This article explains how to create an Import Specification in IBM Controller Web to load budget data where each period is stored in a separate column in an Excel file.

This approach is commonly used for annual budget files, where January to December values sit side by side across the spreadsheet.

Step 1: Prepare the Controller database #

Before creating the Import Specification, ensure the target actuality and periods are unlocked.

1. Open Controller Classic

2. Go to Period Locking

3. Unlock:

   • The BU Budget actuality

   • All relevant periods (for example, periods 2801 to 2812)

This must be done before any data can be imported.

Step 2: Confirm the correct project in Controller Web #

When using Looping by period, the project selected in Controller Web is important.

• The project must be set to the first period of the data

• In this example, the project is 2801 BU Budget

This ensures Controller knows where to start when looping across periods during the import.

Step 3: Open Import Settings #

1. In Controller Web, open Import Data

2. Select Import Settings

3. Go to the Specifications tab

4. Click Create specification

Step 4: Create the Import Specification #

In the Create specification window, define the following:

General settings #

• Name
  Example: Budgets

• Description
  Example:
  This import specification is for importing budget data in column-per-period format.

• File type
  XLSX

• Start row
  Set to the first row that contains data (for example, row 3)

• Enable:

  • ✅ Skip amount 0

  • ✅ Looping by period

Click Create to save the specification.

Step 5: Understand “Looping by period” #

Once Looping by period is enabled, you’ll see a message stating:

Actuality and Period will be available at run time.

What this means:

• You do not define Actuality or Period in the specification itself

• They are selected at runtime

• By default, Controller uses:

  • The actuality from the selected project

  • The first period of the project as the starting point

This is why starting in 2801 BU Budget is important.

Step 6: Configure the field mappings #

Set up the standard Controller fields as usual, for example:

• Account

• Company

• Dimensions

Amount field (key step) #

The Amount field is where the period boundaries are defined.

1. Enable the Amount field

2. Set:

   • Column index start
     This is the column number where the first period begins in Excel
     Example: 5

   • Column index end
     This is the column number where the last period ends
     Example: 16

This tells Controller to loop across these columns and post each value to the corresponding period.

Note: The difference between the start and end index must not exceed 12.

Save the specification once all fields are configured.

Step 7: Validate and test the import #

Before running the import:

1. Use Import Data Error Report

2. Use Preview Report

These reports allow you to confirm:

• Column mapping is correct

• Period looping behaves as expected

• No data issues exist before posting