Goal-Seek is What-if analysis in OLAP, but of a reverse order. In a typical What-if analysis, A Calculation model takes a set of input values, to give the set of out-put values. Each different set of these 'input and output value combinations' is called a what-if analysis scenario. Depending upon your needs you can build different scenarios of input values, and you can apply those scenarios on the calculation model, and generate the output values. Here we are traveling from input values to output values.
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Goal-Seek is What-if analysis in OLAP, but of a reverse order. In a typical What-if analysis, A Calculation model takes a set of input values, to give the set of out-put values. Each different set of these 'input and output value combinations' is called a what-if analysis scenario. Depending upon your needs you can build different scenarios of input values, and you can apply those scenarios on the calculation model, and generate the output values. Here we are traveling from input values to output values.
In goal-seeking, the direction is reversed. You have the out-put values for a scenario, and you want to have the input values, which will correspond to the given output values.
The OLAP goal-seeking capabilities has following scenarios:
- Single input value and single output value.
- Multiple input values and single output value. For example- you can have same net profit margin (output value), with different combinations of operating and gross margins as input values.
- Multiple input values and multiple output values. For example- you can have same P&L projections (output values of Gross profit, Operating Profit, Net profit..), with different combinations of input values (like Revenue growth, gross margins, non-operational expense..)
An OLAP analysis solution can have the following goal-seek capabilities:
- Allows you to define on which input values you want to change through goal-seek to achieve the given output values.
- Allows you to define the min-max limits for each input value, as goal-seek generates various options of input-value combinations.
- Allows you to define any tolerances, which are acceptable for the out put values.
- Apart from min-max limits, you can define various other constraints on the input values.
- You can accept of reject an option created by goal-seek.
- You can tag an option generated by goal seek. For example- 'more probable' and 'less probable'.
- You can store the options generated by goal-seek in OLAP OR the analysis tool sitting on top of OLAP.
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