Dimension count rules

Use dimension count rules in Configure General Ledger to maintain up-to-date counts of dimension members automatically. For example, you might want to track how many customers you have. These types of counts are often used in metrics for averaging and analysis.

Using dimension count posting, you can:

• Define the rules that control the count of what you're tracking.
• Select the statistical account to use for each dimension count rule. As your dimension count changes, the increase or decrease is automatically posted to the statistical account.

This topic describes how to set up dimension count rules in the general ledger. For more information on how dimension counts work, and how to establish a beginning balance, see Automate dimension count posting overview.

Dimension count rules enable automation of object count updates to statistical accounts. This gives you a simple way to track exactly the specifics that you want.

For example, automate counts for only direct customers, only departments with offices in London, or suppliers active in the Northeast. These types of counts are often used for averaging and analysis.

Create dimension count rules

1. Go to General Ledger > Setup > Configuration.
2. Ensure that Dimension count is enabled. The Enable dimension count checkbox will have a check mark.
3. Under Advanced GL options, locate the Dimension count section.
4. Select a dimension from the dropdown list. All standard and user-defined dimensions are available.
In multi-entity companies, you can set a dimension group filter to create the dimensions at either the top or entity level so you can further filter the dimension records to find all the dimensions, based on where they were created.
5. Choose (or create) the statistical account to associate with this dimension count rule. Only the top level statistical accounts are available.

   The statistical account that you select is the account into which any matching dimension count rules are updated. For example, if you select a statistical account for customers in California, that statistical account is updated whenever a customer that matches the rule is added or removed.
   

   For multi-entity companies: Only top-level statistical accounts are available. You can't select statistical accounts that are private to subsidiary entities.

6. Choose or create the Active dimension group to match the dimension object.

   A dimension group is a name for a particular set of members in a dimension, or a set of members that meet certain criteria. For example, you can create customer groups for customers located in a particular state or customers with the greatest open balance.

   When creating a dimension group for dimension count, you can use a broad set of criteria for the group, or use filtering to ensure that your update counts match specific needs, such as items groups whose average cost is higher or lower than a certain amount.

   If you don't see a particular dimension group in a menu

   Ask your administrator to give you permission to the dimension group. There are separate permissions for each application from which you can access the dimension group list.

   For multi-entity companies: Only top level dimension groups are available. You can't select dimension groups that are private to subsidiary entities.
7. Enter a posting description. The description you include here is used when the item is posted to the statistical journal used to contain dimension count posting.
   
8. Select a posting entity for the multi-entity companies, or posting location for a standalone company. Posting entities are required for multi-entity companies, because the dimensions are set up at the top level in multi-entity companies. Essentially, you need to assign 1 entity (location) for each transaction rule. This ensures that a member of the entity can be responsible for the transaction.
9. Repeat this process for each object to be included in a dimension count.
10. Select the statistical journal into which new transactions will be posted.

    For multi-entity companies: Only top-level statistical journals are available. You can't select statistical journals that are private to subsidiary entities.

    You can create multiple dimension count rules. However, the total of all dimension count rule information combined is limited to 4,000 characters. If you plan to create many dimension count rules, best practice is to limit the size of the posting description to ensure that you do not exceed this limit.

Field descriptions

The following table describes the Dimension count rules fields.

Dimension count rules

Field	Description
Dimensions	The dimension to use for this rule. All default and user-defined dimensions can be used for dimension counts.
Account	The statistical account into which this dimension count will update activity.
Dimension group	An appropriate dimension group is needed to track the dimension count. For example, to show only customers in California, create or select a dimension group that includes only customers with an address there.
Posting description	An optional description to be included when the entry is posted to the statistical journal.
Posting entity	In multi-entity companies, when the dimension is created at the top level, a posting entity is needed, showing the entity that will be used on the posting statistical journal entry.