Distribute numbers across departments
Use formulas to distribute values across departments, when dimensions can’t be used
Overview
If you have actuals that need to be distributed across departments and using dimensions in your accounting system isn’t an option, you can use formulas as a workaround.
Basics
Assign departments in your accounting system
We recommend addressing this at the source by assigning department values directly in your accounting system. This ensures that Francis automatically filters the data correctly.
Use formulas to allocate across departments
If using dimensions in your accounting system is not feasible, you can implement a workaround in Francis. This involves four steps:
Separate accounts
Isolate the relevant accounts by moving them to a separate sheet for clarity and organization.
Create a distribution key
Develop a distribution key to determine how much should be allocated to each department. Weights can be based on high-level estimates or proxies. For example, allocate rent based on the percentage of total employees in each department. Be sure to input the weights starting from the earliest relevant period and “fill right.”
Create formulas
Use formulas to distribute the amounts across departments. Make sure to apply the formulas from the first relevant period and “fill right” to cover all necessary timeframes.
Create a check
Finally, implement a check to ensure everything has been allocated correctly. This step helps confirm that the total allocation matches the original actuals.
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