Simplified Versioning

Going forward, Cost Object information in budget and forecast plans will be handled in a different way. Plans will essentially only have one current editable version. Whenever you edit an open plan, you will always edit the current version of plan line items associated with that Cost Object. When you submit a Cost Object, it is locked from further edits.

Additionally, you can create a Snapshot to capture a Cost Object at a given point in time. Snapshots are not editable and cannot be submitted for approval, but they can be used for comparison with current Cost Object contents. 

A Snapshot is created automatically when you submit a Cost Object for approval, providing a copy of the data that was submitted. After you submit a plan for approval, it can no longer be edited unless the you reopen the plan, thereby retrieving it from the approver. Alternatively, the approver can return the plan to the Cost Object Owner. If you reopen the Cost Object or if the approver returns it, the Cost Object returns to the "In Progress" status and becomes editable.

Roll-up views of Cost Objects, such as the view from the top level of the Cost Object hierarchy (e.g. for a Department) will always  display the latest versions of those Cost Objects, or what is called the "Latest For Cost Object" in the leaf Cost Object view.

How Simplified Versioning differs from existing Cost Object versioning

The primary difference between the new method of Simplified Versioning and the prior method is that in Simplified Versioning, you are always editing the latest version of a Cost Object. In the prior method, it was possible to edit a Cost Object after it had been submitted for approval, which would create "unsubmitted changes." This led to confusion about what was submitted and whether changes had or had not been completed. This change removes the “unsubmitted changes” version view on line-items tables, eliminating the risk that a user will make a change to a plan’s Cost Object data after it has been submitted for approval. All changes to a Cost Object are now done in the current version of the plan, and changes cannot be made to a Cost Object after it has been submitted for approval, unless that Cost Object has been reopened or returned by the approver.

Additionally, if you were to edit a Cost Object in the prior method, a new Cost Object version would automatically be created. With Simplified Versioning, that does not happen, as all editing is always done in the latest version. There are no "unsubmitted changes" with Simplified Versioning.

In releasing Simplified Versioning, we are addressing two customer submitted ideas:

Provide ability to default to view latest versions 

and

Change language and behavior for "View Unsubmitted Changes" 

NOTE: Snapshots are automatically taken when you submit a Cost Object (deptartment or project budget) and are only available for leaf Cost Objects. While you can still compare a Cost Object to a previously submitted snapshot, you are no longer able to do so at the group Cost Object, or plan, level (i.e. all departments or all projects).  Because of this, we recommend the following best practice for plan comparison:

1. Click create Plan.
2. Create a new plan using your current plan as a baseline. You will use this plan for comparison basis.
   TIP: Add "Comparison," or something similar, to the name of this new plan so it can be easily identified.
3. Make the relevant changes in the original plan you want to use for comparison.
4. Compare the plans to each other on the Summary/dashboard or Expenses view.

The transition to Simplified Versioning 

Updated May 11, 2020 - All non-main environments were transitioned to Simplified Versioning with release 2.70 on April 29th.  Main environments will be transitioned starting on June 3rd. This will provide users with an opportunity to familiarize themselves with the new functionality and how it is different from the prior method of versioning that remains in their main environments. Additionally, all in-progress deployments and new tenant provisions will be automatically configured with Simplified Versioning.

Before-and-after examples 

The following image displays the Contracts tab in an open plan. Snapshot 1 represents the state of the Cost Object when the plan was opened. A new contract line has been added, and now you have the ability to save another Snapshot representing the current lines and values in the cost object. Note the user is always working in Latest For Cost Object, which represents the current version of the plan. 

Simplified Versioning - Save Snapshot

In the following image, the Cost Object has been submitted. Note that the view is still Latest For Cost Object; ie, the current version. Also note that the Cost Object is not editable unless unlocked by the cost center owner or returned by the approver.

Simplified Versioning - Unlock Cost Object

The following image represents the existing (prior) versioning method. Notice that Version 2 was the submitted version. However, you could still make changes to a contract line item in this submitted Cost Object. That caused the version to increment to Version 3, and for the creation of "unsubmitted changes." An approver of the submitted Cost Object could approve it without ever being aware that work had been done on the plan after submission. With Simplified Versioning, this errant situation is no longer possible.

Existing (prior) versioning method

Summary

Cost Objects have only one current version. Cost Objects are locked and cannot be updated or delegated to after submission, and must be explicitly unlocked to be edited. Unlocking a Cost Object returns it to the “In Progress” state, effectively retrieving any prior submission. Upon submission, a copy of the Cost Object (a Snapshot) is automatically created in order provide a record of what was submitted and to support comparisons to the current version.