Ever wondered how the Gregorian calendar works or when to use different period calendars in Apptio Costing?  

The Gregorian calendar is the most widely used calendar system globally. It consists of 12 months with varying lengths (28-31 days), totaling 365 days in a common year and 366 days in a leap year. Leap years occur every four years, except for years divisible by 100, unless they are also divisible by 400. This calendar is perfect for aligning with the standard fiscal year and is commonly used for general business reporting and planning. A company would use this calendar where the fiscal year starts on January 1st and ends on December 31st. 

Apptio Costing supports various period calendars to accommodate different business needs and reporting structures:

1. 4-4-5 Calendar:

• Structure: Divides the year into 12 periods, each consisting of 4 weeks, 4 weeks, and 5 weeks.
• Use Case: Ideal for retail and manufacturing industries where weekly reporting aligns better with business cycles. It helps in comparing performance across periods with consistent lengths.

2. 4-5-4 Calendar:

• Structure: Similar to the 4-4-5 calendar but with the sequence of 4 weeks, 5 weeks, and 4 weeks.
• Use Case: Useful for businesses that prefer a slightly different distribution of weeks to match their operational cycles. This calendar helps a  company plan its production runs and maintenance schedules more effectively.

3. 5-4-4 Calendar:

• Structure: Divides the year into 12 periods with 5 weeks, 4 weeks, and 4 weeks.
• Use Case: Suitable for companies that want to start their fiscal periods with a longer duration, often used in financial services as it is useful for initial financial assessments and planning.

4. 13-Period Calendar:

• Structure: Divides the year into 13 periods, each consisting of 4 weeks.
• Use Case: Ensures each period has the same number of days, making it easier to compare performance across periods. Often used in industries where consistent period lengths are crucial for accurate reporting. For example, a hospitality business uses the 13-period calendar. This consistency is crucial for accurate analysis of occupancy rates, revenue, and expenses.

When to Use Different Period Calendars

• Gregorian Calendar: Use for standard fiscal year reporting, aligning with global business practices.
• 4-4-5, 4-5-4, 5-4-4 Calendars: Use for industries with specific operational cycles, such as retail, manufacturing, and financial services, where weekly consistency is important.
• 13-Period Calendar: Use when you need uniform period lengths for precise comparison and analysis, often in sectors like retail and hospitality.

By leveraging these different period calendars in Apptio Costing, companies can tailor their reporting and planning to best fit their operational needs and business cycles.