Analyze planning outcomes with scenarios
Scenarios allow you to create multiple planning versions within a Planning sheet to evaluate different business outcomes. You can use scenarios to compare budgets, forecasts, and alternative business assumptions without affecting the base data.
Prerequisites
Before you create a scenario, make sure that you have the following prerequisites in place:
You have access to the Planning sheet.
Required fields and dimensions are added.
The planning model includes a scenario dimension.
You have permission to edit planning data.
Create a scenario
Go to Model > Scenario.
Enter a name to identify the scenario.
Select the series to be simulated and select Create.
Sales values are simulated by adjusting the slider to increase or decrease cell values. Net revenue is recalculated accordingly.
Select Save to save the scenario after reviewing the results.
Select the + icon at the bottom of the page to create more scenarios. Save the report when you're done.
The new scenario is added to the Planning sheet and is available for planning and analysis.
Scenario toolbar
Use the Scenario tab to create, manage, and analyze scenarios in the Planning Sheet.
Compare scenarios
Use Compare scenarios to analyze differences between two scenarios across measures, time periods, and dimensions. This view helps you evaluate performance, identify variances, and make data-driven decisions.
Open scenario comparison
Navigate to the planning view.
Select Compare Scenario.
The Scenario Comparison view opens.
Configure comparison
Compare - Select the primary scenario you want to analyze.
With - Select the scenario to compare against.
Measures - Choose the measures to include in the comparison.
Select All Measures or a specific measure.
Understand the key elements of the comparison view
The comparison grid displays data across selected dimensions and time periods.
Scenarios – Displays values for both selected scenarios.
Δ Scenario – Shows the variance between the two scenarios.
Positive values indicate an increase.
Negative values indicate a decrease.
Time periods – Data is grouped by periods such as Q1 and Q2.
Measures – Displays values for selected measures (for example, 2025 Actuals, 2026 Plan).
Dimensions – Rows represent hierarchical categories such as Category, Beverages, and Water.
Exit comparison
Select Exit Compare to return to the standard view.
Update scenario settings.
You can update scenario settings such as the name, included measures, and lock status in Edit Scenario under Scenario > Settings.
Scenario name - Update the name of the scenario.
Under Include series in scenarios, select the measures to include:
Choose one or more series (for example, 2025 Actuals, 2025 Gross Sales).
Only selected series are included in the simulation.
Lock the scenario - Select Lock Scenario to prevent further changes to the scenario.
When a scenario is locked, you cannot modify values or settings until it is unlocked.
Select Apply to save changes or select Cancel to discard changes.
Configure input method
Use the Input Method to simulate and adjust values directly in the Planning Sheet.
Simulation
Modify values in the cells by adjusting the slider to increase or decrease cell values to test different outcomes.
Enter a custom value in a cell to apply a specific adjustment.
Distribution
Distribution enables you to apply consistent or trend-based changes quickly across multiple data points. Use the distribution options to apply values across rows or columns.
Adjust distribution values
Use the slider to increase or decrease values proportionally.
Enter a custom value in a cell to apply a specific adjustment.
Available options
Copy until last row in <category>: Apply the value to all rows from the selected category untill the last row
Copy until last row with trend in <category>: Apply values across rows based on an existing trend.
Copy to all rows in <category>: Distribute the value to all rows in the selected category.
Copy to all rows: Apply the value across all rows in the sheet.
Copy until last column: Apply the value across columns until the last column.
Copy until last column with trend: Distribute values across columns using a trend.
Select Reset value to revert changes to the original value.
Show variance
View differences between scenario values and base values when show variance is checked.
Slider settings
Select Slider settings to open the Variance settings pane.
Variance settings options
The Variance settings pane includes the following options:
Series: Displays the series included in the scenario.
Increase is good: Enabled by default.
When enabled, increases are shown in green and decreases in red.
When disabled, increases are shown in red.
Value range: Specify the maximum value for the range.
The default value is 100%.
Reset
Revert changes made in the scenario.
Copy scenario data to base
Use Copy to base to apply simulated values from a scenario to the base sheet.
You can copy scenario values to the base from:
The Scenario toolbar by selecting Copy to base
The More options (â‹®) menu next to the scenario tab
Review the selected columns.
Select Proceed.
The selected scenario values are copied to the corresponding base measures. After copying, the base report reflects the updated values from the selected scenario.
Only simulated values are copied to the base. Native measures are not copied from scenarios to the base.
Bulk edit in scenarios
Use Bulk edit to apply changes to multiple values in a scenario at once. Use bulk edit to efficiently perform large-scale scenario simulations without updating individual cells.
Open and Configure bulk edit
Select Bulk Edit from Scenario
In the Bulk Edit pane, configure the following:
Measure: Select the scenario measure to update.
Row dimensions: Select the required categories and subcategories.
Column dimensions: Select the required columns or time periods.
As you select dimensions, the Planning Sheet updates to reflect the filtered data.
Apply bulk changes
Set value – Assign a specific value to the selected cells.
Use the slider or input box to define the value or adjustment, or specify the value or percentage to apply.
Select Apply.
The selected values are updated across the specified dimensions.
Cancel – Closes the dialog without saving changes.
Reset – Clears all selections and restores default settings.
Pivot
Change the layout to analyze data from different perspectives. Use Pivot in the Scenario tab to create alternate row-level views for analyzing and simulating scenarios. Pivoting allows you to rearrange dimensions, such as Category and Sub Category, without affecting the underlying data. Learn more about pivot in the pivot section.
Create a pivot
Go to the Scenario tab.
Select Pivot.
The Row Pivot dialog opens.
In the Row Pivot dialog, select + Add to create a new pivot.
Enter a name for the pivot in the Name field.
In Available fields, select the dimensions to include.
Add selected fields to the Fields section.
Arrange the fields in the required order.
Select Save.
A pivot called pivot 2 is created for subcategories.
Writeback scenarios
Use Writeback to persist scenario data from the planning view to the underlying data source. You can write back all scenarios or a selected scenario. Use writeback to:
Save planning inputs and updates
Commit scenario changes to the data source
Share finalized data with other users or systems
To writeback scenarios,
Go to the Scenario tab.
Select Writeback.
Choose one of the following:
Writeback All – Writes back all available scenarios.
Writeback – Writes back only the selected scenario.
Writeback is completed.
The writeback option is enabled only after the destination is added. You can learn more from the writeback section.
Logs
Use Logs to track and review all writeback activities. Go to Scenario > Logs. This view provides detailed information about each writeback operation, including status, duration, and user details.
Close scenario
Exit the current scenario by selecting Close Scenario from Scenario.
Configure scenario access
You can control who can access, manage, and interact with scenario using the Security settings.
Open comment security settings
Select Security from the toolbar.
In the left pane, select Scenario.
Who can access scenario: Specify users who can view and interact with each scenario. Enter names to grant access.
Select Save to apply changes.
Select Cancel to discard the changes
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