Merged cube sheets are a powerful tool in Workday Adaptive Planning that combine data from up to three modeled or cube sheets. They enable advanced calculations, simplify data management, and enhance forecasting. Let’s dive deeper into understanding their purpose, characteristics, and how to build them.

Why Use Merged Cube Sheets?

Merged cube sheets are especially useful for:

• Creating calculated accounts without requiring data presence in the sheet itself. This feature ensures that formulas calculate accurately, even when data is absent in the merged cube’s standard accounts. Usually, a lack of data in the cube’s standard accounts forces formulas to evaluate at zero. Merged cube sheets bypass this rule by using the data presence of the source sheets.
• Building simpler source sheets that focus only on necessary dimensions, then merging them to manage complex data across multiple dimensions efficiently.

Additional benefits include:

• Allocations across dimensions using formulas.
• Serving as calculation identifiers for other cube sheets.
• Chaining merged cubes, where one merged cube acts as a source for another.

*Disclaimer: Using merged cube sheets in these additional ways can increase complexity of your model and may cause unexpected behaviors.

Example of a Merged Cube Sheet

Suppose you need to calculate revenue based on quantity and price across dimensions like customer, region, and product. Instead of managing this in one massive sheet:

1. 1. Create a modeled sheet with the Customer dimension for forecasting total product purchases without breaking it down by product.
2. 2. Create a cube sheet with the Product dimension for forecasting prices and mix by product.
3. 3. Build a merged revenue sheet that combines these two sources to calculate total revenue by multiplying quantities and prices for each customer and product.

Characteristics of Merged Cube Sheets

Merged cube sheets:

• Are read-only with no data entry support.
• Require at least one calculated account. Data entry overrides are not available for this account.
• Only allow account groups, calculated accounts, and metric accounts.
• Can merge up to three source sheets (modeled or cube).
• Contain only dimensions already present in the source sheets.
• Must include any common dimensions across all source sheets.
  • Ex: if both sheets contain the product dimension, the merged cube must also include the product dimension.
• Cannot include cube restrictions.
• Only calculate intersections where data exists in the source sheets.

Steps to Build Cube and Merged Cube Sheets

1. 1. Create Dimensions, Attributes, and Levels you want to add to the sheet.
   • Follow standard procedures for adding these elements to your planning model.
2. 2. Create Source Sheets for Merged Cube Sheets.
   • Source sheets can be either modeled or cube sheets.
3. 3. Start a New Sheet.
   • Select cube sheet and check the box for a merged cube.
4. 4. (For Merged Sheets) Select Source Sheets.
   • Identify the sheets you wish to merge. This is located in the settings under “Dimensions, Attributes and Levels.”
5. 5. (Optional) Create Account Groups.
   • Organize accounts for easier navigation.
6. 6. Create Cube Accounts.
7. 7. Add general ledger and custom accounts to your sheet and ensure they are cube-entered in account settings.
   • You can add general ledger and custom accounts to the cube sheet after you make the accounts cube-entered. In the account settings, for Data Entry Sheet Type, click Cube.
8. 8. Add Dimensions and Attributes.
   • Include necessary custom dimensions and attributes in your sheet.
9. 9. Select Time Periods.
   • By default, all available time periods are included.
10. 10. Add Levels, Accounts, Dimensions, and Attributes.
    • Optionally hide certain cube accounts to simplify the sheet view.
11. 11. (Optional) Adjust Sheet Properties.
    • Set the initial view, remove the cube root account, set the time strata, and manage calculation scope as well as other settings to enhance usability.
12. 12. Assign the Sheet to Users.
    • If the sheet requires user assignment, ensure permissions are correctly set.
13. 13. Load Data into the Sheet.
    • Data can be imported via spreadsheets, integration loaders, or entered directly from the Sheets menu.
14. 14. Monitor Usage and Performance.
    • Regularly review the sheet’s performance to ensure optimal functionality.

Merged cube sheets are a great feature for streamlining complex forecasting models. By combining data from simpler sheets, they improve calculation efficiency and enhance data visibility. Following these steps will help you create effective merged cube sheets tailored to your organization’s planning needs.

Revelwood is more than just a Platinum Workday Adaptive Planning partner — we’re a trusted advisor to the Office of Finance. With 30 years of experience and award-winning expertise, we bring together powerful software, proven best practices and pre-built, ready-to-deploy solutions that accelerate time to value. Our team doesn’t just implement technology — we help finance teams transform the way they plan, analyze and make decisions. Discover how Revelwood can help you get the most out of Workday Adaptive Planning — and achieve results that matter.

Read more Workday Adaptive Planning Tips & Tricks:

Account Modifiers in Formulas

Limiting the Scope of Calculated Accounts

Override Formula Settings on Calculated Accounts