Model builders can customize a model's calendar to align with an organization's fiscal year.

Warning: If you make changes to the model calendar, it affect all line items and modules that use Time as a dimension, or as a list format, and can result in the loss of data.

It's important to configure your model calendar when you first build a model, and before you import data. When you want to plan and analyze data, a chronological time scale is critical.

It's best practice to use the smallest time scale possible. If you add past and future years, the size of the model increases considerably. Use time ranges for longer periods.

To set your model calendar, select Time in the model settings bar.

First, set the Calendar Type. Subsequent settings depend on which calendar type you choose.

Calendar typeDescription
Calendar Months/Quarters/YearsAll model calendars are set to months, quarters, and years by default. This calendar type allows for monthly timescales.
Weeks: 4-4-5, 4-5-4, or 5-4-4Specify a pattern for grouping weeks into months (4-4-5, 4-5-4 or 5-4-4).
Weeks: General  Specify the number of weeks from a start date.
Weeks: 13 4-week Periods

In a 13-period setup, there are three quarters with three periods, and one quarter with four. Specify which quarters contains three periods and which contains four.

13 four-weekly periods are very common in some countries. For example, banks use this calendar type for payroll periods, instead of calendar months.

When you set the model calendar, you can further configure the granularity of the model's time scale. 

For example, if you include Quarter Totals and Half-Year Totals, you can create a line item that has a time scale of Day, Week, Month, Quarter, or Half-Year in a module's Blueprint. You cannot configure these settings for the Weeks: General calendar.

Note: Language settings on your browser control date formats. For example, the date 4 December, 2021 might display as 12/04/2021 or 04/12/2021.