When we design a planning model in Workday Adaptive Planning, one of the decisions we make is selecting the appropriate sheet type.
Workday Adaptive Planning provides three main sheet types:
- Standard Sheets
- Modeled Sheets
- Cube Sheets
Each sheet type supports different planning requirements. The selection depends on how we capture data, the level of detail required, and how the business needs to analyze the results.
In this article, we look at how these sheet types work and where we use them.
1. Standard Sheets
Standard sheets provide a spreadsheet-style interface with accounts or levels across rows and time periods across columns.
We commonly use standard sheets for financial planning activities such as operating expenses, revenue, balance sheets, and profit and loss planning.
For example, we can create an operating expense sheet with accounts such as:
- Travel Expense
- Office Supplies
- Rent
- Professional Fees
Planners enter monthly budget values against the relevant accounts and organizational levels.
Standard sheets also support splits, allowing us to capture additional detail within an account.
2. Modeled Sheets
Modeled sheets support record-based planning.
Unlike standard sheets, where we work primarily with accounts and periods, modeled sheets allow us to capture individual records using configurable columns.
We use modeled sheets when planning requires detailed inputs.
For example, in workforce planning, a modeled sheet can capture:
- Employee or position
- Hire date
- Salary
- Department
- Other planning inputs
Each row represents a record, and the configured modeled accounts use the input data to calculate planning values.
We also use modeled sheets for capital expenditure planning, depreciation calculations, and detailed revenue planning.
Screenshot 2: Modeled Sheet
3. Cube Sheets
Cube sheets support multidimensional planning.
We use cube sheets when the business needs to enter and analyze data across multiple dimensions.
For example, a revenue planning model can include:
- Product
- Region
- Customer
- Time
- Accounts
Cube sheets allow us to arrange dimensions across rows and columns and use filters to analyze different combinations.
For example, we can review revenue by Product and Region, then change the view to analyze revenue by Customer and Product.
The available views depend on the dimensions configured in the model and sheet.
4. Comparing the Three Sheet Types
| Feature | Standard | Modeled | Cube |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary structure | Accounts and time | Individual records | Multidimensional grid |
| Typical input | Monthly account values | Record-level details | Dimension-based values |
| Example | Operating expenses | Workforce planning | Revenue by product and region |
| User interaction | Account and period entry | Add and update records | Pivot dimensions and enter values |
5. How We Select the Sheet Type
When we design a planning model, we first review the business requirement.
If the requirement is to enter monthly expenses by account and department, we consider a standard sheet.
If the requirement is to capture individual employees, positions, or transactions with additional details, we consider a modeled sheet.
If the requirement is to plan across multiple business dimensions, such as Product, Region, and Customer, we consider a cube sheet.
We also review the calculation requirements, data volume, integration design, and reporting needs before finalizing the sheet structure.
The important point is that we do not select a sheet type only based on how the input screen looks.
We select it based on how the underlying planning process works.
Conclusion
Standard, Modeled, and Cube sheets provide different ways to capture and manage planning data in Workday Adaptive Planning.
Understanding these differences helps us design models that align with business requirements and support the required calculations and reporting.
Before building a sheet, we should confirm the planning granularity, input process, and dimensional requirements.
This gives us a clearer starting point for the model design.
