Category Picker
This article explains the Category Picker in Model Reef.
You will learn:
Where the Category Picker appears.
How categories and subcategories affect reporting.
How to keep category usage consistent across branches.
Where you use the Category Picker
You can use the Category Picker:
In the Variable Editor header when you assign or change a variable's category.
In the Data Library viewer when editing a central definition.
During imports, when you map source lines into Model Reef categories.
The picker usually shows a list of allowed categories and subcategories per variable type.
Categories and subcategories
Each variable belongs to a category, for example:
Revenue.
COGS.
Operating expenses.
Staff costs.
Tax.
Assets.
Liabilities.
Equity.
Dividends.
Within each you can use subcategories to break out detail, such as:
Revenue - Online.
Revenue - Retail.
Opex - Marketing.
Opex - Rent.
Categories drive the main structure of P&L, Balance Sheet and Cashflow. Subcategories control how detail is presented within those sections.
Impact on statements and dashboards
The Category Picker does not change the numeric values of a variable. It changes where those values appear in outputs.
Changing category or subcategory affects:
Which row a variable contributes to in P&L.
Which part of Assets or Liabilities it sits under in the Balance Sheet.
Which cashflow bucket it appears in (operating, investing, financing).
How charts and dashboards group and colour series.
Used consistently, categories make reports easier to read and compare across branches and scenarios.
Category consistency and governance
To keep models coherent:
Define a standard category scheme for your firm or group.
Use the same subcategory names across branches where possible.
Review imports to make sure automatic mapping matches your structure.
Periodically tidy up categories in the Data Library if the chart of accounts changes.
Owners and senior Editors usually take responsibility for category governance.
Categories during import
When importing from PDF, Excel, Xero, QuickBooks or CSV:
Model Reef proposes categories based on line names and context.
You can override these in the import mapping step.
The Category Picker is used there to align imported lines with your standard structure.
Correct mapping at import time saves substantial work later when building reports and dashboards.
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