The Forecast Module is your central workspace for managing forecast files and running multiple forecast versions side by side. It supports scenario cycles, planning scenarios, default management, file splits, and task collaboration — everything you need for rolling forecasts and scenario analysis.

Prerequisites

• Datarails Planning Module — the Forecast Module is part of the Planning Module and requires it to be enabled on your account. If you don't see Forecast under Planning in the left sidebar, contact your CSM to enable the Planning Module.
• Eligible user role — the Forecast Module is only available to the following roles: Admin, Super Admin, Contributor, and Data Manager. Users with other roles will not see the module.

Some actions within the Forecast Module are restricted by role. Contributors cannot perform the following actions:

• Lock a scenario cycle or a planning scenario.
• Roll forward a scenario cycle.
• Clone a planning scenario.

If you need to perform any of these actions and don't see the controls, contact an Admin, Super Admin, or Data Manager on your team.

How forecast data is structured

Before you start working in the module, it helps to understand how forecast data is tagged in Datarails. Every row in your Financials table — or any other planning table — carries the following dimensions:

• Scenario — one of three values: Actual, Forecast, or Budget.
• Scenario cycle — required on every forecast row. The name follows the pattern X+Y, where X is the number of closed actual months and Y is the number of projected months. For example, 0+12 is January (no actuals yet, twelve months projected), 1+11 is February, and 4+8 is May.
• Planning scenario — required on every forecast row. A free-text tag you assign to each forecast version (for example, Mid, Worst, Best, Board).
• Scenario details — an auto-generated field that combines the scenario, scenario cycle, and planning scenario into a single string. Use this field in formulas and dashboards when you need to reference a specific combination directly.

Figure 1: How the Scenario, Scenario Cycle, Planning Scenario, and Scenario Details fields combine on each forecast row.

Opening the Forecast Module

Navigate to Planning > Forecast from the left sidebar. The module opens to the current year and the active Scenario Cycle, with all Planning Scenarios for that cycle listed below.

Figure 2: The Forecast Module main view with the year selector, current scenario cycle, and planning scenarios.

Scenario Cycles

Scenario cycles represent specific forecast periods. Each cycle reflects how much of the year has closed as actuals versus how much remains projected.

Switching years and cycles

1. Use the Year selector at the top to move between fiscal years.
2. Use the Scenario cycle selector to switch between cycles within the selected year (for example, 3+9, 4+8, 5+7).

Creating a new scenario cycle

1. Open the Scenario cycle menu and select New scenario cycle.
2. Pick the cycle you want to create (for example, 5+7).
3. The new cycle is created with every planning scenario from the year already in place — but all files start empty. You then populate each planning scenario by uploading a file, cloning an existing planning scenario, or importing from a budget cycle.

Clone from a budget cycle

If the Budget Module is enabled, you can use a budget cycle as the foundation for a forecast cycle. This copies all relevant Fileboxes, their latest versions, and aligns them with the selected scenario cycle and planning scenario. Select the Mark this Scenario cycle as default checkbox if you want the new cycle to become your default. If the Clone from Budget Cycle option is enabled, you can also choose which specific files to copy.

Lock a scenario cycle

Once a cycle is finalized, lock it to prevent further submissions. Locking disables auto-calculation and file submissions within that cycle, ensuring data consistency for downstream reports.

Roll Forward

Roll Forward creates an updated version of the forecast by transitioning the current cycle into the next one. All files associated with the current cycle are cloned and submitted to the target cycle.

1. Open the action menu on the current scenario cycle.
2. Select Roll Forward.
3. Choose the target cycle (for example, roll 4+8 forward to 5+7).
4. Confirm the action.

Figure 3: The Roll Forward dialog — rolling the 4+8 cycle into 5+7.

For smooth scenario cycle transitions, we recommend implementing Planning Mode in your Excel files. Learn more about Planning Mode here.

Manage Defaults

Defaults control which data is returned anywhere in Datarails when no explicit scenario cycle or planning scenario is specified — in DR.GET formulas, Excel tables, dashboards, and widgets. Setting defaults correctly is one of the most important steps in configuring the model.

Setting defaults per year

1. Click Manage Defaults at the top of the Forecast Module.
2. For each year, set the default Scenario Cycle.
3. For each year, set the default Planning Scenario.
4. Click Save changes.

Figure 4: The Manage Defaults panel — set the default scenario cycle and default planning scenario for each year.

How defaults are applied

• Excel files — If DR.GET functions or Excel tables do not reference a specific scenario cycle or planning scenario, only data associated with the defaults is displayed.
• Dashboards — Widgets without explicit references to a scenario cycle or planning scenario show data linked to the defaults.

Overriding the defaults

There are two ways to override defaults when you need specific data:

• Reference the scenario cycle or planning scenario explicitly in your formula or query. If your query specifies a scenario cycle, it overrides the default and returns the requested cycle. The same applies to the planning scenario.
• Use the Scenario Details field. This field combines scenario, scenario cycle, and planning scenario into a single reference and provides a direct override to the default rules.

You can also use alternative fields such as System_forecast, System_date, or Scenario details in place of Scenario cycle, and Scenario details in place of Planning scenario.

Planning Scenarios

Planning scenarios let you test different business assumptions within the same scenario cycle — for example, Worst, Mid, and Best.

Figure 5: The Planning Scenarios list for a given year.

Important: the planning scenario list is year-scoped

Warning — the planning scenario list is shared across every scenario cycle within a given year.

• Adding a planning scenario creates it across every scenario cycle in the year. Each cycle starts with an empty version that you must populate separately.
• Deleting a planning scenario removes it from every scenario cycle in the year — not just the cycle you happen to be viewing. All files associated with that planning scenario, in every cycle, will be archived.

Plan changes to the planning scenario list at the year level, not the cycle level.

Managing the planning scenario list

Use the actions below to manage the planning scenarios available for the entire year. Each action affects all scenario cycles in that year.

Figure 6: The Edit planning scenarios list dialog — add, rename, or remove planning scenarios for the year. Note the in-product reminder that changes apply across every scenario cycle.

Add a new planning scenario

1. Click Add planning scenario at the top of the list.
2. Enter a name and click the checkmark.
3. Click Save changes.

The new planning scenario is added across every scenario cycle in the year as an empty scenario. You must then populate it in each cycle using one of the options described below.

Populating an empty planning scenario

When a planning scenario is empty in a given scenario cycle, you have three options to fill it with data:

• Clone from an existing planning scenario — for example, clone Mid as the starting point for Worst, then change the assumptions inside the model.
• Import from an existing budget cycle — use a finalized budget as the starting structure.
• Upload a new forecast file — start from scratch with a fresh template.

Figure 7: The three ways to populate an empty planning scenario — clone, import from a budget cycle, or upload new.

Clone a planning scenario

Cloning copies all of the source planning scenario's files into the target. After cloning, edit the assumptions inside each file to differentiate the scenarios.

Lock a planning scenario

When you are satisfied with a planning scenario, lock it to prevent additional versions from being submitted.

Delete a planning scenario

Warning: Because the planning scenario list is year-scoped, deleting a planning scenario removes it from every scenario cycle in the year. All files linked to that planning scenario, across every cycle, will be archived. This action cannot be undone in bulk.

When you click Delete, Datarails shows a confirmation dialog that spells out the year-wide impact — read it carefully before confirming.

Figure 8: The delete confirmation dialog — spells out that all versions tagged with the planning scenario for the year will be deleted and that the action cannot be undone.

To delete a planning scenario:

1. Open the planning scenario menu.
2. Select Delete.
3. Confirm the action when prompted.

Notes:

• You cannot delete a planning scenario that is set as the default. Change the default first, then delete.
• If a scenario cycle contains only one planning scenario, you can still delete it — but the same caveat applies: the deletion affects every cycle in the year.

Splitting forecast files by dimension

The Split feature in the Forecast Module works the same way as in the Budget Module: it generates one file per dimension value (for example, one file per department) so different collaborators can own different slices. Click Split on the file you want to split to open the Split wizard, which guides you through four steps.

Step 1: Define split logic

In this step, you select which table and field to split by. Enable the toggle next to the table you want to use (for example, Financials) and pick the field that represents the dimension you want to split on (for example, Department).

Figure 8: Split wizard, Step 1 — Define split logic.

Step 2: Select values

Choose the values from the field that you want to generate files for. You can select all values, or pick a subset.

If you are planning to add a new value to the dimension — for example, a new department that doesn't exist yet — you can also create a file for it in advance:

1. Select New value in this step.
2. Choose an existing value to use as the initial data structure (for example, use G&A as the template for a new HR department).
3. Name the new value.

The resulting file contains the source value's data structure but is tagged with the new value. Collaborators can then adjust the numbers so the file is relevant to the new dimension.

Figure 9: Split wizard, Step 2 — Select values, including the New Value option for dimensions you plan to add later.

Step 3: Configure option

Choose how the resulting files behave. There are two decisions:

• Editor:
  • Web Editor — collaborators edit the file directly in a user-friendly web interface.
  • Excel — standard Excel files for offline editing.
• Data source:
  • Hardcoded — values are static; refreshing the file will not update them.
  • Connected — values are linked to Datarails; each refresh pulls the latest data.

Figure 10: Split wizard, Step 3 — Configure option. Pick the editor (Web Editor or Excel) and the data source (Hardcoded or Connected).

Note: Even when Connected is selected, files created for a new value (such as a new department) are created with hardcoded values because there is no source data for them yet.

Step 4: Assign members (optional)

1. Assign each file to a collaborator. You can assign all files to the same person, or pick different owners per file.
2. Set a due date — either the same date for every file or different dates per file.
3. Add a note that will appear in the email each collaborator receives.
4. Click Create templates to launch the split.

Figure 11: Split wizard, Step 4 — Assign members. Set assignees, due dates, and the email message before clicking Create templates.

Learn more about split files here.

Managing split files in the Tasks view

Once a split is created, the resulting files appear in the Tasks view. From there you can monitor and manage every file in the split.

Figure 12: The Tasks view — track status, manage comments, resend tasks, and upload new versions of split files.

For each task you can:

• Track status — pending, in progress, submitted.
• View and manage comments left in each file by the assignee.
• Resend the task if the collaborator missed the original email.
• Upload a new version on the collaborator's behalf.
• Edit the split — reassign a file, change the due date, or generate a new file from an updated template.

Other file actions

For each file in the Forecast Module, you can also:

• Upload a new version of the file.
• Download the latest version linked to the current scenario cycle and planning scenario.
• Share the file with other users. Sharing applies to every version, so users will gain access to any other scenario cycles and planning scenarios linked to the same Filebox.
• Rename the Filebox. The new name applies to every scenario cycle and planning scenario that uses this Filebox.
• Archive the file.
• Go to Filebox — open the Filebox version history page.
• Go to Data Mapper — open the data mapper for the file.
• Clone version — clone the current version into another planning scenario of your choice.

Troubleshooting

My DR.GET formula returns the wrong scenario

Problem: A DR.GET formula returns data from a scenario cycle or planning scenario you didn't expect.

Solution:

• Check the default scenario cycle and default planning scenario for the year in Manage Defaults. If the formula doesn't reference a specific cycle or scenario, it returns the default.
• If you need a specific combination, reference it explicitly in the formula — or use the Scenario Details field to override the defaults directly.

I can't submit a new version to a scenario cycle

Problem: The submission button is disabled or returns an error when you try to upload a new file version.

Solution:

• The scenario cycle is likely locked. Check whether Lock has been enabled on the cycle. To submit a new version, unlock the cycle first.

A new planning scenario shows no data

Problem: A planning scenario you just added is empty and dashboards show no data for it.

Solution:

• New planning scenarios are created empty by design. Populate the scenario by cloning an existing planning scenario, importing from a budget cycle, or uploading a new forecast file.

A file created via “New value” isn't pulling data even though Connected was selected

Problem: You selected Connected when running the split, but the file created for a brand-new dimension value contains hardcoded values.

Solution:

• This is expected behavior. When you split with New value, the new file has no source data to connect to yet, so it is created with hardcoded values from the template item you selected. Edit the file to align it with the new dimension, then connect it to data once the dimension has actuals.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do planning scenarios carry over when I Roll Forward a scenario cycle?
Yes. Rolling forward clones every file in the current cycle — including all planning scenarios — and submits the copies to the target cycle.

Can I have different planning scenarios in different scenario cycles?
No. The list of planning scenarios is shared across all scenario cycles within a given year. If you need different planning scenarios, you'll need to manage them at the year level.

What's the difference between Scenario Cycle and Scenario Details?
Scenario cycle identifies the forecast period only (for example, 4+8). Scenario details is a combined field that includes the scenario type, the scenario cycle, and the planning scenario in a single string — useful when you need to reference a specific combination directly in formulas or queries.

What happens to files when I delete a planning scenario?
Because the planning scenario list is shared across every scenario cycle in the year, deleting a planning scenario archives all files linked to it in every cycle — not just the cycle you're currently viewing. Make sure you've reviewed the impact across every cycle in the year before confirming the deletion.

Is the Online Editing feature available to everyone?
No. Online Editing (the Web Editor) is not enabled for every account by default. Contact your CSM if you would like to enable it.

Can I lock a planning scenario without locking the whole scenario cycle?
Yes. Locking is available at both the scenario cycle level and the planning scenario level.

Updated August 02, 2026 12:15