Spreading, distributing, and assigning values

In addition to fetching values from the model data, you can add your own values in the table. For this, you use the allocations feature of SAP Analytics Cloud, which includes spreading, distributing, and assigning values. Allocation is the process of splitting values derived from source data into multiple values and storing the values in target data. The allocation feature is used in planning and data analysis to gain insights.

The spreading, distribution, and assigning operations are ways of allocating values in a table to one or more target cells. These features can help you quickly book new values and adjust existing values in a plan:

• Spreading: In spreading operations, the value of a source cell is spread across leaf members. Values are taken from a higher level of a hierarchy and spread at a lower level. You can perform spreading automatically or manually.
• Distribution: In distribution, values are changed within a hierarchy by distributing amounts from a source member to leaf members of its siblings. You can move some or all of the values from one cell to other cells at the same hierarchical level or to members of a different branch of the same hierarchy. Unlike spreading, distribution subtracts value from the source cell to add it to the target cells. Leaf members that aggregate up to the source cell are decreased proportionally, and leaf members of the target cells are increased proportionally.
• Assigning: Using the assign feature, you can append or overwrite values to target cells without specifying a source cell. Here, you choose the amount to assign. The values you assign are not deducted from any other cell that occurs when you use spreading or distribution.

Let's see how the values are spread automatically when we specify a new value in a cell that already has some value. Change the first quarter forecast value of the Farlos store from 3,700 to 4,000. The whole hierarchy of this store will be affected by the change. As you can see in the following screenshot, the new value has been spread among the three months based on the values each month was previously assigned. When you specify a value in this manner, the existing weights among items at lower levels in the hierarchy are preserved. For example, the forecast value for the month of January before the amendment was 800, and the contribution of this figure to the total amount was 21.62% (800*100/3700). After the amendment, the same percentage is applied to calculate the new value for this month, that is, (4000 * 21.62% = 864.80).

In addition to spreading values automatically, you can also manually specify weights for members of a specific dimension and level by selecting the source cell and then going to Allocate values () | Spreading from the toolbar.

In the Spreading dialog, you need to specify Target Dimension to spread the chosen value on. In the current scenario, the Date dimension will be set as Target Dimension. Using the icons to the right of this dialog, you can choose the hierarchical level at which you want to spread the chosen value. The Unbooked option allows you to spread to members that do not have values.

There are a couple of methods using which you can spread the values. You can enter numeric weight values, such as simple ratios between the members, or click on the eyedropper icon to copy values from other cells in the story sequentially into the available fields. When you enter values manually, it is the relative weights of the values that are spread, not the values themselves.

This feature is useful when we want to apply the same weighting between members. The Preview column shows the values that will appear in the table after spreading. Once you are satisfied with the statistics in this dialog, click on the Apply Spreading button to spread the values: