Cube Management: Load and Manage Data

Overview

Once a cube has been created, the first step is to bring in your source data. This process is managed in the Source tab, which is where you load, append, or delete data files. Think of the Source tab as the cube’s foundation — without loaded data, your cube cannot be mapped, configured, or used in Excel.

This article walks through how to load your initial file, manage ongoing updates, and follow best practices for maintaining accurate cubes.

Step 1: Choose Cube Type

From Cube Management, click New Project Cube. A pop-up window displays available cube types:

• Profitability – Most common choice for end users. Use for transactional-level data such as sales by customer, SKU, or order.

• Financial – Used for general ledger or trial balance data. Supports P&L, Balance Sheet, and Cash Flow reporting. Can also handle summarized data such as budgets.

• Consolidate Profitability (greyed out) – For combining multiple Profitability cubes into a consolidated view. Managed by Blue Ops or admins.

• Consolidate Financial (greyed out) – Consolidates Financial cubes across projects or entities.

• Financial Summary (greyed out) – For high-level summary cubes, not detailed transaction or ledger data.

Greyed-out types require advanced setup or consolidations and are not selectable in standard projects.

Step 2: Confirm and Load Base Data

For Profitability Cubes

1. Enter a cube name (e.g., Customer Transactions 2025).

2. Upload your first file (.XLS or .CSV).

3. Once uploaded, the cube is created and new tabs (Mapping, Configuration, Calculations) unlock for further setup.

For Financial Cubes

1. Enter a cube name.

2. Select your source type:

   • Journal Entries – Load at journal entry level.

   • Period Balances – Load balances by account and period.

   • Period Activity – Load activity detail by period.

3. Choose a Period Layout if applicable:

   • Vertical – Periods in rows.

   • Horizontal – Periods in columns.

4. Download a template or upload your own file to start building the base data.

Step 3: Manage Data in the Source Tab

After the cube is created, navigate to the Source tab to view and manage files. Options include:

• Load – If no data has been loaded yet, this will prompt you to upload the first file.

• Append – Once data exists, this option allows you to add additional periods (must follow the same structure as prior files).

• Delete – Remove partial data (e.g., mid-month loads) to keep only complete months.

• Trash – Remove an entire source file from the cube.

• Download Sample – Export a random sample for quick review (useful if the file is too large for Excel).

• Download Entire Table – Export the full dataset currently in the cube.

The Source tab also displays metadata for each file, including:

• File name

• Number of rows

• Uploaded date

• Uploaded by

• Status (e.g., Completed Successfully)

Best Practices

• Always load complete months of data to avoid skewing year-to-date calculations.

• Match prior structure exactly when appending new periods — column names, order, and data types must align.

• Download a sample to check field availability and data quality before building mappings.

• Correct errors early — delete partial or incorrect files rather than layering fixes on top of bad data.

Related and Next up

• Before this: Overview: Creating and Managing Cubes
• Next article: Cube Management: Map Data and Define Relationships
• Also helpful: Diligent Onboarding Video Series

Managing data carefully at this stage ensures that everything you build on top of the cube — from mappings to calculations — is reliable and accurate. Treat the Source tab as the foundation of your cube, and establish clean habits early to save time troubleshooting later.