Skip to main content
Time is one of the core systems that defines how a model behaves in Oculon. It sets the planning horizon, controls when actual logic stops, and determines how results are grouped when you review them at month, quarter, or year level. Model settings in Oculon with time controls

​
Why time matters

Time decisions affect the whole model, not just one report. They influence:
  • how far your model runs
  • how often values are stored and reviewed
  • where the model switches from historical logic to planned logic
  • how quarterly and yearly summaries are calculated
  • how reusable your formulas and views stay over time
If you change the time setup after you build formulas, boards, and scenarios, you often need to recheck several downstream outputs.

​
Model-level time settings

The model settings define the time rules the rest of the model inherits.
  • Model date range sets the first and last period in the model.
  • Time granularity defines whether the model runs monthly, quarterly, or yearly.
  • Last actual date marks the cutoff between actual and planned behavior.
  • Fiscal year assumptions define how Oculon groups periods into fiscal quarters and fiscal years.
These settings should be stable before you build deeper logic.

​
Time inside formulas and reporting

Time also appears in the way variables, formulas, and reports behave day to day.
  • Actual formula logic applies to periods on the actuals side of the Last actual date.
  • Planned formula logic applies to periods after that cutoff.
  • Relative time lets you build rules that move forward with the model instead of hard-coding one month or quarter.
  • Time aggregation defines what a metric should mean when you review it at quarter or year level.
  • Time rollups define how lower-level periods are grouped into higher-level periods.
In practice, rollups answer which periods belong together. Aggregation answers what number should represent that group.

​
How the pieces work together

You can think about the time system in four steps:
  1. Set the model date range and granularity.
  2. Set the Last actual date so Oculon knows where actual behavior ends.
  3. Write actual and planned formulas that behave correctly on each side of that cutoff.
  4. Review quarterly and yearly outputs to confirm rollups and aggregation still match the business meaning of the metric.

​
Common scenarios

​
Monthly operating model

Most FP&A models work best at monthly granularity. You can use monthly actuals, monthly forecast logic, and then roll those periods up into quarter and year views for reporting.

​
Quarterly strategic model

If the model is meant for long-range planning instead of operational tracking, quarterly granularity can keep the model smaller and easier to maintain.

​
Executive reporting

Even when the model runs monthly, executives often consume quarter and year summaries. That makes aggregation and rollup behavior just as important as the base formula.

​
What to decide before you build

Use this checklist before you start deeper modeling work:
  • confirm the planning horizon
  • choose the lowest level of detail you need
  • decide who updates the Last actual date during close
  • confirm fiscal year assumptions
  • identify which metrics should sum and which should behave like end-of-period values
  • use relative time instead of hard-coded dates where possible