Hyperion Planning applications often require multiple currencies.  Hyperion Planning includes a currency option that easily allows multiple currencies to be managed.  Allowing Planning to manage this introduces a couple of limitations and inherent costs. These can be avoided if currency is managed manually.

When the Hyperion Planning currency option is enabled, an additional 2 dimensions are required.  This raises the required dimensions from 6 to 8.  Most planning applications have a need for at least 2 to 3 custom dimensions.  Even smaller applications suffer greatly when adding the additional 2 dimensions.  So, by using the currency option, the ability to use custom dimensions is limited.  By adding a few accounts to hold the currency conversion and adding one dimension that has members for all the currencies, multi-currency applications can be handled with only one additional dimension.  If the currency option is not used, the currency calculations may be written more efficiently than the default calculations introduced with the currency option.

Another drawback with the currency option is that is only allows data input to the base currency.  The majority of the applications I have built that require multiple currencies require the input at more than base currency.  Assume a retail company has stores in a number of countries with different currencies.  Salaries may be budgeted in the local currencies, but the cost of the bags used by customers to carry merchandise out of the store is budgeted in USD.  The costs are distributed in USD based on units, and converted to the local currencies.

Lastly, using the currency option, because of the number of dense dimensions, limits the number of time periods.  Executing calculations is limited to using 64k of memory.  Applications that use something other than month (like week, or day) can regularly hit this limit.

Thanks for all the great feedback on our Essbase Add-in Ribbon!  I have seen praise and thanks on the Oracle forums, network54, and a number of other popular hotspots.  I am constantly getting emails of gratitude.  Hundreds, if not thousands, of Hyperion customers are using the ribbon.  With the accolades, I am also getting some great suggestions for additional functionality.  In the spirit of giving back to the Hyperion community, I have every intention of implementing these requests.

What is new for the second release of the ribbon?  For those of you who used the Essbase Powerbar, you are aware of the option to save commonly used server connections.  I am happy to announce that it is now part of the In2Hyperion Essbase Add-in Ribbon feature set!

We moved the connection button that existed on the right, to the first button on the ribbon and renamed it Quick Connect.  From this menu button, users can select connect, add quick connection, or remove quick connection.  As connections are added, they will appear automatically in the Quick Connect menu.

The benefit of this option is that a user can select a “quick connection,” which remembers the server, application, database, username, and password.  Connecting to an Essbase application requires fewer clicks and less typing.  After quick connections are added, a file in My Documents named In2Hyperion.txt will exist.  This is where the connection information is stored.  The password is encrypted to ensure your information is not made available to other parties.

Download version 2.  To stay informed about future releases by signing up for our newsletter.  If you have any feedback, send us an email through the contact page.  Thanks again for all your support!

Many clients have issues with Workspace logging users out when attempting to open/export certain types of documents. For example, a user logged into Hyperion Workspace attempts to open a Supporting Detail document, only to be prompted with a logout warning message before the document opens. The same can happen when a user attempts to export an FR report file (.DES file) from Workspace. After being logged out of Workspace, the user is able to log back into the application and open/export the necessary document. This issue can easily fixed by adjusting a few browser settings as shown below.

NOTE: Microsoft documents typically cause this logout issue (Excel, Word, PowerPoint).

1. Open your web browser (This blog entry will assume IE).

2. Select “Tools” -> “Internet Options…” from the menu bar.

3. Select the “Internet” option inside the “Security” tab. Select “Custom Level…”.

4. Navigate to the “Downloads” section and “Enable” Automatic prompting for file downloads. Click “OK”.

5. Now select the “Local Internet” option inside the “Security” tab. Select “Custom Level…”.

6. Navigate to the “Downloads” section and “Enable” Automatic prompting for file downloads. Click “OK”.

7. Finally, select the “Trusted sites” option inside the “Security” tab. Select “Custom Level…”.

8. Navigate to the “Downloads” section and “Enable” Automatic prompting for file downloads. Click “OK”.

9. Now that the settings have been set properly, Click “OK” on the “Internet Options” dialog box.

10. Close and re-open your web browser for the settings to take effect. Test these settings by logging into Workspace and opening a Supporting Detail document.