Calculation optimization

Calculation parameters

The optimization mechanism is based on the following principle: it is not necessary to carry out an asset calculation if this asset has already been calculated and if neither a setup modification nor a business action impacting this asset has been carried out.

It is based on the following indicators:

• Asset to calculate
• Context to calculate
• Plan to calculate

These indicators are inserted in the tables and located in each of the processings using the parameters likely to make the results of the depreciation calculation change. The status of these indicators is used to know whether an asset, a context or a plan has actually to be calculated or not.

As a reminder, a calculation is necessary after the following business actions:

- Method change
- Attachment/Detachment of an expense
- Revision
- Revaluation
- Impairment
- Intra-group sale
- Disposal
- Distribution
- VAT adjustment
- Calculation of the subsidies
- Update of a parameter which affects the calculation 

Setting up the optimization

• For each asset, the processing checks whether the following indicator Asset to calculate is set so that the asset can be processed. If it is not set, the processing goes directly to the next asset.
   
• For each asset to be calculated, the processing checks whether the following indicator Context to calculate is set so that the context can be calculated. If it is not set, the context is not calculated.
   
• For each context to be calculated, the processing checks whether the following indicator Plan to calculate is set so that the plan can be calculated. If it is not set, the plan is not calculated.

Display the status of the asset in terms of calculation

The status of these indicators is displayed on the Detail screen of a Depreciation Plan line, which can be accessed by right clicking on the line:
- either from the Depreciation plan function,
- or from the Asset management function (Depreciation plan tab)

Each indicator is associated with a light whose color symbolizes its status:
 
:calculation is done
 
:calculation has to be carried out
 
Particular case : Context calculated   
 
This situation occurs when the fiscal year of a context has been closed. At the end of this closing, the situation of the indicators is the following:

- Asset calculated   
- Context calculated 
- Plan calculated   
 
The asset is considered "to be calculated" in order to determine the new horizon. However, in order to optimize the processing time, the records of the current fiscal year are not rewritten. In this configuration, and before being recalculated, the asset can be subject to a period closing but not a fiscal year closing.

Calculation forcing

It is possible to bypass the optimization mechanism by forcing the calculation:

• From the Asset management function: the Calculate button is used to force the calculation of a fixed asset, regardless of the value of the calculation indicators.
   
   In order to optimize the processing time of an interactive calculation, it is recommended to set parameterCALTRACE - Calculation log file level to 0. If there is some doubt as to the calculation indicator consistency, it is possible to temporarily set it to 10 for verification purposes.
    
• From the Calculation launching function, by activating the check box "Force the depreciation calculation".
  

Parameters used to reduce the operating weight of the calculation

• NBEXESTO - Number of FYs to be stored
   
  This parameter is used to set the default value of the calculation horizon, that is to say the number of fiscal years to be calculated and stored for each asset.
  This default value is used to feed the number of fiscal years to be calculated specified in the setup of each Context.
  The shorter the horizon is, the shorter the calculation time will be (less records to be stored in the files).
  It is up to the user to find the right compromise between processing time and desired projection of the results. 
  
   
• CALAUTVAL - Automatic calculation on validation
   
  This parameter is used to specify if a calculation must be performed automatically upon validation of information impacting the asset depreciation.
  In this case, an interactive calculation is performed, lessening all the future batch calculations accordingly.
   
   The default value of this parameter is Yes. You are strongly advised not to modify it, for the following reasons:
  - If the asset is not immediately calculated upon validation, de facto it is in an intermediate situation that can lead to a wrong interpretation of the information displayed on the different screens of the asset.
   
  - For performance reasons: calculations already performed in interactive mode do not have to be carried out again by the batch calculation processing.

Parameters used to distribute the operating weight

Intermediate updates (commit) of the database

• BPC - No. assets by commit
    
  In order to avoid the formation in the database of a too large space for the storage of pending updates, it is possible to force this update (commit) every n asset, during the calculation processing.
  The setting of this number of assets is common with the flow generation. It is set at the level of this sizing activity code. Its default value is 2000. It is a base value that can be changed and adapted according to the environments in order to have a beneficial effect on the processing time.

Calculation maximum processing time

After a fiscal year closing, it is possible to level the operating weight linked to the depreciation calculation on several days:

• by regularly executing this processing, through the implementation of a recurring task, via the FASCALCUL standard batch task.
   
• by indicating the maximum time allocated to the execution of a calculation processing. This information, expressed in minutes, is entered in parameter NBMINCLC - Max number of minutes for a calculation.
  
  Once this time has passed, the database is updated with all the modifications carried out and the processing is completed.