Rearranging Tips

Cascading rearranged Variables

In the previous section's simple walkthrough, we only have three Variables, Revenues, Widgets sold, and Price.

Most situations are more complex than this: for instance, take the example below, where Widgets sold incorporates an inflation Calculation (Widgets sold = Widgets sold [-1] * (1 + Widget sales yearly increase).

Revenues Variable before rearranging

We see the same warning in the Revenues as previously (1): we need to rearrange a child. However, this time, when we rearrange Widgets sold, we see a similar warning in Widgets sold, as shown below (2).

Widgets sold Variable after rearranging

Models is telling us that now we are calculating Widgets sold from Revenues and Price, we cannot also calculate it from the inflation calculation. Therefore we must rearrange Widget sales yearly increase, which can be calculated from the actual values of Widgets sold in 2021 and 2022.

This results in the below output with Widget sales yearly increase also rearranged (3).

Widget sales yearly increase after rearranging

In this way, rearranged Variables cascade down to the "bottom" of the Model, or the point at which there are no more Calculations to rearrange.

Reversing relationships

Models allows you to quickly change the direction of calculation flows if you change the desired output of a Model.

Take the below example, where we have set our Model up with Revenue as the output from the two input Variables, Widgets sold and Price.

Reverse relationship button

If we select both (1) the Revenues Variable, and one of its child Variables (in the example above, Widgets sold), we are offered the option to reverse their relationship, using the Reverse relationship button (2).

This results in the below:

Widgets sold Variable after reversing relationship with Revenues

Revenues Variable after reversing relationship with Widgets sold

Widgets sold has been converted to a Calculation Variable with Calculation Revenues / Price (3). Revenues has been converted to an Assumptions Variable where the second Time Segment is now rearranged (4) to its original Calculation of Price * Widgets sold.