What are Cube Sheets in Workday Adaptive Planning?
Cube Sheets are one of the three core sheet types used in Adaptive planning (alongside standard and modelled cube sheets). They are typically used for planning against multi-dimensional intersections of data. They function similarly to pivot tables in Excel – allowing users to choose, nest, input and filter dimensions for flexible data exploration. Workday adaptive planning cube sheets provide a powerful tool for financial forecasting and reporting. Let’s take a look at what cube sheets are, how they’re used, and tips to model them effectively.
How Cube Sheets Work
Cube sheets are purpose-built for planning that spans multiple dimensions such as customers, products, regions, or any other custom dimension relevant to your business. They provide a flexible layout where users can choose what appears on rows, columns, and filters, and they support nesting of multiple elements for more complex analysis.
Workday adaptive planning cube sheets enhance data analysis by providing customizable options for planning and reporting.
Key Advantages
- Multi-Dimensional Pivoting: Display and nest dimensions, levels, and attributes across rows and columns for powerful analysis/input views.
- Flexible Filtering: Use dimensions, attributes, and levels as filters for a streamlined user experience.
- Custom Time Stratums: Override the instance default time stratum to set planning granularity (e.g., monthly, quarterly, yearly).
- Initial View Setup: Define a default sheet view that users can easily return to after ad hoc adjustments.
- Dimensional Restrictions: Hide irrelevant dimensions based on the level or version selected, e.g., certain products may only be valid for specific cost centres.
Key Use Cases
Due to their flexibility, cube sheets are used in a wide range of planning scenarios. Some models that we typically see our clients using cube sheets for include:
- Project Planning
- Revenue Modelling (by product, customer, channel, etc.)
- Expense Planning (by cost center, category, or other drivers, etc.)
- Assumption Input (by dimension for driver-based models, etc.)
Cube Sheets vs. Modelled Sheets
| Feature | Cube Sheet | Modelled Sheet | Standard Sheet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Use Case | Multiple Dimensional Planning | Row-Based Input (e.g. Headcount) | Simple Planning by Account/Level |
| Dimensions | Full Nesting & Filtering | Assigned Per Row | Not Dimension-driven |
| Input Format | Grid (Dimensional Intersection) | Row-Based (Line Items) | Account/Level/Time Intersection |
| Time Flexibility | Set Custom Stratum | Set Custom Stratum | Uses Default Instance Stratum |
| Data Ownership | Tied to Sheet | Tied to Sheet | Tied to Account |
| Typically Use For | Revenue/Projects/Expense Planning | Personnel/CAPEX/Software Planning | Reporting, Simple Inputs |
Understanding Different Cube Account Types
Cube sheets support a variety of account types, each suited for specific inputs or calculations. Below is a summary of the key account types available in cube sheets:
| Account Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Standard | Allows direct input or aggregation from child accounts. Can serve as trigger accounts. |
| Calculated | Uses formulas to derive values based on cube data. Read-only. |
| Linked | Standard account that references data from another sheet (modelled or cube). Read-only. |
| Assumption | Inputs at Top Level only - used to drive global drivers and calculations. |
| Metric | Rolls up underlying data first, then performs calculation at the aggregate level. Useful for ratio analysis. |
Merged Cube Sheets
Merged cubes are a type of read-only cube sheet that combines up to three source sheets (cube or modelled) into one view (see related merged cube sheet glossary article). These are especially useful when you need to:
- calculate across sheets without writing formulas in multiple places.
- combine simple sheets into a more complex structure for reporting or high-level drivers.
- resolve cube formula errors by referencing trigger data from underlying sheets.
Common Pitfalls When Using Cube Sheets
Cube sheets are powerful, but require good design to get the most out of them. Model performance, usability, and logic integrity can all suffer if cube sheets are over-designed.
1. Formula Errors:
All formulas in cube sheets must evaluate to zero where no data exists at the dimensional intersection. Failing to do so results in the error: “Cube Sheet Calculations Must Evaluate to Zero.” Use trigger accounts or merged cubes to avoid this. (See related article -> resolving Cube Sheet Formula Errors in Adaptive: Trigger Accounts and Merged Cubes.)
2. Over-Complexity:
Too many dimensions can make user input painful. Each cell input requires a full base-level combination across all dimensions – so avoid overly granular setups unless necessary.
3. Performance Constraints:
Cube sheets have hard limits around capacity, including no more than:
- 5GB per version
- 15,000 rows
- 75 million cells
Cube sheets should be monitored for slow load times and performance degradation if approaching any of these thresholds.
Final Thoughts
Cube sheets are a powerful tool in Workday Adaptive Planning for anyone needing to manage complex, dimensional data. When modelled effectively, they empower planners to input, calculate, and report across an incredibly wide array of business scenarios.
However, with great power comes a bit of complexity. Be mindful of best practices – especially when it comes to formula logic, dimensionality, and performance limitations.
Want a deeper look at common cube sheet formula issues? Read our full guide: Resolving Cube Sheet Formula Errors in Adaptive: Trigger Accounts and Merged Cubes.
Contact GK Horizons to help set up or clean up your cube sheet logic.
