Time Profiles

Time Profiles are used to align an organization’s financial accounting period with Calendar or Fiscal Years for reporting purposes.

Time Profiles are created under Application > Cube > Time Profiles. Many Time Profiles can be created to support an organization’s financial accounting reporting needs. By default, one Time Profile is provided, called Standard. The Standard Time Profile is configured as a Calendar Month to follow the January – December logic of the Gregorian Calendar. The Standard Time Profile cannot be deleted, and it is recommended not to change its configuration. In cases where part of an organization does not follow the Standard Calendar Year for reporting, a new Time Profile is required for the Fiscal Year reporting needs.

For example, Company A is a manufacturing company that conducts their financial reporting on a Calendar Year basis from January – December. Company A is looking to expand their footprint in the Retail industry, and they purchase retailer Company B. Due to the nature of Company B's sales activities, Company B capitalizes on the heavy sales cycle and increased revenues during the holiday season. Therefore, Company B has a February – January Fiscal Year accounting period. In this example, a new Time Profile would be created to address Company B's February – January Fiscal Year accounting period for their reporting needs.

Anatomy of a Time Profile

The Time Profile consists of multiple sections:

  • Time Profile Toolbar

  • Profile Tab

  • Time Periods Tab

Time Profile Toolbar

The Time Profile Toolbar contains buttons to support Time Profile functions.

  1. Create Time Dimension Profile- Use this button to create a new Time Profile. When a new Time Profile is needed, click on this icon to start the configuration process for a new Time Profile.

  2. Delete Selected Time Dimension Profile - Use this button to delete a selected Time Profile. The intention of this button is to delete a Time Profile that is unused or for Time Profiles that have not been assigned to a Cube. Once the Time Profile is assigned to a Cube and/or data has been loaded into the Cube, the Time Profile cannot be deleted. This button will not be activated if the Standard Time Profile is selected. Since the Standard Time Profile is created by default, it cannot be deleted.

  3. Rename Selected Time Dimension Profile- Use this button to rename a selected Time Profile. If the Time Profile is assigned to a Cube and the Time Profile is renamed, the name change will be reflected in the Cube. This button will not be activated if the Standard Time Profile is selected. Since the Standard Time Profile is created by default, it cannot be renamed.

  4. Cancel All Changes Since Last Save - Use this button when in the process of making changes to an already configured Time Profile and realize that the changes should not apply to the Time Profile.

  5. Save - Use this button after changing any properties in an existing Time Profile.