Best Of
Re: Flex grid calculation
@Khaleelah,
I came across this as I was looking for something else. I am sure you have the answer by now, but maybe this will help others? It is in the Layout editor, in the Block sections in the Summary box (highlighted below)
Re: Missing pages on the manual
Re the issue
[0x-7feceb00] - AccessDeniedToDatabaseFromProcedure
when trying to run scheduled task?
Did the Procedure run even though you go the error or did it failed?
Did it happen again or was it a one time error?
Be worth looking at the logs or there isn't much info might need to raise the level of Logs captured for a short amount of time.
Alternatively if the error keeps happening i would suggest logging a case with our support team Board Support
Re: B14 level 203 Units Data View configuration - missing items in the 'screen objects' listing
Hi @Ads,
This is something new I've seen yet. Nevertheless, please do not hesitate to write back if you face this issue again or another issue. I appreciate your time to write about how it was resolved.
US Economic Outlook: September 2025
The August employment report reveals the U.S. economy is weaker than initially reported. With job creation at recession-level lows and unemployment measures rising, the labor market is signaling a clear slowdown.
In this month’s 10-minute outlook, Board Principal Economist Natalie Gallagher explains what the labor data means for Federal Reserve policy, inflation, and business planning in the months ahead.
This update covers:
- Why the data shows the economy is weaker than initially reported
- How sectoral divides reveal resilience in essential services but contraction in goods production and business services
- Why September rate cuts are highly likely, beginning a longer easing cycle
- Three imperatives for leaders: efficiency, cash preservation, and scenario planning
The post-pandemic boom is giving way to a slower-growth equilibrium. For businesses navigating interest rates, consumer demand, and supply chain uncertainty, this outlook provides essential context for Q4 and beyond.
Re: About Sparsity
This is my understanding so please someone correct me if I am wrong but,
It’s not always black and white and when in doubt it's better to lean towards sparse over dense.
Consistency across cubes is more important. A dimension marked as dense in one cube should ideally be dense in all cubes to avoid unnecessary increase in number of sparse structures (visible in the cube analysis section). Especially important to avoid different sparse structures in dataflow & calculation steps.
I would use a dense when it is a small dimension with few members that are frequently populated.
- Example: Version – if typically all versions (e.g., Plan, Forecast, Actual) are populated.
Another way I find helpful to think about it is if users typically filter by a dimension on screen (e.g., selecting one version or scenario at a time), and then running a calculation, it may be a good candidate for dense.
If it helps in your example I would also consider Business Unit as a dense dimension (but hard to judge without seeing the underlying data and in general more context).
Edward
Monthly Customer News Update - July / August 2025
Here are the most interesting reads for you to enjoy, catch up on things, or get ready for the second half of the year. Let's dig into:
- A special outlook: U.S. stagflation & its European implications
- Finance: Customer stories from Goldbeck and Van Moer Logistics
- Retail Planning: Why you need to be dynamic and include AI
- S&OP Planning: Big picture with Oliver Wight or hands-on with Westons Cider
- Product: It's not just AI and tips for upgrading to Board 14
- Community: Best practices for documentation and the Excel add-in
Warm regards,
Sandra
Head of Customer Marketing
Economic Crosscurrents: U.S. Stagflation and Its European Implications
In her ongoing economic webinar series, Natalie Gallagher—Principal Economist and Director of Economic Research at Board—regularly analyzes the trajectory of the U.S. economic outlook. In this special, she explores its global ripple effects, with a particular focus on the implications for Europe in the context of trade tensions, currency, and industrial sectors.
Highlights of Board Beyond 2025
A huuuuge "Thank You" to all who joined us for the Board Beyond roadshow. We've put together a page of highlights for you to recap the content or just relive the memories. An even bigger "Thanks" to all who have participated in our Social Media challenge #BoardAndProud. It was so nice to see all the engagement and congratulations to our winners!
PRODUCT NEWS
Why the Future of Planning Isn’t Just AI...
... it’s collaborative, comprehensive and continuous, according to David Marner, SVP, Product at Board. With the current geopolitical disruptions, the new normal brings fundamental changes to how we work and live. In business, especially for supply chains, " adaptability and robust planning are no longer just good practices but essential for thriving in this volatile landscape".
Upgrading to Board 14?
Wherever you are on your journey, here's an insightful read for you. Keith Crosslin, a Customer Success Manager at Board Switzerland, sat down with three of his customers to discuss their experiences upgrading to Board 14. Hear directly from your peers about what to consider—what worked well, the benefits they’ve seen, and where some fine-tuning may still be needed. See also:
- Recorded webinar with demo of the Board 14.3 highlights & Q&A
- Board 14.3 post with all links
FINANCE NEWS
Optimization of critical Planning Processes
Goldbeck is a hugely successful German construction company. Still family run and highly innovative in everything they do, they use Board to optimize a variety of critical planning processes. Read the story and watch the video to learn more about this success story.
Smart Finance & Sustainable Future
From FP&A to ESG initiatives, our customer Van Moer Logistics shares real-world insights into how integrated data and planning are driving smarter, more sustainable decisions along their digital transformation journey. Take inspiration from a leading logistics company embracing the future.
RETAIL NEWS
Why Fashion Retailers Need Dynamic Cost Visibility
...because "it’s outdated, static planning that quietly erodes margin", says Matt Hopkins, Global Retail Marketing Director at Board and proposes a solution that covers:
- Scenario planning for cost volatility & sourcing shifts
- Integrated financials to drive commercial clarity
- External data feeds for a dynamic, market-aligned cost model
The AI Advantage in Business Planning - ISG Research Buyers Guide™
Businesses that integrate external data and AI gain a distinct advantage by anticipating market shifts and making faster, more informed decisions in volatile markets. More about...
- Internal data can lead to flawed forecasts
- External signals and AI to transform planning
- How top performers stay ahead in fast-changing markets
S&OP NEWS
Finding the Signal in the Noise
Kirsty Braines and Les Brookes, Partners at Oliver Wight and Rich Wagner, Field CTO at Board, discuss on how to navigate tariff volatility with integrated planning. Find out how to shift from reactive to meaningful planning and active decision-making—by learning to identify the right market signals.
An Apple a Day…
...keeps the planning gaps away. Westons Cider, a leading UK cider producer, has been transforming its operations and eliminating planning silos in collaboration with Bios Management. Hear about:
- Their journey to tackle planning complexities
- How they streamlined their S&OP and FP&A processes
- How they manage their Board platform
COMMUNITY NEWS
The Importance of Documentation for long-term Success
@Lucas Charello is a Community Captain and Senior Board Consultant at Kiwika for almost three years. In his blog, he tackles a topic that he feels does not get the recognition it should: the importance of a good Bill of Delivery document being " the difference between a smooth and error-proof deployment and a problematic and unreliable one".
Excel Workbook: Best Practices and Steps
@Eugen Melnic, FP&A Manager and Community Captain, has delivered reliable and effective reporting to the Finance team at HH Global using the Board Excel add-in. In his community blog article, he's sharing his best practices for successfully working with Board and Excel to support others who have similar needs.
ACADEMY NEWS
Regional Board Live Trainings
Looking to sharpen your Board skills or get new joiners up to speed? Our expert-led live sessions are a great place to start — explore what’s available in your region.
Re: Working with Dates
Hi @Walter,
In addition to what @Anastasia Pesyakova mentioned, you can also use Board NEXEL functions to extract those values directly in your report layout:
To extract those values, you would use Year(date field), Month(date field), Day(date field). Make sure you set these as text algorithms so the formatting doesn't have any decimals.
It would something like this:
Hope that helps.
Regards,
Hamza
Re: Working with Dates
Hi Walter,
You can achieve this by using ETL functionality of the data reader. You can find some info here:
Try using string formulas, LEFT, MID, RIGHT. e.g. B is your source column, so RIGHT(B,4) will return 2024 in your example.
Hope this helps,
Anastasia
