Default tag logic in workflow tasks

This article explains how Datarails assigns default tags when a new task is generated from a workflow template.

Key Concepts

Term Meaning
Fiscal Year (FY) / Quarter (FQ) Periods in your chosen fiscal calendar
Current The period that matches the task’s time frame
Previous  One period before the task’s time frame (month, quarter, year, or week)

Tag Types

Tag Type   What it stores
Year Tag A fiscal year label (e.g., FY 2025)
Quarter Tag A fiscal quarter label (e.g., Q1 2025)
Month Tag A fiscal month label (e.g., Mar 2025)
Week Tag A fiscal week label (e.g., W12 2025)
Forecast Tag The scenario code that ties the task to a specific forecast version
Budget Tag Two variants. One includes the active budget cycle plus the fiscal year; the other is just the fiscal year
No Tag Always filled with the latest available data (e.g., most recent forecast or budget version). 
This ensures dashboards and reports pull the most current results when no specific time-based filter is applied

Default rules by workflow type

Reporting workflows – tags reflect current period

Task Time Frame Year Tag Quarter Tag Month Tag Week Tag  Forecast Tag Budget Tag
Monthly Current FY Current Quarter Current Month Last Week of the Month Matching forecast scenario  Current FY (latest cycle)
Quarterly Current FY Current Quarter Last Month of the Quarter Last Week of the FQ Matching forecast scenario  Current FY (latest cycle)
Yearly Current FY Last Quarter of the FY Last Month of the FY Last Week of the FY Matching forecast scenario  Current FY (latest cycle)
Weekly Current FY Current Quarter Current Month Current Week Matching forecast scenario  Current FY (latest cycle)

Why?

Reporting is retrospective, so tags mirror the exact period being reported. “Last month” and “Last week” rules make sure quarterly and yearly roll-ups land on the final data points of the period.

Budget workflows – tags align with active budget cycle

Year Tag Quarter Tag Month Tag Week Tag  Forecast Tag Budget Tag
Current FY Current Quarter Current Month Current Week Last forecast of the budget year Current FY (latest cycle)

Why?

Budget tasks reference the active budget cycle, so all date-based tags point to the same fiscal year. The Forecast Tag links the budget to the final forecast delivered before budgeting started (often coded “11+1”).

Forecast workflows – tags use prior actuals for projection

Task Time Frame Year Tag Quarter Tag Month Tag Week Tag  Forecast Tag Budget Tag
Monthly FY of previous Month FQ of previous Month Previous Month Last Week of previous Month Matching forecast scenario  Current FY (latest cycle)
Quarterly FY of previous Quarter Previous Quarter Last Month of the previous Quarter Last Week of previous FQ Matching forecast scenario  Current FY (latest cycle)
Yearly Previous FY  Last Quarter of previous FY Last Month of previous FY Last Week of previous FY Matching forecast scenario  Current FY (latest cycle)
Weekly FY of previous Week FQ of previous Week Month of previous Week Previous Week Matching forecast scenario  Current FY (latest cycle)

Why?

Forecasting uses a “baseline-actuals” approach:

  • Monthly forecasts look back one month, so the Month Tag uses the previous month.
  • Quarterly and yearly forecasts rely on the prior fiscal year so all tags shift back to the previous year or  quarter.
  • Weekly forecasts need last week’s actuals, therefore Week Tag uses the previous week.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my task showing last year’s tag?

Forecast workflows often pull from the prior year to align with actuals.

What if my fiscal year starts in July?

The current month and previous month logic adjusts based on your fiscal calendar setup.

Can I override default tags?

Yes, tags can be edited per task or in the workflow.
 



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