Apply Forward and method changes

Methods and settings

Create and edit a group

Expand a modeled line, choose its method and inputs, then choose a range and Apply. All forecast years links every forecast period, including earlier forecasts when you start from a later column. Historical periods are excluded. A continuous border spans the linked columns and the shared method and drivers appear once. Editing an eligible input anywhere in a group changes its shared setup. Revenue, COGS, EBITDA and other results remain separate, selectable period outputs.

Independent phases and methods

Break 2029 out of a 2027–2031 group to obtain 2027–2028, 2029 and 2030–2031 as independent groups, initially with the same assumptions. You can then change the single period’s value or method. Equal numbers never reconnect groups automatically. Merge adjacent groups only when their methods and reference configurations agree; confirmation explicitly selects the left values. Bulk pasting different values into the same shared parameter is rejected: Break first.

One setup, several drivers

Amount, Growth, Absolute Change, Price × Volume, Customers × ARPU, percentages and Revenue / FTE preserve their existing formulas. Each numeric driver remains a separate parameter within the shared setup: changing price does not change volume. The group shares the complete method configuration, including references and stored method settings. Applying a group replaces the selected target setups; Undo restores them. Break before changing only one period to a different method.

Analyze the shared assumption

A COGS ratio of 85% linked across four forecast years is one variable in Goal Seek, Sensitivity, Tornado, Key Drivers and Stochastic. A solver candidate changes the same shared parameter during search, Preview and Apply, so all four years recalculate. Each driver of a multi-driver method is still an independent analysis variable. Output selection keeps its original period meaning. Editing financial inputs or changing group membership invalidates an earlier solver candidate.

Periods, scenarios and portable models

Groups apply within the active Annual, Quarterly, Monthly or Weekly modeling source. Changing only the displayed view preserves them. Explicitly switching the controlling source creates inputs in the new grid using the existing source-conversion rules; it does not infer new links. Shortening a horizon trims groups; added or restored periods are independent until explicitly linked. Historical models remain independent even when numbers match. Local saving, model files, duplication, selected published operator content and Fork preserve explicit groups. Scenario edits are isolated; copying a setup carries its selected consecutive groups as independent copied content. Value-only copies cannot silently break destination groups.