Work with Dimensions| Microsoft Docs

To make it simpler to perform analysis on documents such as sales orders, you can use dimensions. Dimensions are attributes and values that categorize entries so you can track and analyze them. For example, dimensions can indicate the project or department an entry came from.

For example, instead of setting up separate general ledger accounts for each department and project, you can use dimensions. This gives a rich opportunity for analysis, without creating a complicated chart of accounts. For more information, see Business Intelligence.

Another example is to set up a dimension called Department, and use this dimension when you post sales documents. This will let you use business intelligence tools to see which department sold which items. The more dimensions you use, the more detailed reports you can base your business decisions on. For example, a single sales entry can include multiple dimension information, such as:

• The account the item sale was posted to
• Where the item was sold
• Who sold it
• The kind of customer who bought it

Analyzing by Dimensions

The Dimensions functionality plays an important role in business intelligence, such as when defining analysis views. For more information, see Analyze Data by Dimensions.

Dimension Sets

A dimension set is a unique combination of dimension values. It is stored as dimension set entries in the database. Each dimension set entry represents a single dimension value. The dimension set is identified by a common dimension set ID that is assigned to each dimension set entry that belongs to the dimension set.

When you create a journal line, document header, or document line, you can specify a combination of dimension values. Instead of explicitly storing each dimension value in the database, a dimension set ID is assigned to the journal line, document header, or document line to specify the dimension set.

Setting Up Dimensions

You can define the dimensions and dimension values to categorize journals and documents, such as sales orders and purchase orders. You set up dimensions on the Dimensions page, where you create one line for each dimension, such as Project, Department, Area, and Salesperson.

You also set up values for dimensions. For example, values might be departments in your company. Dimension values can be set up in a hierarchical structure similar to the chart of accounts, so that data can be broken down into various levels of granularity, and subsets of dimension values can be totaled. You can define as many dimensions and dimension values as you need, and everyone in your company can use them.

When dimensions and values are set up, you can define global and shortcut dimensions on the General Ledger Setup page that will always be available to select as fields on journal and document lines, without having to open the Dimensions page first. For more information, see To set up global and shortcut dimensions.

• Global dimensions are used as filters, for example, on reports and batch jobs. You can use only two global dimensions, so choose dimensions you will use often.
• Shortcut dimensions are available as fields on journal and document lines. You can create up to six of these.

To set up default dimensions for customers, vendors, and other accounts

You can assign a default dimension for a specific account. The dimension will be copied to the journal or document when you enter the account number on a line, but you can delete or change the code on the line if appropriate. You can also make a dimension required for posting an entry with a specific type of account.

1. Choose the icon, enter Dimensions, and then choose the related link.
2. On the Dimensions page, select the relevant dimension, and then choose the Account Type Default Dim action.
3. Fill in a line for each new default dimension that you want to set up. Hover over a field to read a short description.

To set up default dimension priorities

Different account types, such as a customer account and an item account, can have different default dimensions set up. As a result, an entry can have more than one default dimension proposed for a dimension. To avoid such conflicts, you can apply priority rules to the different sources.

1. Choose the icon, enter Default Dimension Priorities, and then choose the related link.
2. On the Default Dimension Priorities page, in the Source Code field, enter the source code for the entry table to which default dimension priorities will apply.
3. Fill in a line for each default dimension priority that you want for the selected source code.
4. Repeat the procedure for each source code for which you want to set up default dimension priorities.

To set up dimension combinations

To avoid posting entries with contradictory or irrelevant dimensions, you can block or limit specific combinations of two dimensions. A blocked dimension combination means that you cannot post both dimensions on the same entry regardless of what the dimension values are. A limited dimension combination lets you post both dimensions to the same entry, but only for certain combinations of dimension values.

1. Choose the icon, enter Dimension Combinations, and then choose the related link.

2. On the Dimension Combinations page, choose the field of the dimension combination and select one of the following options.

   Field	Description
   No limitation	This dimension combination has no restrictions. All dimensions values are allowed.
   Limited	This dimension combination has restrictions depending on which dimension values that you enter. You must define the limitations on the Dimension Value Combination page.
   Blocked	This dimension combination is not allowed.

3. If you selected the Limited option, you must define which combinations of dimension values are blocked. To do this, choose the field to define the dimension combination.

4. Now select a dimension value combination that is blocked and enter Blocked in the field. A blank field means that the dimension value combination is allowed. Repeat if multiple combinations are blocked.

To set up global and shortcut dimensions

Global and shortcut dimensions can be used as a filter anywhere in Business Central , including on reports, batch jobs, and analysis views. Global and shortcut dimensions are always available to be inserted directly without first opening the Dimensions page. On journal and document lines, you can select global and shortcut dimensions in a field on the line. You can set up two global dimensions and eight shortcut dimensions. Choose the dimensions that you use most frequently.

1. Choose the icon, enter General Ledger Setup, and then choose the related link.
2. On the Dimensions FastTab, fill in the fields. Hover over a field to read a short description.

To change global dimensions

1. Choose the icon, enter Change Global Dimensions, and then choose the related link.
2. Hover over actions and fields on the page to learn how to change global and shortcut dimensions.

Example of Dimension Setup

Let's say that your company wants to track transactions based on organizational structure and geographic locations. To do that, you can set up two dimensions on the Dimensions page:

• AREA
• DEPARTMENT

For AREA, you add the following dimension values:

For the two main geographic areas, Americas and Europe, you add subcategories for regions by indenting the dimension values. This will let you report on sales or expenses in regions, and get totals for the larger geographic areas. You could also choose to use countries or regions as your dimension values, or counties or cities, depending on your business.

For DEPARTMENT, you add the following dimension values:

With this set up, you can add your two dimensions as the two global dimensions on the General Ledger Setup page. This means that you can use AREA and DEPARTMENT as filters for general ledger entries, as well as on all reports and account schedules. Both global dimensions are also automatically available for use on entry lines and document headers as shortcut dimensions.

Getting an Overview of Dimensions used Multiple Times

The Default Dimensions-Multiple page specifies how a group of accounts use dimensions and dimension values. You can do this by highlighting multiple accounts and then specifying default dimensions and dimension values for all the accounts you have highlighted in the account list. When you specify default dimensions for the highlighted accounts, the program will suggest these dimensions and dimension values whenever one of these accounts is used, for example on a journal line. This makes entry posting easier for the user, as the dimension fields are filled in automatically. However, the dimension values that are suggested can be changed on, for example, a journal line.

The Default Dimensions-Multiple page contains the following fields:

Using Dimensions

In a document such as a sales order, you can add dimension information for both an individual document line and the document itself. For example, on the Sales Order page, you can enter dimension values for the first two shortcut dimensions on the individual sales lines, and you can add more dimension information if you choose the Dimensions button.

If you work in a journal instead, you can add dimension information to an entry in the same way, if you have set up shortcut dimensions as fields directly on journal lines.

You can set up default dimensions for accounts or account types, so that dimensions and dimension values are filled in automatically.

To view global dimensions in ledger entry pages

Global dimensions are always company-defined and company-named. To see the global dimensions for your company, open the General Ledger Setup page.

In a ledger entry page, you can see whether there are global dimensions for the entries. The two global dimensions differ from the rest of your dimensions because you can use them as filters anywhere in Business Central .

1. Choose the icon, enter Chart of Accounts, and then choose the related link.
2. On the Chart of Accounts page, choose the Ledger Entries action.
3. To see only the entries that are relevant, set one or more filters on the page.
4. To see all the dimensions for an entry, select the entry, and then choose the Dimensions action.

Troubleshooting Dimensions Errors

When you post documents or journal lines that contain dimensions, various errors may occur that are typically related to wrong dimension setup or assignment.

See Also

Business Intelligence
Finance
Analyze Data by Dimensions
Working with Business Central

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