Name conventions

Include the model’s business function to emphasize its purpose.

For example, if your model is for sales planning, name it Sales Planning.

If you archive or copy a model, add a memorable or significant date to the end of the name. For example, Sales Planning YYYYMMDD.

Describe the type of items in the list.

For example, if your list contains a group of employees, name it Employees.

Include a two or three-character prefix to each level of the hierarchy.

For example, if your list contains geographical regions, name it G1 Region. In this example, G2 Country could follow G1 Region.

If your hierarchy list is complex, use additional prefixes to identify the parent hierarchy and the list content.

For example, if your list contains employees by region, name it GE3 Employees.

Include a hash (#) to differentiate a numbered list from its parent list.

For example, GE3 Employees# is a numbered list that represents employees in a specific region.

When you name a list subset, include:

• A prefix (ls, sub, ss) to indicate that the list is a subset of a larger list.
• The name of the parent list.
• A colon followed by a description of the list subset.

For example, if your list subset contains a group of inactive employees in a specific region, name it sub GE3 Employees: Inactive.

Include << and >> characters to differentiate category names from list names. 

For example, add the G1 Region list to the <<Geo Hierarchy>> category.

If your list does not fit into a category, create an <<Other lists>> category.

If you want to separate list subsets, create a <<Subsets>> category.

Note: Use << and >> to categorize modules and saved views.

Include a date range and aggregation.

For example, if your time range covers the 2020-2021 financial year, name it FY20-FY21. 

If your time range includes quarter totals, name it FY18-FY20 with Qtrs.

When you name a time range, do not:

• Use underscores at the start or end of the time range name.
• Use the words Model Calendar.

Include a business function or process to emphasize the functional area's purpose.

For example, if your functional area contains sales forecasting modules, name it Sales Forecasting.

If your functional area represents a step in a process, include a number in the name. For example, 1 Sales Forecasting.

When you name a dashboard, ensure that the name is user friendly. 

For example, if your dashboard contains grids from expense modules, name it Expenses.

If your dashboard represents a step in a process, include a number in the name. For example, 5 Expenses.

When you name a module, keep the name short to ensure that:

• Formulas are concise.
• Names in Actions are not shortened.

For example, if your module is for calculating price growth, name it Price Growth Rates.

If your module is part of a complex model, add a two or three-character prefix to the name. For example, REV01 Price Growth Rates.

When you name a saved view, include:

• The name of its parent module.
• A greater-than character (>).

For example, REV01 Price Growth Rates > Current Year.

When you name a line item, ensure that the name is unique and represents the line item's value.

For example, Benefits or Overheads.

Use single quotes before and after a line item name if the name includes:

• A number.
• An operator such as a hyphen or asterisk.
• The words IF, AND, or OR.

When you name a line item subset, include:

• A two or three-character prefix (LIS).
• The parent module’s name.
• A colon, followed by the name of the line item subset.

For example, LIS Reporting Summary.

If your line item subset contains line items from multiple modules, prefix the name with MM:. For example, MM: LIS Reporting Summary.

Include names that reflect your organization's roles. 

For example, name a role Administrator, Sales Manager, or Sales Executive.

When you name an action, include:

• The source and destination location.
• An abbreviation of the action type.
• The name of the data source.

Refer to the table below for recommended name conventions and examples.

Include im for imports.

Note: Use a number to represent a stage in the process.

Include ex for exports.

Note: Use a number to represent a stage in the process.

Include a plus + or minus - symbol for button names.

Use > for buttons that open dashboards.

+ Product Group

- Product Group

> Sales Plan