Are you an expert model builder who enjoys tweaking your models so you can shave micro-seconds off load times? Maybe you’ve been assigned the task of taking a poorly performing model and getting it back up to speed. Or you are looking for a way to take your model building skills to the next level.
We’ve got some exciting news for you! We’ve looked at the principal ways that you can optimize model performance and created a checklist. It builds on what we’ve provided in the Planual and takes it a step further. The checklist helps you identify issues that may impact performance, explains why, and includes the actions you can take to fix them.
Use the checklist:
When building new models to ensure that you are following best practices. Add going through the checklist as part of every sprint review.
When performing a yearly review of models, as some COEs may require. Use the checklist to help complete the review.
When you have a model that is experiencing a problem with performance. Some of the items in the checklist can be corrected easily, others may take some time.
When coaching or mentoring new model builders. Encourage them to use the checklist to instill good model building habits right from the start.
How to use the checklist: The checklist includes questions. Click the posts to display more information. Each topic includes more details about when and why this may be a problem, how to correct it, and links to articles and short lessons that provide more information.
When is this a problem? When there are unused actions that haven't been deleted. Why is this a problem? It is very hard to audit which actions are being used. How to correct: Remove any unused actions. More information: Planual 5.01-04 Best Practices for Model Cleanup
When is this a problem? This is a problem because conditional formatting is done at the detail level, not the parent level. Why is this a problem? The summary is unnecessary. How to correct: Turn off the Summary settings. More information: Planual 2.03-01
When is this a problem? Using SELECT is considered hardcoding and not recommended. It is OK to use SELECT for versions and general time periods. Why is this a problem? Using SELECT is hard coding and not recommended. When you use SELECT with a specific list item or time, you limit the ability to update those list items.…
When is this a problem? Always a problem. Why is this a problem? Using TEXTLIST requires a lot of memory. How to correct: Using two-dimensional modules and Boolean flags with ANY is a good alternative. Click here to see an ANY instead of TEXTLIST document. Use FIRSTNONBLANK and LASTNONBLANK with ANY and ALL. More…
When is this a problem? Having SUM and LOOKUP in the same line item is always a problem and can cause performance issues. Why is this a problem? Using SUM and LOOKUP in the same formula generally causes large formula calculations, especially if time is a dimension or when the source and target structures are very…
When is this a problem? The FINDITEM function requires a lot from the engine, as it is attempting to find an item in a list and it does this for every cell that is related to that line item. This is especially true when the list includes null values. Excessive use depends on your model and the lists it is being run…
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