The usage of MAX and MIN functions is pretty common on finance. Until today, we’ve seen a lot of usage of IF ELSE to cover these formulas (e.g. IF variableA > variableB THEN variableA ELSE variableB). However, this makes formulas less readable and clean.

What’s new?

We are now introducing two new functions into our formula library: MAX and MIN to make modeling experience quicker and cleaner.

How do they work?

• MAX formula returns the largest values in a set of variables or constants
• MIN formula returns the lowest values in a set of variables or constants

These functions can also be combined with other functions, such as IF ELSE. 

Learn more about how to use them in the academy:

• MAX: Link
• MIN: Link

FP&A teams often face the challenge of analyzing large amounts of financial data to spot outliers. Reviewing all the data manually is time-intensive and inefficient, delaying decisions that rely on accurate insights.

What’s new?

We are launching our Abacum Intelligence anomaly detection feature to empower teams like yours to automatically identify and address unusual patters in actuals data so that you can proactively explore outliers and take corrective actions if needed.

How does it work?

There are two modes of operation:

1. Automated anomaly detection: You can enable anomaly detection for specific variable so that every time this data is updated due to an actuals change anomaly detection model will be run to check if there is any outlier. You can also adjust “lookback” setting, which allows you to define how many months of historical data the AI will analyze to establish a baseline for normal behavior.
2. Ad-hoc anomaly detection: You can additionally activate initiative detection manually by selecting the “Detect data anomalies” action for specific variables.

Once anomalies have been detected, you can resolve these anomalies. The resolution workflow works like this:

• Notifications alert you when anomalies are detected.
• Review and resolve anomalies directly in the activity sidebar by marking them as resolved with a predefined reason.
• You can choose between permanent or transient resolutions, providing clarity for recurring or one-time issues.

Learn more about this in the academy: AI Anomaly Detection.

This feature is being rolled out gradually to our customers. If you don’t see it in your account yet, don’t hesitate to contact your customer success manager, and we’ll be happy to activate it for you. 

• Drag any KPI card to a new position.
• A visual cue will show the card's new placement as you drag.
• Drop the card, and it will snap into the new position, shifting other cards as needed.
• Dropping the card outside valid positions will return it to its original spot.

When duplicating a version as manual inputs, you can now customize exactly what’s included to make the process more streamlined and focused on what matters most.

How does it work?

When duplicating a version as manual inputs, you can now select the specific models, sections, or variables you want to include in the new version.

Any unselected items will not carry over values into the duplicated version.

Recommendations

• Duplicate only necessary variables and models: Avoid including test models or auxiliary variables that aren’t essential.
• Why does it matter? Selecting more variables will slow down the duplication process and impact your models performance.

Working with large models? Struggling to find specific variables, especially in summary groups? The new search bar in the model builder makes it easier than ever to navigate complex models.

Here’s how it works:

• As you type in the search bar, the model builder dynamically displays variables that match your input.
• If a variable is hidden in a collapsed section or group, it will automatically expand to reveal the matching item.

Notes:

While using the search bar, drag-and-drop actions and variable creation are temporarily disabled to ensure a smooth experience.

If you've ever used the DISTRIBUTE function, which requires two date inputs, you may be familiar with its syntax:

DISTRIBUTE (start_date, end_date, amount) FROM DATASET

Unlike DISTRIBUTE, which requires both a start and end date, DATE_SUM allows you to aggregate values with just one date parameter. This simplicity makes it especially useful for cases where a single date, such as a closing date or transaction date, determines in which time a certain amount is allocated. Additionally, DATE_SUM includes an optional "last" parameter to help you work with snapshot datasets, avoiding duplicate data entries.

This function can be used both in actuals and versions formulas.

Syntax explanation

DATE_SUM(date, measure, [criteria]) FROM DATASET

• measure: The numeric field (e.g., amount or value) you want to sum.
• date: The date field on which the allocation is based.
• criteria (optional): If "last" is added, it restricts the aggregation to only the last available data load, which is useful for snapshot datasets to avoid duplicates.

Examples:

DATE_SUM (close_date, amount) FROM DATASET

• Sums a certain amount based on close_date date, using all available data in the dataset.
• Use Case: Ideal for calculating total sales or expenses over time on a transactional dataset .

DATE_SUM (close_date, amount, last) FROM DATASET

• Sums a certain amount based on close_date date, but only uses the most recent data load.
• Use Case: Ideal for snapshot datasets (e.g., monthly or quarterly reports) where only the latest entries should be considered, avoiding potential duplicate entries from previous data loads.

Learn more about this function in this link. 

• By default, new users are assigned the "Member" role.
• Admins can now change the role to "Admin" during the invitation process.
• Super admins have the added flexibility to invite new users as super admins directly.

• Breadcrumbs display: When you’re in a subspace, breadcrumbs will show the parent space, previous space, and current space.
• Navigation:
  • For up to 3 levels: All spaces are shown in the breadcrumb.
  • For 4 or more levels: The parent space, previous space, and current space are displayed, with a “...” icon in between to show hidden levels.
• Clickable: Click any space name in the breadcrumbs to navigate directly to that space, or use the “...” icon to view and select hidden spaces.

What's new?

We’ve introduced a new drill-down functionality for bar charts, allowing you to dive deeper into their data with just a click. Now, you can interact directly with bar charts in spaces and explore data across multiple dimensions for more granular insights.

How does it work?

• This feature is available exclusively for bar charts.
• By default, the drill-down feature is inactive for all existing charts. To activate it, go to the Bar Chart section in Table Builder and toggle on Enable Drill-down. For new bar charts, this setting is enabled automatically.
• Click on any bar in the chart to drill down into data for a specific period.
• When you click a bar, Abacum displays all dimension items within the next row group below the top level.
• You can continue drilling down through additional row groups, exploring details layer by layer as defined in the table setup.
• Breadcrumbs are generated for easy navigation back to previous levels, allowing for smooth exploration without losing context.

What's next?

• This is the first iteration and we will keep improving the feature based on your feedback.

We've added a highly requested function! Calculating year-to-date (YTD) or quarter-to-date (QTD) amount in actuals is now easier than ever. No more complex workarounds — just a simple, intuitive function to get the YTD or QTD totals you need.

How does it work?

We’ve added a new optional parameter to the CUMSUM formula, allowing you to calculate the running total from the start of the year or quarter up to the current month.

How to use it:

• CUMSUM (measure, yearly) FROM DATASET or CUMSUM (measure, quarterly) FROM DATASET
• CUMSUM (variable, yearly) or CUMSUM (variable, quarterly)

Currently, this function is available for actuals formulas, but we’ll be enabling it for version formulas very soon. Stay tuned!

For more details, check out our guide in the Academy: Link.