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IBM Planning Analytics Tips & Tricks: PAW Rule Auto Complete Display

June 3, 2025 by Lee Lazarow

There are various ways to use the IBM Planning Analytics Workspace (PAW) rules auto-complete feature to help you create rules in your environment. For example: when referencing a specific element, you can simply type a left bracket and a single quote to see a list of selectable components. You can then click on an element to have it automatically populate into your rule.

When populated, the result will appear as a fully qualified member reference. The phrase “fully qualified” means that three parts will be defined:

Dimension
Hierarchy
Member Name

For example, if I have a hierarchy in the Account dimension called “GAAP_Reporting” then a fully qualified reference to account 100100 will appear as:

[‘Account’:‘GAAP_Account’:‘100100’]

In a situation where no hierarchies are defined, the dimension name will be repeated. For example, the same account with no hierarchies would appear as:

[‘Account’:‘Account’:‘100100’]

In situations where you are not using hierarchies, this may appear redundant … and potentially confusing to new developers. You can change the appearance of the account within your rule by modifying your settings.

If the full expression is not selected, the same account will appear as:

[‘Account’:‘100100’]

Revelwood is an IBM Gold Business Partner with 25+ years of experience designing, developing, implementing and maintaining IBM Planning Analytics environments. Revelwood has helped clients in all sizes across all industries optimize and grow their use of Planning Analytics. Revelwood’s Planning Analytics team consists of experienced PA experts, including a multi-year IBM Champion.

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IBM Planning Analytics Tips & Tricks: PAW Settings – File Upload Action Button

May 27, 2025 by Ivan Cepero

Have you ever written a TurboIntegrator (TI) script that used a manually uploaded file as a source? If so, this requires a two-step process: upload the file and then run the script. As long as you remember to follow both steps, the process will work great. But what if you forget to upload a new file? (insert your own “misremember” joke here!).

IBM Planning Analytics Workspace (PAW) action buttons can resolve this situation for you by using the Allow File Upload setting within the Properties, Configure area.

When this setting is enabled, a File Upload window will appear before the process is run.

By having the button prompt you for a file, it will be easier to ensure that the script is using the data that you need for the process.

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IBM Planning Analytics Tips & Tricks: Search with Descendants

May 13, 2025 by Marc Assenza

The IBM Planning Analytics subset editor includes various options to search a list of elements within a dimension. This includes the ability to search by name and attribute, search by referencing mathematical comparisons or text searches and search by one filter or multiple filters.

But sometime challenges occur with your searches when the element you are looking for does not exist in the current list of available members. For example, a search for “taxes” might not appear if my current list of available members only contains the consolidated element called “Compensation.”

This situation requires users to expand their consolidation elements when looking for specific elements.

Planning Analytics Workspace (PAW) version 101 has introduced a setting to eliminate this challenge, which allows you to define whether you want to search the current set only (the default option) or whether you want to include descendants in your search.

This approach works with both the Available Members search (e.g., the left side) and the Current Set search (e.g., the right side).

By changing the search approach, you no longer need to pre-expand your consolidations when looking for elements within a dimension.

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IBM Planning Analytics Tips & Tricks: PAW – Navigation Approaches Using Action Buttons

April 29, 2025 by Ivan Cepero

Have you ever been in a situation where you created a multi-tab IBM Planning Analytics Workspace (PAW) book that required a combination of inputs, TurboIntegrator (TI) processing, and the viewing of results? If so, you may have created a two-part workbook that included an input sheet with an action button and a separate reporting sheet. While this approach does everything you need, it requires your users to perform two steps to see the full processing results: click the button to run the script and then manually navigate to the resulting report.

PAW version 101 added functionality that eliminates the need to manually perform the navigation. When configuring action button properties, users are now given the option to define when navigation occurs. Users can still navigate immediately upon clicking, but they can also have the navigation occur after a process is completed.

In addition, users can differentiate the navigation approach for a successful process completion vs. a process that completed with an error.

These advanced settings allow you to simplify the user navigation while also offering IF-THEN functionality with a single action button click.

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IBM Planning Analytics Workspace Settings: DIM Editor Page Size

April 15, 2025 by Lee Lazarow

Have you ever edited a large dimension in IBM Planning Analytics Workspace and found that you are forced to repeatedly scroll through a list to see the full dimension? This may be because you are only looking at 200 elements at a time.

Did you know that you can control how many elements initially load when the dimension editor is opened and each time a new page is refreshed? There are two ways to do this. One approach is to manually define the setting within the dimension editor. This is done by clicking on the settings icon and modifying the option for Page size.

The second approach is to always have this value defined. Users with the Administrator, Modeler, or Analyst role can use the Settings editor to define global settings. To modify this setting, click on your username at the top right corner of Planning Analytics Workspace, select the option for Profile and Settings, and then select the option for Settings. The page size definition is found within the Dimension Editor section. After modifying this setting, the value will be set by default within the dimension editor screen. Users can still manually change the option, if preferred.

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IBM Planning Analytics Workspace Settings – Dim Editor Index

April 1, 2025 by Lee Lazarow

Have you ever looked at all elements in a dimension (via the “All” button in Perspectives or any of the prebuilt “All xxx” sets in IBM Planning Analytics) and wondered how the resulting order was defined? This is a result of a behind-the-scenes setting called an Index. Every element is assigned an index. It is used to define the default sorting / appearance of the list.

So how do you see the index number in PAW when editing a dimension? There are two ways to do this. One approach is to manually turn on the option within the dimension editor. This is done by clicking on the settings icon and enabling the option for Element index.

Once enabled, the index number will appear directly to the right of the element.

The second approach is to always have this setting enabled. Users with the Administrator, Modeler, or Analyst role can use the Settings editor to define global settings. To enable this setting, click on your username at the top right corner of Planning Analytics Workspace, select the option for Profile and Settings, and then select the option for Settings. The index definition is found within the Dimension Editor section. After enabling this setting, the Element Index option will be selected by default within the dimension editor screen. Users can still manually deselect the option, if preferred.

By viewing the index, it will be easy to see the order that elements will appear for various default sets.

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IBM Planning Analytics Tips & Tricks: Application Websheet Folders

March 18, 2025 by Lee Lazarow

As you migrate from IBM Planning Analytics’ TM1Web to Planning Analytics Workspace (PAW), you may be asking yourself if you can still create folders to organize your websheets. The answer is yes!

Name change

Planning Analytics no longer refers to the folders as “Applications” since PAW applications have a different meaning. PAW now refers to the folders as “Websheets.”

Where to create and configure the folders

The folder creation and configuration is done with the Planning Analytics for Excel (PAfE) environment by using the same concepts as websheet creation:

Go to the “Open” icon (next to the Publish icon)

Create the new folder

Once created, right-click on the folder to toggle between private and public (note: it will initially be set to private)

This approach will allow you to continue to group your websheets into an easy-to-use arrangement for your end users.

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IBM Planning Analytics Tips & Tricks: Rename Views in PAfE

March 4, 2025 by Lee Lazarow

Have you ever been in a situation where you saved a view and then realized that you want to change the name in IBM Planning Analytics for Excel (PAfE, formerly PAx)? Maybe you had a typo or maybe you referenced a date that has changed.

In the old Perspectives world, there was no way to change the name of an existing view, so you were forced to resave the view with a new name and then delete the original view. Planning Analytics for Excel offers the ability to rename a view without having to perform multiple steps.

Renaming a view in PAfE is as simple as right-clicking on the view!

Once the option is selected, a popup box will appear that allows you to rename the view.

This approach gives you the ability to maintain your environment with a single click, thereby simplifying your overall processes.

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IBM Planning Analytics Tips & Tricks: Excel’s AGGREGATE Function

February 18, 2025 by Ivan Cepero

Excel’s AGGREGATE function lets you manage complex reports and ensure they foot correctly.

For example, suppose you are building a sales report by product and region.

A screenshot of a table

Description automatically generated

Building the Grand Total calculation for a multi-level report like this is error-prone. You would need to use the SUM function and select every individual region while ensuring that no totals were included.

You can use instead use the AGGREGATE function to define all the totals … both the subtotal and the grand total. AGGREGATE can sum (among other things) and you can set the option to ignore other AGGREGATE formulas.

The AGREGATE function requires three parameters:

A function number to define Average, Count, Max, Sum, etc. Function number 9 is sum.
An option to define how to interact with other subtotals, hidden rows, etc. Option 0 ignores other subtotals and aggregate functions.
The range to perform the function.

The image below shows the same report along with the formulas used.

A screenshot of a spreadsheet

Description automatically generated

Notice how the formula in C17 can include all the cells above it. You can now insert rows in any region and not have to update the grand total.

Additionally, you can have AGGREGATE ignore hidden rows. Hide a particular SKU, see the results and unhide the row. Very easy for on the fly what-if scenarios. The ignore hidden rows feature works very well when trying to derive a sum of an Autofiltered list.

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IBM Planning Analytics Tips & Tricks: PAW Rule Auto Complete Display

Read more IBM Planning Analytics Tips & Tricks:

IBM Planning Analytics Tips & Tricks: PAW Settings – File Upload Action Button

Read more IBM Planning Analytics Tips & Tricks:

IBM Planning Analytics Tips & Tricks: Search with Descendants

Read more IBM Planning Analytics Tips & Tricks:

IBM Planning Analytics Tips & Tricks: PAW – Navigation Approaches Using Action Buttons

Read more IBM Planning Analytics Tips & Tricks:

IBM Planning Analytics Workspace Settings: DIM Editor Page Size

Read more IBM Planning Analytics Tips & Tricks:

IBM Planning Analytics Workspace Settings – Dim Editor Index

Read more IBM Planning Analytics Tips & Tricks:

IBM Planning Analytics Tips & Tricks: Application Websheet Folders

Name change

Where to create and configure the folders

Read more IBM Planning Analytics Tips & Tricks:

IBM Planning Analytics Tips & Tricks: Rename Views in PAfE

Read more IBM Planning Analytics Tips & Tricks:

IBM Planning Analytics Tips & Tricks: Excel’s AGGREGATE Function

Read more IBM Planning Analytics Tips & Tricks:

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