compact view displays additional data in the list to help reduce the need to scroll.

• Display — These options default column dates, decimals for amounts, and column totals in the list. To view more scenario data and reduce the need to scroll, clear the checkbox for Dates in column header, Decimals, or Column totals in footer.

  Note: If you do not display decimals, be aware totals may skew slightly due to values that round up or down.

To export the list to an Excel .XLSX file, select Export on the action bar. To create a custom export, use the column chooser and filter options to specify the exact data you need. The export will include data from every page that appears in the list.

To copy a scenario, you can export the data to Excel and use the Budget Creator Excel add-in to update data for the new scenario. When you do this, we recommend including the Account description and Project description columns to decrease time spent selecting this data in Excel for the new scenario. After you submit the scenario, you can open it in the web view. You can also do this to replace an existing scenario with a new one.

Tip: To avoid duplication, make sure you delete the original scenario in the web view.

To mark a scenario inactive, select More, Mark as inactive on the action bar. For example, you can create department scenarios with the intention of merging them with your master budget. After you complete the merge, mark the department scenarios inactive.

Tip: You cannot edit or adjust scenarios marked as inactive.

To copy and forecast from an existing scenario, select More, Copy and forecast from a budget's action bar.

When you add a budget scenario, you can copy budgeted or actual amounts from one fiscal year to another. When you copy current year actual figures, you can project actual figures for the remainder of the year. This helps create the budget for the next fiscal year based on current year activity (prior to the end of the current year).

Tip: It's helpful to add projects and grants that were not originally included in the budget, but have activity for corresponding accounts.

To increase or decrease account, project, or grant budgets, select Increase or Decrease (respectively) on the action bar. These options offer flexibility and allow for a more efficient budgeting process as changes arise. For example, you may find it helpful to copy and update a budget scenario, then compare it to the original.

When increasing or decreasing, you’ll specify account, project, or grant, and whether your changes apply to the total budget or specific periods within the budget. Enter amounts or percentages and add filters, such as funds or account codes, to narrow the updates.

Tip: To increase or decrease a finalized budget, you must make an adjustment. For more info, see Edit Scenario.

To finalize a scenario when it is complete, select More, Finalize on the action bar.

Tip: To make changes to a finalized scenario, make an adjustment. For more info, see Edit Scenario.

To delete a scenario, select More, Delete on the action bar.

Tip: You must have the appropriate security permissions to delete a scenario. You also cannot delete a finalized scenario.

As you review scenario list details, make sure to remember this information for clarification purposes.

• To sort the data in the list, select the column header you prefer to sort by. For example, select the Total budget column header.

• To minimize the data you view in the list, select Filter on the action bar. For more information, see Scenario Filters.

• If a transaction code is assigned to a grant in the database view, the grant is linked in the list and opens in the web view.

• When an account view total is greater than the budget total in the database view, a row appears in the list to display the undistributed amount for the account. After the amount is distributed evenly in the database view, the row no longer appears in the list.

• The Total revenue and Total expense rows appear in the footer to calculate scenario amounts for each column.

  Tip: If the Total expense row does not appear, make sure it's selected to display from View options, Column totals in footer. Also, if revenue or expenses do not exist for the scenario, its corresponding row does not appear.