Creating a Period Comparison

You can use the ProDiver Period Comparison wizard to create tabular columns that contain calculated differences between time periods. To create period comparison columns:

  1. Open a cBase or model that contains one or more time dimensions.

  2. Do one of the following:

    • On the menu bar, select Data > Period Comparison.

    • On the toolbar, click the Period Comparison icon Period comparison icon..

    The Select Time Dimension Closeddialog box opens. This is the first step in the Period Comparison wizard.

    Select Time Dimension dialog box.

  3. Select a Time Dimension from the list, and then click Next.

    NOTE: The items in the list are dimensions that have been Closedformatted as a Date or Period in the cBase or model.

    Dimension format settings.

    The Define Periods Closeddialog box opens.

     

  4. Select a Period Comparison Type.

    NOTE: When you use a to-date time comparison type and the current date is not at the end of the time period, the earlier time period used for comparison is adjusted to a similar amount of time. For example, if you are using the ClosedQTD vs Last QTD template, and are in the 7th week of the 2nd quarter, the time series compares this QTD with the first 7 weeks of the Last QTD.

    • Custom: User-defined Current Period and Previous Period ranges. Start and End times are defined in the boxes below.
    • Custom vs Last Year: User-defined Current Period data compared with data from the same time period last year. Current Period Start and End times are defined in the boxes beneath this option.
    • Current Date vs Prior Date: Current date data compared with the day before's data.
    • Current Date vs Last Year: Current date data compared with data from the same date last year.
    • YTD vs Last YTD: Year-to-date data compared with last-year-to-date data.
    • HYTD vs Last HYTD: Half-year-to-date data compared with last-half-year-to-date data. For example, January–June 2019 vs July–December 2018.
    • HYTD vs Same HYTD Last Year: Half-year-to-date data compared with the same half-year-to-date last year data. For example, January–June 2019 vs January–June 2018.
    • QTD vs Last QTD: Quarter-to-date data compared with last-quarter-to-date data. For example, Q2 2019 vs Q1 2019.
    • QTD vs Same QTD Last Year: Quarter-to-date data compared with the same quarter-to-date last year data. For example, January–March 2019 vs January–March 2018.
    • MTD vs Last MTD: Month-to-date data compared with the last month-to-date data. For example, June 2016 vs May 2016.
    • MTD vs Same MTD Last Year: Month-to-date data compared with the same month-to-date last year data. For example, January 2019 vs January 2018.

  5. Click Next.

    The Select Data Columns Closeddialog box opens.

    Select Data Columns dialog box.

  6. Below the Available box, select Data Columns.

    A list of available dimensions appears in the Available box.

  7. Select the dimensions to which you want to apply the period comparison, and move them to the Selected box.

  8. Below the Available box, select DimCounts.

    A list of available dimensions appears in the Available box.

  9. Select the dimensions to which you want to apply the period comparison, and move them to the Selected box.

  10. In the Period Comparison Columns section, verify the check box selections, and clear any column type that you do not want to appear on the dive window.

    NOTE: In the dive window, the Difference column is labeled Delta, and the Percent Difference column is labeled % Change.

  11. Click Finish.

    Period comparison columns appear in the Closeddive window and Period Comparison information appears in the Console.

    ProDiver window.