SurvivalWare 3.1 – New Comparanator Options

The comparanator  has been much improved in version 3.1.  There are now a total of ten “Styles”:

• Basic Line Chart

• Dual Scale Line Chart

• Actual vs. 12 Month Average

• Actual vs. Budget vs. Last Year

• Next Year Budget

• Peer Group Members

• Scenarios

• Peer Group vs. Benchmark

• Actual vs. Comparison Group (25/50/75)

• Actual vs. Comparison Group (5/25/50/75/95)

 

 

 (right click)

To select a comparanator style, and make it the default going forward, simply Right Click on the Comparanator Icon or select “Set default Comparanator style…” from the File Menu  in the DataViewer or Projections Module.

Basic Line Chart

Graphs the focus row (and Next and Previous rows as requested) against a single comparison row.    You can browse through a list of variables in the Fort Knox model to pick a comparison row.  Once selected, it is “sticky” – i.e. it remains the default comparison row until you explicitly change it. 

The Basic Line Chart uses a single scale for the Y-Axis, which means it is useful only when comparing rows of similar magnitudes, e.g. two different expense lines. 

Here is “Total Overhead” vs. “Sales”:

 

  

Dual Scale Line Chart

 

 Useful for comparing variables of different magnitudes. 

Graphs the focus row (and Next and Previous rows as requested) against a single comparison row, using separate y-axis scales for each row   You can browse through a list of variables in the Fort Knox model to pick the comparison row.  Once selected, it is “sticky” – i.e. it remains the default comparison row until you explicitly change it. 

Here is “Delivery Costs” vs. “Sales” in a Dual Scale Line Chart.  The scale for “Sales” goes from zero to 250,000.  For “Delivery Costs” it goes from 0 to 15,000.

Actual vs. 12 Month Rolling Average

Graphs the focus row (and Next and Previous rows as requested) against the twelve month moving average for that row.  Note that you are not given the option to change time periods like you are with the other comparanator styles.

Actual vs. Budget vs. Last Year

Graphs the focus row (and Next and Previous rows as requested) for the twelve months of the current year.  For the same 12 months, the Budget numbers are graphed, as well as, last year’s numbers.  Note that you are not given the option to change time periods like you are with the other comparanator styles.

Note: Current Year Budget values can be entered in the Budget Module. 

Next Year Budget

Graphs the focus row (and Next and Previous rows as requested) for the twelve months of the current year.  For the same 12 months, the Budget numbers are graphed, as well as, the numbers for Next Year’s Budget.  Note that you are not given the option to change time periods like you are with the other comparanator styles.

Note: the Next  Year Budget values can be entered in the Budget Module. 

Peer Group Members

These can be separate locations if you have multiple outlets, or clients of yours who have agreed to share data files.  This style graphs the focus row (and Next and Previous rows as requested) with one line representing each group member.  It is useful for small groups. 

You can create a CSF file in the DataViewer, Projections Module, or Rusty’s ToolBox.   Select “File ‘ then “Create CSF File”.

Scenarios

This does the same really as Peer Group Members, but the group members are different scenarios for the same company as opposed to different companies.   You create the scenarios by typing in different assumptions or using the Forecast Tool to access different forecast techniques.  Then save each result under a new name (File / Save Company As…). 

You would normally select this style from the Projections Module as opposed to the DataViewer.

Peer Group vs. Benchmark

Here’s “Total Overhead” for the month of March 2010 for the group.  US201 was selected to be the benchmark. 

You can build your own  benchmark file and enter published industry stats by setting up a new company.  Check the box “Use this file for Benchmark data only.”  This allows you to enter values for calculated measures such as “Inventory Turns” or “Days of Cash.”

Actual vs. Comparison Group

In SurvivalWare a Comparison Group has special meaning:  it is a collection of company or locations which have been assembled in a central area (e.g. by a corporate analyst for a franchise company), and analyzed through the Company Stats module in Rusty’s Toolbox.  The analysis produces a set of “meta data” files than can be re-distributed to the participants without compromising anyone’s privacy. 

These two comparanator styles let you graph your performance against the percentiles of the group – either 3 at a time (25^th percentile, Median, 75^th percentile) or 5 at a time by including the 5^th and 95^th percentiles as well.

We’ve included a sample comparison group so you can see how this works. It is called “fake-meta-data” and the files are all contained in the folder ..\Survware\FortKnox\ComparisonGroups.

Related Posts

1. SurvivalWare 3.1 – Shopping Cart back by Popular Demand
2. SurvivalWare 3.1 – A Sneak Preview
3. Doing Projections in SurvivalWare – Part 5: Other Cash Flow
4. SurvivalWare Version 2.0
5. Year End Rollover

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Tags: benchmark, Cash Flow Analysis, Cash Flow Projections, Cash flow Software, Financial Analysis, Financial Projections, peer group, scenarios, SurvivalWare

on Sunday, August 29th, 2010 at 9:32 pm and is filed under SurvivalWare "How to", SurvivalWare Software News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.