Comparing versions & scenarios on charts
i.e. Forecast vs. Actuals, Budget vs Actuals, Scenario A vs. Scenario B
Often, you'll want to compare different versions and/or scenarios of your model, for example:
- Learning how your actual performance compares to your budget/forecast of how you thought you'd do (Budget vs. Actuals, Forecast vs. Actuals)
- To see how different scenarios affect your numbers (Scenario A vs. Scenario B)
- Comparing how a new scenario stacks up against your original forecast (Scenario A vs. Current Forecast)
In Causal, you can easily compare versions/scenarios of your model on charts & tables.
Note: Comparing versions on charts is only offered on paid plans.
Tables
Add the version/scenario as a row, column, or if you only wish to see one scenario/version at a time, add the scenario/version as a filter. This means that you can flip through each as its own page.
Version & scenario options
- Click the ⚙️ or 🕓 icon to access Scenario and Version options respectively.
- Choose your base version/scenario, and as many additional versions/scenarios as you like.
- Causal can show you the variance between the base version/scenario and additional versions/scenarios if you toggle the Show Variances slider on/off.
- If you hit the gear icon on the additional version/scenario, you can also convert variance from a % to a number, or show the variance in a separate column.
Chart
Scenarios
By default Charts will show the value of each variable under every scenario which affects it.
You can add/remove scenarios from the chart altogether in the Scenarios section of the settings.
If you instead wish to specify the scenarios to show on a variable-by-variable basis, hit the gear icon :gear: next to the variable, and select/de-select scenarios as you wish.
Version Options
Under version options you can select to display additional versions on your chart. By default your base version will be the current version of the model.
Filters
Same as tables - if you only wish to see one scenario/version at a time, add the scenario/version as a filter. This means that you can flip through each as its own page.
Special versions
Causal auto-creates a few special versions of your model that you can refer to in tables and charts.
Current takes the numbers in your model currently, i.e. it takes data for the months there is historical data available, and uses the formulas for forecast months. Whenever you create a chart or table, this is always the default.
Actuals includes all current values in the model up to and including the Last Actual Date. If there is no Last Actual Date set, Causal will return none.
Rolling Forecast takes the most recent version of each timestep’s value, where that month was still a “forecast” not an “actual”, according to the Last Actual Date when the version was saved.
Data includes all current values that come from a data source.