08.01 Planning — Quick Start
These instructions assume that an IT administrator has already completed the initial setup steps: see Planning & Budgeting Setup.
For a full step-by-step treatment of everything covered here, see 08.02 Planning Overview
This guide gets you from a freshly configured system to a working planning submission in the shortest path possible. Each section links to the relevant full module when you need more detail.
What's already there when you log in
FastClose ships with a default planning scenario — code BUD — and a set of prebuilt input templates accessible from File → Home in Designer. The most useful are:
GL 06 Planning / Replanning This Year
GL 06 Planning for Next Year
These are the starting point for everything below, open one now.
Step 1 — Create a scenario
In Designer: Layout tab → Scenarios → Add Planning Scenario
Enter a code (short, no spaces — e.g. FY26BDG) and a caption (the human-readable name contributors will see — e.g. Budget FY2026). Set the period range to cover your planning year.
You can use the default BUD scenario for testing, but create a properly named scenario before you go live.
Important: The first submission to a scenario locks the dimension combination in use. All later submissions must be consistent with that. Get your template right before anyone submits live data — see 08.01 for full detail.
Step 2 — Choose your level of granularity
This is the most consequential decision. FastClose supports three approaches — pick the one that matches your process:
Approach | What contributors enter against | Go to |
Account Nominal | Individual account codes, no cost centre split — consolidated across the whole business | |
P&L / Hierarchy | Named P&L lines (Revenue, Salaries, Overheads) mapped to account groups | |
Full GL Account | Composite code — account nominal + division + department (Epicor: Segment1 + Segment2 + Segment3) |
If you're unsure, P&L / Hierarchy (08.07) is the right default for most organisations starting out — contributors work in familiar management reporting terms and the output maps directly to board reports - though the Account Nominal (08.06) approach is initially quicker to get going.
See 08.04 for a fuller discussion of how to decide, including how the hierarchy Submit checkbox works for node-level input.
Step 3 — Set up your input template
Open one of the GL 06 Planning templates from File → Home and adapt it:
For Account Nominal planning (08.06): In Rows / Columns, set the down axis to show the Account dimension only — remove any Division or Department segments. Select your planning scenario in the Planning Scenario filter. Save with a clear name.
For P&L / Hierarchy planning (08.07): Set the down axis to Account only, then use Insert → Hierarchies to bring in your P&L hierarchy. On any node where you want contributors to enter a number directly (rather than it rolling up from account nominals), open the node and tick Submit. Save with a clear name.
For Full GL Account planning (08.08): In Rows / Columns, add each dimension to the down axis — for example Segment2 (Division) + Segment3 (Department) + Account, or use the prebuilt GL Account dimension which combines all three Epicor segments. Save with a clear name.
In all cases: select your planning scenario in the Planning Scenario filter and verify that submission cells appear with a yellow background when you run the report.
Step 4 — Test before you distribute
Before sending the template to anyone:
In Designer: right-click a yellow cell → Submit Planning Value and enter a test number. If the cell isn't yellow, right-click → Why Can't I Submit?
In Excel: open the report via the FastClose Add-In, type a value into a submission cell, click Submit, and confirm the preview looks right before clicking OK.
Clean up: Layout tab → Scenarios → Edit → Delete All Submissions to remove test data.
Full instructions in 08.05.
Step 5 — Distribute to contributors
Apply fixed dimension filters in Designer to create contributor-specific versions of the template — each person opens a workbook already scoped to their entity, department, or cost centre. See 08.09 for workbook setup, formula use, and protection options.
Contributors open the workbook, enter figures (or formulas), and click Submit. Full submission mechanics in 08.10. If any account has no historical actuals and therefore no row in the template, use Add Rows — covered in 08.11.
Step 6 — Report over the plan
FastClose ships with prebuilt P&L reporting templates in File → Home → Solutions.
Open the FastClose Planning variant for your signing convention, swap in your own P&L hierarchy and account code ranges, set the Scenario filter to your planning scenario, and you have actuals vs budget immediately. Full walkthrough in 08.13.
When things need a closer look
Situation | Module |
You need to audit everything that's been submitted across the cycle | |
You suspect there are submissions at both account and node level for the same items | |
You want to lock the scenario at end of cycle | |
You need the end-of-cycle checklist |