Top-to-bottom implementation using TM1

[tm1novice]

Modelling Question :

In Cognos Planning,as its a bottom-up tool, it only allows leaf nodes to contribute for and data gets rolled up to parent nodes. You can not contribute at parent nodes to spread to leaves..

If one wants to implement To-to-bottom implementation, can we design an application in TM1 which allows Top-to-bottom contribution ? Meaning, entering budgeting details at global level, spreading down to country levels ..then to..state and region levels and then to city levels as leaf nodes ?

If yes, can you please let me know where to start ?

Thanks in advance !

[stephen waters]

Modelling Question : If one wants to implement To-to-bottom implementation, can we design an application in TM1 which allows Top-to-bottom contribution ? Meaning, entering budgeting details at global level, spreading down to country levels ..then to..state and region levels and then to city levels as leaf nodes ?

Yes, of course you can! (its TM1, the answer is always yes though sometimes with a but....)
There are 2 Main approaches from a technical viewpoint
1) Data spreading using standard functionality. You enter an amount in a summary level in a hierarchy and then interactively select how that the n level ( ie bottom up) figures are calculated to come back to the number you entered. or apply % uplifts etc.
I think this is similar to the CP breakback functionality though , in TM1, it works only on hierarchies, not rules

2) Set up rule based calculations based on defined methods, eg split a top level sales target to regions based on last years sales, or allocate group staff costs to departments based on headcount. This can be made more sophisticated to provide choice of bases etc

but....
you before diving into technical solutions you need to stand back and work out what you are trying to do from a functional point of view. It could combine both approaches, maybe with ability to adjust\override.

You could also ask whether calculating numbers at lowest level is, required and\or meaningful. Often you have different parts of a budget calculated at different levels, (eg sales at product\customer level, overheads at department level, staff costs at employee level) and it is better to keep them at that level rather than eg trying to artificially allocate all overheads to product\customer.

[tm1novice]

Hi Stephen,

Thanks for the detailed explanation. That really helps.

Can you suggest some threads/links as IBM documentation does not help much on the planning and designing of application.

Thanks in advance !