08.05 Planning on Account Nominal only (Your first planning template)

This module covers building a planning template where contributors enter one number per period against each account code — no departmental or cost centre split. This is the simplest approach and the best one to start with, even if you plan to move to a P&L hierarchy later: it establishes all the fundamentals.

Here is a video, or read below.

Step 1 — Open a GL planning template

In Designer, go to File → Home and open GL 06 Planning / Replanning This Year (for planning the current year) this is one of two ready-made starting points for planning input, pre-configured for submission and just needs tailoring to the scenario and your structure.

Step 2 — Select the planning scenario

Find the Planning Scenario filter (it will be shown with a yellow background, indicating that a selection is required before the report will run). Select the scenario — use BUD for this exercise, or the scenario you created in Module 2.

Step 3 — Set the down axis to Account only

On the Layout tab, click Rows / Columns. In the Pivot tab, confirm that the down axis shows the Account dimension only. If any cost centre dimensions appear (Division, Department, Segment2, Segment3), remove them. For Account Nominal planning a clean, single-dimension down axis is required.

Step 4 - Set any filters that have a yellow background

These are mandatory before the report will run. For example, in Epicor, you must select a Book.

Run the report. Account codes will appear running down the rows and periods across the top, with actuals populated for periods that have posted transactions.

Step 5 — Recognise the yellow cells

Look for cells with a yellow background — these are the planning submission cells. Yellow means the cell is editable and correctly configured for submission to the selected planning scenario. A cell that is not yellow is not submittable from this template: it could be an actuals column, a total column, or a period outside the scenario’s range.

Step 6 — Save the report

Save the report with a name that makes its purpose clear to anyone who opens it — for example Budget FY2026 — Account Level Input. A well-named template prevents contributors from opening the wrong version later.

Exercises

Now try the downloadable exercises below:

08.05 Account only Input Template - Exercises.pdf

Your feedback helps us do better, to fill in a short survey on this tutorial, click here.

Move on to 0806 - Testing Your Planning Setup