Revelwood

Your SUPER-powered WP Engine Site

IBM Planning Analytics for Excel

IBM Planning Analytics Tips & Tricks: Excel Substitute Function

by

Are you familiar with the SUBSTITUTE function in Excel? The SUBSTITUTE function in Excel replaces one value with another. This is similar to the REPLACE function, but SUBSTITUTE provides more flexibility.

The syntax of the SUBSTITUTE function is:

=SUBSTITUTE(text,old_text,new_text,instance_num)

  • Text: This is the text to be evaluated and changed
  • Old_text: This is the subtext to be replaced.
  • New_text: This will be used as the replacement.
  • Instance_num (optional): This defines which occurrence of old_text to replace.  If this value is blank then all occurrences of old_text will be replaced.

Here are two examples of the substitute function:

Example 1:

This formula removes the second dash from the account string.

Graphical user interface, application Description automatically generated

Example 2:

To count the number of dashes in a cell, this formula subtracts the length of the cell without dashes from the original length of the cell.

Graphical user interface, application Description automatically generated

IBM Planning Analytics, which TM1 is the engine for, is full of new features and functionality. Not sure where to start? Our team here at Revelwood can help. Contact us for more information at info@revelwood.com. And stay tuned for more Planning Analytics Tips & Tricks weekly in our Knowledge Center and in upcoming newsletters!

Read more IBM Planning Analytics Tips & Tricks:

IBM Planning Analytics Tips & Tricks: Planning Analytics Workspace (PAW) Process Error Logs

IBM Planning Analytics Tips & Tricks: Adding Images to Charts

IBM Planning Analytics Tips & Tricks: Popular Video Tips, Part 3

Home » IBM Planning Analytics for Excel

IBM Planning Analytics Tips and Tricks: Trusting the Directory where the Planning Analytics for Excel xll file resides

by

Have you ever received a notification from Excel stating that it was having an issue trusting the Planning Analytics for Excel (PAfe) Add-In?  If so, you are not alone! 

From time to time, it seems Excel needs to be reminded that the .xll file is a trusted file. To do this you will need to take the following steps:

Open Microsoft Excel and click on File, Options.

When the next screen appears, select “Trust Center” on the left-hand side pane and then “Trust Center Settings” on the right-hand side.

A screenshot of a computer Description automatically generated with medium confidence

Next, click on the link that reads “Trusted Locations.”

A screenshot of a computer error message Description automatically generated with low confidence

On the bottom right of the screen, click the button that says “Add new location.”

A yellow box with black text Description automatically generated with low confidence

Browse to the drive and folder where your PAX xll file is located and define this as your path. Within the same window, also click the checkbox that allows subfolders to also be trusted.

A screenshot of a computer error message Description automatically generated with medium confidence

Once complete, your Planning Analytics for Excel .xll file will be trusted. 

IBM Planning Analytics, which TM1 is the engine for, is full of new features and functionality. Not sure where to start? Our team here at Revelwood can help. Contact us for more information at info@revelwood.com. And stay tuned for more Planning Analytics Tips & Tricks weekly in our Knowledge Center and in upcoming newsletters!

Read more IBM Planning Analytics Tips & Tricks:

IBM Planning Analytics Tips & Tricks: Planning Analytics Workspace (PAW) Process Error Logs

IBM Planning Analytics Tips & Tricks: Adding Images to Charts

IBM Planning Analytics Tips & Tricks: Popular Video Tips, Part 3

Home » IBM Planning Analytics for Excel

IBM Planning Analytics Tips & Tricks: DefineCalc

by

IBM Planning Analytics for Excel (PAx) version 80 introduced a new function called “DefineCalc.” This function allows a user to create a custom calculation using TM1/Planning Analytics data via the use of MDX.

There are a series of parameters, and the key ones are:

  • sDataSource – The connection URL used when adding your connection to Pax.  You can enter “*”if you would like the calculation to apply to all data sources.
IBM Planning Analytics Tips: DefineCalc
  • sServerName = Your TM1/PA server name.  You can enter “*” if you would like the calculation to apply to all servers.
  • sCalcMUN = The name for the calculation.  This will be referenced in your DBRW formulas.
  • sExpression = The MDX expression being used for the calculation (note: if you would like to remove a custom calculation then set this variable to be blank).

One use case for this function is to grab the total value of a subset. In the example below, we have a report that uses a subset called “DefineCalc Example”:

IBM Planning Analytics Tips & Tricks: DefineCalc
IBM Planning Analytics Tricks: DefineCalc

The following DefineCalc formula was used to create a total:

IBM Planning Analytics Tips & Tricks: DefineCalc

Now, let’s break this apart by each parameter:

  • sDataSource – “*”
    • This will apply to all data sources (if multiple)
  • sServerName = “*”
    • This will apply to all TM1/PA servers (if multiple)
  • sCalcMUN = “[bpmAccount].[Example 1]”
    • This first half of this value defines the bpmAccount dimension
    • The second half of this value consists of a unique name within the bpmAccount dimension
  • sExpression = “AGGREGATE(TM1SubsetToSet([bpmAccount],’DefineCalc Example’))”
    • This is an MDX expression that will give the total of the “DefineCalc Example” subset within the bpmAccount dimension

The result of this formula is populated in the cell as “Example 1.”

IBM Planning Analytics Tips & Tricks: DefineCalc

We can now reference “Example 1” within the DBRW formula as an element in the bpmAccount dimension.

IBM Planning Analytics Tips & Tricks: DefineCalc

The =Sum formula of the three data rows matches the DBRW that references the DefineCalc function.

IBM Planning Analytics Tips & Tricks: DefineCalc

This shows one common use case for the new DefineCalc function, but the use MDX allows for countless other applications!

IBM Planning Analytics, which TM1 is the engine for, is full of new features and functionality. Not sure where to start? Our team here at Revelwood can help. Contact us for more information at info@revelwood.com. And stay tuned for more Planning Analytics Tips & Tricks weekly in our Knowledge Center and in upcoming newsletters!

Read more IBM Planning Analytics Tips & Tricks:

IBM Planning Analytics Tips & Tricks: MDX Syntax Explained

IBM Planning Analytics Tips & Tricks: Dynamic Subsets Based on a Cube

IBM Planning Analytics Tips & Tricks: TM1Ellist

Home » IBM Planning Analytics for Excel